[music]

Janae Pierre: Hey there. Welcome to NYC Now. I'm Janae Pierre. Happy Saturday. What a week. We've been talking about the mayoral election for months now, and it's finally over. With that said, let's switch things up a bit. That's probably what you're doing with your closet anyway. It's officially fall in New York City, which means sweater weather, new looks, and maybe a little closet reshuffling.

This year, with affordability top of mind for so many New Yorkers, the question is, how do you stay fashionable and practical at the same time? Alyssa Hardy is the style director at Teen Vogue. She's here in studio to talk about what's trending this fall, and how New Yorkers are making fashion work for their budget. Alyssa, welcome to the show.

Alyssa Hardy: Thank you so much for having me.

Janae Pierre: Alyssa, you know New York City is one of the most expensive cities in the world. I'm wondering, when we talk about affordability, how do New Yorkers make fashion work for their budget right now?

Janae Pierre: I think, as you said, New York is so expensive, but it's also one of the most fashionable cities in the world. I think that when we think about affordability in fashion, oftentimes, we go to fast fashion or cheap, quick fashion. I think that what a lot of New Yorkers, and just a lot of people in general, are thinking about is vintage consignment, secondhand clothing, because you can get really good stuff for affordable prices.

Janae Pierre: Absolutely. I'm a big thrifter myself. I was thrifting before thrifting was cool. I know there was a stigma about that. Is that still a thing or no?

Alyssa Hardy: No. I think that that's one of the most beautiful things that's happening right now, especially with young people, is that that secondhand consignment stigma from getting it from the big box consignment stores, that's gone. They love it. It's like a way to find something different, find something that's not in your algorithm, discover fashion outside of your phone. That stigma's gone.

Janae Pierre: I thought I was tripping because, walking around the city, I'm noticing low-rise jeans and A-line skirts, everything that's coming back. I'm like, "Wait a minute, am I missing something?"

Alyssa Hardy: You are not missing anything.

Janae Pierre: [laughs]

Alyssa Hardy: You are very much on it. It's everywhere. It's back. I think there's a tendency for millennials or people a little bit older than that to be like, "We don't want that back. That was there," but I do think there's some fresh takes on it that are really interesting. Low-rise jeans, that's a tough one.

Janae Pierre: [laughs]

Alyssa Hardy: Listen, if you can still fit them, go for it.

Janae Pierre: Yes, go for it.

Alyssa Hardy: [laughs]

Janae Pierre: Right, exactly. If it feels good, love that for you.

Alyssa Hardy: Yes.

Janae Pierre: [chuckles] You recently wrote about Frugal Chic. I don't want to spoil it. Tell us all about it.

Alyssa Hardy: Frugal Chic is this concept that a TikTok creator has been coming up with, talking about how, as we said, people, there is an affordability crisis and people are trying to find ways to still be chic and have that feeling without spending a ton of money. Some of the things that people are doing are, especially here in New York, going to sample sales and going to places where they're maybe giving out free things. They're wearing nice perfumes, and that's a way to elevate your look. They are painting their nails themselves, but doing a nail design at home versus going to get a expensive manicure.

Janae Pierre: Not just thrifting, but shopping local helps with that, right?

Alyssa Hardy: Of course, in New York City, there's a lot of great stores and a lot of great designers, but I think just even anywhere, looking to your local store and supporting local businesses, buying into things that you might not necessarily be seeing online, but you're going to buy and keep forever, that's another way to really rethink the way that we are consuming clothing.

Janae Pierre: I think about that a lot, actually. I just try to be more intentional about the pieces that I get and look at them as not clothes but pieces.

Alyssa Hardy: 100%. That's the best way to do it.

Janae Pierre: We're talking a lot about fall fashion and affordability, but talk a bit about sustainability here.

Alyssa Hardy: It's another reason why I love secondhand and vintage so much. We know that clothing has a massive impact on the planet, and then, of course, the millions of people that work in the fashion industry making our clothing. New clothing that's made, we're using a lot of water, there's lots of microplastics. I think people are becoming so much more aware of it, but we're still really tapped into the trend cycles. I think vintage as a way to pull yourself out of it to reduce the amount of clothing waste.

We're getting rid of tons and tons of clothing every single year. Those clothing are ending up in areas around the world where communities are needing to now deal with clothing from the United States, from the UK, from Australia. The clothing quality is getting worse than ever. Those clothes are ending up in waterways. The microplastics are ending up in the water. It's becoming a really, really huge issue for the climate and for the folks that are having to deal with the clothing waste that we have. Vintage is just a great way to tap out of that, to lower your impact.

Janae Pierre: What I'm hearing is everyone should be Frugal Chic.

Alyssa Hardy: 100%.

Janae Pierre: Thrifting's the way to go. For listeners who may be new to thrifting, especially in a place like New York City, where it could a lot with so many thrift shops around, any advice for them?

Alyssa Hardy: Yes. I think one of the biggest tips that I have for thrifting is have a plan. Think about the things that you're looking for and those things that you want to add to your wardrobe before you go in. Then when you're going into some of those larger consignment stores like Buffalo Exchange, then you can go and say, "I want a white Oxford, and I want it to be this length," so that you know exactly where you're going, and you can dig from there. I also think you need to just go in understanding you might have to dig.

Janae Pierre: Oh, it's a hunt. [chuckles]

Alyssa Hardy: You're hunting, yes.

Janae Pierre: For sure.

Alyssa Hardy: That can be really fun, but I think you have to go in with the right mindset. Also, have a snack before.

Janae Pierre: Please eat.

Alyssa Hardy: Yes. [laughs]

Janae Pierre: Alyssa, I'm going to say it. I like your style.

Alyssa Hardy: Oh, thank you. I like your style, too.

Janae Pierre: Thank you.

Alyssa Hardy: You have great style.

Janae Pierre: You're wearing a slip dress right now with a long brown suede jacket, black boots. I'm thinking this jacket, though, it's something that I could wear. It's long on you, but it'll be just right on me.

Alyssa Hardy: [chuckles]

Janae Pierre: The suede jacket, perfect for fall.

Alyssa Hardy: Yes. Thank you.

Janae Pierre: Where do you get your inspiration?

Alyssa Hardy: I get my inspiration from New Yorkers a lot. I work downtown. I'm always out and about. I'm looking at people, and I'm like, "Wow, you're wearing a brown suede jacket. That seems amazing." I don't really shop new at all. For example, this is from Depop, actually. [chuckles] I find that the one good thing about the changing algorithms and the changing of how we're thrifting is that you can do so much on your phone. I can look up, hey, brown suede top, brown suede jacket on a Depop, or a Thredup, or a Vestiaire Collective-- [crosstalk]

Janae Pierre: Or Poshmark.

Alyssa Hardy: Or Poshmark, or eBay. So many places that you can actually just right at your fingertips. You don't even have to buy anything new if you don't want to.

Janae Pierre: I can't tell you the last time I bought something new.

Alyssa Hardy: Yes, you don't have to. You really don't. It's amazing.

Janae Pierre: It's amazing. You're amazing. Thanks so much, Alyssa Hardy.

Alyssa Hardy: Thank you.

Janae Pierre: Teen Vogue. This is NYC Now.

[music]

Copyright © 2025 New York Public Radio. All rights reserved. Visit our website terms of use at www.wnyc.org for further information.

New York Public Radio transcripts are created on a rush deadline, often by contractors. This text may not be in its final form and may be updated or revised in the future. Accuracy and availability may vary. The authoritative record of New York Public Radio’s programming is the audio record.