21 Days of Street Style: Day 5, Joseph, off 16th St

Joseph, like me, is a California transplant. He's been living in Philly for about four years now and described the style scene here as "ever-changing. You see something one day; you see something else a different day." His own style he referred to as "alternative, but not too much emo." "What's wrong with emo?" I asked. "Nothing," he replied. "But just that was my high school phase. I like wearing black, though, so I'm just gonna stick to it."

In these pictures he's wearing a baseball shirt, "real skinny jeans" spattered with mustard,"some cat ASPCA limited-edition Vans. And some piercings." He's not really a memorize-the-brand-names-you-got-on sorta person. Except, of course, for the Vans. He is, after all, a skateboarder, and Vans are a staple of the skateboarding scene. Every thing else is more about ease of wearing. Basic black. Casual. Comfortable. iPhone tucked away in a pocket.