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Thursday, July 14, 2011

Fashion / Portland Portland Makes GQ's List of America's Worst-Dressed Cities

Posted by Marjorie Skinner on Thu, Jul 14, 2011 at 2:44 PM

We're #36 out of "40." Not that bad if number one is supposed to be the worst of the worst, but it's hard to tell since it stops at #6 (Philadelphia). It's also a remarkably inclusive list, littered with plenty of wildly creative justifications, and its suggestion that "It may be time to plan that move you've been thinking about," doesn't leave many places to move to since everyplace besides Manhattan and Los Angeles appears to be on it unless they too are somewhere below/above Philly (Seattle is #34, Detroit is #31, San Diego is #27, San Francisco is #20, Austin is #18, Atlanta is #17, New Orleans is #12, Brooklyn is #11, Miami is #9, friggin' Maui is #7). So yeah, obviously it's highly flawed. And GQ. Still I appreciated the accompanying explanation next to Portland's listing, which I assumed would just trot out the same outdated "observations."

For the average Portlander in the city's pre-modern era—the 1980s and '90s—social convention dictated what could be worn: outdoor gear with lots of zippers; floppy sandals and thick wool socks; plaid flannel; maybe a Stetson. Anyone who tried to affect an urban look was branded a "Californian." But now, Portland, like, say, China, is no longer a traditional society and its immemorial fashions are being displaced and re-imagined as it's sucked into the vortex of style modernity. The old and the new mix freely; confused, and unencumbered by the rigid aesthetic diktats of village life (shorts + Tevas + raincoat, regardless of weather), they mate promiscuously. The result is an embarrassment of bewildering sartorial neologisms, only to be found in Portland. Under the rain and grey skies, let a thousand style follies bloom. The global and the local have spawned the Portland douche bag: True Religion jeans and rhinestone-laden shirt set off by Oregon staples—cowboy boots and a fleece. At one of the city's most New Yorkian bars, in the Ace Hotel, amid the ranks of identically plaid-shirted and black-framed hipsters, one might glimpse a fully gothed-out, red-headed woman, resplendent in a purple velvet cape and vintage Victorian dress, sitting alone eating French fries—the incongruous, the absurd—is Portland's normal.

Hey, isnt that Blogtown commenter Graham?
  • Hey, isn't that Blogtown commenter Graham?

 

Comments (11) RSS

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1
Marjorie, I'm hurt. Like, really, really, REALLY hurt. We both know this is what I look like: http://goo.gl/ARpjr
Posted by Graham on July 14, 2011 at 2:53 PM · Report
2
Also, I'd never wear a wallet-chain. What do you think I am? A barbarian?
Posted by Graham on July 14, 2011 at 2:55 PM · Report
3
Ah yes, all the "Stetsons and cowboy boots" of 1980's Portland.... Wait. What?

Otherwise, an interesting critique. They wrote 40 of those? Why?
Posted by Blabby on July 14, 2011 at 2:55 PM · Report
4
NOOoooo now we'll never attract more GQ readers!
Posted by Commenty Colin on July 14, 2011 at 2:57 PM · Report
5
Neologisms? Hmm, no.
Posted by ICanReadGood on July 14, 2011 at 3:04 PM · Report
6
Ugh, those shoes clash majorly with that 'fit. And he better be bombing down some huge hills, or those gloves are a waste.
Posted by ROM on July 14, 2011 at 3:09 PM · Report
7
I'm sure your dumb troll ass looks equally ridiculous as that hipster idiot in the picture.
Posted by Dude on July 14, 2011 at 4:02 PM · Report
8
The California hate during the 80s, it's so true!
Posted by cat & beard on July 14, 2011 at 5:06 PM · Report
9
"the incongruous, the absurd - is Portland's normal"

- that is so true, and it extends beyond fashion
Posted by ebag on July 14, 2011 at 6:01 PM · Report
10
Why they be hating on our Governor like that?!
Posted by bikefor1 on July 14, 2011 at 6:01 PM · Report
11
I find nothing about that outfit strange. The 'stache though? Worthy of comment. Have I been in Portland too long already?
Posted by Nat_a_nat on July 14, 2011 at 6:52 PM · Report

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