Every fashion enthusiast knows that Fifth Avenue is one of the best places to go shopping. But here at The New School, Fifth Avenue is more than that — it’s a runway. From statement bags to standout shoes, Fashion on Fifth is here to give you weekly, front row access to some of The New School’s chicest looks. This week, we’re focusing on what students are wearing when they’re on the go.

Mornings in New York can be a beautifully chaotic blur — alarm clocks snoozed one too many times, coffee grabbed in a rush, and the familiar panic of realizing your outfit idea looked better in your head. In a city that moves faster than its notorious fast walkers, getting dressed can be less of a leisurely ritual and more of a high-stakes experiment. Especially if you have a 9:00 a.m. class. 

Some outfits fall into place so naturally, you risk being late for the sake of taking the perfect mirror selfie to capture it. Others are a result of a half-asleep gamble that feels genius until you catch your reflection in a subway window. Either way, the hurried nature of the city forces us to embrace spontaneity — sometimes discovering new style combinations we never would’ve thought of before, other times being faced with what feels like a situationship: a rediscovered treasure in your wardrobe that you think holds potential, but just disappoints whenever you try to make it work. 

With that in mind, I hit the freezing sidewalks of Fifth Avenue to ask New School students: How do you decide what to wear when you’re on the go? And at TNS, where personal style is practically a degree requirement, what you wear isn’t just about looking good — it’s about feeling like yourself in a city that never stops moving. 

Emilia Levin she/her — @emiliabianca_

Second-year Parsons School of Design fine arts student 

Emilia’s style playbook includes something I practice regularly — choosing skirts over pants regardless of how freezing it gets outside. The maxi denim skirt she’d selected for the day was a piece she hadn’t worn in a while. “Usually, I pick my outfit before I go to school, like the night before but today, I woke up and couldn’t decide what to wear,” she said. “I sat in my room for an hour and tried on a bunch of stuff.” I can confirm it was an hour well spent, because I’ve become fond of the heavy jacket and maxi skirt combination, especially the one Emilia sported. Her accessory game also deserves mentioning with her beaded necklace and an earbud that she kept in one ear during the interview. It called to mind the way Dove Cameron used her own wired earbuds to hold her space buns in place for New York Fashion Week just last week. Maybe headphones are the new hair accessory? 

Irene Li she/her — @sneepypiggy

First-year Parsons illustration student 

Did I drool a little when I saw Irene’s bubblegum pink Mary Janes from across the University Center lobby? Will neither confirm nor deny. I was also in awe of Irene’s seemingly uncaring nature towards how Mother Nature was freezing us just outside the door. “I don’t like to pay attention to temperature, but sometimes I gotta do it, you know?” she said, which prompted a laugh from me. Despite her disregard for the weather, her calculated focus on how she decides her outfits had me taking notes. “I think of two just in case the first one doesn’t work out. That’s how I decide.” A foolproof solution to the modern-day problem of being faced with an outfit that looked better in your head. 

Ling Toh she/her — @t0hliing

Third-year Parsons fashion design student 

In the sea of black that is the stereotypical New York uniform, Ling’s cherry red scarf and matching glasses immediately caught my attention. However, it was still hard to decide which part of her outfit was the true hero piece, because the pops of cherry red still had to compete with her luxurious, black faux fur trench coat. When asked how she decides her outfits, she said, “If it’s not that cold, I try to put on something that’s not a turtleneck and jeans. But if it is, I try to make it cute with a nice coat and scarf.” I couldn’t agree more. The turtleneck and jeans combo is a reliable outfit equation, but sometimes, a girl’s gotta have a little fun.

Joaquin Braver he/him — @joaquinebraver

Third-year Parsons communication design student 

We saw the rise of skirts over pants last year, but what about pants over…pants? Joaquin certainly made the case for that with not one, but two identical black baggy jeans. One of them was unbuttoned and sagging downward on his right hip. I was amazed that it was staying up at all. The rule of two was the formula for his outfit because he also sported two jackets, both in black. But despite the exactness of having two of nearly every garment, the way he decided his outfits was amusingly less so. “Sometimes, I try thinking about it the night before, but then I just forget and do it ten minutes before,” he said. It’s safe to say that it wasn’t a bad idea. The all-black look is always going to earn style points. And bonus points will always be awarded if you can still come up with a good outfit in this frigid weather. 

I’ve often thought to myself, “I have a lot of clothes, but not a lot of outfits.” If that sounds all too familiar, then this article is for you. Maybe you’re even currently reading this instead of scouring your closet for an outfit for the day. If so, I’m honored, but also hopeful that this will provide some much-needed inspiration whenever you’re in a time crunch. Whether it’s a busy morning, a last-minute event, or just that dreaded feeling of “nothing fits right today,” figuring out what to wear can often feel like an impossible task. But with just a little creativity and a few new tricks up your sleeve, you’ll be rocking your wardrobe in no time and looking good on the go.