People, places, things, and ideas I love in Anchorage, AK
“When I first arrived in Anchorage 40 years ago, a city girl from the Mid-West (Chicago/Cleveland/etc), I was impressed by the “dress code” here. It’s not so much a style as it is an attitude. It’s not about what you wear, but who you are and what you do.
I wrote this three years ago about style in Anchorage, and still believe it today:
We are a fiercely independent, original bunch. Quirky, cool, confident, trendy, colorful, only-wearing-black-ever, spandex sporting, hand knit headband donning, Dansko loving Banana sales browsing, baseball caps and fleece vests rocking, fabulous diamonds dahhhling, second-hand shopping, don’t give two sh*ts about what I’m wearing; I’m glad that we’re not all contenders for Travel and Leisure’s best dressed list. Maybe we’re the Helena Bonham Carter of cities instead of a classic little black dress. We’re a mixed bag baby, and it’s great.
“It’s a misconception that Alaskans are not fashionable. Given our ability to connect with global fashion today, it’s easier than ever to see what the latest styles and hottest trends are. The issue in Alaska is figuring out how to express our sense of style given our challenging weather conditions.” – Dawn
Tucked away behind Orso and Glacier Brewhouse is a shoe shopping nirvana by the name of ShuzyQ. Despite loving ShuzyQ since its arrival in Anchorage more than five years ago (how could you not love someplace that describes itself as “…a love letter to the practical Alaskan woman and the princess inside of her.”) I’ve never really thought about where all the lovely shoes come from (too busy thinking about how they all need to come home with me and live in my closet!) until last week when I chatted with Shawna, who co-owns the store with her mother, Dawn, about their recent buying adventure to Atlanta.
I’m at the phase in my life where there are A LOT of little people running around and on the way. And some of them have super style! Read on Eloise’s take on how to dress when you’re an AK baby:
Hi. My name is Eloise. I’m a crazy, fun-loving Alaskan girl. I will be 2 in November (you can send birthday presents to me now if you would like though), and I LOOOOVE everything about my Alaskan fashion.
In preparation for my style search, I did a serious deep clean of my closet, which has been truly monstrous for quite some time.
“Form follows function in Anchorage. When I was a kid a trip to the symphony would reveal ‘Alaskan Tuxedos’ (Filson cruisers and pants in grey or green whipcord cloth) and traditional tuxedos paired with fancy dresses and diamonds. Lots of big nuggets on some of those old timers too. Many of the Filson set were as sophisticated in their listening as the fancy folks. That mix is still common in Fairbanks where what you do is still more important than how you look.” – Joel (AKA, my Dad!)*
The H&M grand opening pre-party was last night,* and as a friend said, “Boom bazooka Joe!”**
As I embark on my style month, I’ve been thinking about how to define style – what it is, what is isn’t, and how to know if someone has it.
I hereby dub the next thirty days “style month.”
Continue reading “Thirty days of Style Searching in Anchorage”