21 Days of Street Style: Day 2, Gabriella, 15th St

Gabriella described her style to me as "casual, laid-back," then corrected herself slightly and added "dressy casual." Jeans and boots are a wardrobe staple for her. And not just any boots, "these boots," which she picked up at Nordstrom Rack for "like 35 bucks." She told me the price of most of what she was wearing without my solicitation. "This is my Michael Kors bag," she told me. "It was only $75. This is a Macy's jacket, leather. It was probably like $75" 

The leaf-pattern dress, by the way, is from H&M. The burgundy tights, she believes, are from H&M as well. It's kind of hard to tell, since just about anything could come from H&M. H&M, after all, doesn't come up with styles of their own. They copy whatever is currently on trend. Their game is fashion turnover, and they — along with Zara, Forever 21, and other fast fashion brands — are helping crank up the trend cycle to its fastest rate in fashion history. The scarf, however, has a more personal story behind it. It's a hand-me-down from her sister. The bindi on her forehead she picked up at an Indian festival she went to a couple of weeks before. She doesn't wear them that often. Mainly for "special events, I guess." 

Gabriella is a Philadelphia native, and when I asked her if there was such a thing as a Philly style, she told me, "There definitely is a Philly style. Honestly, just be you. Just dress like you want. Just express yourself in every way possible you can." It could be a mantra.