Seattle Street Style

[Bixby]

Please post any pictures you find or may already have of Seattle fashion

I also plan on (after working up the courage, that is) taking daily pictures of street style and posting them here for everyone to look at. Style articles are also welcome. Enjoy!

 

[Bixby]

I'll kick it off by posting an article that was published in The Stranger for April 13 - April 19th of this year.

Here goes:

Fashion Annual 2006
We're not telling you what to wear.
BY CHRISTOPHER FRIZZELLE, JEN GRAVES, BRENDAN KILEY, HANNAH LEVIN, CIENNA MADRID, CHARLES MUDEDE, DAVID SCHMADER, MEGAN SELING AND ANNIE WAGNER
Photos by Jenny Jimenez
Edited by Dan Savage and Kelly O

Most writers are slobs, and the editorial staff at The Stranger is no exception. We are not the fashion police. We're not here to tell you which designers are hot. We are not interested in helping to promulgate Madison Avenue's endless stream of maddeningly arbitrary fashion decrees.

So what are we interested in? You. And what you're wearing right now. Because even if we can't dress ourselves, we can spot people who look good. And we can take pictures. We took tons of pictures over a couple of blustery days this spring. We found good-looking, well-dressed people in downtown, Belltown, and Georgetown, on Capitol Hill, First Hill, and Beacon Hill. Everywhere we went we found people working killer looks.

Welcome to WORN OUT, The Stranger's annual look at what well-dressed people in Seattle are actually wearing. As you'll see in these pages, Seattle's well-dressed people aren't all wearing the same thing. If just one style is in this year, Seattle didn't get—or, more likely, decided to ignore—that memo. The looks on these pages are as unique as the people wearing them.

Sarah Radoll, 22
From the delicate part in her hair down to the toes peeking out of her T-strap pumps, Sarah Radoll is a dyed-in-the-wool Northwest girl. Raised in Redmond, now living on Queen Anne, Radoll spends her days working at the downtown Nordstrom. But don't let her status as a budding fashionista fool you: Radoll's just as happy spending a Saturday helping her mom reorganize her closet as she is shopping and club hopping.

SCOOP-NECK SWEATER, $20 from H&M (350 Washington St, Boston, 617-482-7001, www.hm.com); white blouse, $20 from Urban Outfitters (1507 Fifth Ave, 381-3777).

Like coffee and cream, this blouse-and-sweater combo is a natural pair. On the outside is a puffed-sleeved, scoop-necked sweater from H&M, the high-style/low-price fashion retailer where Radoll shopped during a September visit to Boston. On the inside is a lace-trimmed white blouse Radoll procured from a local Urban Outfitters. "I always wear these together," says Radoll.

GAUCHOS by Necessary Objects, $40 at "some boutique on Newbury Street in Boston."

Another stylish souvenir from Radoll's Boston sojourn, these cream-colored, pleat-front gauchos have become a beloved addition to her sartorial life. "I knew gauchos were coming back in style, and I thought these were adorable," says Radoll. According to Hispanic Journey, an educational website created by the students of Mr. Balochie's Spanish II classes at San Jose's Santa Teresa High School, actual gauchos are not stylish Mexican culottes, but rather South American cattlemen who roam the plains of Patagonia, living on horseback and drinking yerba mate, a tea-like drink served in a gourd and sipped through a silver straw called a bombilla. While their numbers have decreased drastically in the 21st century, gauchos still exist, continuing their herding-and-tending work on the South American plains. As for clothing, gauchos are known for broad-brimmed hats, long-sleeved cotton shirts, and baggy pants called bombachas, suggesting that the application of the name "gauchos" to the seasonally fashionable shorts is a load of honky bullsh*t. As for Radoll's own gauchos: "I love how they're different," says Radoll, "with the pleat in the front and the bottoms like the bottoms of a heart. They've been everything I hoped they'd be."

SHOES by Marc Jacobs, $400 at Nordstrom (1617 Sixth Ave, 628-2111); BLACK TIGHTS by Hues, $12 at Nordstrom.

At the bottom of Radoll's tights-swaddled legs come her ensemble's pèice de résistance—a pair of open-toe, T-strap Marc Jacobs pumps, typically retailed for $400, purchased by Radoll during an extra-special Nordstrom discount day for a mere $200. She remains exceedingly grateful for her good luck.

VINTAGE WOODEN BEADS, priceless, purchased by the wearer's mother in the Philippines (south of China, north of Indonesia).

Even more than her discounted shoes, Radoll's string of vintage wooden beads came to be in her possession through the luckiest of circumstances. Purchased by her mother in the Philippines before Radoll was born, the beads have long entranced Radoll. Then, after a weekend spent cleaning out and reorganizing her mother's closet, Radoll was presented with the beads as a reward from her appreciative mom. Radoll's healthy, loving relationship with her mother is an inspiration to us all. The world would be a happier place if all mothers were as caring and concerned as Radoll's. That, sadly, is not always the case. Bad mothers are seemingly everywhere, from Susan Smith to Joan Crawford to Andrea Yates. Some mothers are so toxic that they literally beggar belief. (Google "Australia," "South East Centre Against Sexual Assault," and "mother-daughter" to explode any delusions you may have of the inherent moral superiority of women.) Such concerns are nonexistent in the harmonious world shared by Radoll and her mother. And the beads weren't all: "My mom had so much cool stuff I never knew about," says Radoll. "Lots of cool vintage stuff." For example? "Some really cool rosary beads. But my mom says I'm not allowed to have them until later in life." Here's hoping Radoll makes it: Despite her fastidious personal appearance, Radoll lives in a world crawling with deadly germs. Take that table her hand is resting on: Such surfaces are typically rife with the grit of humanity, from viruses like pneumonia and the common cold to salmonella bacteria, fecal flora, skin flora, and respiratory secretions. Experts recommend frequent washing of hands with soap and water, scrubbing for the length of time it takes to sing the "Happy Birthday" song twice. Sing out, Radoll!

