Mural (background) by Tom Quinn

Spokane is in a peculiar place where style cycles have sped up to where they are lapping our lag in following fashion trends. While Urban Outfitters spends millions marketing the new 90′s look all over the world, a good chunk of people in Spokane never gave it up to begin with. And why should they?

What really caught my eye were these boots. I used to rock a pair like this in the 4th grade at Brentwood, but they were a little too forward for the times and I was teased for wearing “hooker boots.” I had proudly bought my laced-up beauties from my Uncle in our family’s Wolf Point, Montana department store. “I’ve replaced the heels twice,” she bragged. I would too if I still had a pair like that. Let’s hear it for eco-friendly thrift!

Spokane is a city full of khaki, blue and gray. When people deck themselves out in black around here it is often meant to signify something. To some it is anti-social and threatening. To others it is a sign that someone isn’t bound by confining social norms and is more likely to accept you for who you are.

Next time I’m riding around without my backpack I’ll just follow suit and clasp my U-Lock around my neck. Problem solved!

“I’ve done it all,” he said, waving to a broken cheekbone.

Pick-up line: “You’d make a good jockey with that slim figure of yours.”

Another verbatim quote: “I love Spokane. I live in that tower there and have a great view out over the river. I’ve been riding for thirty years. When they tore out the track I was through. That was it for me.”

After all, Spokane is a T-shirt kind of town. Whether they are vintage Bloomsday Tees or modern and funny, Spokane likes to wear things on its sleeve. The Violet’s Tee isn’t just any old shirt, however. These puppies were hand printed on organic cotton and bamboo by our friends over at Blue Button Apparel. From the designer:

It begins with a quest for community, grit and optimism. We arrived through friends, through Facebook, through artsy events and accidental encounters. We were weary and restless. Talented and troubled. What we found was brilliant, a destiny manifest. This is OUR city and it is beautiful. Cheers to our hometown, our heart town, and to the lovely ladies (and lady lovers) of Spokane, Washington.

A limited number of these commemorative Violet Tees will be sold at the Shrinking Violets Birthday Bash this Saturday, and additional orders can be taken at that time. See you at Silver Auctions!

We’ve pumped thousands of dollars back into Spokane’s own local economy, preferencing businesses with sustainable and socially responsible practices. We swapped closets, made our own deodorant, and helped to inspire and support new community groups. We even went on a retreat and drafted a mission statement:

The Shrinking Violet Society is a dynamic social co-op of fresh-minded individuals sustaining creative endeavors. We are dedicated to:

• Promoting Localism
• Building Intentional Friendships
• Affirming Sass & Independence
• Nurturing Artistic Abundance
• Circulating Our Passion

At its core, the Shrinking Violets are a group of people learning to genuinely trust and value each other. Slowing down and taking time to be accountable and present with anyone who seeks out their company. In our crazy-making world this is often easier said than done. But something about the resolve of this group makes it possible. There are no committees, no obligations, and no structure that binds the organization together. It is simply a longing for a functional community in which to contribute and become enriched.

You are invited to celebrate this venture with the Shrinking Violets at our first annual Birthday Bash. Tickets can be purchased online and RSVPs can be made here and on Facebook. Think of it as Spokane’s own Ladyfest.

The event will feature an art show, local vendor fair with over 30 businesses, nonprofits and artisans represented, live entertainment, free child care and delicious home made cupcakes, all in the funky warehouse space at Silver Auctions. We hope you will be able to join us for this special occasion!

You’ve probably heard that Spokane has weathered the economic downturn relatively well. Partly because we never had that much hot air to loose in the first place, and partly because of our relatively diversified economic base.

We’ve noticed more and more twenty-somethings returning home after getting priced out of the larger cities they stayed in after college. This is a great opportunity for our community to “capture” these people for good so Spokane can come out swinging as the economy eventually recovers.

Increasingly, people will be moving to Spokane because it is the ideal place to live the kind of lifestyle they want to live, as opposed to just a cheap place to tide over the economic storm. Spokane will offer an atmosphere where people can launch new careers instead of just taking the first “easy” bread and butter gig that comes their way. Just. You. Wait.

The first of two new stores I’ve been thrilled to discover over the past few weeks is Fringe and Fray. It is like Spokane’s very own mini upscale Buffalo Exchange, without the grunginess and holier-than-thou hipster attitudes. This elegant little store features men’s clothing as well as women’s, which is unique among independent boutiques in our town. Aside from the great mix of vintage and modern styles, accessories, footwear, denim, jewelry, jackets and more, the prices are unbeatable. I expect that they may eventually go up a bit as the store tests what our market will bear, so go in now (1325 W 1st Ave, Suite 102) for affordable duds you won’t believe.

