introducing: on the map
style exists everywhere. do you have a story to share about it?
Fashion does not belong to any one place. Of course, if you read this Substack, you know that I believe in the interdependency of style and place; they’re constantly informing and shaping one another. But that can—and does—happen anywhere, not just in the cities we think of as “fashion cities.” You know what they are, without me having to tell you.
I’ve been kicking around ideas for a while on how to elevate the style perspectives of places that DON’T fall in that list, and into this swirl of thoughts recently entered this incredible post on underrated style cities by Viv Chen at The Molehill (if you don’t already subscribe, do!). A fellow Bay Area resident, Viv, like me, has grappled with and pushed back against the idea that style and this particular corner of the world are like oil and water. I love to see it!
And I’d also love to hear more about how style shows up and is shaped in other cities that either are side-eyed or completely overlooked in this world. I’d like to lend my own small platform to people (maybe you?) who live outside the fashion centers of gravity and want to put their city and their own style on the map—which is what this ongoing series will be called.
What I’m envisioning: a collaborative, conversation-driven process about what you want to share about your city and how you relate to it. How would you define its style? What factors shape it? Do you feel like you blend in or stick out? What informs how you dress and why? And of course—all your favorite gems in your city that you want to shout out!
Does this sound like something you want to do? I hope so! Reach out and let’s broaden this map together!
And share this with anyone you think might be interested :)
I live in Oakland (hi!), am often in San Francisco, and frequently walk or take public transit alone at all hours. I've increasingly felt the need to dress defensively — practical safety considerations first. Can I run in these shoes if I have to? Will I be visible at night? (No all-dark outfits.) Will I draw too much unwelcome attention? It's kind of sad, and it really puts a crimp in self-expression, but reality prevails.
I moved to Melbourne in 2022 and am still trying to understand its style versus where I'm from (Singapore) so this is such a great thought exercise! What fascinates me is that different parts of Melbourne seem to have different aesthetics, which is something I didn't see in Singapore because the latter is such a small country geographically. I live in Brunswick, which is a gentrifying inner city suburb so you see a lot of young hipsters (do people still say that?) wearing a lot of vintage and Y2K retro and older hipsters wearing gorpcore and "cool art teacher" style clothes. People here vote for the Green party, which is seen as a more lefty "alternative" party than the two dominant ones, so you see a lot of stickers and posters for environmentalism, social justice, gender equality, LGBT rights, anti-war and anti-racism. The overall vibe is definitely not the kind of polished "chic" you might see in other neighbourhoods in Melbourne. Historically, this was a working immigrant class neighbourhood (Greeks, Italians and Lebanese) and you still see many immigrant-established businesses in the area but as the owners age and retire, they're being replaced by modern cafes and restaurants that cater to an upmarket type crowd (wine bars, ramen bars and the like).
I suspect I stick out just a bit because in my building, there's ONE other ethnic Chinese person and people confuse us cos even our names are similar, lol. We also get a lot of Asian foodie tourists in the area cos there are quite a few well-rated restaurants here, so I think people sometimes think I am a tourist. But Brunswick by and large is a lot more diverse than some parts of Melbourne so it's not too bad! Style-wise, I actually fit right in in terms of tone (casual), albeit on the blander side (I dress quite plainly compared to the cool, vintage/Y2K kids I see on the street. And living here has really expanded my access to secondhand shopping - there are several decent vintage and consignment stores here as well as charity shops (the op shops) so I get the full spectrum. Love it! The best shop here is definitely Mutual Muse for their tight curation and commitment to catering to all sizes, but I also like to rummage through Goodbuys which is less curated but also more fun because of that.