 

[Bixby]

Jeffrey Lee, 23

Jeffrey Lee does not like to pigeonhole his style, and he prizes form over embellishment. He strongly preferred Daniel V.'s designs to Santino's on Project Runway this season. About his own style, he says, "I just put things together."

PATENT-LEATHER SPECTATOR SHOES by Dior Homme, $525 at Christian Dior Boutique (21 E 57th St, New York, 212-931-2950).

"I'm all about the feet," says Lee. He has more than 60 pairs of shoes, but these spectators with waxed cotton shoelaces hold a special place in his closet, and from what he says, they wear like slippers. Lee only wears actual slippers at home, unlike Abraham Lincoln, who was known to wear slippers to meetings because boots were uncomfortable for his large feet (size 14). According to Ask Me Anything About the Presidents by Louis Phillips, Warren G. Harding had size 14 feet as well, and Washington had size 13. The book does not disclose George W. Bush's foot size, and an extensive Google search doesn't turn it up either, but it does point to a report in the Washington Post that Cheney's feet swelled to a size 10EEE in 2004, due to heart problems.

METAL HOOPS, $60 at Laughing Buddha Tattoo & Body Piercing (The Alley Mall, 219 Broadway E, second floor, 329-8274).

Some Buddhist traditions believe that the Buddha's mother passed away at his birth. Others believe she passed away a few days later.

SILK TIE by Kenneth Cole, $70 at Kenneth Cole (520 Pike Tower, 520 Pike St, 382-1680).

CHAIN NECKLACE, gift.

Dangling from it is a Hamsa hand amulet used for protection against the evil eye and a silver band that Lee's mother brought back for him from a Hawaiian vacation. It is draped rakishly over the tie. A "rake" is a dissolute man in fashionable society, also sometimes called a roué or a rip.

SECOND CHAIN NECKLACE, gift, from H&M (731 Lexington Ave, New York, 212-935-6781).

This is H&M's rip-off of John Galliano's bone-and-skull necklace. John Galliano, in addition to being a fashion designer, is a hiphop artist who's name-checked in a song by Gwen Stefani. The lyrics go: "Let's not forget about John Galliano (no)/Flipped the landscape when Nigo made A Bathing Ape." Nigo is another fashionista whose label is called BAPE, based on the Japanese expression "To bathe in lukewarm water."

COTTON SHIRT by United Colors of Benetton, $35 at United Colors of Benetton (Pacific Place, 600 Pine St, third floor, 340-1206).

There are eight letters in Benetton. PBS says that children aged 8 are interested in outer space and the past.

VEST by H&M, $24.90 at H&M.

The shell is 63 percent polyester, 35 percent rayon, and 2 percent spandex; the lining is 65 percent cotton and 35 percent polyester.

WOOL-AND-COTTON-BLEND PANTS, $90 at Zara (750 Lexington Ave, New York, 212-754-1120).

Zara is an international fashion company that opened branches in Japan in 1997, the year that a yakuza member was caught smuggling four kilograms of heroin into Canada. The yakuza are Japanese gangsters. They get tattoos that cover their entire torsos. They cut off their own fingertips, starting with the left pinky, when it comes time to pay penance or apologize. "Unlike other organized-crime groups around the world, the yakuza have no interest in keeping a low profile," according to www.crimelibrary.com. "In most Japanese cities, yakuza social clubs and gang headquarters are clearly marked."

WHITE LEATHER BELT by Kenneth Cole, $80 at Kenneth Cole.

GRAY-BLACK SOCKS WITH PINK TRIM by Paul Smith (obscured), $35 at Barneys New York (City Centre, 1420 Fifth Ave, 622-6300).

The oversized striped bowties worn by filmmakers Nick Park and Steve Box at the podium when they picked up their Oscars last month for Best Animated Feature for Wallace and Gromit in the Curse of the Were-Rabbit were also made by Smith. Barneys is a reliable supplier of Smith's designs, and it is Lee's place of employment until he decides whether he wants to attend fashion school in Manhattan. As a denim consultant there, Lee's advice is: buy Japanese. "You don't want to take them off," he says. "It's like the Cristal of jeans."

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Monica Gutweis, 30

Seattle clothing designer Monica Gutweis assumes the posture of an Olympian. As a champion of couture, she gets the gold. Most of what she's wearing she made with her own hands. The numbers above her head seem to beg the question, What will women be wearing in 2405? And those electric-blue fishnets virtually shout: I am the future. But make no mistake, Gutweis is of the here and now.

We are feeling a bit conflicted about this profile, because Gutweis owns a clothing boutique—M. Gutweis (2405 First Ave, 956-4620), which stands across First Avenue from Macrina Bakery, where Gutweis has been known to enjoy sandwiches and cupcakes, although not many cupcakes lately, what with summer coming—and, as it happens, was wearing only her own creations on the day she caught our photographer's eye. She was approached outside her boutique on First Avenue by our photographer because of her unique style, not because we wanted to do a gratis, full-page ad for her boutique in this issue.

