I’m moving across the country to a new city soon and trying to prepare for the culture shock. Any advice on how to adapt to the fashion standards of a new place without sacrificing what I like about how I dress? – John, Philadelphia
Every big city has its style stereotypes, sometimes several at the same time. New York stands for dark colors and conceptual shreds, banker suits and Park Avenue bouclé. Seattle is made of fleece. (Just like San Francisco.) Dallas is cowboy boots and diamonds. Los Angeles is leggings and Erewhon cups. Paris consists of blazers and perfectly draped scarves. And so forth.
I’m not saying this is true, you understand. These are obvious clichés. But clichés exist because in reality they have critical mass. And the truth is, when you gather a concentrated number of people in one place, like an urban center, a fashion ethos is created. One with its own language and characteristics that emerge from the dominant industry of the place, the climate, the value system and the visual composition of the city itself: its colors, building blocks and history.
In a warm place with low stucco buildings where you spend a lot of time outside and can see an expanse of blue (sky) and green (grass), you dress differently than in a place of concrete and stainless steel. Dress codes are also culture codes, and every place has its camouflage.
So the first thing you need to consider is how much you want to belong. Or, conversely, to let those around you know that you are a transplant. If you’re new to a place and aren’t sure what the mores are, or even the best place to get coffee, it can be helpful to let people know. And clothes are a way to manage expectations.
I get the desire to be one with the crowd (we all went through high school) and to avoid the lingering prejudices that sometimes come with being from somewhere else: you’re a snob, or pretentious, or a loser. But don’t discount the appeal of being the new guy in town. Or that you are an individual when it comes to style, which can indicate independent thinking and creativity.
That’s why it’s okay to stick with the wardrobe you have, especially if you feel comfortable with it, at least in the beginning. Moving to a new city can be a shock and always requires an adjustment period. There’s no need to turn the way you telegraph your identity on its head – which is the point of fashion, after all. Decisions (especially those involving money) should never be made hastily and without all the necessary information. Like an idea of what everyone is wearing. And that only happens with first-hand experience.
In the meantime, small adjustments can often go a long way. If your new home is more casual than your old one, wear a suit jacket with jeans instead of matching pants, or a skirt with sneakers instead of heels. If it’s less casual, add a brightly colored scarf or simply tuck in your shirt.
To some extent, clothing fitting occurs through attrition. Items that may have seemed foreign to you in your old home will, if you see them often enough, seem like a natural purchase in your new home. A good friend who moved from Brooklyn to Seattle a few years ago told me she knew she had finally settled when she realized she could buy her work clothes at REI.
Your style questions, answered
Every week on Open Thread, Vanessa answers a reader’s fashion-related question, which you can send to her at any time e-mail or Tweet. Questions are edited and condensed.
