Eugene Weekly : Fashion : 8.12.2010

 

Fashion

Downtown Dress-Up

Feathered Friends Flocking to the new trend in hair style

Getting Undressed With a Crowd Old friends, New clothes and friendly nudity

Sidewalk Style

 

SIDEWALK STYLE
Words by Rick Levin | Photography by Trask Bedortha

Fashion is not limited to the pop of flashbulbs and the stiletto sway of pinch-mouthed New York models donning the latest in space-age shoulder wings and Lady Gaga gallantry. Price tags and the judgment of the glitterati be damned. Fashion is as fashion does, and its expression runs the red carpet from making sure your socks match, to giving one scintilla of thought about putting on this or that cleanest dirty shirt, to dropping a chunk of hard-earned boohoo on a vintage jacket you can’t quite afford but just know you’ll look sexy as hell in. In other words, fashion is what we all do, which is not to say we all do it equally. Some folks have a way of jumping out and distinguishing themselves from the general swarm of humanity. The get-up doesn’t have to be flashy or outrageous and it doesn’t have to cost a lot, as these on-the-spot, on-the-street photos and interviews attest.

 

Amelia Hart, 20

How would you describe your style? 

Vintage influence with a sense of humor. Buying a few nice things and then wearing things that cost you $10 or less. My mom does hair and make-up for a living, and there were always vintage glamorous things around. It’s just much more interesting than current fashion.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

I love sleeping in, so I usually try to get ready in under an hour.

Is dressing nicely important to you?

Yes, it’s my business. I do hair and make-up, so people expect me to look great, and I do.

Where do you shop for clothes?

Yard sales. My Mom’s closet. Deluxe.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?

An American flag toga.

 

Jackson Noon, 32

How would you describe your style? 

I would say, right now, “just got off work.” Anything that, I suppose, if you were looking at a photo of it 20 years later wouldn’t look completely dated. It’s somewhat of a calculated rat’s nest.”

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Forty-five minutes.

Is dressing nicely important to you? 

I guess nice wouldn’t be the right word. I guess it’s kind of important to me. I’m very picky about the clothes I buy.

Where do you shop for clothes?

Thrift stores. Wherever I can find them for cheap. I’ve had pretty good luck with that.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?

Plaid woman’s blazer I got at a thrift store… and a Colonel Sanders tie.

 

Julia Holzman, 25

How would you describe your style?

My sense of style has changed and transformed through-out the years. It all depends on the occasion and the mood I’m in. I would say the real priority for me is to be comfortable physically and mentally in whatever I choose to wear. It doesn’t hurt to feel confident in the outfit as well.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Anywhere from fifteen minutes to half an hour.

Where do you shop for clothes? 

I usually shop at St. Vincent’s, or sometimes Buffalo Exchange. Typically I buy clothes that I can either alter or totally recreate to fit me and my style.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding? 

I’d probably wear some tight-fitting number I sewed recently and some comfortable but sexy black flat shoes, just in case I needed to either dance or make a getaway.

 

Lefty from Whiteaker, 48

How would you describe your style?

It’s always been the same. Whiteaker T-shirts.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

Ten minutes. That’s when I’m hung over.

Is dressing nicely important to you?

Yes, very important. It sounds funny.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding? 

What I’m wearing right now.

 

Kendal Clarke, 15

How would you describe your style?

I like more Lolita-ish stuff, characterized by lots of bell-shaped stuff and lots of ruffles and ribbons and bows and things. I also like vintage ‘30s and ‘40s.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning?

It depends. If I’m doing something elaborate, it could take me 20 minutes, but it generally doesn’t take that long.

Where do you shop for clothes?

I generally do vintage shops.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?

I don’t have a dress for that. Something probably pastel. Probably flowers in my hair. I like flowers.

 

Marvin Revoal, 55

How would you describe your style?

Corporate America.

How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? Minutes. I wear the next suit in line. If it doesn’t work, my wife says stop.

Is dressing nicely important to you?

Yes. It’s how I was raised, for one. And to honor my clients. I take them seriously. I respect them.

Where do you shop for clothes?

All over. The thing about it is you don’t need to go to the most expensive places in town. I never spend retail.

What would you have worn to Chelsea Clinton’s wedding?

This.