When she's not cluttering up our pages with moral and editorial dilemmas, Gutweis can be found sharing her involving personal story. Her country of origin? South Africa, where diamonds were discovered in 1867, sparking the imperial interests of the British, who were not successful in quashing the Boers the first time they tried (in a war that lasted from 1880–1881) but were mightily successful the second time (in a war that began in 1899, ended in 1902, and relied heavily on the "scorched earth" tactic, which means they burned basically anything in their f*cking way). The next century and change saw the people of this region colonized and unionized by the Brits before the government splintered into political parties, adopted apartheid, and then dismanted apartheid, which was the right thing to do, although it must be stated that millions of blacks in South Africa continue to live in abject poverty.

LEATHER WATCH by Space-X, $148 at "one of those small shops on Melrose Avenue, I can't remember the name."

Melrose Avenue is a street in Los Angeles, but watch manufacturer Space-X bears no relation to Southern California–based defense contractor Space X, which is currently "developing a family of launch vehicles intended to reduce the cost and increase the reliability of access to space ultimately by a factor of 10," according to its website.

COTTON SHIRT WITH SILK SLEEVES, one of a kind, made by Gutweis.

She bought the black cotton from Atlas International Textiles (212-966-9015). The floral silk is left over from a dress Gutweis made for a customer. "I don't want to say where I bought the fabric because I don't want anyone to know my secret." It is somewhere in California, the state that was the destination of 87 pioneers who, in the winter of 1846 to 1847, found themselves caught in a snowstorm in a mountain pass, leading them to eat their own oxen and, eventually, each other.

COTTON SKIRT, one of a kind, made by Gutweis.

Again, from scrap frabric. It's held together with safety pins. Safety-pin technology has not changed since the Mycenaeans first used them during the Bronze Age.

BLUE FISHNETS from Sweet Tease (224 E Ninth St, Los Angeles, 213-891-1945).

While shopping in L.A., Gutweis came across these fishnets and was given them for free by the store manager, who fancied Gutweis and may or may not have been led to believe that she would come by the store again to see him that night, which she did not. She also got a free pair of gloves.

LEATHER BOOTS by El Dantés, $435 from a shoe shop in Covent Garden, London.

El Dantés is a Spanish shoe company; their catalog can be downloaded online (www.eldantes.com). Covent Garden is a busy retail district in the London borough of Westminster. It is where Eliza Doolittle is found selling flowers in the beginning of George Bernard Shaw's Pygmalion, later adapted into a musical called My Fair Lady starring Julie Andrews (on Broadway) and Audrey Hepburn (on the screen). But, as everyone knows, it is not Hepburn's singing voice that is heard in the movie but the voice of Marni Nixon, who had big hair, a bit part as a nun in The Sound of Music, and a television show for children on Seattle's KOMO 4 called Boomerang in the late '70s and early '80s, back when Belltown wasn't half as fashionable as it is today.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Garrett Lunceford, 23

Garrett Lunceford poses outside the Crocodile Cafe during a Pale Pacific concert. This young Tacoma native migrated to Seattle three years ago to become the drummer for the formerly all-female pop group the Catch, and guitarist for the rock band the Divorce. When not shaking up the local music scene or making love to the camera, Lunceford moonlights at a video store. Lunceford has a shrewd eye for timeless staples, which he mixes with campy accessories for a style he modestly describes as "poor as sh*t."

HAT, gift from friend Justin Renny, by Asics Tiger (www.asicsamerica.com).

Lunceford's hat is a nod to the fashion industry's continuing preoccupation with cadet chic. Men's military wear is always popular during wartime, and the cap gives Lunceford's look a disciplined crispness that not even impeccable posture can replicate.

HEADPHONES, free from Lunceford's basement, by Jensen Headphones. Lunceford's headphones plug into a $300, 40-gig iPod hidden in his coat pocket (a birthday gift—thanks, Mom and Dad!). These "sh*tty" headphones give Lunceford a playful retro kick as well as framing his swanlike neck.

SWEATER, $5 from Goodwill (1400 S Lane St, 860-5711).

Lunceford's headphones segue nicely into his horizontal-striped V-neck sweater. (The label of Lunceford's sweater had been ripped off before he purchased it—clearly the work of a guerrilla anti-fashionista. Anti-fashion began as a social reform movement in the mid-19th century—characterized by women's increasing demands for physical and intellectual freedoms—and arguably led to the dawn of comfort in women's clothing, which was punctuated by Libby Miller's invention of the ladies' bloomer in 1851. Modern anti-fashionistas advocate wearability and individual expression over trendiness and designer names; they sneak into retail stores to rip labels off clothing. Bastards.

LEATHER JACKET, $100 at Wilson's Leather (727 Southcenter Mall, Tukwila, 243-7171).

Lunceford's fitted leather jacket was given to him by his friend local DJ Eddie Nonog, of the Beacon Hill Nonogs. Mother Nonog purchased this leather jacket—Eddie's first—during his senior year in high school. It aged gracefully in Eddie's closet for a decade and change before being gifted to Lunceford during a Nonog closet purge several years ago. Somehow immune to the Great Fur Debate, leather jackets will continue to be fashionable until cows either grow a little cuter or learn to beg for mercy.

