Amberleigh manages a juice bar on South Street. She’s working towards becoming a naturopathic doctor, and she has a degree in holistic nutrition. Her favorite area in Philly is Germantown and Mount Airy, where she lives.

I was quite out of practice with interviewing people, so I stupidly neglected to ask her about her clothes. I’ve been so focused on getting some details about the souls wearing the clothes that it slipped my mind. After taking a short break this winter, it’s definitely gotten harder to start up again. I’ve gotten rusty and it makes me more nervous. But I’m finding my stride again. I had a really great interview yesterday with a man on 3rd Street. Stay tuned.

Renay was born and raised in Philly and has lived in Rittenhouse “forever.” Her favorite thing about about the city is the people and the abundance of things to do. Harry, her dog, also loves living here! She likes to go spinning, shop, go out with friends, and go to wine bars.

Renay likes to be comfortable. She enjoys wearing leggings, flats, tunics, and fun jewelry. She found her shirt at Anthropologie and her vest at Urban Outfitters. Her shoes are Tory Burch.

Alexi lives in Camden. She’s a first-year law student at Rutgers. “I think that my entire outfit probably is like, 16 dollars!” She got her dress second hand, her shoes from Old Navy, and her jacket from Wilson’s Leather on clearance. Her Ray-Bans do throw off that estimate, though. If she could wear just one thing for a week, it would be a giant onesie with footies. A wise girl. Comfort over style, people.

Celine’s a fairly recent transplant to Philly, having moved here in August, but she has her sights set on Minneapolis. She tends to wear a lot of black, because it makes her feel comfortable. She also told me that she enjoys wearing dark lipstick with no eye makeup. 

Nerissa’s had these shoes since she was in 10th grade! She got them from Buffalo Exchange. Her amazing coat is from the Sazz Vintage Warehouse. I wish I had gotten the scoop on her earrings, too. Alas. She’s one of the first people I stopped, and I was kind of flustered. I still am, to be honest. I’m looking forward to the day when I can talk to a stranger and think more quickly to be more engaging in conversation.

Stokely was the third person I photographed for this project, I think. I was still pretty nervous to approach people at this point, but it’s definitely starting to get easier for me. Some people have been a little stand-offish, but I generally am too, so I get that. But most people are pretty excited and flattered to be approached. I try to start the conversation by complimenting something about their outfit. That seems to put people at ease. Including me. It gives me something to talk to them about other than how I’ve been watching them from across the street, having internal arguments with my natural shyness about whether to talk to a stranger.

Stokely makes art, is involved in theatre, and likes to find clothes in thrift stores, clothing swaps, Buffalo Exchange, and other similar places. I really love those clear glasses frames and the yellow, purple, and blue color combination.

Check out Stokely’s Tumblr.

Jillian was another near-miss on the 18th and Walnut corner. Across from Rittenhouse Park and near the shops on and around Walnut Street, this is an easy place to people watch.

I’ve found that people who catch my eye on this corner sometimes disappear into Anthropologie. I may wait a few minutes to see if they emerge. Often, they do not. Either this means the well-dressed of Center City know a secret exit from the store, or they disappear into Anthro for hours. I’m guessing the latter. When I first spotted Jillian, I lost her into that beautiful abyss but I was still in the same spot when she emerged. It was meant to be.

Her bright scarf caught my attention. She laughed and seemed surprised when I complimented it, adding, “It’s just from Target!”

Jillian, a Philly native who now lives in Kentucky, spends her time raising her two year old, working, knitting sweaters, and blogging for a real estate company. If she had to wear one thing for a week, it would be a knit dress with tights and boots. A quality choice.

Hamida is a student in New York. She’s studying Global Studies and Film at The New School.

“I like a lot of frumpy, very boho clothes lately, especially for the winter,” she said. She told me that her clothes are mainly thrifted, but she also finds pieces at Urban Outfitters, “to step it up” a bit. Her scarf is from Urban, and everything else is thrifted. I asked her what she would wear if she had to wear one thing for a week, and she said, “A huge coat, probably.” I don’t blame her. She looks both cozy and playful. The last photo is one of my favorites that I’ve taken so far. Her joy is infectious.

I’ve spent hours walking around, standing on street corners, and people watching, too scared and shy to approach anyone. I’ve seen lots of people I’d like to photograph, but didn’t get up the nerve in time.

One day, while standing on the corner of 18th and Walnut, a well-dressed couple crossed Walnut street towards me. I was thinking about how much I liked the girl’s outfit, and what a shame it was that I was too scared to talk to her, when the guy with her looked at me and said, “Hey, I really like your skirt!” I smiled and thanked him, and they kept walking.

I started feeling worse and worse. They were totally approachable! He talked to me! They probably would have been fine with it. I turned to see how far they’d gone down the street, but they stopped outside of Barnes and Noble to smoke! Now was my chance…

I turned away from them again and decided that if they were still there by the time I turned back around it was meant to be.

And they were still there!

Meet Paige.