Philadelphia Street Style: Nikki, off 4th Street

I stopped Nikki as she was about to step into a tattoo shop on 4th Street to get her elbow done. "It's going to suck!" she told me. But from the number of tattoos she already has, I'm guessing she can take it. 

Philadelphia Street Style: Isaiah, Walnut Street

"I was feeling very Prince today," Isaiah told me, on his way to a photo shoot. He describes his style as "sleek, edgy, and androgynous," all attributes the Purple One embodied like no other. The motorcycle jacket is from a brand called Cooper. Neither of us were familiar with it. We had to check the tag. The pants are J Crew. The boots are Talbots. The choker he picked up from Buffalo Exchange, a partnership with a local jewelry company. 

Philadelphia Street Style: Kat, Walnut and Broad St

Kat has gotten quite adept at recognizing the potential in the clothes her mother no longer wants. That bleached denim jacket was hers. So was the Gap sweater. The jumpsuit she's wearing underneath those, however, she scored at Goodwill. Same skill applied in a different venue. The boots are Doc Martens, though I didn't recognize them as such without the signature yellow stitching. Kat never much cared for that stitching. 

What works so well about this outfit for me is that none of it should work together at all. It is pieced together, almost haphazard. It is not on trend. It is not easily identified as some recognizable type. Instead, it creates its own visual vocabulary.