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Monday, June 19, 2006

Street Stylin’

Posted by on June 19 at 11:13 AM

stylin2.jpg
Every day I see interesting people on the sidewalk who’ve obviously put effort into their outfits. Some of them work; others don’t, but who am I to judge? (That’s your job.) I started snapping photos and posting them to Slog. My editor is against the project, though, and wants me to knock it off. What say you? Am I clogging the pipe with uselessness?


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Im confused. What's so styling about this dude?

I think it's kind of mean the way you guys have been taking unstylish people and putting them up here soliciting feedback from rabid web users. So far it seems like we've barely taken your bait but it's still a jerky thing to do to these people who look happy to pose for your pictures. Quit being jerks.

Is that FNARF? Did he take the challenge?

agrees with christine. there's a reason AKH doesn't work for WWD.

I'd say you were pretty brave to take your editor on in a blogpost....

These pictures have shown people with unexceptional style. They aren't stylish and they aren't hilarious either. It is really boring and reinforces the sad idea that Seattle's got no style.

touche, Craig. I just mean that Seattle is too small a city to publicly mock unsuspecting strangers whose only crimes have been sartorial. Except for the argyle sweater guy, these pictures have clearly been an attempt to generate a critical response. That's mean, especially when there's loads of great fashion on Seattle streets every day.

Keep posting the photos; it's nice to see real people.

Since when did the Slog become a boring Vice Magazine?

ZZZZZZZZ - huh? I'm sorry, what was the question again?

On second thought, nevermind. I need the extra slee -- ZZZZZZZ.

Now this one is someone I could get behind, if you know what I mean....

christine, I wasn't being sarcastic; I completely agree with you.

I really like the idea...I love blogs like the Sartorialist and Face Hunter and the Hel-Looks web site. But it only works if the styles are truly interesting.

Christine and Craig, are you for real? Don't listen to them, Amy Kate. I can only assume they were featured in one of these past posts and had their feelers hurt that they weren't lauded for style. There are a LOT of fashion statements being made in this town, good or bad, they are fun to discuss and anyone (that's you Craig and Christine) who is afraid of being judged shouldn't go out in public, let alone let a stranger take their picture.

Oh and as for "these pictures have clearly been an attempt to generate a critical response. "

That's rediculous. I think we can take AKH at her word when she says,
"Every day I see interesting people on the sidewalk who’ve obviously put effort into their outfits. Some of them work; others don’t, but who am I to judge? (That’s your job.) "

I'm enjoying the posts, but I love to make fun of people for what they're wearing. (Including myself and my friends.) But I would rather see people featured on the Slog who are really making a statement either for good ir ill. So far, Argyle Guy is the only one that fits that description.

It's a lot better than the bullshit Dan Savage posts about heterosexuals killing their kids as an argument for gay adoption.

i appreciate these posts and here's why:

its my new personal goal to compliment people out loud when i notice that they look nice-- whether i'm on my bike commuting downtown and i see all the pretty people dressed for work, or if i'm shopping on the hill, etc. if you like someone's shirt, glasses, hat, hairstyle, etc, why not let them know? its made my day when people do to same for me. this is the ultimate compliment, right?

Keep it up. And: Your editor decides what you get to blog? Hooray for not getting it!

don't stop, don't stop!

i heart the street stylin' pix here. don't stop!

I've seen a lot of snarky comments leveled at the people in these photos. As it happens, I _know_ one of the people posted last week - and as it happens, he was evicted from his apartment that same day. So, I'm not sure that snarky comments is something he really needed on top of everything else.

I'd like it better if you'd include the odd styling dog.

Don't let the dickholes ruin it. I like it.

VICE already does this to the hilt (albeit really crassly).

I like the concept, but it really feels un-developed and random.

It's okay, but I wouldn't cry if you ditched it in favor of some more fully-fleshed-out idea.

There's something about sitting around the house in my muu-muu, trashing other people's fashion online, that I find quite enjoyable.

