All the Fly Kids
The Cross-Section of Creativity + Hustle in DC — Five Years Later
Fashion is an ever-changing, evolving creative medium and industry. Trends come and go (and come back again), and fast fashion department stores like H&M and Uniqlo have become more popular than legacy retailers such as Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s. These changes are present worldwide and we can find the unique regional interpretations, although a little harder to spot these days thanks to the ubiquity of the Internet, through the style expressions seen around the globe. I’ll bring this world view back around to the Nation’s Capital and its surrounding suburbs — Most people not from here call it The DMV.
In 2013, I [under a different name] asked 15 people who I knew understood style aesthetics beyond their personal fashion choices about DC’s style. I only polled eight people this time — Another group of hustlers who know great style, each sharing their points of view with the world through non-traditional methods — because our attention spans have further diminished since then and I want everyone to read the entire thing. The same questions asked in 2013 were asked again: 1) What comes to mind when you hear “DC” and “fashion” in the same sentence? and 2) What comes to mind when you consider the fashion sense of people in DC you know personally and your own? Here’s what I got…
Cloth: Northwest DC | Creative | Consultant
When I hear “DC” and “fashion” in the same sentence, I think “innovative.” When I think of the fashion sense of people from here — DC and my own — I think it all reflects on the time period in the city a person grew up. Unfortunately, I came up in a drug-influenced era where the dealer had the fly clothes. For me, being “subtle fly” is key. I’m all for great clothes that don’t overly expose you. I also never want to be a walking billboard. For others, I think this generation of youth utilizes their resources better. Why spend $800 on a jacket when you can go to the thrift store and pick up a quality piece? Both generations, I feel, have the same goal in mind — To be fly — but with different perspectives. The way one dresses tells you a lot about them. It isn’t how much you spend, it’s how you put it together. You can’t buy class.
Cloth: Arlington, VA by way of Central Florida | Lifestyle Blogger | Attorney
The local flavor comes to mind. I remember moving to DC about 10 years ago and being blown away by the unique style: New Balance, Nike boots, hairstyles…it was a place of its own where Blackness was appreciated and adored. I’ve come into my personal style since moving to DC. The city has encouraged me to take risks, invest in Black-owned businesses and fully embrace my love of fashion.
Cloth: Northeast DC | Workforce Training Consultant | Food Entrepreneur | Uber Contractor
DC is a contributor to fashion trends that we see globally. However, I often think about the lack of infrastructure in DC to keep DC’s fashion talent within the city. Our homegrown talent is often planted in other cities, pushing the culture without our city getting credit. That piece of the puzzle is changing. There was once a uniformity that existed. People are taking more risks. Who you are as a person and your character are now the boundaries you live by when it comes to fashion.
Cloth: Northwest DC by way of Alexandria, VA | Creative Director | New Media Navigator
Is it weird to say “nothing?” I think I’m so used to bracing myself for someone’s negative reaction to that sentence that I’ve trained my own to just be “yes, and what?” DC is a place where everyone looks different from the person next to them. It’s less about “fashion” and more about personal style — you can categorize on a broader level, sure, but when you get granular, everyone really tends to have their own spin.
Cloth: Southeast DC | Vintage Buyer + Seller | Visual Merchandiser | Barista
Authentic. Brave. Confident. The ability to make almost anything look “cute” or “fly.” We’re almost too much for those entering the city. We stand out like a sore thumb. Conservative dress is not something we truly believe in. We dress for how we feel.
Cloth: Northwest DC | Social Media Specialist | Event Curator + Stylist
We have tons of creatives with sick style and definitely don’t get the credit we deserve. If more people stayed in the city instead of going to NYC/LA, for example, we would be making a lot more noise. It’s very eclectic. DC doesn’t have one particular aesthetic and that’s the beauty of it. It’s truly a melting pot of looks and cultures.
Cloth: Northeast DC by way of Seattle, WA| United States Air Force Veteran | City Exploration Leader
When I think about fashion in DC, the first thing that comes to mind is “creative and put together.” DC has a habit of forcing people in to cleaning up at the right time, but people here tend to do so in a creative way. I’m always inspired by what my friends and fellow Washingtonians are wearing. I’m not ashamed to admit I’ve been put on to a few things from friends, but I find myself trying to stand out just a little bit. Not by going crazy, but finding what I like and being known for that.
Cloth: Mount Rainier, MD by way of Northwest DC | Retail Entrepreneur | Senior Living Coordinator
I immediately think of vibrant colors and out-of-the-box style. We just have a way of rocking things our own way. It’s crazy because I feel like most of the things people in other cities consider “bamma shit” somehow becomes fashionable (ie. dudes wearing skinny jeans back in the day and now its a thing.
The fashion in DC has changed, just like the city has changed. The fashion has become more Rent the Runway instead of Before the Runway. I see more and more local brands though, which makes me happy to be from DC. Stylists like Sanka (@sankaraxt) who isn’t from DC, but greatly influenced by DC, has put us more on the map for fashion. EAT is also traveling beyond the DC box.
It was my belief in 2013 the region would only deal with the cultural growing pains of development for a few years and the blending of styles DC is known for would reappear. Five years, although brief, is a lifetime in the fashion world and a lightyear in urban development. DC’s style expression has broadened and building density has expanded exponentially since 2013. The growing pains are stronger than ever, with the city still becoming younger and whiter amongst a population of black DC natives increasingly voicing their opposition to the rapid changes. However, the blending of styles is also stronger than in the past for a few reasons:
- The Internet has made it easier to see how the rest of the world dresses and acquire gear from anywhere.
- Many of the DMV’s under 30 demographic — Native or transplant — are now engaging with one another at social events because of the great equalizer known as music.
- The introduction of new homegrown apparel brands, with many of the designers being influenced by global fashion trends.
The results of this poll are considerably more positive than in 2013. This could speak to the existence of a more organized creative community in DC, along with an unconscious backlash to the embrace of fake cool and low-information place-making. DC fashion is reflective of the current climate in the city — Trying new things and figuring it out — and that’s right where it should be. Where it ends up, only time will tell.
Geronimo Knows is an urban culture + lifestyle enthusiast, reformed blogger turned full time interviewer. He hosts the lifestyle and travel series Cool|Calm|Connected, now playing on AllTheFlyKids.com. You can also hear him on The All the Fly Kids Show podcast, airing Mondays at 1pm on Full Service Radio at The LINE Hotel in Washington, DC. Learn more about Geronimo at geronimoknows.com.
