New York Fashion Week: Fake Like You're There

New York Fashion Week has officially begun, and unless you're one of the lucky few with backstage passes, exclusive party invites, and the ability to go for hours without swapping out your Louboutins for sneakers, you're probably feeling a little left out. Though the week may be too crazy for some, that doesn't mean it's not an amazing (if exhausting) experience.

Since we can now live-stream runway shows online and draw instant outfit inspiration from peacocking bloggers like BryanBoy and Fashion Toast, would it hurt to pretend like we're there for the next week? Fashion has always encouraged dreaming, so why not capture some of that buzzing, sartorial-friendly energy for ourselves?

1. Drink good coffee. You can add a scoop of maca powder to your green smoothie like a good girl, but if you're desperately trying to catch Mara Hoffman's show, you'd better wake up fast. Don't make like a Times Square tourist by grabbing Starbucks, though. In true NYC style, you have to spring for the good stuff. Find the best coffee shop in your city and swing by for a double shot of espresso or the silkiest cup of black coffee that money can buy.

2. Dress your tech. Thanks to a little company we call Apple, fashion week wouldn't be fashion week these days without masses of fashionably clad iPhones and iPads being used for taking photos, updating social media, and texting friends to meet you at the Marc Jacobs tent because there's free champagne! Make sure your tech is dressed to impress, since everyone's going to be looking. Vogue's got you covered with a list of high-end iPad covers and some artful iPhone cases designed to match your outfit.

3. Put a lot of thought into your manicure. You'll be Instagramming like crazy, hailing cabs all day, and giving gushing, over-the-top hugs to your celebrity friends. Needless to say, your nails need to be on their game. Hop on one of the fall manicure trend bandwagons with a glossy oxblood polish, a gunmetal metallic, or some sort of 3D accent glued on (a few rhinestones at the tip of the nail, anyone?). Or, as Fleetwood Mac once sang, you can go your own way with buffed nails and no polish. (Oh, and stack on a few slim knuckle rings for extra NYFW points.)

4. Update your social media. Make sure you're following people with front-row access and smart things to say about the collections. It doesn't hurt if they take good selfies and/or are friends with supermodels. Mashable has a great, comprehensive list of who to follow. The Huffington Post compiled a useful list of in-the-know Instagrammers, and Lauren Indvik of Mashable put together a helpful Twitter list to check on the reg if you want to see what's up. Don't forget to follow Bustle's very own Alyssa Shapiro (on Twitter and Instagram) who's scooting around backstage as we speak! Or just follow along with the live opinion-giving with the hashtags #nyfw and #mbfw.

And don't just passively follow. Chime in! Give opinions! Post a totally narcissistic selfie without shame — it's Fashion Week!

5. Watch the shows. What if one of your important fashion editor friends asked you what you thought of the Carolina Herrera show and you didn't have an answer? The horror! Avoid being caught with your harem pants down by watching the shows live at New York Fashion Week Live (you'll also catch some backstage shots and camera pans ove the celeb-encrusted crowd). New York magazine has a slightly more extensive list of shows to check if you don't see what you want on the livestream. Don't forget to remember what this whole thing is about, anyway.