NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: Dressing for winter, longing for spring ...

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NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH: Dressing for winter, longing for spring ...

POSTED: Tuesday, February 1, 2011, 5:00 PM

Filed Under: Critical Mass Fashion

Neighborhood Watch looks for Philly's most fashionable. This week, Kala stepped away from the warmth of the city's clothing shops to catch up with people braving the elements on the pavement.

Samantha Nihw (20) from East Falls, canvasses Philly neighborhoods for a charitable organization, so she's no stranger to dressing for the cold. When I saw her, she was wearing several layers, including pants from Buffalo Exchange (1713 Chestnut St.) and sneakers from Jessica Simpson's shoe line. She also shops at thrift stores like Goodwill and Second Time Around (1728 Chestnut St.), as well as the department store, Century 21. "And I love to shop online at Forever 21, because their website has more selection than their stores," she says. The key to dressing for her type of work, she iterates, is wearing warm layers underneath the more fashionable items of clothing she wants to show off — like her thick socks and other hand-me-down pieces she got from her mom. She completed her look with a button on her leather coat and a flower pin in her hair.

Elizabeth Thompson (24) from Society Hill, is a winter wardrobe fan because of the accessories like hats and scarves. She bought her camel-colored furry hat at an open-air market in Boston, but her brown leather shoes and black bag with gold accents are from Steve Madden (1723 Walnut St.). Like Nihw, she was wearing a piece crafted by her mother — the black scarf she was wearing. She says she loves shopping online, particularly on Amazon, and likes to mix up where she buys her clothes. "My coat is from the Land's End men's section," she laughs. Could have fooled me.

Kelly McManus (24) also from Society Hill, works in a fashion-restrictive lab at Penn, so she likes to break out her own style whenever she can. Her tall brown leather riding boots are from Bloomingdale's, and she got her Baby Phat coat from Burlington Coat Factory. "My friends make fun of my big furry collar, but it keeps me so warm." she says. "And it buttons at the neck so it doesn't blow back." To keep her legs toasty when she's walking around, she wears tights under her jeans, and says she can't wait for spring so she can wear sundresses and tee shirts. It's likely most Philadelphians would agree ...

Kim

Posted 2011-02-01 12:25:31

Just to be clear, the first outfit is so bad that it becomes ironic, therefore making it cool?

Veronica

Posted 2011-02-01 12:44:43

Fashion is art, Kim. Everyone sees something different. :)

Posted by Kala Jamison @ 5:00 PM Permalink | Post a comment

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Featuring everything from event roundups to concert reviews and sex talk, City Paper's Critical Mass is a space for off-the-wall coverage of Philly's A&E scene.

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