Street Snaps: Betty Betty
This heat wave is a killer, huh. Everybody is sweatin hard, trying to keep from looking like an absolute mess. I swear, the humidity is making it hard for me to focus (my manual lens, that is). But look at this vision, all in pink. A cool and structured lady, whose repeating kiss prints make for a flirty look without being too pushy.
“My name is Charima. I’m twenty years old, I’m from Philadelphia, Southwest.”
Is there a specific trend you’ve been seeing lately that you wish would just curl up and die?
“Curl up and die? I dunno. I have a specific style that I really, really like – like the 80s, 60s type look. Hippie, crop tops, high waists…”
So is there a specific thing you wish you would see more of then?
“More sixties, eighties. That kinda stuff. But it’s coming out a lot. Even the hairstyles – the bob, you know… The whole bowl cut…”
I like your pin curls.
“Yup, pin curls. I just pin it up. But it’s actually a curly hair? So I don’t really have to pin it up cause it’s gonna be curly anyway, but I just put the pins in there so it can have the specific curl.”
Is there anything a favorite thing that you have on right now?
“Just my bag. I love Betsy Johnson.” (laughs)
Do you go check out her store in King of Prussia ever?
“Yes. Yesterday I was there and the owner of the store, she was like, I don’t know why you’re here, I know you have everything in style. We didn’t get any new shipment yet. I said okaaay.”
I’ll see ya later…
“Yes. I love Betsy Johnson.”
Do you have a current obsession? It doesn’t have to deal with clothes at all.
“Mm, no. The only obsession I have is shopping. I like to shop and go out.”
Do you like to go shopping in particular areas? Are some of them better than others?
“Usually, I thought that I would rather go to the mall instead of downtown, because a lot of people would go downtown instead of traveling to the mall. But yesterday when I went to the mall, I didn’t find anything. And downtown is closer, so I probably would’ve at least found something.But I didn’t find nothing at all and I went all the way to the mall.”
Aww…
“So I went to Victoria’s Secret. (laughs) Can’t ever go wrong there!”
How would you describe your style?
“I like to swtich up a lot. I’m very versatile. I change my hairstyle. I’m very daring. So I wear stuff that I think other people won’t. I don’t think I’m doing that today, I just threw this on, cause you know, I liked the lips and everything. But…”
I mean, I really like the lips, lips, all pink, very femme – I really like that.
“Thank you.”
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Charm
Armand. Age 19, from West Philadelphia.
What is a trend that you wish would stop?
“Polo boots. I’m over it. And it’s the summertime, people still shouldn’t be wearing Polo boots.”
Is there a trend you’ve started to notice, that you think is going to get popular?
“Um… Denim jackets is a big thing now, you know. And that wasn’t — they went out for a while, but now they’re back. I’m noticing that. I like that, a little bit.”
How would you describe the way you dress?
“I like to be comfortable, and I like to add a little bit of sex appeal with modesty. I know that’s a contradiction. But I still like to be modest.”
With a little bit of ‘charm.’
“Yeah, charm. Modest, with a little bit of charm. And comfortable. That’s my number one thing.”
Do you have a current obsession?
“Well I’m a little obsessed with red lipstick. I took a break today cause I had a job interview, and I didn’t want anyone to think I was crazy. But yeah, I love my red lipstick.”
Is there a favorite thing you’re wearing right now?
“My flip-flops. Just cause I throw ‘em on and go. Nice and simple.”
Do you have any comments, questions, shout-outs?
“Mm, no, not particularly. Not now. Shout out to myself.”
All right!
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Summer Silhouettes
I’ve noticed that hats (not baseball caps) have, in general, come back in vogue in the city. I’m quick to say that Urban Outfitter’s presence offering of affordable hats have contributed, but then that rudely discounts all the boutiques offering quality pieces. To say the least, I have been greatly enjoying the variety and breadth of summer straw hats seen around town, and today’s Street Snaps is no exception. Continuing from last week’s more mature interviewee is this breezy example of how to dress for the summer while still being modestly clothed. And by no means is this a look confined to those of more age and experience — lengthy, ambiguous silhouettes can be so dramatic, which is almost always more head-turning than something “sexy.”
