Style Sample: People contain multitudes
Words and direction: Sharmonie Cockayne
Pictures: Thomas McCammon
It was roughly 7:30pm on the last Wednesday of winter when my volleyball teammate said casually over a beer: “People contain multitudes.”
Said teammate is an artist – her poetic observation should not have surprised me.
But the simple three-word sentence struck me.
The way we present ourselves to the world is a hint (merely) of what’s contained: our history, our lived experiences, our worldviews, our ambitions, our moods, where we come from and where we’re going – so many things. This is what makes people-watching so fascinating.
(It’s best not to think about this concept too deeply in the morning though, or we may never get dressed and out the door.)
What we can glean from the people we encountered for this Style Sample – in the last week of winter – is that people were over it. We’re sick of the cold, the crap weather, and the grind. Comfortable clothes reigned – sneakers, hoodies, baggy jeans and mid-length trench coats. Wearing sneakers and a puffer myself, I could relate my own sartorial decisions that day to those of the people we stopped on the street.
Is that a narrow observation? Yes. But the individual choices within each look speak volumes about personality.
Bo just knocked off work and changed into this.
Left: Something about the chain and the Gucci backpack and the oversized sweater and the Jordans say The Weeknd. And Drake. Right: The combination of Grace Coddington hair, the ‘Australia’ cap, and houndstooth blazer is giving us vivid ‘I’m extroverted, I have enjoyed many a raucous dinner party, and I’m cold’ energy.
This young man looks like he’s in a band, and he is.
Left: This Volcom windbreaker would probably go for quite a bit on Depop. Right: When money and comfort (read: covid) collide. We’re willing to bet that this lady is always the best dressed in the room.
This woman was carrying a large Hermes box across Grote Street. We asked what was inside, but she just gave us a cheeky smile and walked away.
Left: Spotted during smoko: Head Chef of Gaucho’s oozing style.
Right: Something about the matching limited-edition Adidas makes us think that this lady for sure has a curated collection of quirky yet aesthetic objects, and a very organised kitchen.
Bonus Style Sample inclusion: We ran into Brenna Harding (of Puberty Blues – an Australian television masterpiece) and her friends at Lucia’s. These are stylish people, and we’re here for their Lucia’s luncheon.
Their outfits tell us they know exactly what they’re doing and they have heart, and our conversation confirmed it. Leaders of the Chinese community here in Adelaide, these women raised over $70k for the Adelaide Zoo in under two weeks.
Left: It’s not just a basic black look, it’s about the proportions and the fabrics. She knows.
Right: NASA jumpers are a vibe, and we’ll argue anyone who thinks otherwise.
