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Style by city/region - myths, facts, tips?

Helena

Veteran

Hi everyone,

This topic has been touched on in a few different threads, so I hope you don't find it too repetitive.

I am requesting of those who live in or travel to cities/regions known for a certain style: 1) what are the myths? 2) what is true? 3) if you were writing a tourist guide, what would you say to the question "How should one dress to blend in"?

I am not trying to reduce anywhere to a stereotype - and obviously there is going to be huge fashion diversity anywhere, esp. these days - but just so obsessed and inspired by what I perceive e.g. of the New York look (sleek and polished black and gray everything), or the New England look (basically anything from a Sperry ad ha!) that I am wondering about what's real, what's fake, and what to emulate. I'm not talking the fashionistas but the average, reasonably well-dressed person on the street.

Hope this makes any kind of sense!

43 replies

Latest reply was from El Cee

Thistle

Veteran

Not really sure.

I live in the Midwest and we are known for being conservative. We are. Obviously there are degrees of everything, but by and large, this is a more conservative part of the country.

And, of course, if a stereotype of the midwest is people in heavy down coats and unstylish winter boots trudging to their cars . . . well, you got us there too

Helena

Veteran

Ha, Thistle I can relate!

How not to look like a tourist in Aurora, ON in winter - massive parka, Sorels, toque, no exposed skin whatsoever ;D

Greyscale

Veteran

San Francisco has a reputation for being casual. It's true, though it's more and more fashion conscious: still casual, but always the right jeans and footwear. There's a strong hipster vibe: skinny pants on men and women, vintage-looking leather shoes and bags. And people are starting to dress up a bit more, heels at dinner, that sort of thing. Often with a hipster twist - I'd be unsurprised to see a guy in a nice vest, bowtie, and handlebar mustache at dinner. You'll always be welcome at a restaurant in jeans and a hoodie but I was at one of our best restaurants last night and noticed everyone was a bit dressier, only one couple in the jeans/hoodie uniform.

Sometimes people misinterpret the SF casualness and assume it's sporty outdoorsy clothes. It was more like that 10-15 years ago, but now, people are more likely to have a vintage field coat or an expensive hoodie than a North Face fleece. It's still true that plenty of people wear their yoga clothes out and about, and there's a sporty vibe in some areas.

Speaking of hoodies, the stereotype is true: Mark Zuckerberg's hoodie look is totally standard among tech guys & gals.

Another thing that is totally true: bring a jacket. It is chilly in the evening no matter what time of year. Summer is especially chilly, honestly. I am not exaggerating - this January was warmer than many Julys. September is the warm month. A wool sweater and a jacket are never bad ideas no matter what time of year.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

For sure there are regional differences! Some of it depends on geography/ weather.

Like Vancouver = Goretex. Obviously it's a huge overgeneralization but they wear their rainproof gear coats more often than people in Toronto. Just like we wear parkas in most parts of Canada more often than they wear them in Florida.

To "blend in" in any major city in North America, Europe, or Asia, as far as I can tell, you are safe if you wear black, with denim.

Diana

Veteran

Boston is really, really Preppy with a capital P. This is not an exaggeration.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I can say that I do see some regional quirks. Here in the South the 'rock n roll cowgirl' look is pretty strong with the cougar group. It's blingy sexy. Miss Me jeans. Those bodycon shirts with rhinestone wings on the back. Almost like biker goes to the ball lol.

Anonymous

I'm from Fredericksburg, Va which is considered to be a small city. A lot of people come to our city in regard to Civil War where a ton of battles took place. But anyway about the fashion. The counties outside Fredericksburg (more rural) are pretty conservative. The city is a little bit more on the liberal side. We have a college (University of Mary Washington) in the city of Fredericksburg where it's definitely on the preppy side. It's all khaki, polo shirts, Hollister and Aeropostale tee shirts, striped American Eagle shirts, etc. Definitely more of the Tommy Hilfiger, Ralph Lauren look. All of the students look basically the same. PREPPY for sure.

Greyscale

Veteran

Diana, so true. I used to live there, and when I was visiting last summer, I was shocked to remember that. All the women on the T wearing their lovely J Crew outfits to go to their law office jobs... I look through the J Crew catalog out here and wonder who wears their business clothes, and then visiting Boston or DC, it's suddenly obvious.