STAY-PRESS SLACKS by Wrangler, $20 at Renton Western Wear (724 South Third St, Renton, 425-255-3922).

These versatile, hip-hugging, straight-leg slacks can be dressed up or down and "stay pressed" indefinitely, allowing for a fluid transition from daywear to eveningwear.

SHOES by Diesel Footwear, $30 at Nordstrom Rack (1601 Second Ave, 448-8522).

Comfortable, functional, insanely popular six years ago, and now outdated enough to inspire nostalgia.

CANVAS BELT, $15 at Goodwill (1400 S Lane St, 860-5711) paired with faux antique

UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD BUCKLE, $20 from Parkland Parish Antique Mall (12152 Pacific Ave S, Tacoma, 253-537-0978).

The Union Pacific Railroad, in partnership with the Central Pacific Railroad, completed America's first 1,777-mile transcontinental railroad in 1869. The railroad began construction in the midst of the Civil War, and was fashioned in six years, almost completely by the hands of Chinese, Irish, and German laborers. When the last (golden) spike was driven into the hand-laid ties in Promontory Summit, Utah, the event was supposedly celebrated with free champagne and kitschy commemorative belt buckles for all. In the 1950s, an Englishman "discovered" a hidden cache of these antique brass railroad belt buckles, and began marketing them at gun shows and collector's auctions for exorbitant prices. This crafty Englishman had with him letters of authenticity to certify his claim, as well as a 90-page book detailing how many buckles had been manufactured, their relative scarcity, and how and when they were used. Sadly, historians have since discovered that these "antique" buckles were simply cheap knockoffs—an all-too-common pitfall in the fashion industry. Simply put, Lunceford's pants are being supported by a shiny web of lies. To find out if your antique railroad buckle is authentic or faux, visit www.railroadiana.org/fakes/pgFakes_Buckles.php or www.bogusbuckles.com.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Erin Skipley, 29

Part L.A., part Japanese street style, part ho chic, Erin Skipley, without even trying, in this picture becomes the hot, slightly tongue-in-cheek vamp version of the Space Needle behind her. She's outside the Baltic Room, where a runway show—her third of the month—is featuring her own clothing designs, which she's wearing. For the show, Skipley hired a hairstylist named Vision who does celebrity hair in South Beach. She wanted big and fabulous 'dos, "like something exploded out of the model's head." Just days before, Vision had done Kate Moss's mom's hair, which in photographs always looks nice: shoulder-length with long bangs, light brown with gentle highlights, wispy, soft.

CUSTOM COTTON SLEEVES WITH FABRIC-PAINT FAUX SEQUINS by Yoshimi, $45–$85 (depending on the design) at Pretty Parlor (119 Summit Ave. E, 405-CUTE, or www.yoshimidesigns.com).

They are the soul of the outfit, upgrading the wearer from sexpot to style maven. Linda Moss, Kate Moss's 56-year-old mother, might become a style maven herself. She has had a turbulent year, it's true. In January 2005, her daughter met and fell for Pete Doherty, the notorious crackhead and junkie singer for Baby Shambles, and Linda vehemently disapproved. (Morrissey, implausibly, calls Kate the corrupting agent of the two.) Linda's worst fears came true when Kate, mother of Linda's 3-year-old granddaughter, Lila Grace, was photographed snorting coke in Baby Shambles' studio. When Kate checked herself into rehab in Arizona, Linda set aside their differences—the two had fallen out over Pete—and rushed to the U.S. to take care of her daughter. Now, Kate is working again and supposedly no longer with Pete, who last month reportedly played a private solo show for Mike Tyson in a hotel room, after which the two men became fast friends. But the up-to-the-minute point is that Linda has recently been approached to start her own glam-granny modeling career.

BLACK POLYESTER DRESS by Yoshimi, $75 also at Pretty Parlor.

Skipley's rock-and-roll-inspired outfit reflects her label and her personal outlook. She struck out last year, quitting her corporate gig as a makeup artist for Dior in order to launch her label. Most popular are her leggings and sleeves, but you have to get the basics right, too, like this dress.

WILD WEST HOLSTER BELT by Wild Card, $175 (www.wildcardcollection.com, 415-595-4988). Leather boots with ankle and calf buckles by Rebels, which Skipley bought for $125 at a San Francisco boutique whose name she can't remember anymore.

CHUNKY SILVER RING IN THE SHAPE OF A HORSESHOE AND A BIG NUMBER 13, $135 at Serious Clothing (7569 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, 323-655-0589).

This ring is on Skipley's left hand, out of sight. But it adds the element of chance to the risk-taking getup. One of the reasons horseshoes are considered lucky, according to the website www.answerbag.com, is that their crescent shape invokes the "sacred vulva" symbol of pagan moon goddesses, thereby inviting their protection. According to the same source, one of the reasons the number 13 is considered unlucky is that Judas was 13th at the Last Supper table. Fear of the number 13 has its own name, triskaidekaphobia, and 1 in 10 people suffer from it, according to a 2003 report in the London Observer. Skipley is keeping both symbols close.

PLAIN SILVER BAND, gift, from Tiffany & Co. (600 Pine St., #100, 264-1400).

That's the one you can see.

GAUDY SILVER EARRINGS, $10; LURID MORANGE LIPSTICK by Mac, $14; and SHINY BLACK EYE SHADOW (called Nightbreed) by Nars, $22—all from Nordstrom (1617 Sixth Ave, 628-2111), where Skipley works as a makeup artist on the side, when she's not designing Yoshimi.

