My Favourite Outfits from the Street

The idea for this article was actually born out of a walk I went on with Christina on the 20th May along the River Ouse. I was showing her a picture I’d taken of someone’s outfit: a lady wearing a cream coloured baker boy cap, an oversized navy zip up, some high-waisted, red, wide trousers and some black heeled boots to finish it off - a seamless blend of casual-chic. Christina told me: "omg you should write a blog article about this and call it ‘My favourite outfits from the street…’"

Am I the only one who has an album saved on my phone dedicated to outfits I have virtually collected from city scenes? I do this to fuel inspo for my own looks, as well as to build characters for my fictional and filmic worlds. The people’s faces are always concealed - they are supposed to remain a mystery. It’s quite fun musing on the unknown identities of people and relying upon infinitesimal details from their outfit to tell their story. 

It’s almost like an ode to a stranger. It’s one fleeting glimpse of a person walking by. Something about their outfit is memorable, whether it’s the pair of Hi Core classic red kickers or Uma Thurman Onitsukas on a man in his late fifties, or perhaps the phrase ‘No Limite’ stamped on the back of an electric blue biker jacket in a font reminiscent of a Warner Bros cartoon. I have just a few seconds to capture it on my phone before that particular hat, denim overlay, or colourway I’ve never seen before on a pair of Air Max 95s, is gone forever.

Going back to the image of the man in his late fifties wearing the Onitsuka Tigers, the most rewarding part of being on the lookout for outfit-spo is always the unexpected. An elderly man in his work suit on the Central Line could play the most quotidian character until you spot the hand felted Nike SNDRs peeping from his tailored trousers. A strong hat number is certain to capture a shot by me; I see any ordinary person in a black Kangol beret (worn backwards) and suddenly they’re a film star. 

What I love about this whole process is how natural it is. I’ve always been the designated candid photographer on nights out with my friends. Spontaneity is a beautiful thing, the natural smile, the motion of a stride, any un-filtered, edited or directed image is art in its purest form. Just the human being being the human being. Just a person playing their everyday character, not one that has been scripted for them. 

I get most of my looks from London. I think York has its share in fashion too. I've definitely sourced some noteworthy outfits around campus; they tend to give ‘tote bag’ and baggy denim (this is literally how I dress for every lecture). My favourite ever is the ensemble from Madrid, the cover image of one of my Instagram posts. It is literally composed of three people about to cross the road, only each person could be copied and pasted into Vogue. I realised outfits that good deserve to be seen, so I made my own little Insta series called: Stylish Street Findings (part 2 coming soon!)

I wonder if these photos will ever be returned to the unknown participants of my mini fashion project?