Liz

Veteran

Hm...well, I lived for many years in a region where you looked like a tourist if you were having your picture taken while standing in front of a sign designating a local landmark. There is no amount of "dressing to blend in" that can overcome that. : )

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I live in rural California 132 miles from San Francisco, outside of Yosemite. This is a low income area, incomes haven't been good since the logging and mining days. The economy depends on retirees, government workers and tourism. There is also some agriculture and ranching. I say all of this because it influences the attire.

It is very casual. Not pricey gear brands but casual as in Wal*Mart casual. The preferred denim brand is Wrangler. Like in Mo's case, there is a blingy cowgirl style that local women with some money like. Also blingy attire with a faith message is popular. At the same time there's an "anything goes" attitude and people are quite friendly. If people judge me for my more style-conscious attire, they keep their opinions to themselves.

Helena

Veteran

Greyscale, thanks so much for that info - that's another place I haven't been. It really interests me how different areas have their own look - it's sort of insight into the lifestyle.
Suz, great tip - I am always on the lookout for the foolproof uniform so I can throw everything else out Black and denim it is!
Diana/Greyscale - I'll look to J. Crew then whenever I'm feeling "Boston-y"
Mo - I had forgotten about the South - and the cougars! - I love it ha!
Kristi2004 - thank you! Another interesting observation, that the university is so influential on the style.
Liz - Note to self, if planning to take photos in front of monuments, may as well wear whatever the heck I please

Thanks all - I hope this question isn't too stupid! I really find it fascinating for some reason!!

Helena

Veteran

CocoLion, I love the authenticity you are describing. Truly. And I have several Walmart pieces myself that I love. No retail stone, isn't that what is said on here?

Anonymous

In DC, we're not as boring and badly dressed as people say we are -- I promise!

It is definitely true that we skew conservative compared to lots of other places. I feel like the default for women who pay some attention to fashion is more straight-up Banana Republic/Ann Taylor/J. Crew than it might be elsewhere. Lots of Kate Spade and Tory Burch bags. Sleek, straight hair. Maybe some fun colors and accessories, but the focus is more on looking generally current and pulled-together than being super-unique or on the cutting edge of anything. And then there's a certain amount of almost tongue-in-cheek preppy. Seersucker and and pastels and pants with embroidered ducks or whatever. Especially prominent at the bars on the Georgetown waterfront in summer.

I was actually just reading about a laundry service that will come pick up your clothes and drop them back the next day, which recently opened a branch here. Apparently they started in California, but decided to expand to here partly because they wanted a market where people actually wear dry-clean-only clothes.

I will say that DC does have a little bit of everything, though. There's actually a lot of a kind of crunchy sporty/boho hybrid. Maybe because of all the wonky nonprofit types.

Helena

Veteran

Aubergine, I never heard anything bad about DC style, but I'm sure Olivia Pope has cured any negative rumors! The style you are describing sounds perfect to me - classic and well- put-together vs. trendy is right up my aspirational alley. Thank you and thanks everyone!

DonnaF

Veteran

San Francisco male attorneys wear navy and charcoal suits; Oakland ones are more likely to wear gray, blue, and brown ones. More sun in Oakland.

rachylou

Veteran

I'm trying to think of a myth or stereotype about the SF Bay Area that isn't true... I can't. Haha.

Marley

Veteran

So. CAL (not, L.A - but rather the smallish beachy towns between L.A. and San Diego) - are heavily influenced by the surfing culture (and the beautiful weather.) Filp-flops year round. Surfer shorts year-round (in the winter they are worn with Ughs) Dread-locks. Sunglasses - always. Very casual - people come straight from the beach to church - hence, t-shirts and shorts pulled over their swimsuits and they're good to go! Also, a lot of bohemian influence - handmade jewelry, long flowy skirts and dresses, long wind-swept hair, leather sandals or barefoot. And then there's the sporty vibe - tennis shoes, shorts (again! - but not surfer type), tee-shirts, hoodies, baseball caps. Generally speaking when people "dress up" where I live, you can bet that the women are going to be wearing something "Free People-ish" - flowing tunics, smocked tops, detailed stitching on a jersey top, etc. Sadly, there is a huge gap between the "haves" and the "have nots" - so you will see both Walmart and Gucci being "represented" at the same event.
Having said all of that - it is pretty much anything goes. No one judges anyone regardless of how they are dressed. It's one of the things that is so appealing to me about the place. I definitely dress differently than anyone else around me - and nobody cares - but, you just have to go up the road about 40 miles to where Vicki lives and its a completely different vibe - much more upscale with a lot of high-end shops at their malls. Then, there's karymk who lives further north of Vicki (but not north enough to be considered L.A.) and there is a different style there. Same with MaryK who's inland a ways, and Rae, who represents more accurately the L.A. crowd.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

