A Day of People Watching @Ludlow Coffee Supply: What New Yorkers Are Really Wearing
On the first truly summer day of the year, the people are out to play in Ludlow Coffee Supply, nestled between Houston and Rivington. I set myself up on a worn wooden bench looking directly at the incoming clientele waiting for their soy lattes, matchas, or chais. I, myself, am an emulating tennis player, with a pink ultra mini dress, Adidas gazelles and a Snow Xue Gao pleated white button-up left open. I ordered my usual - an iced soy latte - and for the next hour, I let my eyes wander over the downtown cool that frequents this spot (aka Dua Lipa's favorite NYC coffee shop and mine). The small shop is forever packed with people working from laptops, and outside, during all seasons, people meet friends at the picnic tables. The menu boasts Vietnamese coffee, a maple latte, and a chai as their signature drinks, and the beans are roasted in Red Hook. Beyond the coffee logistics, however, Ludlow Coffee Supply brings a crowd of hip Lower East Side customers that decorate the store.
12:24pm: We begin with tourists, only noticeable by their backpacks. Lucky for them, they stumbled into a coffee gem like this. The woman, decorated in incredible box-like tattoos up her arms, wears a pink terry cloth vest top. On the bottom, her black harem pants stop about six inches above her ankles. To complete the look, she wears black on black on black sneakers, with black ankle socks.
12:26pm: Two men enter, both wearing large tote bags. The first man, in cream-tailored pants, and a blue sweater vest. Under the vest is a matching cream T-shirt. He wears navy New Balances, but the star of the show is a nylon neon orange tote bag with a bungee cord-like strap. I make a note to look up this bag later because I want it, but when I go back to search for it, I can't find anything except this and this. His friend, in a navy cargo and cream pin-stripe linen top wears a black crossbody. I realize only when they leave the level of cohesiveness in their outfits.
12:34pm: I see something I haven't seen in a while. Toms. If you don't remember what those are, then let me remind you. Maybe they're on the rise again.
12:38pm: An amazing gray-haired woman with face-shaping braids wears a baker boy newscap in navy to match a navy and white pin-striped tunic. She wears wide-legged green cargo pants and yellow and blue striped socks with Birkenstocks. A piece of leather cinches the waist of her top and also matches her thick lensed glasses. I love it. The said belt.
12:46pm: Incoming… crocs. A black tank top is paired with high-waisted flare jeans and mint green crocs. I still don't know how I feel about this trend but she looked cute.
12:49pm: It's the day of tank tops and high-waisted jeans. A bra-length ribbed white tank is paired with blue bell bottoms and a green canvas bag.
12:57pm: A woman walks in wearing black patent buckle flats, loose distressed blue jeans, and a black t-shirt. The star of the show however is her large tan leather tote that resembles a circle when not on her arm. I did some diving and found this and this.
12:58pm: I'm noticing trends in green-based neutrals. Another woman walks in with olive chino-type pants and a brown braided belt. She wears a waffle henley top rolled to the sleeves with a classic New York canvas bag. On the bottom, she wears a white sneaker.
1:06pm: Across the shop, a man dressed in a baggy gray suit and heeled Louboutin boots sits with a woman in a metallic teal catsuit. She wears similar black boots and while I'm not sure where they're going this Wednesday afternoon, I wish I did. The boots…
1:13pm: An older man comes in wearing dark skinny jeans, white and blue Air Maxes, and a gray hoodie. In his hand, he has the greatest accessory of all, a gratitude journal. It matches his outfit.
1:18pm: My favorite look of the day comes from a man with loose jeans and stars decorating the back pockets. His sneakers are torn-up old Vans with loose laces, and he wears a black t-shirt with an upside-down orange peace sign on the back.
1:19pm: And… my second favorite look comes in. I've never appreciated a pair of tailored trousers as much as I do now. A man dons a high-waisted khaki pair that stops just above his ankle. He wears classic black and white Converse low-tops (bring back low tops!) and a tight white t-shirt tucked into the thick waist of the pants.
1:26pm: In comes a weiner dog, and another amazing neutrals outfit. The dog's owner wears charcoal Dickie's, a matching charcoal band t-shirt of a band called The Replacements, and brown New Balances. Her bag is a large olive tote made of corduroy. The best part is that she matches her gray and brown spotted dog.
1:32pm: Pleats Please! An exciting find of Issey Miyake's infamous “Pleats Please black pants” paired with black leather Chelsea boots and a black Sex and the City t-shirt. The pants not only look good but also look airy in this summer weather.
1:34pm: New Balances seem to be a big hit today. Right behind Miss Pleats Please, a man wears New Balances in different shades of greens. His shoes match a green GAP sweatshirt he holds in his hands but contrasts to the red and blue striped button-up he wears over a white ribbed tank top.
And as the coffee rush hour slows, I finish off my reports of what New Yorkers are really wearing. While I started writing this solely for your entertainment purposes, I realized that it was beneficial to me. Not only have I added things to my "To Buy" list, but I feel like I've gotten a free crash course (free minus a $7 coffee) in summer trends all from the comfort of my local coffee shop. As a summary, if you don't have New Balances, green cargo pants, and a large tote bag, you might just want to check them out, and if you're looking for inspiration, take an hour, or even a few minutes, to look around.
instagram: @ludlowcoffeesupply