A European view of Philadelphia fashion (Mirror Image)

A European view of Philadelphia fashion

Lara Fritzsche, a 23-year-old reporter with the Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger, is on an Arthur Burns Fellowship at the Philadelphia Inquirer. Here’s what she had to say about her first impressions of American fashion:

When I arrived in Philadelphia last week, it seemed like everybody I saw was wearing track suits. Everything was loose and roomy – like they were dressed for the gym.

In Europe, where I live, we normally don’t leave our houses like that. We change into our workout clothes at the gym. But then I realized that the people I saw on the street weren’t dressed that way to get exercise. They were dressed that way to see a movie or to do some shopping, they were dressed that way to have dinner or to bring their children to the kindergarten. Their motto seems to be, clothes have to be as comfortable as they can be.

That’s exactly the opposite of how we define fashion in Europe. Stylish Germans or especially the French would not don sportswear for Happy Hour or dinner out. Our motto is more along these lines: it’s only good-looking if it hurts.

But perhaps during my stay here, I will just disregard my European roots a bit and become a little bit more American. It’s just more comfortable.

(Blinq columnist Dan Rubin made a similar observation here in April...)

Posted by Chris Gray on August 7, 2007 2:45 PM | Permalink

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Comments (2)

Anthony Verna:

I don't think it has to hurt, but seeing so many track suits on a normal day isn't exactly fashionable. You can wear something decent that doesn't hurt.

Posted by Anthony Verna | August 9, 2007 12:01 PM

Posted on August 9, 2007 12:01

ANNIE:

BRILLANT LARA - This drives me crazy. People don't care what the wear when they are out for a fine dinner,museum,concert,stroll whatever! People would "tease" me and say you are so fancy - can't you be more casual. No! I am who I am. It's great to look good . I have been to Europe and felt comfortable with what I was wearing there ! Good Luck ,Philadelphia is still a wonderful city with tons to offer.My favorite place to be and live.

Posted by ANNIE | August 15, 2007 3:56 PM

Posted on August 15, 2007 15:56

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The Mirror Image team consists of Inquirer and philly.com writers with a passion for fashion and an eye for the trends. We live to shop and shop to live, but always appreciate a good sale. We know that “What I am going to wear?” is a serious question, possibly requiring consultation and multiple outfit changes. We believe beauty treatments can be a necessity instead of a luxury, and consider awards shows required viewing. Above all, we strive to bring style into our daily lives – and have fun telling others about it.

Contributor Elizabeth Wellington has been the Inquirer's Fashion Reporter since 2003 and writes the Mirror, Mirror column for the Sunday Image section. She is a bargain shopper who hates buying pants and rarely meets a dress she doesn’t like.

Contributor Chris Gray is the editor of the Image section, and has been a reporter and editor at the Inquirer since 2001. She believes you are never too tall for heels and considers text messaging a vital form of communication.

Contributor Karen Heller covered fashion for several years, nationally and regionally, and has an enduring interest in style and fashion. A finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in commentary, she reports on popular culture. Her column appears in the Wednesday Daily Magazine.

Contributor Kristen Graham is a Philly.com producer and columnist. She is still recovering from her mother dressing her in homemade cotton plaid bell-bottoms as a toddler, and regards religious Project Runway and What Not To Wear watching as the only way to make amends.

Contributor Jodie Chester Lowe is a Philly.com Entertainment producer and a member of the Great Expectations project team. By college, she knew she needed to expand her wardrobe beyond casual shirts and jeans. She’s branched out with the tops, but denim still gets its own drawer (or two) in her dresser.

Contributor Ellen Dunkel is the Philly.com Entertainment channel manager. She was almost literally born to shop, having grown up in Paramus, N.J., the No. 2 ZIP code in the United States for retail sales. She often serves as a personal shopper for family members who are missing the fashion gene.

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This page contains a single entry from the blog posted on August 7, 2007 2:45 PM.

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