Below Ground, Above Trend
NYC’s subway has secretly become the city’s real runway, the commonplace where everyday riders, bold outfits, and chaotic energy collide to create the most honest version of New York fashion.
As a born-and-raised New Yorker, the subway has always been a place I can count on (unless we are talking about the G train), but for more than just transportation.
Every walk of life can be seen in the subway, considering nearly 3.6 million riders daily, according to the MTA. The subway is an underground mecca of art and influence, moving the city both physically and imaginatively. A hub of the poorest to the richest, New York’s energy comes alive through drummers on platforms, impromptu dance performances, and lively graffiti murals.
Amid the families of rats and occasional unpleasant smells, $2.90 can get you a lot further than just uptown. It can carry you to every borough — though who really wants to go to Staten Island? — and sometimes to something you didn’t even know you needed. For me, it was Mary Janes.
The subway fuels creativity in every form, including fashion. It’s unfiltered, chaotic, and full of personality, proving that the fashion scene isn’t on a runway but on the rails. Personally, the subway is my favorite influencer.
“I feel inspired by people’s shoes,” says Brenna, visiting from Utah and contemplating a move to the Big Apple. She mentions brands like New Balance and Adidas, and prints such as cow and leopard. Shoes, a tiny piece of someone’s identity, can have you rethink your whole wardrobe.
Across the city, the subway has become a living moodboard. Fashion inspiration doesn’t come from glassy windows; it comes from the person sitting next to you.
Beyond the shoes, Breanna ties fashion back to New York's culture. “Everyone's a hustler here, I respect it,” she said. The subway is a fashion ecosystem that’s constantly moving, just like the trains themselves.
“I saw a lady with a very thin, short dress, and I thought, ‘wow, maybe not the weather for that’,” said Ken, after his second time ever using the subway. Back in his home city, London, he tells me the tube, London’s underground transit system, showcases strictly business and casual wear (or whatever suits the weather that day, I guess).
New York City’s fashion democracy is unmatched, making it easy to blend in yet even easier to stand out. It goes without saying that nobody cares what you’re wearing. So much so, we saw fashionistas from this past New York Fashion Week taking the subway to shows and ditching the limos.
Even though nobody cares what you are wearing, that does not mean no one is looking. It's the perfect place for a wandering eye. To those who don’t take a gander around, checking out all the different shoes, jackets, or watches — what are you doing? Not like there’s cell service anyway.
Most of us aren’t ashamed to admit we like people-watching, like artist Benny Cruz, who also takes time to look around. ‘Your Local Benny’ is best known for his text work on MTA Subway maps, which have been spotted in stations, on trucks, and on walls across the city. Today, the Sweden-born Brooklyn-based artist built a community of over 44,000 followers — some born and raised in New York, some who’ve moved there, and others who only dream of it.
“It’s a place where everyone’s paths cross, and we get a moment to either sit or stand and see each other while we ride. I always scan the train because I like to (discreetly) people watch, and I believe others do too,” he shares over an Instagram DM.
Suppose the NYC subway wasn’t iconic enough. In that case, the Instagram and TikTok phenomenon of ‘fit checks’ has heavily influenced what people use and wear, especially among Gen Z. Popular outfit videos in stations dominate For You Pages (FYPs) and serve as chic backgrounds with trendy audio. And they say it's hard to go viral?
“You can’t paint them [Gen Z] with one stroke,” Lorianne said. Lorianne, age 72, tells me about how her subway commute used to be ‘boring’ and now she looks forward to glancing around at what she says ‘the young people are wearing.’
Sounds like the L train is her personal runway, and she has a front-row seat, taking notes.
Using your 30-minute commute as a catwalk may be the activity you didn't know you needed. Plus, A-listers Sarah Jessica Parker (SJP), Tom Hanks, and Bradley Cooper are commonly caught on the platforms. Channel your inner Carrie Bradshaw and romanticize the ride.
In a city that wears its identity on its sleeve, subway fashion tells a different story from the streetwear above ground. Subway fashion is about function, confidence, and quiet sophistication. It's more practical, and “absolutely not the same thing [as streetwear],” said Claudia.
While streetwear combines ease, attitude, and urban edge, the priority is the look over the function. But underground, priorities switch. Wardrobes below lean less on image and more on intention, whether that means changing into flats at the office or pairing a trench coat with a bulky backpack, riders are dressing for the journey (and still slaying).
Claudia moved here 5 years ago from Houston and now considers herself a New York native. “It's giving…I am very much on a mission, going long distance,” she said. Riders can go one stop or 30 stops on just one subway line. ‘Eclectic’ is how Claudia described the vibe, and honestly, I couldn’t agree more.
From Midtown finance bros to Bushwick part-time DJs, everything here is intentionally unintentional when it comes to fashion. One minute, you're minding your business; the next, you see your new must-have.
Like me with my Mary Janes.
I was heading downtown on the 6 train when I noticed a woman sleeping across a row —nothing unusual, just fewer seats open. She had a cart in front of her, likely containing most of her belongings. Despite her raggedy jacket and mismatched bottoms, she was wearing Mary Janes. They were a deep, plum-like purple, looking brand new. Her shoes, not her struggle, were what defined her in that moment. I smiled to myself and thought, Better taste than me, as I stood in my dull and unkempt Uggs.
I went home and ordered the Steve Madden Kylee Mary Jane Platform Pump.
So, take this as your sign to look around and be nosy. Oftentimes, you’ll be sitting across from a new trend before it hits your FYP (or SJP).