FWIW, here are my sweeping generalizations:

The West coast of America tends to dress more casually than the East coast
Black attire is common on the streets of NYC
Beach attire is common in So Cal because - well - it's right by the beach
Outdoorsy attire is common in the suburbs of Seattle because - well - there are outdoorsy opportunities very close by
Boston is the number one Preppy city in the US. Hands down. I have been there twice and it really stands out.

April

Veteran

TG, I divide my time between Philadelphia, New York, and Connecticut. Our part of CT is highly preppy, particularly among the older people. Men and women in their mid-60s and older often look like they're on their way to or from sailing. If you saw a photo, based on the styles in it you'd have trouble knowing when in the past 30 years it was taken.

By contrast in Manhattan, you could probably tell what week it was. Our neighborhood is full of hipsters and if you see something on a young person there and think, "They're wearing THAT?" (recent case in point: seriously authentic mom jeans) you can be sure it's The Next Big Thing. Harder to tell in winter, though, because everyone but everyone seems to wear a black puffer -- except the ladies in fur. NYC is one of the few places where people seem to wear a lot of fur without fear of political or ethical incorrectness.

Philadelphia is harder to characterize. In some sections of the city, there's a jaw-dropping body con ethos in which tight, tight, tight, and low, low, low are the keywords. But in the suburbs where I am, the young women wear a uniform of sorts: yoga pants, Uggs, and flat-ironed hair. In warm weather, substitute sneakers for Uggs. In colder weather, add a North Face jacket with a hoodie beneath.

ironkurtin

Veteran

Austin is very casual. There is a big outdoorsy/organic/music scene look, but not PNW cold, more Austin broiling summers. The more "Western"/Southern folks will wear cowboy boots but very few people wear cowboy hats. Dressing up for women involves showing a lot of cleavage. Men don't dress up.

If you see someone here wearing black, it's probably a transplanted NYer or LA music scene refugee.

carter

Veteran

Hopefully the other Atlanta girls will chime in, but I'll start with my observations. When I was a kid, the Atlanta MSA had fewer than 1,000,000 people. Today I think we're over 6,000,000, so the vast majority of folks who live here now are not from here. That said, we see some of everything here. The Old Guard is very conservative...khakis and blazers or dark suits for men, sheath dresses, knee-length skirts or nice slacks for women. Dressy jeans with tailored tops are much more commonplace than they used to be. The teenagers wear jeans, uggs, tee shirts and short skirts and dresses. The hippies look just like they did in the 60s.

The rap/hip hop community (including the hangers-on) is a whole different ballgame. The guys wear gigantic pants belted around their thighs, some kind of pricey sneaker, backwards ball caps and plenty of bling. The hip hop women either wear pants so tight I worry about their internal organs or dresses with necklines down to the navel and hems up to the hoo ha. All with 10-12" platform stilettos, very long fingernails and tons of bling.

The rest of the folks wear whatever they wore before they moved to Atlanta, and they blend in fine.

I guess anything goes here!

Catnip

Veteran

Angie is certainly right about dress in New York City. The preeminent color is black, black and more black. Yes, many of us do wear brown and navy, and colorful scarves are always popular. Except in summer, there aren't many people wearing light or bright colors all over. White jeans were popular last summer, but you never see them now.

One thing that's different about NYC is we have many tourists from all over the world. The ones from western Europe and Japan are especially fashionable, and they are everywhere.

Based on what I've seen elsewhere in the US, many New Yorkers tend to be somewhat more dressed up then the national average.

Also, we encourage and respect outlandish, weird and very fashionable looks. I live two blocks from Lincoln Center, where Fashion Week takes place. When it's underway, the people in my neighborhood are so fashionably dressed that I'm almost afraid to go outside for fear of looking frumpy.

karymk

Veteran

Marley was spot on with her California coastal commentary. I think my personal style would best work where Vicki lives, because I just can't make bohemian beach girl work! This summer I am going to stay true to my classic roots, but SoCal it by mixing in thread bracelets with my good jewelry, wearing sportier sunglasses and shoes and just embracing globalish looking peasant blouses. I will probably keep my structured bags in rotation to keep a little "Kate Spade" in my look.

