On Frazier Avenue

In Saint Elmo

Northshore Halloween

On Frazier Avenue: Street Art

Paintings by "Wash" are available at the northern end of the Walnut Street pedestrian bridge and in the folk art gallery, Winder Binder.

In Virginia-Highland: More Signs of Autumn

From her jaunty plaid cap to those cozy, beribboned shoes, the look is all Mitzi and Romano.

DIY

Of the dress, she told me, "It had these puffy, frou-frou sleeves,

so I cut them off." We agreed: the lovely pattern speaks for itself.

Clark Atlanta University

Seersucker season remains in Atlanta when the high temperature
today reached ninety degrees.

Chattanooga Style At Georgia Tech

Cindy Wang remembers her life before fashion. The Georgia
Tech sophomore was then 14 years old when she discovered
Dior and Chanel runway shows on television. "When I got
back to my closet I was mortified." Following that epiphany,
the self-described tomboy began modeling for her dad's
designer friends in China. The styles were "edgy with an
Asian influence, but tailored for Americans or Europeans."

European travel broadened her fashion sense when she
realized how both the natural and built environments can
influence sartorial choice. "I definitely noticed this in Sweden,
where it gets dark early and people wear lots of solid and dark
colors-wooly, comfy clothes." Parisians appeared "sweet and
polished" amid their romantic architecture.

Today Wang distinguishes herself in a ruffled neckline Ann
Taylor blouse, ruched Zara shorts, patterned tights and shoes
from Betsy Johnson and Banana Republic, respectively.
"It's a soft, feminine look that I can wear day and night," she
explains. That litany of labels needn't be a budget breaker.
Last year she discovered thrifting at places like Salvation Army
and Rag-O-Rama.

Her friend, Tech Junior Heidi Vreeland, grew up with the habit.
"Mom wouldn't buy new things very often, so I inherited her
thrifting ability." Vreeland shops with eye for mixing and
matching, which shows in these shades of grey. The H&M top
was tried first as the inner layer, but looked best outside the
silvery summer dress. Her choices are intuitive: "I know right
away whether something works," and she enjoys discovering
new combinations in her closet. "They might look bad, but they
might surprise you, too."

People do notice these efforts. A Chattanooga fashion blogger
admired her jacket and dress, both from Goodwill. The proprietors
of that city's Collective Clothing shop recruited her to work for
them. "I never pursue, it but I get opportunities for fashion modeling,
perhaps because I'm tall," says she of appearances in a campus show of
sustainable fashions and a Wes Anderson-themed, vintage celebration
at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

While the ladies met in class and bonded over clothes, worldly
interests have deepened their friendship. Wang studies biology,
Vreeland Japanese and international affairs. They are living and
learning what Coco Chanel noted:
"Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.
Fashion is in the sky,in the street; fashion has to do with ideas,
the way we live, what is happening."

On Frazier Avenue: DIY

What better way to revisit one of my favorite cities
than this posting, which revisits a favorite theme:
reduce, reuse and recycle? There is more than
enough stuff in our world, enabling such a crafty
ensemble of legging pairs serged into bike shorts, a
thrifted, all-over print tee-turned-dress and
a summery shoulder bag, all of her own making.

Treggings in Little Five Points

Denim trousers crossed with leggings anchor this artful
color banding of a purple wife beater and a whimsical,
cropped tee by Shenanigans. Clear Jellies are the next
best thing to bare feet in this August heat.

In Virginia-Highland: Cycle Chic

romper: GLAM
boots: Baker
bag: vintage Kenneth Cole
watch: father’s vintage Seiko
jewelry and sunglasses: vintage
bicycle: built up by Loose Nuts Cycles

A chance encounter over vintage bicycles resulted in
shoptalk about a mutual interest in fashion blogging.
Odd how gossip begets gossip. From bikes to looks,
what do idle bloggers have to say for themselves?
“My mom was into yard sales and took me along,”
she told me of her life long interest in thrifting and
bargain shopping. “I remember in fourth or fifth grade,
my friends had an event to bring together and trade
things we didn’t want, girly things and knick knacks.”
Now she shares her finds and tales of Atlanta living with
the followers of LadyFLASHBACK. It’s a fitting name for
someone who draws inspiration from the past while
illuminating the present as both photographer and model.

In Atlanta: Little Five Points

In our encounter, she remarked that 1990's clothing
is now vintage. Yes, an entire generation has come
of age since her enchanting sundress first appeared,
but the love of floral prints endures.