The Flaming Lips album Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots inspired Skipley's choice of name for her line, she said. "Yoshimi is a drummer in a Japanese band called the Boredoms. She was actually battling cancer. Battling the pink robots was actually battling cancer. I don't even know if she lived. I hope so." The good news is that drummer Yoshimi Yokota, AKA Yoshimi P-We, is alive (and in fact never had cancer as far as we know) and is now in a band called OOIOO. She let out a scream that the Flaming Lips recorded and used on Yoshimi, but the real suffering girl was a friend of the band in Osaka whose sisters narrated her illness and death from a heart ailment (not cancer) in e-mails written to the musicians in broken English. The Lips wrote their song "It's Summertime" for the sisters.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Mayann Alguire, 30

Mayann Alguire is almost certain that her surname has, by way of her father, a French connection. But even if her father's bloodline has no links with the distant land of France, her sense of style is as sharp as any to be found on the streets of Paris, the world capital of fashion.

BOOTS by Steve Madden, $140 at Nordstrom (500 Pine St, 628-2111).

According to Alguire, her boots—which are cognac in color with a one-piece sole that widens at the heel—are very much in. Alguire explains: "They are part of the retro revival of style that's happening everywhere, particularly in sandals."

EARRINGS by Mayann Alguire.

Made from sterling silver and mother-of-pearl square chunks, the earrings cost nothing but her own labor and she has no intention of selling them or any other jewelry she crafts on her own free time.

CARDIGAN SWEATER by Tulle, $34 at Aprie (310 Broadway E, 324-1255).

The cardigan is made of wool and has delicious buttons. As everyone knows, buttons are what make or break a cardigan.

BELT, 10 euros, purchased in Barcelona, Spain (shop unknown).

"When I was in Barcelona," explains Alguire, "everyone was wearing belts that are thick and sit low on the hips, and I just had to bring one back home."

PANTS by Urban Outfitters, $65 at Urban Outfitters (401 Broadway Ave E, 322-1800).

The reason why Alguire bought and loves these charcoal-colored pants is the cut—straight legs and low waist. "They are a little more classic," she says, "and great to wear during spring in Seattle."

JACKET by Desigual, 175 euros at Desigual (Centro Comercial Diagonal Mar, Avenida Diagonal Mar 3, Local 2560, Barcelona, 011 34 93 304 31 64; Encanto Barcelona in Seattle, 1406 First Ave, 621-1941, carries items designed by Desigual).

Alguire bought the jacket during a trip she took to Spain to celebrate her 30th birthday. The reason she picked Spain to mark her transition from the freedoms of her 20s to the realities of her 30s, was to feast her eyes on the mad architecture of Antoni Gaudí. Alguire managed to visit and admire the Sagrada Familia, the Park Güell, the Casa Milà, and Casa Batlló. In the end, she was most impressed by the Sagrada Familia, a structure that seems to be made from the stuff of dreams rather than concrete and steel.

Gaudí was born in 1852 to a working-class family and studied architecture for five years at Escola Tècnica Superior d'Arquitectura in Barcelona. He officially became an architect in 1878 when he received his first commission—designing lampposts for a public plaza. It is safe to say that his career would have gone largely unnoticed (and many of his ideas would have never seen the light of day) had he not met and been supported by Count Eusebio de Güell. At the age of 31, he began a project that has yet to be completed, the Sagrada Familia Cathedral. Gaudí, however, knew that it wouldn't be completed in his lifetime and estimated the necessity of two centuries beyond his own death for the world to finally see the full expression of his madness.

The function of Gothic cathedrals was to represent the immensity of God—His entire physical and moral universe. Gaudí's Sagrada Familia picked up where the cathedrals of the Middle Ages left off. He imagined it to be the cathedral of the 20th century—a church that could stun a sinner out of the wonders of science and into a permanent hallucination of the wonders of Christianity. Like all of Gaudí's major works, the church has no straight lines. It's a thriving mess of mammals, reptiles, columns that grow like trees, sculptures of Jesus and his fever-mad followers—all of this rushing up to spires that can only be described as the terrifying erections of something utterly alien. And as if that weren't enough, the front entrance of the church looks like a vulva with a million little teeth.

Public transportation killed Gaudí. He was crossing a street when a tram hit him. For hours Gaudí suffered on the street without proper medical help because people passing by thought he was a penniless bum and not the man who designed the craziest f*cking church in the world.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Greg Watson, 26

Unlike the majority of people who stroll through life dressed as pirates, Greg Watson doesn't have a fetish for all things Argh! Instead, Watson gussied up as a pirate for his girlfriend's grandmother's birthday party—and liked the look so much he wore it to work at Quicksilver Boardriders Club.

BLACK T-SHIRT, $1 at Goodwill (1765 Sixth Ave S).

Armed with a Goodwill T-shirt and a dream, Watson set about crafting his pirate costume on the morning of the party. After handcrafting a skull stencil, Watson applied the stencil to the shirt with acrylic paint in a pump-spray bottle. "This is what I got," says he.

SHORTS, $32, WRISTBAND, $5, TUBE SOCKS, $3 at Hot Topic (1601 5th Ave., 624-7471).

Prior to Quicksilver, Watson worked at Old Navy, where employees were treated to themed-dress days. Watson's favorite: crazy-shorts-and-striped-socks day, for which Watson bought these shorts and socks.

