The next Olympics aren’t until 2016, to fill that sporting gap, let’s hold an interim Olympic contest where cities vie for gold in the gloss and fashion shopping stakes. From a hotly contested field of outstanding players (Milan, New York, Paris, London, Sydney) I’m calling… drum roll… New York for gold! Followed closely by Paris for silver/second place/first loser. Sorry. Your delicious croissants make thread shopping in your town akin to wrestling.

If you’re planning to visit the (very) recently awarded gold medal winning NYC and achieve your PB (personal best) in ultimate style maven sport, you’ll need a top ten beauty and style cheat sheet. Cough. I mean, training guide. We profesh shopping athletes would never cheat…  Oh… and arm chair shoppers, you’re covered. These design meccas deliver, so you can still smug-it-up with an ‘I got this in NYC’ without leaving the comfort of your Christopher Farr upholstered wingback.

1. Straight off the flight there is something you need to declare: bad hair. Go directly to Drybar – it’s the reason blow dry addicts are never going to reform. They only do blow dries; ergo they’re the experts. Select from a cute menu of styles including: ‘Straight Up’, ‘Uptini’ and (of course) ‘Manhattan’. My first visit I opted for a ‘Manhattan’, which is a super slick straight style. A few days later I was back for a Cosmo-Tai – which did not come in a glass or include alcohol but instead involved loose, messy beachy curls. $40 plus gratuity per blow out, lots of locations, and each salon works a pretty palette of sunny yellow, grey marble, and mirrors. Can’t make it to the salon? Hit the net, purchase their products and recreate ‘Manhattan’ style from any postcode. www.thedrybar.com

UPTOWN

2. Gloss: Bergdorf Goodman Beauty (BGB). It’s the only store in NY with a Charlotte Tilbury counter. Stock up on mascara, blush, and lips. Got time? Get familiar with her foundations. Then skip over to Trish McEvoy for sublime gloss and an eye serum/cream combo that will blow your mind. BGB also holds a full Tom Ford make-up counter. Pay up. It’s worth every penny. 5^th Avenue at 58^th Street, New York. www.bergdorfgoodman.com

3. In a nod to the chill wintry weather, the style set were completely enveloped in puffy coats, which made street chic spotting tricky without X-Ray vision. Luckily the shops delivered in spades. For feet: Barneys. Skip the actual ‘shoe’ floor and head directly to the level with fashion and shoes (which could be level 7, but don’t quote me, hard to concentrate on numbers with all the pretties calling my name). It houses the edgiest shoes and clothes. The brand new Isabel Marant black suede rock n’ roll metal detailed boots had dropped the morning I visited and were walking out the door. Literally. Customers were abandoning their own shoes in a Miss Marant boot frenzy, which may/may not have been lead by me…660 Madison Avenue, New York. www.barneys.com

4. Go to Saks Fifth Avenue for your denim. They stock all the cool kid brands – Rag & Bone, Hudson, Joe’s. Plus, the staff kindly provide tiny waters so you can stay hydrated while you shop. Genius. 611 5^th Avenue, New York. www.saksfifthavenue.com

5. Or denim it up at Abercrombie & Fitch – their store has night club level lighting which adds to the thrill of picking the perfect pair of jeans. 720 Fifth Avenue, New York. www.abercrombie.com

Now GO WEST (Village)

6. And step into James Perse to collect soft knits, singlets, tees, and slouch pants-as-street-wear. His gear embraces the best basics. Take your credit card, you’ll leave light on greenbacks but heavy on style. 411 Bleecker St, New York. www.jamesperse.com

7. Marine Layer is a San Francisco based label which has just opened their very first NYC store in the West Village. What. A. Find. Best tees on the market and at 3 for $90, also best price on the market. Guys and gals catered for here. Win-win if your husband/man friend is in tow. 316 Bleecker St, New York. www.marinelayer.com

Hop the subway and head DOWNTOWN to SOHO

8. For best-in-show beauty: Sephora. Book in for a make-over or just Shop. Stand out buys: Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Gel Mask – genius worker on travel tired skin, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer – for photo shopped-looking skin, First Aid Beauty (FAB) Face Cleanser – all round great cleanse plus suitable for sensitive skin. Colour? Go for Marc Jacobs, the price and shades are right. 555 Broadway, New York. www.sephora.com

9. Converse. You can custom design your kicks here; pick a pair from their canvas styles, select a design, logo, text, pattern, studs, eyelets etc and they will style them up for you. It takes approx 2 days turn around. Not available in the land down under yet, this is must-do in NYC. 560 Broadway, New York. www.converse.com

10. Kirna Zabête. Found this outstanding store while stalking Alison Lou’s killer earrings – which they had in stock and more… Kirna and Zabête, the fab buying duo do best edits from the chicest labels like Carven, Chinti & Parker, Marcus Lupfer, Alexander Wang, and Christopher Kane, to name a few. All bases covered from cocktail frocks to sweaters to denim and accessories. Plus, stellar Aussie label Sass & Bide is right across the road, drop in to banish homesick blues. 477 Broome St, New York. www.kirnazabête.com