NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: A clairvoyant connection with threads

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NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: A clairvoyant connection with threads

POSTED: Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 5:43 PM

In this column's past, Neighborhood Watch immersed itself in one neighborhood each week and found its most stylish inhabitants. We're switching things up. Now, this will be a space for us to find fashionable folk all across the city. But we're still keeping the hood theme — kinda, sorta — by taking note of where we found our subjects and trying to glean which trends are specific to which neighborhoods.

PHOTO | Julia West and Josh Middleton

Snow has transformed our city streets into a winter wonderland. While you may think this would make our job harder, we actually had a ball out on the sidewalks slipping and sliding, dodging icicles falling from great heights and picking out the cutest snow bunnies scurrying from warm spot to warm spot. We decided to hit up the Market Street thoroughfare because we knew this would be the one place not ignored by plows.

Ashley C. (18) was courteous enough to hop off the phone while we bugged him about his cute, but less than insulated, outfit. "I don't care if [my gear] is that warm," he says, "Just as long as it looks good." Our favorite parts were his Armani Exchange jacket (not even buttoned, mind you), his faded H&M skinnies and the most practical part of all — his fantastic clunky snow boots.

PHOTO | Julia West and Josh Middleton

We caught Chris P. (16) outside of the Gallery while he was on his way to have lunch with friends in Chinatown. We liked his hair the most, which he says is cut in the kitchen by a friend who has no training. He also looked pretty snazzy in his casual, monotone get-up that he accentuates with the pop of blue in his scarf.

PHOTO | Julia West and Josh Middleton

Ronald S. (63) apparently has a clairvoyant connection with threads and it seems to be leading him in the right direction. "I see something at a store, "he says, "and it says 'take me home,' so I do that." The cap spoke to him from a hat shop in Wilmington and he connected with that $15 jacket in a local thrift store. If only we had such a baller inner voice. Sigh.

PHOTO | Julia West and Josh Middleton

Caution signs like the one behind Sonya S. (24) need not apply when you know how to stomp through the slushy streets in boots like that. "I've been wearing heels since I was 16," she says. Other attention grabbers include that vibrant jacket, the multi-colored gloves and the neck scarf she borrowed from her auntie. But with all that color she keeps it in check with the neutral bag, shoes and tights. She knows what's goin' on.

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