COSTUME BEADS, $3, and PLAY SWORD, $5 at the Dollar Store (2220 NW Market St, 297-1202).

Both items bought for Watson's girlfriend's grandma's birthday party.

BANDANNA, $1.89 at Rite Aid (319 Pike St, 223-0512).

"I bought this for my last birthday party, when I dressed all in white and red," says Watson. According to Gay Semiotics, Hal Fischer's 1977 study of visual coding among homosexual men, red handkerchiefs are "used as signifiers for behavior that is often regarded as deviant or abnormal."

SNEAKERS by DC Shoes, $75 at Quicksilver Board Riders Club (409 Pike St, 625-6959).

Watson got an employee discount on his stylish shoes.

SILVER RING, $45 at jewelry shop north of Baghdad, Iraq.

"I was there from Mach 2003 to March 2004," says Watson. "It was intense." While the U.S. military reported 605 casualties during the time Watson spent in Iraq, he enjoyed a nonfatal year working for a construction contractor.

(same source)

 

[woodenhouse]

im going to Seattle in July... to look at schools.... I'll have a camera to snap pictures if I see something worthywhile

 

[Bixby]

Willie Lee, 35

machinist and bike enthusiast Willie Lee lounges on his 1968 Raleigh low-rider in Georgetown. Lee's fashion credo is this: If you have more than five minutes to dress yourself, you've got too much time on your hands.

CAP, $28 by Hatterdashery, (www.hatterdashery.com).

Black canvas gives this classically boyish cap an industrial edge.

SHADES, $10 at Atlas Clothing (515 Broadway Ave E, 323-0960).

Sunglasses are a tongue-in-cheek accessory in Seattle's gloomy spring weather. The key to pulling them off, Lee advises, is to "work it like you own it."

HOODIE SWEATSHIRT, $20 from Anchor Tattoo

(2313 NW Market St, 784-4051).

Lee's hoodie is paired with a leather vest to create a casual day look.

TAPERED LEATHER VEST, $90 from the Crypt Off Broadway (113 10th Ave E, 325-3882).

Lee has been a member of the Dead Baby Bicycle Club for seven years. Three Dead Baby Club (DBC) "rockers," or patches, transform Lee's vest into elite DBC outerwear. DBC patches cannot be bought; they must be earned.

CARHARTT PANTS, $45 at Nate's Army Navy Surplus

(6169 Fourth Ave S, 767-4950).

Carhartt pants are insanely comfortable after roughly 500 washings.

WHITE TUBE SOCKS, $5 at a South Park gas station.

Lee's socks cover the real signature piece in menswear for spring: calf muscles. To attain sculpted calf muscles, balance the balls of your feet on a a stair while hanging your heels off the edge. Without bending your knees, lower your heels until your calf muscles are stretched down as far as possible. Hold for several seconds before rising up as high as you can on your toes. Pause for several seconds to enhance peak contraction. Perform four sets of 10–15 repetitions on a daily basis.

FLAMED-OUT VANS SHOES, $40 at Marley's Snowboards (5424 Ballard Ave NW Ste 103, 782-6081).

These shoes add a spark of color to Lee's otherwise somber palette.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Gillian Williams, 21

ZIPPERED BLACK COTTON JACKET, $5 at Value Village

(1525 11th Ave, 322-7789).

Any reasonably aware urban dweller knows the essential role Value Village plays when building a wardrobe during the economically lean twentysomething years. Williams has absorbed that lesson with all the panache of a veteran thrifter. "I don't like the feel of new clothes—they don't have any personality," explains Williams.

BLACK STRETCH T-SHIRT, $3, and CRISP AND PINTUCKED TUXEDO SHIRT $4, both from Value Village.

Pintucks first gained popularity in the '50s, when savvy seamstresses noted how such delicate embellishments accented and flattered the bodices of cocktail dresses. On a violently unrelated note, horror-movie character Pinhead (AKA "Dark Prince of Pain," "Angel of Suffering") first rose to fame in 1987 with the release of Clive Barker's classic Hellraiser.

JEANS by Levi's, about $4 at Value Village.

Her jeans may be standard issue, but they gain a modern edge when she turns up the cuffs, creating the currently fashionable 4-inch margin.

WRESTLING SHOES by Asics, about $8 at Value Village.

Bravo, Gillian; these are an exceptional thrift score, as they would have cost upwards of $75 if purchased new.

BLACK FELT FEDORA, $12 from a thrift store in New York City (location unknown).

Though much more modern and gritty in execution, Williams's overall look brings to mind Marlene Dietrich's star turn in 1930's Morocco. Dietrich, wearing a gender-bending tuxedo and elegant top hat, garnered lesbian icon status when closing a nightclub sequence by kissing a young woman in the audience on the lips. This groundbreaking scene was later praised by cultural critic Susie Bright in The Celluloid Closet, an excellent documentary on the hidden history of gays and lesbians in the film industry.



Jackey Lui, 38

BOOTS, about $600.

Lui says she thinks they're by a brand called Barbara and that she purchased them online, but she's not sure. She owns over 100 pairs of shoes.

JEANS by Corleone, $250.

Like most of Lui's wardrobe, the jeans were purchased in another city. "It was a store in Pasadena I think," she said. Lui buys most of her clothes—and a lot of her 1-year-old daughter's clothes—in and around Los Angeles. She flies there three or four times a year, usually on Alaska Airlines, which recently announced that it had fallen, in customer satisfaction surveys, to number nine of 17 airlines. It had been number one in 2001. That place is now held by JetBlue.

