222A: girl who moved to New York City in the summer (Solved)

I’ve been trying forever to remember a book that I read when I was young. I think I was 10-13. Mid-80s. There was a girl who moved to New York City in the summer. Because she had no friends yet (I think), she spent a lot of time exploring the city by herself. She rode the bus by herself and she went to the movies by herself. She was really into fashion and talked a lot about the outfits she was putting together every day. I think that there was a department store that she loved and maybe fantasized about buying something there? I think she did a lot of window shopping.

I don’t remember her interacting with any other characters, so I have no idea what the plot was. I just remember thinking that it was so cool that she was getting around the city by herself, and that she was so fashionable.

5 thoughts on “222A: girl who moved to New York City in the summer (Solved)”

Trish April 25, 2015 at 7:34 pm

Could this be “Daisy Summerfield’s Style” by MB Goffstein? It was written in 1975 and set in 1959. Daisy is on her way to the city to attend a fashion design school, but she dreams of being an artist, and on the train she impulsively switches suitcases with a girl she thinks looks authentic. She lives in a women’s hotel and spends the year teaching herself how to sculpt while cultivating a bohemian appearance, and she doesn’t interact with anyone except waiters and salesclerks till near the end. There’s a lot of description of her outfits and she shops a lot, though as much for art books and supplies as for clothes.

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Kathie Meller April 28, 2015 at 6:04 pm

I believe this is The Rise and Fall of a Teen-Age Wacko Paperback – 1982
by Mary. Anderson
From Amazon: Blomingdales! Madison Avenue! Elegant clothes and dazzling fame! Laura loves it all, wants it all, and nothing will stop her. Review: I have spent the last 15 yrs or so trying to remember the title of this book. I read it over and over. All I could recall is a girl being alone in NYC and a big floppy hat and Woody Allen. It’s one of those books that when I think of being young i remember. It’s great.

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