Does Asheville still have its own distinctive style? That’s the question we’re pondering in this week’s issue of Mountain Xpress. As the city has grown and prospered, how has the gritty charm and offbeat culture of the Paris of the South evolved? And as 2 million visitors flock to our mountain metropolis every year, what effect does the presence of all those out-of-towners have on the mix?
Style has many dimensions, but one of the first that comes to mind is the personal aesthetic expression of those who live, work and pass through here. While many base their hairstyles and clothing on expediency and what readily blends in, others use their look to tell the story of their values, identity and passions. From African braids to punk regalia to bright-colored cycling togs, people-watching on Asheville’s streets offers a kaleidoscope of variety — though these days, you have to look for it, swimming amid the mundane.
Asheville style — Brooklyn Hunter
Budding fashionista Brooklyn Hunter, 5, offers her take on personal style with a side of sass. Photo by Greg Branson
Asheville style — Michael Provard
Artist Michael Provard is a fixture at the stylish epicenter of Wall Street in downtown Asheville, otherwise known as Trade and Lore Coffee. Photo by Joe Pellegrino
Asheville style — Joanna Walsh
“I’m not an artist, but this is how I express myself ― through clothes and jewelry,” says Joanna Walsh of Asheville. Photo by Virginia Daffron
Asheville style — Frankie Myers
Frankie Myers embodies and purveys Asheville style outside the Grove Arcade. Photo by Joe Pellegrino
Asheville style — Sarah Battle
Sarah Battle keeps it cool on Pack Square. Photo by Joe Pellegrino
Asheville style — Kimberly Hunter
Kimberly Hunter bedazzles her ‘do with metallic tattoos. Fashion, she says, is about “celebrating personhood.” Photo courtesy of Hunter
Asheville style— Maj. Phillip C. Williams
Maj. Phillip C. Williams, who favors vintage suits, takes his ease in style at Riverside Cemetery. Photo courtesy of Williams
Asheville style —Abby and Kevin McDonough
Abby and Kevin McDonough define their style as “vintage, funky, urban and with a little bit of rock ‘n’ roll,” says Abby. Photo courtesy of the McDonoughs
Asheville style — Demarius Weston
Demarius Weston sports his Asheville style. Photo by Joe Pellegrino
Asheville style — Debra Daspit
A native of New Orleans, Debra Daspit is trained as an art therapist.
Asheville style — Jayden Cagney
Nine-year-old Jayden Cagney defines his style as “comfortable eclectic,” adding that he likes pairing stripes with plaids or plaids with plaids. The Floridian is visiting Mars Hill for the summer, says his grandmother, Lynn Cagney. Photo courtesy of the Cagneys
Beyond the trappings of its inhabitants, our city prides itself on its architectural heritage, with an evocative mix of art deco masterpieces like Asheville City Hall and the S&W Cafeteria glistening alongside a supporting cast of turn-of-the-century brick buildings. In our residential neighborhoods, arts and crafts bungalows coexist with rambling Victorians, punctuated by midcentury ranch houses and the funky slant-roofed dwellings popping up in areas like West Asheville. As more new buildings join the old, who guards the legacy of Asheville’s built environment, and are we defending the city’s architectural birthright fiercely enough?
There’s hardly an aspect of our town that doesn’t leverage a stylish presentation to set itself apart, from the settings where Asheville’s restaurants, bars and breweries offer up sustenance to the always evocative offerings of the arts and entertainment community. We hope you’ll enjoy this celebration of Asheville’s style and join with us in carrying forward an appreciation of the varied expressions that make this place different from anywhere else.
Hah!
Define ‘it’.
I wear clothes to keep warm and/or not end up in jail with a criminal record.
For Asheville being so ‘spirrrrrritual’, funny how the outside matters so much.
I care not about fashion as I don’t have to look at myself once dressed unlike the rest of the world. But hey, start a conversation, get to know me and you might forgive
my golf pants and Jamz sunglasses (worn inside)
for a nice conversation.
Not quite. Asheville has the style of a fashion victim drug junkie.
Eh? In 1990, NASA launched the Hubble Space Telescope, its mission was projected to last sixty years, or at least until it started to decay, somewhere near 2032. It uses the Ritchey–Chrétien reflector. It has a diameter of 2 meters, is 57 meters in length, can transmit ultra violet light, near infer-red and natural light. Each week it downloads to earth nearly 140 gigabits of data in both monochrome, color and grey-scale.
Even with this telescope, I’d be hard pressed to find the point of this article.
I think the point is called clickbait.
That term is how one calls BS for diluted
journalism in this day and age.
As South Park’s Cartman might say,
“Respect my va-pid-i-tay!”
PS Bravo for a Neil DeGrasse Tyson/glory days of WWF
journalistic takedown. Wooooooooo!
Hmm? Why say anything? Clearly this subject matters to someone. The writer wrote it, the photographer took the pictures. In your response I feel you have demonstrated you have intelligence. Maybe in future posts you can work on demonstrating you have compassion for others in our community too. We are a small town filled with real people who have feelings and are often trying their best. Your comment was clever but I am not sure it helps us be a better or more interesting place to live, work and visit. I clearly are a smart person and have much to offer. In the future maybe consider using your gifts to make us a stronger and more cohesive whole. Not to get too kumbaya but what if we all were a little more kumbaya?
“I clearly are a smart person” speaks volumes.
I am kumbaya free for my diet.
But feel free to block my comments from your eyes.
Namastes and ohm shanti etc.
Ouch! The point of this article in print was to introduce the theme of our July 25 issue, which was the evolution of Asheville style. The point of it online was to introduce a gallery of photos provided by readers and Xpress staff and contributors exploring that theme. As a community newspaper, our mission is to showcase many aspects of our community, including personal expression.
Please, author. Don’t act the victim here.
Your word slinging is like a porterhouse steak to
other ‘themes’ on this site by other warmed over bloggers.
The alternative being a $12 food truck taco (analogy alert!) where you point to the menu and say “That please”, wait 30 minutes, they get your order wrong and then you wake up in the middle of the night with food poisoning.
Lol
Dogs wearing vests? T-shirts with pictures on them? Tinted glasses designed to darken the sun? Now I’ve seen everything.
I’ve always wanted a pair of Col. Clink sunglasses with only one lens so I can
choose which eye to get a cataract in while busking “Wagon Wheel”
on a downtown sidewalk too.
Nice cover pic pffft…
Stay tuned!
Asheville is so hip that it has evolved to post-fashion.
I have so many ‘stay at home and clean the darned house’ outfits that have been
languishing that I could have been strutting the Lexington Ave. catwalk in and landing
the ladies and here I actually was doing laundry too all these years!
Curses!
I’m going to have fun with a vapid article.
Notice I didn’t mock the little kid pic as
she looks like she actually took a bath and has some flair.
Thanks ~ that was good.
Looks like Mad Dog and Crash shop at Asheville Mall. I’m glad Hot Topics and Gadzooks still have an audience. Very creative and so much individuality being expressed.
Yes! Nothing funnier than seeing 40+ year olds looking like mall rats!
Asheville style lol…. that would be over-reaching and wannabe….. per usual.