Even if a friend of mine has already made it into the Slog Street Stylin' Hall O' Shame, I like this feature. I vote it's a keeper! So what if a zillion other weeklies and blogs and urban hipster publications do the same thing? Can we ever really have enough mockery on the in-tard-net? I think not...

I'm fully in favor. Think of this as one more reason to try and look good when you walk out the door. For people who think Seattle has no style (and really, who isn't sick of those haters by now?), take it as a competitive gauntlet slapped across your closet door.

I like the idea, but so far the fashion is really mediocre. From what I've seen, the people in these pics either look like they just went on a shopping spree to Banana Republic or the Buffalo Exchange. Is there really no one more interesting wandering the streets of Capitol Hill?

Boring.

I like it...the only problem is that people get ripped apart.

I love the photos! It's a great way to get to know Seattle.

Normal people are fine. Some of my best friends are normal. They can soften the cotton with the best of them. Fashionistas are easy to plumb: I need attention, sucker. No big deal. Fashion critics: Crabbily missing that je ne sais quoi. Comfortable-in-their-clothes people are always in fashion. Bring 'em on; I want to see 'em all happied up. The person makes the clothes.

eh. I just scroll past.

I love the idea of random street fashion shots.

And this guy is doing OK with the loud shirt under the dark suit. A bit boring, but put together. The only thing is the way his collar crumples, that's not too great.

And no, it's not me, I'm much goofier looking than this guy.

Well, clearly these generate a lot of traffic, which is probably the point, but I still think they're jerky. Clearly in the minority however so moving on...

Sorry for the misunderstanding, Craig. I thought the WWD mention was a slam. Ha.

And no, Longball, I was not featured here. I can't convince you without the picture you'll never get, but I work in fashion and I dress fabulous always. Great taste in clothes has always been my "thing". That and good penmanship and a secret obsession with geography.

Speaking of great taste, I've heard MARK_MITCHELL drop enough of the right names and terms that I am now convinced it's HE who should be taking these pictures if these lousy posts are to continue.

I am not a stylish person at all. I have two types of clothes: work and not work, and their subsets are clean and not clean. I try to keep things to a minimum because I hate doing laundry. I would be the style slogger's worst nightmare.

Not that I don't appreciate a nice outfit. And even though I'm as gay as the day is long, I like women's legs, so I'm a skirt man. But as far as the guys go, I'd rather see them out of their outfits (especially this one - Hotcha!) but the slog is not that kind of blog.

Thanks, Christine. I agree wholeheartedly. I sometimes do a little thing called "Street Couture" on my own blog.

Where is your own blog and who can you show it to? The unseattle inclusion of "homme" alone (in a different comment thread) ups your appropriateness in a big way. The Time Is Now For Mark.

item! mark mitchell has the sexiest pair of boots in town! what are they, like neil barrett or something?

you have editors at the stranger?

keep it up but do remember some people in the world are over 35 ... and a few of them might be stylin' ... just maybe ...

I LOVE Street Stylin'! Keep it.

And this guy looks pretty good, but he needs funner shoes.

I bet your editor wouldn't let you say "funner" either. Pfft.

I like it. It's a source of ideas. I never bothered to look at the comments, and it honestly never occurred to me that people would criticize the photo subjects. That's NOT the POINT, and I find it really sad, sad enough in fact that I think the street stylin' idea should just be dropped. Come on, people, I respect whatever reasons someone has for choosing the clothe themselves the way they do, and peoples' random choices are what makes thwe world interesting. I would support keeping it and disabling comments on each street stylin' post.

Noink, yours is one very good idea.

On the idea to disable comments on the Street Stylin' posts:

LAME.

aww, I like them. I don't see it at all as an issue of making fun of the people pictured, or necessarily swooning over their duds, either. I just think it's an interesting anonymous profile of people who pay attention to what they wear, who dress a bit outside of the mainstream (or "mainstream" subcultures).

I'm big into costuming and street fashion, and I think it's great. I imagine it'll only get better with time, since you really learn to spot these people after a while.

I like it - keep Street Stylin'!

I have been seeing it as a nice slice o' life rather than an opportunity to mock people. (No time to read comments on every entry.)

I say keep it up!

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