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.
i'm so fascinated by this! you raise so many good points about how the history of a place (immigration, social dynamics, etc) reflect in the style and the vibe of a neighborhood. and such a good observation about the different style of different neighborhoods! i noticed that for sure when i lived in nyc and i feel like it's something you really have to be immersed in to understand. on that note--i am DYING to visit melbourne at some point so i absolutely will message you for recommendations/coffee if i do!!
I'm from the Bay, but am currently in Davis for college. A good chunk of the people here are also college students that aren't originally from the town. I feel like the fashion of college towns has a special charm to it, since college is often a time for people to experiment with their clothes and personal style. I've definitely heard a lot of people say they dress very differently when they're back home. We have an Instagram page run by a couple girls who post photos of cool outfits they see around campus, and it's always so fun to see what people come up with!
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.
i'm so fascinated by this! you raise so many good points about how the history of a place (immigration, social dynamics, etc) reflect in the style and the vibe of a neighborhood. and such a good observation about the different style of different neighborhoods! i noticed that for sure when i lived in nyc and i feel like it's something you really have to be immersed in to understand. on that note--i am DYING to visit melbourne at some point so i absolutely will message you for recommendations/coffee if i do!!
I feel this deeply! Living in Denver where everyone is very casual, I always feel my style of dressing is out of place, but I’m ok with it!
fascinated by this!!! i often feel the same way in the bay, but am not super familiar with denver. would love to chat about it if you want!!
Would love to!
I'm from the Bay, but am currently in Davis for college. A good chunk of the people here are also college students that aren't originally from the town. I feel like the fashion of college towns has a special charm to it, since college is often a time for people to experiment with their clothes and personal style. I've definitely heard a lot of people say they dress very differently when they're back home. We have an Instagram page run by a couple girls who post photos of cool outfits they see around campus, and it's always so fun to see what people come up with!