Seattle in Style

This week I was invited to accompany a friend on a road trip up to the Pacific Northwest to check out that bastion of progressive culture, the sassy city of Seattle, WA. I know a few folks in Seattle--mostly smart, outdoorsy, creative geek-types, not unlike the denizens of their sister city San Francisco--but it's been years since I've gotten to spend any time there. Excited to see how these casual yet stylish people choose to express themselves in their natural habitat, I eagerly accepted.

Seattle is of course a watery land, rendered in a million hues of blues and greys. We were lucky to visit during this most seasonable transition time of late summer into early fall, but even during this bright time I was struck by the softness of the light and the undeniable gloom of the backdrop. There is a haunting, monumental sense to the natural setting of Seattle that brings to mind a sense of old-timey, Go-West-Young-Mannish adventure and makes you feel very small. Perhaps it was the contrast with the coolly muted color palette of the scenery, but I was absolutely blown away by the warm spirit of the people and the colors that seemed to pop everywhere I looked. From richly toned body art to wildly fanciful textiles, art, and plants, the city is alive with color. And the glow of bright green moss literally seems to coat every surface from curbsides to sheer wall faces, giving a gentle living energy to objects that are normally cold, gray, and concrete.

We had a lovely wander through the public market, an area that seems to balance the typical touristy offerings with a lively local street culture populated by workers and wanderers of all stripes. The thing that most jumped out at me here was the prevalence of magnificent blooms...every third person strolling by seemed to be carrying a bouquet of incredible fall flowers, in lavish arrangements fit to rival any high-end florist's. It turns out that Pike Place Market is home to a stellar flower mart that sells massive and stunning flowers in gorgeous bouquets, and locals pick up their arrangements here for the astonishing price of $1 a stem. The colors of these knock-out blossoms were reflected in many of the styles of the locals—big watery floral prints, richly toned color-stories in purple, blue, and rusty hues, and lots of soft neutrals offset with bright colors. The fabrics were rich, soft, and luxe, which is surely a sensible advantage in such a damp climate. It all made for some very bright and festive people-watching.

Seattle's male denizens have also fallen for last week's topic (Hats), though the brims seem to be a bit wider here than are commonly seen throughout California at the moment. Depression Chic is alive and well on the streets of this fair city; we had fun participating in a sudden crowd of appreciators surrounding a sensational banjo player covering ‘I Am a Man of Constant Sorrow’ who embodied this look perfectly. I will try to find out his name and will link to him here if I can--he was great.

My own day ended with a bouquet of the same gorgeous autumn blooms I'd been admiring at the market, which are now sitting in front of the view of the lake, framed by the awesome blue-grey glow of Seattle's marvelous soft light.