Martha, from Philadelphia.
What’s your favorite thing on today?
“On television?”
On your outfit.
“Oh, on my outfit? My shoes and my hat. Covers a multitude of sins. (laughs)”
Are there any trends that you’re tired of in Philadelphia?
“I am tired of the bare mid-drifts.”
The short, loose shirts cut into mid-drifts?
“Yeah, yeah… And I would like to see the long skirts come back. I like that!”
They’ve come back in style now.
“Yeah. (Husband suggests the ‘bare bellies’) And the bare bellies on fat people.”
Oh no! All right. Well I’ll keep the questions short here, unless you have anything else to add.
“I’m older. Very mature. Three children. Married fifty-five years — I was three, it was an arranged marriage. (laughs) No, no. But we were cyclists at one time, till my husband broke his knee and had a knee replacement. And we go to Florida for six months and live in Philadelphia across from the art museum for six months… And our life has ended up being very nice. We’re very happy. Our children are all seemingly happy.”
Elegant & subdued embellishments in dark plum polish
Nice. Do you have any tips or thoughts on cultivating a comfort in your own body?
“I always felt my job was to — and my husband felt the same way — produce these children so that they could be independent, support themselves — we weren’t rich enough to support them for the rest of their lives, we didn’t want to, and it wasn’t a question. After college, they were on their own and they had to take something in which they knew they would be able to support themselves. And that was important. We also said no to a lot of things. And whenever one of my sons says ‘you never took us to Europe‘ and ‘you never took us here‘, and I always say, and look how wonderfully you turned out. That shuts ‘em up.
“So… But you have to have a sense of humor. If you can’t laugh at life…”
Then what are you gonna do?
“My husband’s very funny. Last week we went to the Ritz, and he got me a big soda because it was free if you had to refill it. And he reached over and he poured the whole thing by accident all over me. Just before the movie started. I was sitting in wet clothes from top to bottom. But he went back and he said to the guy, ‘she was so thirsty.’ (laughs) Boy, was she thirsty! So all we could do was laugh about it at that point. But anyway, that’s not interesting.”
Well it’s always interesting to hear what people have to say. But anyway, any last comments?
“I love Philadelphia. I absolutely love it. I don’t like to go to Florida because I miss Philadelphia. I really do. And it has a lot to offer.”
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Continuous Glamour
One day in your life, you find this one object of clothing or some accessory, and it changes your style outlook forever. It’s the day you realize that you shouldn’t wear XYZ cut or silhouette because it’s just not you. It’s the day you realize that you can appreciate someone else’s look without later attempting to copy it. Cause it’s not you. You are you. Admittedly, I secretly sigh when someone tells me “I just do me,” but it’s a legitimate response, especially when that person is so put together. This week’s Street Snaps did not cull such a response, but I just wanted to point out how nicely Alima’s glasses, eyebrows, haircut, and face shape complimented each other — to me, that demonstrates a rich self-awareness. Pair it with bold stripes and that touch of red? Yeah, let’s get into this:
“My name is Alima. I’m from Philly.”
What do you think about the style of Philadelphians? How have you seen it change since you were younger until now?
“Well, I like style a lot, but as I’ve gotten older my complaint is, a lot of things I want to wear, I feel too old to wear. Sometimes I push it, but I kinda like the fact that most people have decided to do their own thing and not worry about what everyone else thinks about it. And I wish I could do that more with myself.”
Do you have a workplace dress code or anything that holds you back like that?
“I just went through this last night. I was going to tie a big scarf as a halter, and the way I came up with it, my entire back was out. And I thought, oh this is pushin it. I feel thirty in here (touches chest), but I have to remember that I’m not.”
Is there anything you see other Philadelphians wear a lot that you wish would stop?
“Yeah, in a way. I like jeans, but on some days, does everyone have on the same uniform?”
Do you own many jeans?