This third world creation speaks to the romance of
far away places in exotic, monochromatic geometry.
Such are the flavors of Atlanta's original bohemia,
Little Five Points.

In Atlanta: Skating on Tenth Street

It Ain't Whatcha Do It's The Way Thatcha Do It
with thanks to Fun Boy Three and Bananarama

In Atlanta: Peachtree Street

Two visitors from Birmingham share the honor of
launching Atlanta Street Fashion. In the record-
breaking heatwave of 2010, when so many others
either remained indoors or wilted into shorts and
tees, these young ladies found the time to share their
original looks with a blogger in that quintessential
Atlanta thoroughfare, Peachtree Street.

Lillie Somerfield

by Laura Helen Winn
Heat wave? What heat wave?

I bumped into this breath of fresh air after a long day at work.
Lillie pulls a classic look together with subtle accents. The
little-white-tee and denim shorts are brought to life with a
functional leather satchel, coordinating flats, and a vintage ring
offset with modern lace drop earrings almost as pretty as the
beholder herself. A little lipstick never hurt a girl either:
but remember to smile.

On Chattarati: Summer Styles

Southside Looks

It pleases me that no one person has appeared most
often in these postings. That distinction is shared by
three remarkable individuals: a sculptor, a clothing
designer and this lady, whose work for Green Spaces
earned Tennessee's first L.E.E.D. Platinum certification.
The time has come to thank all of you for making this
project rewarding in so many ways. Blogging is the new
journalism and Chattanooga has prepared me well to
celebrate sartorial expression, creativity and sustainable
practices in our new home, Atlanta.

On Broad Street

From monochromatic ruffles to a final hint of peach,
she has played well with texture and color.

At The Chattanooga Market: Upcycled Kid Stuff

Who knew that a man's shirt would make wee
trousers? "The fabric is soft because it's been washed
so many times," she explained. DIY and commercial
upcycling are well-explored topics on this 'blog, at least
for grownups. Now there exists an option for the next
generation. Please visit Jules for Kids online or at
The Chattanooga Market.

In Sewanee: Personal Style

The campus of Sewanee: The University of the South
is fertile ground for individuality. Today's visit both
reminded me of this timeless look from September last
and gives us a bit of whimsy. His hat brim ornament is
a souvenir of Virginia and those shoes began life as
Foot Joy golfing cleats, before their outer soles departed,
leaving him with something unique indeed.

Eclectic Nashville

jewelry: Cheryl Dufault
khakis: Billy Reid

In St. Elmo: Playsuit

East meets West when classic stripes of pink and blue
go shopping with a Miso Pretty tote from Blue Skies.

At The Chattanooga Market

A few, well-chosen elements never fail to stand out,
even if the blogger forgot a former encounter last
December at the Chattanooga Theatre Centre.

On Frazier Avenue: Racer Back

an original repurposing by Bridget Astronette of LEO

Karmon French

Who could state Main Street fashion better than a
Chattanooga local? A dressy/casual combination of
vintage and urban is a perfect fit for the downtown
lifestyle. A breezy vintage blouse with a fitted top,
denim bottom and strappy sandal is cool enough to
beat the heat. Thank you to the lovely Karmon French
for allowing me to pause her day.
from guest blogger Laura Helen Winn

On Frazier Avenue: Summer Seersucker

After yesterday's splash of color, the mood turned
somber for a monochromatic study of line and texture.

On Broad Street: Bohemian Style

"They are always different; they are always the same,"
said legendary BBC disc jockey John Peel of The Fall.
Making her fifth appearance here, this young lady loves
to challenge orthodoxy while keeping faith with whimsy.
Red Keds anchor the pattern mash-up.

Mixed News

Those of you who may have received this email,
or who know of someone who did, have my sympathy.
The competition was keen, but only because we live
where such work is rewarded. Chosen or not, all of us
benefit when making a difference is encouraged.
Being the first to blog street styles in Chattanooga has
been great fun. My wonderful wife's career will soon see
us in Atlanta, where it is my hope to apply lessons
learned here. Thanks to all of you who have appeared
here and to those who have followed this endeavor.
Please look for a few more postings and perhaps a shout
to someone who would continue the practice.

Lasting Style: Keds

First called plimsolls, this classic design dates from Victorian England. Just about everyone in America has worn Keds in her or his life. She finds them comfortable throughout long walks in Chattanooga and they have become her signature look. Bracelet colors coordinate with a print sundress from a time out of mind.