HANDBAG by Chanel, about $300 at a store in Los Angeles (location unknown).

This purse is one of 15 items by Chanel that Lui owns. This handbag is small enough to wear when she is carrying her child, who, according to Lui looks good in jeans and pink dresses. "I want to try out different styles with her now," Lui said. "Before she gets older and tells me what she won't wear."

FUR COAT by Yves Salomon, about £900 (which was $1,578.46 when Jackie bought it in early March and $1,557.01 at press time) at Harrods (87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge, London, 020 7730 1234).

Lui isn't sure what kind of animal her coat is made of. "Rabbit?" I asked. "Maybe." Mink? "Maybe." Squirrel? "Maybe." She bought the mystery hide while visiting friends on her way back from Cairo, where her husband has an office that has something to do with "mobile blogging," or blogging from cell phones, a popular pastime in Asia and Europe. Is mobile blogging popular in Egypt? "No, the labor's just cheaper there."

CASHMERE TURTLENECK, about $60. This shirt is the only part of Lui's ensemble purchased in Seattle, probably at Nordstrom (500 Pine St, 628-2111).

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Princess Howell 18?

We longed to speak with Princess about her outfit, her choice to cornrow half her hair, and that delicious looking ice-cream cone. But while Princess was willing to sign a model release form when our photographer spotted her downtown, she was unwilling to return our phone calls. Luckily, we knew exactly where Princess got her T-shirt.

AIRBRUSHED T-SHIRT by Peter Joyes, $15 at Puyallup County Fair (110 9th Ave SW Puyallup, 253-841-5045).

According to his website (peterjoyes.com/pjexpress.html), Peter Joyes, the artist who airbrushed Princess's T-shirt, was diagnosed with rectal cancer in October 2004. "I have had radiation, chemotherapy, and surgery," he wrote late last year to his concerned fans. "Now... I am doing okay. Healing from cancer surgery is a slow and very gentle process."

The symptoms of rectal cancer are constipation, a constant feeling of heaviness in the belly, and a "feeling that bowel does not completely empty." (What a horrible feeling that must be—imagine just sitting there, waiting and waiting.) Bright red or very dark blood in the stool is also a sign of this particular type of cancer, as well as narrower stools, frequent gas pains, cramps, bloating, and sudden and inexplicable loss of weight. (The strangest sign of rectal cancer is vomiting.) If the cancer is detected in its early stages, the chances of defeating it are good. If the cancer is detected after it has spread to other parts of the body, like the liver and the lungs, then death is something that the patient must look at with wide-open eyes.

Peter Joyes ends his statement to his fans on a positive note: "This past summer I did lots of face painting, several magic shows, and I did good business at the Monroe Fair, and at Puyallup. I have been the featured speaker and entertainer at several events. This past Halloween, I set up my airbrushes on the porch of my home and instead of giving away candy, we gave away neon names to the delight of all the local children."

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Marshal McReal, 43

SHANGHAI FLORAL BLAZER IN AQUA by Trina Turk, $326 from Trina Turk's Palm Springs boutique (891 N Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA, 760-416-2856).

Such a flamboyant topper is not an everyday choice for McReal, seen here as he's leaving a performance by Dame Edna at the Moore Theatre. Trina Turk "has a very specific style. It needs to be worn in moderation because it's a little out there," McReal says, echoing, unintentionally, a refrain from The X-Files—"The truth is out there"—often muttered by David Duchovny, a 40-something, blazer-wearing man himself who has yet to achieve much post-television success other than a startling amount of commercial voice-over work.

LIGHTWEIGHT TWILL PANTS by Trina Turk, $158 from Trina Turk's Palm Springs boutique.

After studying fashion design at the University of Washington, Turk began working for Seattle-based sportswear manufacturer Britannia Jeans. A fine way to begin a career. One of Julius Caesar's first career moves was to conquer the isle of Britannia in 55 B.C.

BUTTON-DOWN SHIRT, about $50 from Zara (1056 Robson St, Vancouver, Canada, 604-677-8485).

McReal's expertly cut button-down shirt was a bargain purchased from the Spain-based knockoff wizards at Zara. Louis Vuitton's fashion director Daniel Piette once described Zara as "possibly the most innovative and devastating retailer in the world."

BLUE SUEDE LOAFERS by Gucci, $495 from the Gucci store in Scottsdale Fashion Square (7000 E Camelback Rd, Scottsdale, AZ, 480-945-1344).

"Blue Suede Shoes" was recorded by Elvis Presley in 1956, less than a year after the release of Rebel Without a Cause, one of Elvis's favorite movies. According to Elvis: The Hollywood Years, a new biography by David Bret, Elvis's obsession with Rebel launched clandestine homosexual dabblings with young actor Nick Adams, who appeared in the film. However, Bret has also authored biographies on Morrissey, Rock Hudson, Errol Flynn, and Freddie Mercury, so perhaps his "gay Elvis" claims have more to do with wishful thinking than hard research.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Stephen Larson, 45

BLACK BANDANNA, $1.95 at Federal Army & Navy Surplus (2112 First Ave, 443-1818).

Larson owns "a whole drawerful" of bandannas. This one goes best with the motorcycle.

GRAY WORK SHIRT by Dickies, $19.99 at www.dickies.com.