“I have about ten pairs. Like I said, I like them a lot, but I don’t wanna wear them every day. And I see them more than anything else. Maybe it’s because it’s an easy thing to…”
It’s something American. Like once you go outside of the United States — or at least, I’ve been to Europe and I’ve been to Japan, and both times I was like, wow nobody wears jeans like we do. It’s crazy. But I’ve thought about it. If you go into a retail store they don’t have anything but jeans.
“True. So I like them, as I said. But some days — you can come downtown on a Saturday and that’s all you see. That’s all you see. So maybe it’s an easy default when ‘oh I don’t know what I wanna wear‘ — throw jeans on.”
Are there things you look at the get inspired, since we’re surrounded by jeans all the time?
“Mmmm… I would have to say more magazines — I’m not really inspired by the people I see on the streets, so I have to look at something else. (chuckles)”
Is there a favorite magazine you have?
“Well, I like Glamour. I guess that’s pretty much my favorite as far as fashion.”
So switching to what you’ve got on right now, is there anything you have on that’s a favorite of yours?
“Actually not. No. I’ve had this sweater for maybe three years, and I haven’t worn it for the last two. The pants, I’ve had them for about a month. And this is the first time I’ve put them on, today. Not a favorite yet, but I think these pants are so comfortable, they’re gonna become a favorite. Without a doubt.”
Do you have a current obsession?
“Uhh, no. No.”
Do you have any shout-outs or comments or anything you’d like to say to the readers?
“The readers? Be yourself.”
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Odunde!
Did everyone enjoy Odunde a few weekends ago? Broad&Market had a post or two about the 36th annual African festival, and I’ll continue here with a third. The style was incredibly refreshing: vibrant colors, patterns, and silhouettes were seemingly concentrated into a nexus point that was South and 23rd. For example:
Michelle and family.
“I’m forty. Hometown, New York. I live in Philly.”
Is it exciting to be at a festival where everyone is encourage to wear traditional clothing?
“This is my everyday style. I’m a hair stylist, so (it’s my everyday style).”
Cool. Are there any things you take in that inspire or inform the way you want to present yourself when you get dressed?
Different blogs sometimes. Rachel Stewart’s blog… Um…I can’t think of any blogs now. I’ve seen so many! The Sartorialist? Yeah.”
I heard he was in town for the week.
“I heard! [unintelligable part 
]”
Is there anything you’re wearing right now that’s a favorite?
“My necklace. I just like the colors.”
And do you have a current obsession?
“Earrings. Bright and big earrings. And feathers. And glasses. Yeah, that is my current obsession. Cause earrings are always my obsession. But glasses.”
Michelle has been a natural hair stylist for 15 years, and you can get in touch with her via Twitter: @yesidohrmlondon.
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Urbanity
God, it makes me sad — this interview was cut short due to my failure to notice my recorder had stopped working. It’s a shame, but fortunately careful study of these two reveals more than words would have done justice anyway.
Frank (L) and Stephan (R).
S: “I’m twenty-one and I’m from Coatsville, PA. I currently live in King of Prussia area.”
F: “I am twenty-one and I’m from Norristown, PA. I currently live in Philadelphia.”
Cool, so what do you think about overall style in Philadelphia and how people dress? What are your thoughts?
F: “On average I see Philadelphia style as pretty lax. As Philadelphians, we just wake up and throw things on that we feel comfortable in. We’re not too style oriented here, but there are stylish people in Philadelphia. So, it’s just like a general… It’s like we go with what we go with — it’s about comfort.”
S: “And I find that there’s some people that are real trendy, and then there’s people that like, have the time to style. You know what I mean? I mean, I think that’s like almost any city, cause in New York you find stuff like that as well.”
So have you been shopping today?
S: “Today? No, I haven’t. I mean, we’re actually on our way to go thrifting. But he has been shopping.”
F: “Well that’s only because I shopped at the place that I work at, so it’s just —”
Oh, do you work at American Apparel? [I'll save you from the 'oh I was in there yesterday for my birthday' mini conversation.] Anyway, so jumping back into Philly stuff, I was going to ask what you think about streets, like Walnut Street or what other areas you like going to.
