UATL’s Black culture summer style guide

Credit: AJC Staff

Credit: AJC Staff

Have you ever considered wearing distressed jeans at the symphony while members and fans of the orchestra are suited in black-tie gowns and tuxedos? Would you attempt showing up to a funeral in a beach bikini, or showing up in a double-breasted wool suit at the beach?

Although any of the above technically can be done, these are perhaps not the best decisions one could make in terms of fashion.

In our creative, vibrant, academic, entrepreneurial, and business metropolis, dressing comfortably and stylishly means rejecting a look of stylistic limitation. Shorts, t-shirts, sundresses and flip-flop sandals make sense in many ways, especially during sweltering Atlanta summer days, but should a certain occasion, time and place arrive, you’ll want to look the part and prove you understand the assignment.

Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC

Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC

We live in a fashionable city and summer style can be seen and celebrated throughout metro Atlanta. But there are a few folks I consider to be ambassadors of style who have mindful credibility when it comes to OTP. These clothiers have been and continue to be “dialed in” to not just summer styles but also proper representation of achievable aspirations.

Christi Proctor is the owner of Pink Sky Boutique in Glenwood Park. Danielle “DaniJay” Miller owns online styling boutique I Am DaniJay, and Lisa Bob is the owner of Squash Blossom Boutique in downtown Decatur. I asked these three women to show UATL what OTP looks like in our city and, furthermore, who they are as style professionals.

As for men, I have a goal: to move us from jeans and oversized polo shirts to the looks you’ll find at Hideoki Bespoke. Gents should also be open to the creativity of Kwassi Byll-Cataria, long-term owner and global street style icon of Moda 404 in Buckhead. Then there’s Jason Geter of Heavy Market in Buckhead: a culture lover, music producer and detail-minded curator of some of the best Japanese clothes available for purchase in Atlanta.

Let’s take a look at some of their best summer styles, starting naturally with the ladies.

Bohemian chic: Squash Blossom

Credit: AJC Staff

Credit: AJC Staff

Modeling her curated look, Squash Blossom owner Lisa Bobb stocks her shop’s shelves with clothing for the artsy, free-spirited crowd that avoids structured and tailored styles. She calls this look, which mixes flowy, colorful patterns, “a little bit grown up,” and recommended a statement ring or earrings as accents. “There’s a story behind each thing I chose,” Bobb said.

Bold & Bright: Pink Sky Boutique

Credit: Jamal Hardman

Credit: Jamal Hardman

Christi Proctor mixes trendy and classic style at Pink Sky, her Glenwood Park boutique where she offers striking looks at affordable prices. For this midsummer ensemble she focused on versatility, Proctor blends an abstract print skirt/top combo and adds more color and pattern, finding synergy in the unexpected.

Contemporary vibe: IAmDaniJay Boutique

Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC

Credit: Seeger Gray / AJC

“IAmDaniJay Boutique’s look is to showcase innovation and timeless style,” said Danielle Miller, owner of this online-only Atlanta-based fashion shop which pushes customers to step outside of their comfort zones and dress according to current state of mind. Miller personally modeled her curated look for UATL, offering a late-summer aesthetic for the muted zone between dressing up and down.

Street sharp: Moda 404

Credit: AJC Staff

Credit: AJC Staff

One of Buckhead’s most respected streetwear clothiers, Moda 404 owner Kwassi Byll-Cataria says Milan-based Untitled Artworks’ Spring/Summer 24 collection is his recommendation to ease into the more relaxed days of the season. “Untitled Artworks studies craftsmanship and ancient art in a permanent creation process, with the final intent of bringing your mind to a time in which natural instincts and primordial values are the only ones that still matter.”

Bespoke: Maison Hideoki

Credit: Courtesy of Maison Hideoki

Credit: Courtesy of Maison Hideoki

Constructed of an 83/17 blend of wool and linen, the Tan Solid Bennett Suit gives soft-power, second-term President Obama energy, and features a two-button jacket with patched, round-edged front pockets. The trousers have a front watch pocket and a 2-inch cuff. Slick and sporty, it’s a look that falls somewhere between old and new money, and with Hideoki’s made-to-order service, it’s a cool, casual late-summer composition that’ll have onlookers estimating your value somewhere between old and new money, and worth every penny of their vested interest.

Heritage wear: Vintage Heavy

Credit: Abhi Thaker

Credit: Abhi Thaker

Available at the new location of The Heavy Market, Vintage Heavy is a curated lifestyle brand inspired by nature, art, military, workwear, indigenous groups around the globe. Founder and former music executive Jason Geter says the feeling of joy also plays a big part in his approach to fashion, and he takes a quality-over-quantity approach to guiding customers on how to stock their closets with limited-edition apparel. An fresh example is the oversized cotton jersey paying homage to the groundbreaking Black “Peanuts” character Franklin, who integrated the comic strip that made Snoopy and Charlie Brown famous. Completing the relaxed look are comfortable black pants whose wide, straight leg fit make them as easy to carry in luggage as they are to wear during your next great travel adventures.

Darryl Lesure is a style anthropologist, longtime Atlantan by way of Detroit, and owner of That Part, a styling and consultancy firm based in Atlanta.

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