By: Melina Tripoli
When you walk down the street and look around, you see many interesting things. From someone pushing their child — whether it’s an actual child or their fur baby — to someone running to work after getting their morning Starbucks.
Photo by: Melina Tripoli
When you look around though, one particular thing sticks out, diversity of people’s fashion.
It’s never ending what you can find people wearing on the streets of downtown Pittsburgh. You can find guys in very casual outfits or full in business attire, women in yoga pants and a t-shirt or a summer dress. The possibilities are endless. You can even see people’s personalities shine through their clothing.
Photo by: Melina Tripoli
Most men you will find are dressing for work with briefcases in hand and sunglasses on. They wear suits, usually black, with decorative ties. The ties are where the men can shine and show their personalities. Whether they choose one with stripes or checkerboard pattern, they are showing off their style. Men don’t only wear suits, but also can dress very casually. There are shorts, graphic tees, flip flops, tennis shoes, and so much more.
Nick Powers, a tech worker visiting from Austin, Texas, describes his own style that he has developed over the years, “Well, about two years ago I worked at a place that was very upper end of business casual. So it’s like slacks and polo shirts all the time. But now I work at a tech company and it’s shorts, t-shirts, or even Crocs to work if you want. It’s a lot more casual. This is almost as dressy as I get. Jeans and a t-shirt,”.
Photo by: Melina Tripoli
Women on the other hand, can be very versatile in what they wear. You look up and down the sidewalk and see long dresses being blown in the wind, the classic t-shirt and shorts, or someone in slacks and a fancy shirt. Women are seen to follow the trends more often. Bright colors and or patterns, many hair accessories, and geometric shaped sunglasses are some that have been spotted.
When talking with fashion writer for the Pittsburgh Trib, JoAnne Harrop, she told me that there are many places she observes people expressing themselves through their clothing, like people standing at the bus stop waiting for it to come. As well as seeing men and women leaving their offices in tennis shoes with their heels and dress shoes tucked away.
JoAnne has also found patterns worn with other patterns to be very popular with the younger generation. But one style in Pittsburgh that will never go out, of course, black and gold. No matter what team is currently, playing you’ll find many Pittsburghers with some kind of black and gold. It could be their favorite jersey, a simple shirt with the team logo, or even just the colors incorporated in some way. Pittsburghers take pride in the colors black and gold more than you would think.
Sadly, Pittsburgh got number three on the list of “The 40 Worst-Dressed Cities in America” from a GQ article, many still believe there are still some fashionable people. “I don’t think everybody is bad. I would say about 30% have good taste,” says Jessica Miller when asked about her thoughts on the Steel Cities fashion taste. Even JoAnne Harrop feels bad for the people of Pittsburgh. “There’s a stereotype that Pittsburgh is not fashionable,” she says. JoAnne then goes on to explain that everyone has their own style that may not be fancy or all the rage, but is still beautiful in its own way.
Photo by: Melina Tripoli
Walk down the street and pay attention to what you see people wearing. Look at the different outfits all around you. The women wearing different trends like scrunchies, the men in suits and tennis shoes, count every person you see rocking black and gold, and take in every single extravagant outfit you come across. We all have such distinct tastes and all show a little bit of ourselves through our clothing.