F: “I feel like Walnut Street is the main shopping street in Philadelphia. I mean, South Street is a close second, and I find that Olde City has a lot of nice, cute boutiques and shops around there.”
Do you have any favorites?
S: “I don’t really shop in Olde City, so I wouldn’t know…”
F: “I like Zara. I like Aids Thrift. I also like Wilbur’s, which is on 4th and Bainbridge. And in Olde City… I dunno. I guess it would be like, Sugarcube…”
S: “Retrospect, of course.”
And that’s all she wrote. :/ I didn’t realize the recording stopped, and we talked for a lot longer than this. But I suppose it’s just as well. I’ve been thinking about reworking my interview questions again.
If you have interview questions you think I should be asking people, comment!
(click for full-sized images)
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.
Street Snaps: Summer Spandex
Well, this week’s Street Snaps is about more than just the newfound disco steez that Sebastian here has been into lately. It’s about a lot more than that. Behold a queen and his ‘I’m just out to get coffee’ outfit:
Sebastian. “I’m thirty-three years old. I recently settled and celebrated my Jesus birthday, and the theme was a crucifixion.”
How do you feel about the level of dress that people put on in the city?
“It’s a big mixed bag. Street fashion’s uh-maaazing. And it seems like half of it is disposable clothing from Rainbow, and it works. It really works. Unfortunately the rest of it is schlubby.”
Could you give an example?
“Cargo pants. Cargo pants are yeah, they’re everywhere. T-shirts. With slogans on them. Polos. Flip-flops. College girls with flip-flops, I don’t understand.”
Are you totally against thong sandals or is it like the rubber flip-flop jawns?
“It’s just lazy. It’s just straight-up lazy. Yeah. The men at the gay bar like to wear button-up shirts, but unbuttoned down to mid-chest, with pleated, tapered ankle pants. You’ve seen it. It’s bad. Like dress pants that are high-waisted and make men look like — they’re like harem pants with pleats at the hips.”
Yeah, and they’re slightly drop-crotchy — and I hate that term too but — I interviewed this kid a while ago in the fall who was like, gay men’s fashion in Philadelphia is &mdash
“Tragic. It’s so devastatingly bad. Now, obviously the queer punks are all hot as shit and they all look like Marc Almond…”
What about the way you dress and the kind of style you cultivate? What kinds of things do you take in?
“Well I kind of moved on from my coal miner’s daughter, depression-era, early Joan Crawford thing — it was just the 30s through and through — early Hollywood and torn-up hobo fashion. And I was hitting that pretty hard on the west coast. And it was a very west coast kind of thing, you know. Torn lace, jewels and birds, that kind of thing. Not like that’s necessarily a thing over there, but it really made sense in the context. Like when it’s raining all the time and you’re dripping feathers and broken rhinestones and pointy boots, and it just, you know, it functions. And I’m really embracing trash bag right now. Leggings and lamé. Leggings and lamé…”
Yeah, I’m into this shiny top with ambiguous shape and elastic waistband, is it?
“It’s kind of disco 90s.”
Oh my god yeah it is. So you’re into lamé now.
“I am. Donna Summer is on my record player a lot.”
Do you end up buying a lot of new clothes?
“Not really. Leggings are my major new purchases. And stilettos cause I’m trying to learn how to walk in them. So there’s this shop where I just bought a lot of spandex and some cheap-ass costume jewelry. And all of the — well, A, they have these booty popper pannies, otherwise known as padded pannies, that were on a mannequin when you walk into the place. Like the mannequin is facing away from you, it’s just ass only right in the entrance. And there’s some padded pannies on there. So you know right away like, what the deal is. And there were all these straight ladies and they were giving me some crazy-ass looks when I was trying on some shoes. And I am not the first queen to walk into that place! But, anyway, yeah, they have generously sized ladies’ shoes, close to Jeweler’s Row.”
Are there things that you straight-up want people to stop wearing?