LA is just too casual for me.

I am SO a New Yorker at heart when it comes to fashion.

always trying

Veteran

I am in south Orange county California, near beach. we are definitely beachy, flip flops on everyone from toddlers to grandmas. Literally whole families. sometimes strange stuff on the teen age crowd like when it is cold a knit cap, puffer jacket, with flip flops and short shorts. Not a lot of wallmart in resteurants, the malls etc. but not too much high end either. Mostly I think no one really pays much attention to what others wear. Since it is touristy one sees a bit of everything. Mostly the young moms seen to wear some type of gear and run pushing the strollers in the morning, then just wear the same stuff the rest of the day--this goes for the dog walkers too. In the daytime everywhere is just sporty casual. some here seem to not own anything heavier than a hoodie, and complain when it gets down in the low 50's to 40's. Like DA just get a heavier jacket.

Deborah

Veteran

I think it is fair to say that Melbourne, Australia is definitely the capital for wearing black sleek looks.

shedev

Veteran

Cleveland has a lot of the hip hop culture exactly as described by carter. The other look is gear, lots North Face.

deb

Veteran

I am in one of the suburbs east of Sacramento and we are updated casual. Boyfriend and skinny jeans. But near the capitol, it is very dressy conservative. The farther outside of this center, the more casual it is. If you go south of Sacramento, you will find more of the hip/hop style. The colleges here, seven of them, are a mixture. UC Davis is an agriculture and medical university and students dress more AG than medical. And the folks that live there are more on the Bohemian side. Bicycles are the norm for transportation. Greyscale, I find your view of San Francisco interesting. I have always viewed the city as fashionably casual. Not like the 50's and 60's when I would visit my cousins and they were very dressy compared to me, from Sacramento. Of coarse, the hippy days of the early 70's changed all that. The business district is still very dressy IMO.

rabbit

Veteran

Portland in the PNW (and to some extent Seattle - although it can be more fashion conscious/big city), in my experience is highly hipster and outdoor influenced, and tends not to dress conservatively/preppily unless you are from a suburb or over 65 (and not in a creative field).

Casual wear rules, even at the opera, but it tends to be creative casual. A lot of comfortable but expensive Footwise type boutique footwear and leather boots. Separates that could have come from Etsy, vintage, or REI's everyday wear offerings (like Prana). Portlandia is pretty accurate with it's lampooning of local style.

Subcultures often have their own very distinct look that doesn't get a second glance, but wear bright color (that's not part of a North Face down jacket) and heads will turn - it's pretty unusual. There's a whole bicycling in skirts or roll-up pants with interesting socks and leggings thing going too.

Very rarely seen - bling, stiletto pumps (or any obviously uncomfortable shoes), big hair, exposed skin (unless it's tattooed).

Helena

Veteran

Thank you EVERYONE for weighing in - although this kind of discussion may involve a certain amount of generalization, I would venture to say it is LESS so than is seen in the average fashion magazine. I am loving reading about the different styles, lifestyles, climates, values, socio-economic realities - it's very diverse and I love seeing how much day-to-day fashion is part of the surrounding cultural reality. I feel very much more educated about the character and diversity of the States than I was at the beginning!

always trying/deb/marley/karmyk - thanks for the cali insights - envious of the climate!
Angie - thanks so much for weighing in and sharing your broad perspective!
April, it must be interesting to go between such different lifestyles and 'vibes'
Ironkurtin - thanks for the Austin insights; my cousins just moved there and I am dying to go for a visit! Now I'll know wtw!!
Carter - love the diversity you describe in Atlanta; reminded me of Toronto to some degree
Catnip - Thanks for the NYC insights - I'm such an NYC wannabe ..
Shedev - Love that Cleveland has a totally different spin
Rabbit - Portland sounds comfy-cozy lovely
Deborah, that is interesting about Melbourne - my DH is from Shepparton and we have yet to make the pilgrimage back as a family - must ask him more about Melbourne.

If I missed anyone, SO sorry as I really appreciate everyone's insights!

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