Second hand is not only the economical thing to do, it is environmentally friendly as well. While much of what is in the store currently comes from the owners’ personal collections, they offer in store credit for high quality items that fit their aesthetic. Seller be aware, they do not offer a donation service for items they decide not to take, so be prepared to pack/bike out some of what you bring in.

If buying second hand clothing could be likened to preserving foods so you can enjoy them longer, then buying fabric to make something yourself is like buying in bulk. Don’t know how to make dresses and hand bags and don’t want to take the time to learn? No problem, owner Ari has dozens of handmade options for your purchasing pleasure, and will do custom orders as well.

Buttercuppity was online well before they opened their storefront in Steamplant Square (159 S. Lincoln, Suite 165), and appear to have a strong local following. Going into the store to gaze at all the beautiful bright patterns is enough to cure anyone’s seasonal affective disorder. I’m impressed by the personable outreach efforts of this small business, and am looking forward to sewing projects yet to come!

• Fringe and Fray on Facebook – They actually post special deals here!
• Buttercuppity on Facebook – Great sense of humor.

Do you think people in Spokane are more likely to wear red and green during the holidays than in other places?

Three cheers for the three piece suit!

Spokane needs a street style blogger, to hell with fashion!

Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say and not giving a damn. – Gore Vidal

Spokane has a proud blue collar heritage. Dickies canvas jackets and Carhartt boots are staples among the working class wardrobe around here. Some people really know how to rock their uniforms.

Every once in a while I will see a nurse that wears their scrubs so well I’m tempted to ask where they buy them. Given our medical sector I always thought it would be cool if one of our style exports could be locally made “signature scrubwear”.

Uncle Gean

Portrait by Austinspace

We’ve issued an appeal to round out the local blogosphere before, but we’ve learned if you really want something done you’d better be prepared to roll up your sleeves and do it yourself.

Consider: There is a world-renowned street fashion blog called the Sartorialist. It was one of the first in its genre  many years ago and helped to set the stage for the dizzying number of street fashion blogs that are around today. The basic format is a regular digest of full-length portraits taken of interesting-looking people on the street, commentary optional. The appeal? You get to gawk and opine all from the comfort of your own computer. People watching at its anonymous best.

Now some might scoff at the prospect of true fashion in Spokane. To those (you know who you are) I say “get over it!” Fashion is not about striving to look like a Nordstrom’s catalog, it is about self-expression and people relating to the social and cultural context to which they belong. People who don’t have the luxury of being chronically self-conscious are some of the most beautiful and interesting looking around.

Who might be caught in the lens of the Spotorialist? The answer is anyone. Everyone. It could be the punked-out tween by the Bloomsday runners that actually manages to pull it all off. It could be the stately grandmother in an over-sized pea coat inching her way back to the car after a show at the Fox. It would be that girl with the red glasses who works at CUES, and the painfully pretty barristas at Madeline’s just down the street.

The bus station is also ripe for the shooting. Just this morning we saw a bombshell blond of a basketball player. She was wearing Ugg boots (a fashion faux pas seemingly everywhere except for Spokane – OK, maybe even here too) with these awkwardly cut-off gray sweat shorts.  The look was topped with a bulky white cable knit sweater and a slouchy black purse. To describe it sounds appallingly generic, but I swear, there was something intimidatingly sexy and slightly off about this girl. It would take a picture to believe it.

Half a block later I rode right past this crazy skinny androgynous looking kid in a trench coat and nothing else, save some black heavy-soled boots and a pair of bright blue sun glasses. His hair was slicked back on his skull. Some people in this town know exactly who they are and they don’t give two cents about contradicting the omnipresent mainstream. They aren’t different for the sake of being different like the masses of hipsters in Portland, all scrambling to differentiate at once. No. They are simply raw and unedited versions of their adult selves.  Sometimes the gamers hanging around Merlyn’s are the most creatively dressed dudes in town.

Another thing the Spotorialist would do is help dispel the ridiculous notion that there isn’t *any* ethnic diversity in Spokane. The attractive young black man riding his chopper bike on the sidewalk around the smoke shop would get captured. The ultra-preppy Saudi students that have taken up residence at Starbucks would be in there too. Mukogawa women in Riverfront Park, the traditionally clad Indian girl getting into a minivan outside Bollywood Video – these are the fascinating, sometimes striking faces of Spokane.

They deserve to be documented, iconized. Through such self-reflective photojournalism a community can uncover it own unique style. We have something special to offer here. It is just a matter of seeking it out and appreciating what is often staring you in the face.

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