“I mean, cargo pants. There’s no… Unless you’re going to or from a work site, where you need a hammer loop in your pants, that’s great. But. I mean, there’s a lot of travesties, but everything has an exception. There’s a way to wear everything.”
Are there things you get tired of seeing at like, parties?
“Tu-tus. Not tu-tus like ‘I’m a ballet dancer’ tu-tus, but I’m seeing a lot of tulle underskirts. Which I feel like I see it a lot. And it’s usually with leggings that go just below the knee, you know? I mean, it’s a cute outfit — this is not judging at all — but why am I seeing it constantly? I feel like it’s the queer femme uniform of right now, and I don’t get it. I dunno. Maybe I just don’t understand something.”
[We get to talking about other 'uniforms' for a minute and come to John Galiano's recent ousting from Dior & related scandals]
Can you comment on why this was such an intense thing to you?
“Because the House of Dior has been my favorite couture house since, shit, for like ten years at least. I mean I’ve been following them on and off. And Galiano, while not being my favorite designer, has a really strong vision and has been at the helm of this place that I feel has grown the way that Chanel has always like, been sportswear and just sort of became safe. And it’s safe and chic and has always been great for middle-aged ladies who are conservative and just wanna know that they’re not gonna be a mess. And Dior took — they sort of were going in similar places, I feel like, in the earlier third of the century (laughs) — I’m just talking out of my ass. Um, but then [Dior] pushed it into this really amazing direction where, you’re talking about… I don’t even know how to describe it.
“Dior’s the one that brought back those historical silhouettes, that brought the bustles to the runways. Remember that was like seven years ago or something? It was amazing. Pheasant feathers, giant fea — what was that, like two years ago, last year? With the hats with giant plums that looked like they would take up an entire entryway when you walk through the door? Even when it’s not being extravagant, it’s always excessive. And I love it. And it hurt personally. If you’re a sports fan, and you take sports teams really seriously, and you care about them and follow the scandals, nobody’s gonna question that. Some people might make fun of you for it, but no one’s going to question your devotion to sports. So why do I have to defend having an emotional investment in mainstream fashion design?”
I didn’t feel like you needed to defend it, but more why [John Galiano's firing & the fashion industry] important to you, for people that don’t know.
“Why it’s important to me is different than it being a legitimate art form, because it’s so associated with — it’s hyper-consumeristic. The fashion industry has unlimited resources, so people can go to amazing places. They have the materials, the workmanship, they have the skills, they have the slave labor to make whatever they can imagine. And the results of that are incredible. And I get that it’s problematic, that it’s not politically okay. ”
But I think that it’s separate in a way…
“But yeah, you have queer activist culture on the one hand, that likes to embrace a sort of weird asceticism, and it’s kind of dogmatic. Like if this has tainted roots, then it’s bad all the way through, or not worthy of being looked at or invested in. And then hetero-land is like, ohhh that’s really cute and in fashion magazines! That’s really sweet! Yeah but we’re gonna think about really important things like football. Cause we’re in Philly.”
[I LOLed hard at this.]
“That was not a coherent argument in favor of anything, but it was a good ramble.”
I liked it.
“Can I talk about the antlers that I just got the other day that I’m gonna gold-leaf? I don’t know what I’m gonna do with them yet, but I’m thinking I might make a hair piece!”
Do you think there’s a time and a place to wear things like that, and feathers and whatnot? Or do you wanna wear them whenever the hell you feel like it?
“Whenever the hell I feel like it. Unfortunately I’m pretty shy. Like I’m a social person, but I’m pretty shy unless I’m drinking. [...] And when you’re walking down the street being really sparkly, people really wanna talk to you about it. It can get really weird. Especially the disco pants…”
God, Sebastian is amazing. They went on to talk about how Philly makes you lazy when it comes to dressing sharp. We both agreed, it’s kind of nice, but we need something in our lives to make us really step it up and challenge one another. “Give sparkly people constructive criticism instead of just walking up and telling them how shiny they are.”
If you’re looking for more Philly street style, visit Broad&Market, or check out the Street Snaps archive by clicking on the “street snaps” tag just below.