Right now as I’m writing this, at 2:22 pm between Lexington Av. and E 86th street I’m standing behind a ‘cool girl’. It typically doesn’t bother me but I just finished reading an article written by yet another ‘cool girl’. You see, New York is filled with these hopelessly romantic cool girl writers. This girl in front of me is wearing pointed toe loafer doc martens, a beret, a bag that says “fighting animal testing”, and is reading a book. She looks amazing and I’m utterly jealous. But why? I live in NYC, I own berets, loafer doc martens, and I have plenty of vegan/vegetarian supporting merchandise, and of course books. So why was I so easily intimidated?  Because I know that these are the girls I must compete with in the future for jobs. And now, it’s not just as simple as hoping your resume and portfolio are strong enough: your self procured brand is also judged. In New York, especially in the media industry, your social media involvement is almost equally important. If you aren’t an avid Instagramer with clean cut or artistic content, it’s unlikely you’ll land that internship with Glossier. But it’s like 2+2, it only makes sense in this technologically driven age. 

But back to the cool girl. We all see the vogue articles on how to dress, do your makeup, and even live like a cool girl. Lets break down this image. 

Cool: fashionably attractive or impressive.

synonyms: fashionable, stylish, chic, up-to-the-minute, sophisticated; etc.

Girl: a young or relatively young woman.

synonyms: young woman, young lady, miss, mademoiselle; etc.

Essentially, it’s the perfect name for these ‘perfect’ young New York dwellers. They’re fashionable, young, and impressive. Intimidating. Right? But that’s where your individuality comes in. Just because you may see or think someone’s a cool girl doesn’t mean you’re not. There are niches for every style and every passion, and you’re PERFECT for your specified passion and skill set. Just because someone may have had more opportunities or more money to dress how they like doesn’t mean you’re not valuable. You’re invaluable. 

So keep chasing your dreams and don’t be intimidated by all of these ‘cool girls’. Because I’m sure to someone, you’re one too. 

Xx,

Alessandra