I grew up in Boston and had no idea how preppy it was. Just thought that was how people dressed everywhere.. Now I I go back and it's stunningly obvious.

lol, rabbit, I love Portlandia - so true to Portland's essence (I grew up in Portland).

I live just south of San Francisco near Silicon Valley. It is a weird mix of ultra casual moms in yoga gear to super expensive jeans and jewelry to the jeans and hoody tech to the conservative business types. Kind of depends on what town you are in. The area seems very suburban to me but than I will go out for drinks with friends or DH and see attire you would expect in a much larger city. I always have to remind myself to up the outfit a notch from what I think I should be in. I see much more color and mainstream looks here than I do when I go into San Francisco for work. Current styles just not cutting edge. Greyscale nailed San Franscisco with her description of the hipsters - which San Francisco is ripe for a Portlandia like show - IMHO.

Well to grossly overgeneralize, Tel Aviv is trendy, sort of Euro. More flowy than tailored except for the skinnies. The center of Israel (where I live) is more notable for the way people dress to establish there identity (religious or not religious, this kind of religious or that kind of religious) or their origins (Russian immigrants have their own look, I can usually spot a French immigrant a block away, etc). Lots of women invest a lot of time and money on their hair and wear leggings as pants.

The ultimate proof that I either a) don't know what "preppy" really means, b) have lived in Boston too long, or c) am just overall stunningly fashion-oblivious...I was completely surprised to hear Diana, Angie and Una say how preppy Boston is. I thought preppy is what you'd see in Vineyard Vines, lots of colors and shifts and button-downs under sweaters, which isn't how most people I see dress. I think I need to recalibrate my fashion "eye."

That said, I'll second what people said about NYC being all-black and dressy. When I moved from NYC to Boston, I had to buy jeans (I'm not sure I owned a pair at the time) because I felt too conspicuous wearing black pants on the T every weekend.

Sometimes I amuse myself on trips by trying to figure out where other travelers are from based on their style.

This is a very interesting thread. I live in the DC area, and I would say Aubergine (sp) is pretty accurate in how people dress here. It's a very work-oriented place, so lots of business casual (Ann Taylor, Banana Republic). It's very walk-able here so often people will wear ballet flats, or sneakers, to walk to work. I keep a pair of shoes in my desk drawer for when I get in.

I've lived here 3 years...one thing I do see a lot of is the stiff, buttoned down shirt and the high-rise pencil skirt for women. It's more of a summer look, but people wear it into the fall and winter. Lots of tan trench raincoats in the rainy season.

Also, not sure if Starbucks coffee cups count as a fashion accessory :).

Nearby Baltimore is so different...it has this nice, artsy vibe to it, the people are not as transient. Lots and lots of purple since they love the Ravens!

I'm from Atlanta, and I too can't really attest to any kind of regional style. There is definitely a mix, depending on which neighborhood. Decatur and Midtown are definitely hipster, Buckhead is pretty preppy...lots of J Crew and Brooks Brothers on the men. Downtown is mostly touristy or urban.

hissylizard, you're in my area! I agree with the observations about DC -- I don't spend a lot of time there, but it seems accurate from what I've seen.

I divide my time between Baltimore and Annapolis, and the two are quite different, even though they're only 20 miles apart. Annapolis is quite conservative and pretty preppy -- it's the state capital, so lots of legislative types, and it's home to the Naval Academy and a major sailing center, so you get a huge dose of the nautical preppy style. The galleries mostly eschew challenging or more eclectic art in favor of seascapes and historical that sell with the tourist crowds. Sad to say that some of my favorite boutiques in Naptown have closed in favor of Baltimore locations. There is also definitely a good-sized Lululemon segment here -- the moms in fashionable gear with full makeup and ironed hair.

Baltimore is where I'm originally from, and it's closer to my heart in most ways. It is indeed quirkier and more diverse. The art is funkier, and styles are all over the map. There is preppy (just go to the Guilford or Roland Park neighborhoods), there is conservative (ditto), there are the Lululemon moms, there is hip-hop and gangsta, there is working class Walmart in lots of areas, there is artsy boho, there is serious hipster... I find it hard to pigeonhole Baltimore style, honestly. And I kinda like it that way.

