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Fashion Week, or Fashion Weak? Blogger Hunts for Upper West Side Fashion

By Leslie Albrecht | September 15, 2010 7:07am | Updated on September 15, 2010 11:14am

By Leslie Albrecht

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

UPPER WEST SIDE — First Fashion Week pitched its tents at Lincoln Center, then Century 21 announced it's opening a new store at West 66th and Broadway.

Is the Upper West Side poised to make itself over from frumpy to fabulous?

DNAinfo checked in with the Upper West Side's own style blogger, Cheryl Wischhover, for her take on whether style exists above West 59th Street.

Wischhover, a 39-year-old nurse practitioner, writes the blog Upper West Side Style and is a contributing writer at Fashionista.com.

Her blog once featured an open letter to Upper West Side moms, pleading with them not to wear workout clothes all day long.

"I know those Lululemon pants are comfortable. I know they make your ass look spectacular. But they’re doing nothing for your self confidence," wrote Wischhover, herself the mother of two boys.

Blogger Cheryl Wischhover writes Upper West Side Style.
Blogger Cheryl Wischhover writes Upper West Side Style.
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Courtesy Cheryl Wischhover

Wischhover answered DNAinfo's questions via email as she covered Fashion Week runway shows.

Q: If the Upper West Side has a certain "look" fashion-wise, what is it?

A: Uh, I'm going to have to be diplomatic with this answer. I'm going to characterize it as "breezy comfort, with a penchant for slightly orthopedic footwear."

I'm completely generalizing here: There's the mom contingent that goes for Lululemon and cargo pants and clogs, and the post-collegiate Urban Outfitters crowd.

For the past few seasons clogs have been having a moment, so we're actually at the forefront up here now. Ha.

Q: Are there certain trends that you’ve seen emerge on the UWS first before they’re shown up elsewhere? Is the neighborhood a fashion leader in any sense?

A: See my clog comment above. Otherwise, probably not.

Q: How has shopping changed on the Upper West Side in recent years? Are there more options for clothes shopping, or less?

A: Shopping is definitely getting better. The Barneys Coop was huge, and having Zara for trendy fast fashion is great. We have Intermix, and a few indie boutiques. That's really what the hood is missing. Some eclectic clothing stores.

CPW and Boc are great, but we need more. Verve is fantastic for handbags. I feel we're really weak in shoe stores. The aesthetic of Harry's Shoes sort of rules the neighborhood.