Salt of the Earth

If we take the words at face value, street style is a term penned to describe a centuries old tradition of inspiration, taken from the living breathing moments of the streets. Dirt, cobblestone and pavement are the stage for authentic uniforms of people living out a their daily lives. A welder clads himself in thick fabric to stave off fire. An artist opts for smock like shapes to crawl through numberless mediums and materials with their own clothing ending in a natural patina that becomes its own envied work. Aprons are donned by butchers, florists and bakers to take on the weighty demands of their determined work.


Designers have fervently modeled their own notions after the streets. Fisherman’s high water trousers have been replicated save for the catch while leaving the rubber boots. Leather coats have been tagged with emblems, slogans and shag fringe to emulate a coat that could have been worn for decades on a seventies rock tour. Flea markets are scavenged for antique hardware and relics to string on our necks and arms like ancient armor. Fabric is draped to mimic a Grecian cloak or a monk’s robe from a faraway land. The color of poppies and wildflowers spills forth to fabric that rests on our skin in hushed saturation.



We take our own moments of homage from our current landscape or reflections on our ancestors. We suit up in heavy woolen coats that could have once defended our relatives traveling by stagecoach in a blizzard. We wear boots made to the highest standards that have existed for hundreds of years to walk great distances held in sturdy grace. Every second is a flood of fragments woven together as we work through the hours of our day. Garments lend us strength and protection as we revel in their thoughtful beauty born of the eyes of dreamer.


Words by Brit Parks

Image credits—
1. Annemarieke van Drimmelen for WSJ Magazine
2. Helen Levi 
by Dustin Fernstermacher for Garmentory x Ilana Kohn
3. Men S/S '16 street style via GQ.co.uk
4. Marjon Carlos and Chioma Nnadi by Phil Oh for Vogue.com

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1 comment

  • Beautiful words, keep me coming back! Swoon.

    Joe on

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