Janet, nice to meet someone close by :D.

I've noticed that people who are from Baltimore or have lived there are very loyal to it. It's something I see when I go there that DC just does not have. My boyfriend lives in Columbia, MD so Baltimore is nearby.

And there is also Hon Fest :D.

I did not know what a Lululemon mom was, but when I Googled it...yeah, I get the idea. Pretty much any affluent suburban area of any city will have plenty of those :).

Hi, Hissylizard -- I can't believe I forgot the trench coats and commuter shoes! And, of course, the ubiquitous Starbucks cups.

My dad actually grew up in Baltimore, BTW. I haven't spent a whole lot of time there, but I always like it a lot when I do. Definitely a different feel than DC.

From way upthread, Torontogirl, I love Olivia Pope's style! Although I'm not sure I'd wear so much lovely and expensive white clothing if my line of work put me near bloody dead bodies that often.

lol Aubergine!!

thanks to all for keeping the thread going - so interesting to hear from everyone! must check out Baltimore someday!

This is a fun thread.

I live in the Portland, OR area now and agree that we see a mix of artsy-hipster-thrifty-Etsy and outdoorsy gear (yet that often with a stylish edge) here, plus a little of everything else maybe? Rabbit's description "creative casual" is pretty perfect. And, it's great that if you do get creative, I think people appreciate it (as opposed to either ignoring it or judging it as other places might), yet if you don't, it's also not a problem at all. It's so accepting, and I find that freeing. We all know that some places seem to strongly encourage trendy/dressy style, but some others seem to enforce "casual or else." And if you have to dress down or be looked at funny, it's just as annoying as when you have to dress up when you don't want to!

Adding that as someone who lived in Boston for 20 years (and traveled there all my life, as my mom's side of the family is from there) and who was in high school (Princeton, NJ) during the true preppy heyday, I also never really saw Boston as *all* that preppy. I'd probably label the look people might be talking about as classic. To me, preppy is a bit more extreme. Pink and green, madras plaid shorts, boat shoes (Sperry Topsiders or Sebago Docksides, take your pick--always without socks), duck boots, penny loafers, Bass nubuck oxfords, scratchy wool cardigans with grosgrain ribbon backing on the button bands, plaid pleated mini kilt-style skirts, Nantucket basket handbags...and on and on. But I could be wrong. Maybe, like trix, I was a fish who didn't see the water I was in?

I don't think anyone has addressed style in the Heartland. In Kansas/Missouri everyone of every age, male and female, wears jeans, mostly with a knit top and athletic footwear. If a woman wants to dress up, she wears black pants. Men don't dress up unless it's camo print for hunting. Baseball caps and fleece are popular.
New trends seem to take forever to reach this area. I really suspect that when clothing is going out of style on the coasts, it is shipped to stores here where it may be just getting started.
The height of style seems to be to own a North Face coat (or whatever the brand is that has a logo that looks like a bird pooped on your back).
The best dressed in a crowd will probably be children.
You will fit right in if you show up in either jeans or black pants.
If anyone from this area disagrees, I'd love to hear your observations. I know that there are exceptions, at least I hope so!

And Colorado is expensive gear...REI, Prana, and others sold in shops on Pearl Street. Everyone is lean and fit. Women wear gorgeous boots and look beautiful in their outfits.

I am loving this thread. Joy, I love your descriptions!

I live in the Intermountain West. People here don't dress up either, unless they're going to court. Jeans, fleece, down. You see a lot of logo wear for the local university, western wear, and Harley Davidson logo clothing, including blingy tank tops and leather vests. We're near several ski areas so you also see lots of ski jackets.

When I walk my dogs in a nearby upscale neighborhood, the women all wear Patagonia down jackets.

We also have several outlet stores where you can get all of the above, plus a giant hunting store where you can get camo anything. Yesterday I saw a woman in her 70s wearing a pink camo jacket. It was unique.

Formerly from NYC area… and what Angie says is correct. We wear an awful lot of black. The myth is TRUE! It is sort of an addiction that I am having a hard time breaking. I now live in central Connecticut (going on 11 years) and I stand out with my black-based wardrobe. Trying to introduce color (and even other neutrals) has been tough for me.