To be The ‘Girl on the Street’
Written By : Hannah Corbett
In 2021, I had this thing I used to do where I’d set up my phone and make little Snapchat stories for my friends called my “I don’t care outfit of the day.” The whole point was that it was supposed to embody trying-but-not-trying. Like, I looked cool, but I wasn’t dressed up. The irony, of course, is that I was definitely trying.
One time I wore capri sweatpants (totally ahead of my time) with a fitted white baby tee, flip-flops, and this black patent Gucci bag I’d scored on The RealReal. Oh, and a Yankees baseball cap to top it off. Another, it was thrifted baggy Levi jeans with a tight black turtleneck, my running sneakers, and a giant L.L. Bean boat ‘N’ tote.
The thing is, I wanted to be that girl before I even came up with the concept. The girl at the small-town grocery store with her claw clip in, hair half falling out, tote sliding off her shoulder — and still, people think wow. (Even though that one hundred percent never actually happened.)
Because I think the concept of my “I don’t care outfit of the day” and the girl on the street are basically the same thing. It’s not about “dressing up” or picking your best jeans, shoes, and top that match perfectly. It’s about the opposite. It’s about looking like you didn’t even try.
And that’s exactly what the streets of a city show you. On any given day, (especially in the fall) the streets of a city are more than just a commute — they’re a runway, a diary, a stage. Every time I’m in New York I can’t help but notice her: the girl on the street. Effortlessly cool. Like her entire closet is from a luxury vintage shop — and probably is. She’s not perfectly posed in her apartment mirror, nor is she sitting at a curated brunch table. She’s outside. Moving. In motion. And that’s exactly what makes her magnetic.
Fashion, of course, is at the center of it. Street style has long dictated what eventually lands on runways and racks, but right now, it’s about something subtler — an effortlessness that comes from simply existing in the city. Ballet flats and oversized headphones. A Bode jacket tossed over a slip dress. Linen trousers paired with sneakers. Outfits that look like they weren’t overthought.
But being a girl on the street isn’t just about clothes. It’s about lifestyle. It’s grabbing a coffee, weaving through a farmer’s market, catching the last subway train home after dinner with friends.
There’s a curiosity baked into her identity. As a girl on the street, you’re observing and being observed. You notice the couple arguing about dinner plans, the woman walking her dog in vintage denim, the man balancing a dozen grocery bags. The city doesn’t revolve around you — and yet, somehow, it feels like it does.
And maybe that’s why this girl on the street aesthetic has become so coveted. Hailey Bieber, Kendall Jenner, and the “model off-duty” look have perfected it: slouchy pants, oversized jackets, a messy bun, sneakers, and a designer bag tossed over the shoulder. The energy is effortless, casual, magnetic. But really, it’s just confidence in action — the kind of cool-ness I was aiming for with my Snapchat stories back in 2021.