Departing from the haute couture influences of New York City and the chill beachwear of California, Salt Lake City is a unique hub of style and personal expression. Itβs a city where fashion, functionality and art collide, and where the best-dressed people are the ones who tell a story with their outfits. Youβre more likely to find Doc Martens, flannel shirts and thrift store treasures than Dior suits or Louboutin pumps.
Salt Lake magazine Street Style is a series exploring the diverse looks found in our city. This week, we took a stroll down Broadway (300 South) to take a peek at the style stars of that area.
Fashion, at its best, is a lot more than wandering aimlessly in a mall, victim to trends and fads. The following is evidence of that ideaβfrom βhomeless chicβ to European-inspired, a penchant for funky patterns or simply a desire to be comfortable at work, here are some ways the locals describe their personal style.
βMy personal style went from caring too much, trying to wear name brands and weird things like that.Β Then it evolved into more self comfort.”Β βMegan
β99% of my stuff is thrifted. I donβt feel like Iβve walked into a mall in a while, just because if I see something, most of the time my first thought is, βI can replicate that myself.ββΒ βMegan
βThereβs a Vidal Sassoon quote that says, βA man can get away with anything if heβs got a good haircut and the right shoes on his feet.ββΒ βJoshua
βWorking in the barber shop, Iβve got to be clean. You donβt want a barber that doesnβt have a good haircut giving you a haircut. I try to get one every two weeks, more than likely, though, itβs every three or four. I just keep it classic, itβs stylish, not fashion.βΒ βJoshua
βI always wear hats, personally, because I like them.Β Which is hard for barbers because we should show off our hair.”Β βBuster
“Function over form, for sure. We wear a lot of plaid and flannel, comfortable shoes, lots of cotton and leather, stuff that lasts a long time. And then most of us ride and will spend a ton of time on our motorcycles, so often times motorcycle and barber influence determines what weβre wearing.βΒ βBuster
βI had been playing with the idea of cutting my hair and then I just decided I was going to buzz it. It was an adrenaline rush before going out. It was also on inauguration day, so we were joking like,Β βF–k Trump.ββΒ βJadee
βI feel like [my personal style] is always changing. It goes from street wear influences to casual loungewear.βΒ βJadee
βA lot of my tattoos are actually like mile markers in my life. I will get them at that point in time and I think that they kind of develop a little bit of meaning as they evolve. You see how that tattoo is going to heal and itβs like a healing for yourself in that moment.”Β βMcKenna
βI heard a quote a couple years ago that was, βDress like the art you want to make,β and so Iβve kind of just done that ever since.βΒ βChloe (right)
βI definitely think of clothing more as art, and I try to do a lot of weird patterns, kind of funky, mix it up a little bit. I used to wear like all black all the time, so I definitely have mixed it up a lot since.βΒ βChloe
βI am a canvas of my experiences, my story is etched in lines and shading, and you can read it on my arms, my legs, my shoulders, and my stomach.βΒ βKat Von D (Pictured: Laney)
Written by Megan Skuster and Amy Whiting
Photos by Amy Whiting