There is no more manly form of shopping than ordering online.

PATCH ABOVE LEFT POCKET, inexpensive, bought at Electric Chair (410 Main St, Huntington Beach, CA, 714-536-0784).

Larson is a Christian (nondenominational), and he identified the symbol as a Maltese cross. The Republic of Malta is a tiny Mediterranean nation exactly 101 square kilometers larger than the city of Seattle. Seattle doesn't have its own cross (or its own falcon, or its own breed of fluffy puppy). Why, then, has this wee island exerted such an outsized influence on Western culture? The answer lies in Malta's strategic location, and in the year 1530, when Holy Roman Emperor Charles V rented the island to the Knights of the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in exchange for the yearly use of one falcon. The order adopted the Maltese cross, an eight-pointed cross with Vs removed from the flat surface of each arm, in the mid-16th century. But Larson is mistaken; his cross does not have incisions in each arm. His patch represents a subset of the cross pattée, called the iron cross, which was first popularized in Prussia and subsequently used by the German military.

EYEBALL TATTOO by Eric, expensive at Everett Tattoo Emporium (2408 Broadway, Everett, 425-252-8315).

Larson considers the Von Vetch–designed flying blue eyeball on his right arm to be his guardian angel. He has lots of tattoos.

2005 ELECTRA GLIDE by Harley-Davidson, $15,125 at Wenatchee Harley-Davidson (708 S Wenatchee Ave, Wenatchee, 509-662-3434).

Larson has owned three prior motorcycles: a 2000 Harley Super Glide Sport, which he traded in because he wanted a bigger one; a 1999 Super Glide Sport, which was tragically totaled in a crash; and a 1992 Harley-Davidson Sportster. As a child, Larson's father built him a minibike that sputtered along on a Briggs & Stratton 5-horsepower lawnmower engine.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Ryan Weadon, 25

SCARF, stolen from boyfriend. The scarf is just one of the many items of clothing Weadon has obtained from his boyfriend, Story, because the latest trend isn't shopping, but stealing. If you wanna look this good, you're gonna have to track down this Story fella.

NECKTIE, $15 from 20/Twenty (5208 Ballard Ave NW, 706-0969).

There was also a tie with bikes on it, says Weadon, but this horse design caught his eye despite the fact he's not a big fan of the majestic mammal. "I do like unicorns, though," he says. Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, Mia Farrow, and Angela Lansbury all lent their voices to the 1982 animated fantasy flick The Last Unicorn.

JACKET, a gift from his friend Heather.

Weadon may steal a lot of his clothes, but this particular item was a gift. Heather insisted he keep it, claiming it looked much better on him than it did on her, but we were unable to reach Heather to confirm Weadon's claims.

STUDDED BRACELET, a gift from an ex-boyfriend.

SHOULDER BAG, $20 at Federal Army and Navy Surplus, Inc. (2112 First Ave, 443-1818).

It's sharp-looking, as you can see, but Weadon complains he can never find his cell phone in the roomy one-pocket messenger bag.

BELT, a gift from his boyfriend, who works at Urban Outfitters (401 Broadway E, 322-1800).

So, you know, you can probably find it at Urban Outfitters.

JEANS by Helmut Lang, another item taken from his boyfriend.

"Do I wear anything that I bought myself?" wonders Weadon. We were wondering the same thing.

SHOES, $40, from Edie's (319 E Pine St, 839-1111).

Weadon had just washed these bad boys, which is how he keeps them lookin' so fresh and so clean, clean.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Brandon Malan & Graham Larson
Mormon Missionaries

SUITS. These young Mormons are on their mission in the Seattle area, and they're too busy with their proselytizing to talk about their clothes. This we learned on our own: When a prospective missionary receives his assignment from the Missionary Department (about 75 percent of all LDS missionaries are young men), he is also given a list of recommended clothing. According to the LDS Mission Network, missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are generally encouraged to bring two conservative, dark-colored suits to missions in cold climates. All expenses incurred while preparing for and serving on missions are covered by the elder—which is what Mormons call their missionaries, despite the fact that they are usually very young. And limber.

SWEATERS. Two to three V-neck sweaters in matching dark colors are recommended.

HAIRCUTS. Soon after prospective missionaries arrive at the Missionary Training Center (2005 N 900 E, Provo, UT, 801-422-2602), they receive their first "haircut inspection." If they don't pass, they get a haircut.

TIES. Five to six ties, which should be "conservative in color, width, and design." No bolo ties.

BACKPACKS. Missionaries are supposed to purchase "church-approved" backpacks at the Missionary Training Center.

NAMETAGS. Elders Malan and Larson are both sporting shiny nametags.

GARMENTS. You may be curious about these young men's special Mormon undergarments. We sure were. But since they didn't call, this is all we can tell you: The list of clothing for "elders" (young men) includes 8–10 "garments." The list for "sisters" (young ladies) includes "garments" and "underclothing." Are these boys wearing anything besides special Mormon garments beneath their conservative suits? Only Elders Malan and Larson know for sure.

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

Here's a few more that didn't have articles.. (thankfully. woo! lotsa copying & pasting)

and some, quite frankly, freak me out.. like furry-boots-girl..

(same source)

 

[Bixby]

last bunch...

(same source)

 

[Uchina]

When I visited downtown Seattle, I was unimpressed :/ It seemed very frumpy and lazy to me.

 

[maximus]

Thanks Bixby!!!