Twin Cities Style (Minneapolis: how much, buying, costs)

[JONOV]

Originally Posted by MaraJade13

Hi everyone! I'm moving to MPS in a few months from the Carolinas and I'm trying to get a feel for how folks dress in your area. Down this way, casual preppy is considered the norm in most cities and college towns. I like to blend that with a little alternative and metropolitan style and vary outfits by the day.

I know staying insulated is a top priority half of the year, but people still manage to express themselves (I promise, I do understand the magnitude of the cold). And what about the milder seasons? Let me know your thoughts, what sort of styles you see around you and whether they're specific to certain areas and subcultures. Thanks!

In general, compared to Raleigh and Charlotte, anyway, you see that people are dressed much less preppy. You don't see guys doing the khakis/lacoste button down/sperries outfit on guys as often. People generally dress a little more grungy/hipster/granola. An example; I once went out in Raleigh wearing old boots, jeans, and a t-shirt from a bar I worked at in MPLS. I looked like a rube; about the only guy in the place that didn't have on a collared shirt. It would have worked in MPLS; not so much in Raleigh.

[famrelo]

I agree, it really depends on where you are living, your age and the social circles you tend to gravitate towards. The town I live in is very brand/label driven. Louis Vuitton and Lululemon are very big here. I believe North Face is huge everywhere in MN (at least the Twin Cities, I don't know anything about the rest of the State) it's like a fashion staple. Hunter rain boots, and of course, Uggs are also popular. It's definitely not preppy here, although some preppy brands like Vineyard Vines are starting to trickle in. People definitely like their neutral colors, except for some Moms who like to go with the magenta thing for whatever reason. Remember, it's the mid-west, fashion trends here are probably 4-5 years behind the Coasts.

[jennifat]

Originally Posted by famrelo

Remember, it's the mid-west, fashion trends here are probably 4-5 years behind the Coasts.

That is absolutely false. That may be true for rural areas and outstate Minnesota in general, but definitely not in the Twin Cities.

[rzzz]

Originally Posted by jennifat

That is absolutely false. That may be true for rural areas and outstate Minnesota in general, but definitely not in the Twin Cities.

It's more like 10 years behind. Saying "the coasts" overstates things a bit, though. "Style and Fashion" in the USA almost entirely centered in NYC with a smaller bit in LA.

[Justabitoff]

That also generalizes things. People in D.C. do not dress the same as NYC, nor do people in Portland dress like those in Los Angeles. I don't think it's necessarily that the Minneapolis is 5-10 years behind NYC in terms of fashion, it's that the lifestyle and expectations are so different. More people in bigger cities are going to appreciate and gravitate toward high fashion and designer duds, but that doesn't mean no one in the Midwest or South will feel the same way.

[famrelo]

Jennifat: agree to whole heartedly disagree

Rzzz: agreed

Justabitoff: there are many trends and brands that certainly do not make it to the mid-west until years later. Not just talking about high fashion.

[Justabitoff]

Originally Posted by famrelo

Jennifat: agree to whole heartedly disagree

Rzzz: agreed

Justabitoff: there are many trends and brands that certainly do not make it to the mid-west until years later. Not just talking about high fashion.

Like who? As others have mentioned, I'd wager most brands are at MOA, in Chicago and other larger cities. Small podunk towns? Sure. But small podunk towns in New Hampshire and New York have much different styles than Boston and New York City. That isn't a Midwest thing...

[Justabitoff]

I'd also argue that Minneapolis and Portland have a more similar style than Portland and Los Angeles. Generalizing the whole "coast" as being one thing is ridiculous. Portland and LA are not the same in style and trends just because they occupy the same time zone.

[famrelo]

Justabitoff I believe rzzz has already pointed out that saying "the coasts" overstates things a bit, to which I agreed. IMO when one refers to the Coasts in terms of fashion, NY an LA are implied.

[rzzz]

In a previous life, I built an analytics platform for a fashion e-commerce site. There was a lot of interesting info available. 70% of their sales were in NYC, 20% in LA and then a surprising amount in Texas. Dallas was higher on the list than Chicago, for instance. Minnesota did not register in the statistics, really. Anecdotally, Minnesotans adopt trends that aren't flashy or expensive. The more out there street wear and most high end brands just bypass the area entirely. People are far more concerned about being overdressed than being underdressed. People do not want to stick out and tend towards being nosey and judgmental about people who do stick out. Minnesotans also tend to be too physically big for many trends. I cannot fit into any jackets from Japan or Europe because my shoulders are too large.