Benjamin Cooke

What does urbanity mean to you?
Urbanity to me means a certain sophistication and neatness. I’m pretty far out there on the preppy spectrum, but I suppose that my forty-year-old-man looks include some semblance of urbanity.

Who/what influences your style?
The biggest “who” influence on my style is my sister. Her first comment to me when I see her is usually about my clothes, and her feedback usually reinforces my inclinations. In terms of “what,” it’s generally what I pull out from closet when I reach in first. Fortunately, all of my clothes seem more or less interchangeable.

What style(s) do you wish you could pull off?
Honestly, I’m pretty happy with my clothes right now and don’t really wish to pull anything else off.

What does style mean to you?
Style is how you pull off the clothes you have to wear for a specific function. For me, that means trying to be neat, mature, and comfortable no matter the situation.

What piece of clothing/accessory do you own that you could not part with under any circumstances?
Boat shoes—they’re just so easy to slip in and out off, and I wear them with coat and tie all the way down to my PJs.

Nicole Perkins

“Let me preface this with the statement that I make no claims on having style.”

What does urbanity mean to you?
Urbanity to me is a style that represents the break from the traditional. Instead of dressing like everyone else around you, it’s finding clothes that directly express who you are as an individual—being careful, however, not just to conform to a nonconformist style.

Who/what influences your style?
A friend of mine in high school never paid more than $10 for anything and yet always looked good. I don’t like name brands or labels (not that I have a choice but to buy them). But I prefer, like my friend, to shop for a great deal and find something that no one else has.

What style(s) do you wish you could pull off?
I really like the emo look. I have a few friends in bands and when I go to their shows I stick out like a sore thumb. But it’s just not me, and I would be lying to myself if I thought it looked good on me.

What does style mean to you?
I think I have a more bohemian idea of style. I hate conversations that end with “…yeah, it’s just such a great brand.” To be honest it makes me throw up in my mouth a little. Style to me is about how you see yourself, not how many designer clothes you can afford. I think there is a vast difference between being trendy and stylish. And the difference is whether you are setting the trends or buying into them.

What piece of clothing/accessory do you own that you could not part with under any circumstances?
My Frye Boots. While they are not the most original, my mom wore them when she was in college out in Kansas. So they mean something more to me than just a brand. I feel like it throws some people for a loop, you know, “What’s a black girl doing in cowboy boots?” But that’s who I am, I’m from the country, and I’m not going to try to pretend to be something else. And plus, it’s just such a great brand…(I’m only kidding!)

Theo Spielberg

What does urbanity mean to you?
Urbanity is identifying with a city culture a.k.a. living with a lot of other humans in a city.

Who/what influences your style/fashion?
I hate to say that I have “indie” style but I think a lot of people would say that. I like to incorporate whatever I think looks cool, which includes stuff from like the 60’s-90’s. When I first started buying my own clothes (instead of my mom buying them for me) in like 8th grade, it was the exact same time that I started to idolize the Strokes, so I tried to dress like them. I kinda got used to dressing like that and never really decided to change. Maybe I’m lazy. Also Dr. Seuss, Jesus, and Stalin.

What style(s) do you wish you could pull off?
Suspenders, etc.

What does style mean to you?
I guess style is one of the ways people can remember you on a very superficial and artificial level.

What piece of clothing/accessory do you own that you could not part with under any circumstances?
I would never part with my bomber jacket, even though I just got it, my ratty Converse, though I never wear them, and I mean, I like all my other clothes, but they aren’t indispensable.

INTERVIEWS BY JON PITTS-WILEY
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MATT LUCAS

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This entry was posted on Thursday, May 10th, 2007 at 11:20 pm and is filed under Urbane, Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.