I always check the weather before I go to bed. When I had checked it on Friday to see what type of outfit I would need for Saturday morning, a huge grin spread across my face as I read numbers that reached above the 60s. Though I was wishing for temperatures closer to 80°, the 60s would suffice, because I had the perfect spring outfit in mind.

When I woke up Saturday morning, I looked out the window to see if the sun was shining yet. There was no sun in sight, but I kept a positive mindset, and assumed it would peak out by the time I arrived in the city. After going through my regular morning rituals, I swung open my closet doors and eyed the pieces that I was going to wear:

– My gorgeous green suede jacket I got in France this February

– A pair of cuffed railroad striped jeans

– The simple, yet timeless white tee

– A brightly flowered scarf

– And my classic black Dr. Martens

To me, this ensemble screamed spring, which is exactly what I was looking for. I stood in front of the mirror and felt a happy feeling dance through body. I was ready to take on spring; and the city, all in one day.

When I arrived at Penn Station, I got my usual iced green tea (with two Splenda, I highly recommend) from Starbucks, and made my way to the escalator that brings you to 7th avenue. As I jumped on to ride the stairs, I felt a huge gust of wind fly over me. “It must be from an air vent, there is no way 65° feels like this,” I thought. Once I stepped out onto the street; however, reality hit me. It was the coldest 65° I had ever felt, and I was truly disappointed that my dear friend, The Weather Channel, had lied to me.

Walking down 7th, I tried to keep my positive attitude like before. I fought any gust of wind that came my way, and criss-crossed my arms tightly for warmth. As I watched people pass me by, I saw that I was the only one who was sporting a spring mood. Everyone else was dressed in blacks, grays, and browns, as if it were winter all over again. I was really off with my outfit this time, but I chose to blame the Weather Channel, not myself.

Upon entering FIT, I felt relief for two reasons: the building was nice and heated and the other girls in my class were wearing spring-inspired ensembles as well. I was so comforted to find that I would not be the odd one out. Some girls were even wearing shorts, tank tops, and sandals. I gasped!

For this class, my teacher had scheduled for us to walk along the highline and into the Meatpacking District. I am currently taking a Fashion Forecasting class and our assignment was to watch for and collect trends as we walked through the city streets. I was so pleased when we were told of this assignment because I love admiring street fashion. Aside from the hundreds of magazines and blogs I scroll through, the city streets provide with me with some of the greatest influences.

The only thing holding me back from this trip was the fact that I was going to be freezing the whole time. But once again, I kept my positive attitude, and embarked on the journey to the highline with the rest of the class. Whenever I felt extra cold, I would look at the girl wearing cropped jeans and a tank top, and became content knowing that I was not suffering as much as her.

Though I’ve been on the highline before, this experience was different. Instead of focusing on the shrubbery or sites of the city around me, I kept my eyes strictly on the people, even if it was creeping them out a little bit. Because it was early in the morning, there  were mostly dog-walkers and runners, but I did see some recognizable trends. Once the class finished walking the strip, we made our way down the stairs and into the Meatpacking District.

Now, I had around 3 hours to kill. We were allowed to walk around without the teacher, but had to find a buddy or buddies to go with, so I matched up with two other girls. This was my first time casually walking around the Meatpacking District, and I was excited to see what was in store. Even though it was cold, my group decided not to go in many shops, and strictly stay in the streets. Since none of us had really experienced the Meatpacking District before, we wanted to make the most out our trip and explore as much as we could. Once we spotted a Magnolia Bakery; however, we couldn’t resist. The cupcakes there are utterly mouth-watering and totally 400-calorie worthy. If you have never eaten one, I sincerely feel bad for you.

Unfortunately, the sun never came out, but I did not let it put a damper on my day. I had an awesome time walking around and getting to know the girls who I was paired up with, and the Meatpacking District is definitely the most diverse place I have been to in the city so far. There is a large mix of shops, ranging from high-end designers to European boutiques to vintage flea markets. There were so many delicious looking cafés that I was dying to go into, but sadly, there was not enough time.

And for the assignment, I’d say it was quite successful. I was able to pick up on many current trends while also witnessing some new ones that are being displayed for spring. All of the clothes made me so tempted to shop, but I had to constantly remind myself, “You’re here to work, not play.” I was sad to leave the Meatpacking District once our time was up, but I was glad that my frostbitten fingers would be exposed to the warmth as soon as we got back to FIT. I had an incredibly rewarding experience during this class, not only because I was able to explore a part of the city I rarely see, but because it helped me understand how to find, collect, and analyze upcoming trends.

By the end of the day I was exhausted and definitely ready to catch my ride home. I picked up a small cup of frozen yogurt before I got on the train because the sweetness always gives me a boost of energy. Besides learning about forecasting trends, I would say that the most important thing I took from this experience is: download more than one weather app.

xxx, Caroline