Years ago, before I moved to New York City I lived in L.A., and when I made the move from west to east I started to look for content creators based in New York City that I could be like my digital guides to the city. I wanted to find creators who loved to document their favorite spots in the city to eat, to find great inspiration for locations around the city to take my own photos, outfit inspiration, and of course where to go out on dates, out with friends, and what bars we’re worth venturing out to on a Saturday night.
On my search for creators whose content I actually liked, and felt authentic to me I stumbled upon another former California girl turned New Yorker, Ella McFadin. What first grabbed my attention when I came across McFadin is her overall vibe and aesthetic, along with her great sense of personal style. To me, She doesn’t feel like she’s trying to be anyone but herself, and has amassed the following she has by showing off her life in New York along with her great sense of style. She also has a separate Instagram account called Art of Foods where she shares NYC restaurant recommendations and let me just say if you live in the city and don’t follow it – you’re missing out. She has gone viral for making the cutest videos around the city showcasing her different looks, even making videos that can sell out whatever she’s wearing from major retailers like Free People. After following McFadin for a few years I figured it was time to pick my NYC style guru’s brain about all things fashion and personal style.
When I met with McFaddin she was just as you would have expected, wearing lots of color (purple and green to be exact) and immediately we started talking about where we like to go around the city and how we cannot wait for NYC summer. McFadin spilled some of her favorite looks she wore last year, how she would describe her personal style, and gave us some advice on what to spend our money on in 2023.
Keep scrolling to read our conversation, hear about some of McFadin’s favorite outfits, shop some of the looks, and get even more shopping inspo.
How would you describe your style?
The first word that comes to mind is carefree. I don’t have a specific type of style. I wake up every morning and dress so differently than the day before. I’ve always been super obsessed with color. I definitely think growing up in Southern California has had a huge influence on my style. I still definitely have a beachy, West Coast L.A. Girl type of style but now I’m living in New York. I think those have kind of come together and create how I dress now.
What brands right now are your current favorites?
I just got this top from Orson Iris, that I am obsessed with. I think every piece that they create is so, so good. I have a lot of my classic pieces from them. I love Anine Bing. They’re blazers are my go-to, if I ever need to wear a blazer it’s from them, they fit oversized, it’s so perfect. I also love Gani. They’re one of my favorite brands for boots. I have a new pair of Ganni boots every season. I wear them until they die. I love them so much.
What are you most looking forward to wearing in 2023?
I think I’m saying this because it’s winter right now and I’m just like, Wow, I’m missing summer. Looking back at the photos I shared with you and like, wow, I am missing it. I’m so ready to be back in midi floral skirts with little tops and loafers coming from spring into summer. I love wearing chunkier boots wiTH a mini dress in the summer. I definitely like to pair more tomboy things with more girly things. That’s how I’ve really created my style. I would never wear a mini skirt with little heels or something. That’s just so, not me. I’m really looking forward to styling spring and summer. I’m such a midi skirt girl. I’m so ready to put that on, on a Friday night and get on to the sweaty subway.
Where do you pull fashion inspiration from?
I pull a lot of inspiration from Instagram.I follow all of the Hailey Bieber and Elsa Hosk fan accounts or style accounts that post their outfit details and I always like to look at those. Whenever I’m going through Instagram and I like, see a photo. I immediately save it. Even if I’m not gonna like pull exact inspo from the look, just looking at something and feeling inspired from these photos on Instagram will like get me like “okay I can like put something together” so even if I’m not like pulling direct fashion from them, I feel like Instagram, inspires me. Then I can go and put something together. I also feel like just being in New York, you see so much inspiration walking on the streets. I’ll see someone wearing a denim skirt with tights or something. I think to myself “I literally never would’ve thought to do that and that girl looks so cute” and I go home and try it out or try and put my own twist on it or something.
What is one piece of style advice that you would give someone who wants to be chicer in 2023?
I would say when you’re shopping, (this is also a good way to be efficient and save money) but when you’re shopping, think of pieces you can wear multiple times. Shop for pieces that you can see yourself wearing to an event or to a party or to a birthday dinner or something. Not something you will only wear once. When I pick something out, if I’m doing gifting, if I’m shopping on my own, if I’m going to a store, I actually think of three outfits that I could wear that piece with that are completely different for different events before actually thinking about keeping it in your closet. Your closet is like precious space here in New York, you have to think about maximizing your space and getting versatile pieces.
So actually behind this photo / this outfit is a Tiktok I made. Just a video getting ready in this outfit and it went viral. By the time I posted this photo onto Instagram, the romper had completely sold out from my video. I think it’s very because it looks like a dress, but it has shorts and is actually a romper so you’re super comfortable. It’s flowy, which made it feel so much more cozy. Because in the summer, when it’s sticky and you’re walking around the city, having on something flowy is key. I was like “this is the most comfortable outfit ever” and I love wearing knee high boots with a small dress when you’re transitioning between seasons.
I was meeting my friend from LA and we were going to get coffee and I got these hot pink little shorts from revolve. And I paired it with a lime green and pink top from Blanca. I was walking through the West Village, I remember I had my headphones on, and I was like, “this look is so cute”. I don’t think I could get away with wearing these little shorts if it wasn’t like a hundred degrees out. I paired it with this vintage Chanel pink necklace, and these little like white daisy earrings. I just love this outfit.. I love color, coordinating looks like that. I think it’s so fun. I mean, obviously lime green, and pink is a statement, but I felt like it just matched perfectly. And I wore the look with Vans sneakers.
I told you, I love a floral mini skirt. When you ask me what I’m excited to wear this year, this is the outfit that came to mind. I’m excited to wear loafers with a floral mini skirt and a cute crop top. I remember this day, I know it looks like a daytime outfit but I actually was like going to a friend’s birthday and it was like a night time thing. So this outfit looks so cute and I got so many compliments on it.
This look is the easiest go-to look for a night out. You wear a hot corset, you wear some cute jeans, (These were low rise) and I tied a little necklace around my neck. You’re gonna see half the girls in New York wearing out anyways, and it’s just such an easy, go to me. I feel good in it and it’s comfortable.
I’m like midi skirt in a crop top. I think I know for my body type is the way it’s going to look the best. I have like in a smaller waist and like bigger hips and like when I wear a midi skirt like I chose that off and I think like I if I was in a mini skirt right here, I feel really uncomfortable but because it’s like a long skirt like I felt great and like that’s just so easy. Like you can throw that on and feel good like instantly and that was like a little beach cover up. So I even like have more like we’re a little bikini underneath that skirt with like a T-shirt and work to the beach. So super versatile and so easy to prepare that with anything.
These Cult Gaia pants are so flattering. I definitely was working out all summer long and I was “like, my body looks great and I’m so excited to be wearing this.” I was on the brand trip with Hampton Water and they asked us for something pink. I found this top on Revolve and thought, “wow this top goes perfect for it” and I thought I just feel so confident in this look and I loved it and I got so many compliments so that was definitely one of my favorite looks of the year.
When you’re in the Hamptons you’re drinking wine for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have all the blue from the ocean, the greens, all these houses there and the homes in East Hampton have the most beautiful florals. I remember when I got this set, I was like, “I cannot wait to wear this in the Hamptons”. I also wore this in Italy and it was so beautiful there. I always like to just gravitate towards two piece sets where I’m wearing a long skirt and a crop top. I just feel super confident and comfortable in them. This one just felt so fitting for the Hamptons.
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