For a while I was conflicted as to what I should to this engagement project on. The answer was right in front of me, Queens College. Queens College is one of the most diverse communities that you can find. Queens College is located in Flushing. Flushing is the center for so many different ethnic groups.

Everyone has different ways of expressing themselves at Queens College, but there are many trends that are common amongst everyone. These trends are the New York part of everyone. That is obviously one thing everyone has in common. Everyone here, or almost everyone, lives in New York. That means everyone is influenced by the typical New York clothing. It is almost like a binding force amongst everyone.

One of the biggest trends right now are Bomber Jackets. This trend is inspired by the popular brand Zara. Zara has a whole line of Bomber Jackets that are very popular at this time. Bomber Jackets are everywhere I go. Queens college is one of those places. I saw a gentleman wearing it so i approached him to ask “What inspired you to wear that jacket sir?”

He then replied with “It’s the trend bro”.

I continued to ask him more questions, “Is that the only reason why you’re wearing that?”

He said, “Yeah that’s about the only reason I have.”

Some people like to go along with stuff just because it’s the trend. That is the society today. Some people will go along with a trend just for the sake of it. I have known some people who have hated what they’re wearing but they go along with it for the sake of the trend.

Being from Long Island, my friend Mark and I were confined to social bubbles in our corresponding towns. Everyone behaved similarly, everyone dressed similarly, and any attempt to stand out and be unique was quickly looked down upon. As time progressed, Mark and I dared to always be different and always wanted to find somewhere where people not only appreciate art, but where the people themselves are part of the art. This demand of being different led us to the very well known area of Soho. Street art covered the walls, some people dared to be different, but still there was an absence. Soho has become a tourist attraction, and therefore there is a lot of individuals that are “visiting” the area, and are not from Soho. So we took to the streets to find what we were looking for.

Our endeavor took us to the Williamsburg Bridge, where we knew that we were going the right way. This behemoth of a bridge is riddled with graffiti, wheat pasting, paint splatter, and any medium that could be used to create art. After crossing the bridge, we stepped foot in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Here, we immediately found again walls of wheat paste, as well as commissioned graffiti. The area in general has its good and bad parts, but we decided to focus on the good parts for our peace of mind. The people that would walk in the opposite direction of you, beside you, sitting in a cafe, having a smoke outside of a bar, all had their own unique style. Anything from quilted pants accompanied with a white top, to skinny jeans and a bomber jacket for the women. The men were seen to walk around with again, anything from suede oxfords for shoes and cuffed chinos for their choice of pants, to a pair clearly custom designed sneakers that corresponded with a pair of joggers. There is a very “stress-free” vibe in Williamsburg and that is crazy to think about being that Brooklyn is in New York as we know. We are also aware that New York has a hustle and bustle, rise and grind kind of mentality. Eat. Work. Sleep. Repeat. A very cyclic lifestyle that makes life seem boring. The people of Williamsburg have a different outlook.

In Williamsburg, the area is littered with small scale coffee houses, cafes, restaurant, bars, but all on a small scale. There have been nights where walking past a bar and then a restaurant a few buildings down carried the same level of volume. Both packed to the brim, however there was no loud music, but instead a slew of indie songs at mellow volume. It seems as if time goes by at a much slower pace when we are here. The people are always very warm and welcoming, as if you are not in New York where the most interaction you would get would be getting bumped accidentally as someone impatient would be walking in the opposing direction as you.

There had been multiple times where we were stopped by strangers who were interested in the art we were making, and were very social with us; asking us about our art, while they spoke about their professions as well as any past art experience. One interaction was with a very friendly woman in about her late 20’s that approached us and began to tell us about walk-in art exhibits that were occurring that night, along with other art shows that were blocks away that would be open for viewing in the upcoming days. After we told her what we do, why we do it, and the message behind our pieces, she was just as intrigued as we were with her knowledge. This was a woman with quite the exotic hair who was wearing a knitted shawl along with a brown cardigan and a black dress; not exactly the person you would be comfortable speaking with if they approached you on the street. But thats the beauty about Williamsburg, there is nothing off putting or creepy about her attire and appearance, its just another unique representation of how each individual expresses themselves.

The area that I choose for my engagement project is Flushing, Queens. Flushing is very unique. One street would be full of houses and another would be full of run-down apartment buildings.  My neighborhood is very convenient. My elementary, junior, and high school were within a five minute walking distance from my house. There are multiple delis, supermarkets, pharmacies, restaurants, laundromats, and parks within a few minutes from each other. Queens is one of the most diverse places in the world. There are areas with Hispanics and African Americans There are plenty of Jews and Muslims.

In the streets you can see women wearing a salwar kameez and girls with headscarves. Although there are different types of people living in my area, most people still wear similar street attire. People are no longer steeping out of their houses wearing bright, summery clothing. Everyone is rocking the latest fall fashions. Bomber and varsity jackets are in style. Girls are rocking new boots and ripped jeans. They have chokers on their necks paired with dark lipstick. Fur and velvet clothing are in. Men are wearing ripped jeans with camel colored boots and dark sneakers. Bomber jackets, sweats, and hoodies are also part of their everyday attire. We are all different, yet fashion always manages to bring everyone together.

The ABC Super Store is in Jackson Heights, Queens. The store was placed here after Young World the store was moved further up the block. This store is located in Junction Blvd. It is located on 95th Street. The only train that runs nearby Junction Blvd. is the 7 train and the two main buses are the Q72 and the Q66. This area is populated mostly by Hispanics however most stores are ran by Asians but some are ran by Hispanics and all stores have Hispanic people working at the stores. A lot of the restaurants are Hispanic.

This store is mainly a clothing store however the store sells everything that someone can need for their home. The store mainly has all types of clothes. The store has long sleeve shirts and short sleeve shirts. The shirts are all types and are of all colors.

The store also contains pants of kind which includes jeans, sweats, short pants, dress pants. The store has pjs., socks for both women and men, underwear for both men and women, sweaters and hoodies for both genders. Besides clothing the store offers chargers for phones of all types, fans, heaters, dishes, cups plastic and glass, forks, spoons, knives, toys, curtains and more. The area of the store is just right for this store because after people are done shop they have many choices where they can go eat. Some examples of the choices that they have are Dunkin Donuts which is located right next to the store on the left side, a pizzeria called Dream Pizza, McDonalds, Kennedy Chicken, DQ,  Jardin De China, Subway and Boca Chica which is a Dominican restaurant.

The E. 161st street, Yankee Stadium Neighborhood is home to a wide variety of fashions. From lawyers working at the Bronx Supreme Court to students walking to and from school, 161st has been home to many local, national, and international fashions. New York, more specifically, the Bronx, is famous for many things, one of which is Yankee Stadium and the Bronx Bombers. However, one of the factors that is often overlooked is the people live and work in that neighborhood.

As a local attraction, Yankee Stadium brings a lot of business to the Bronx. Whether it be baseball games played against the Yankees or soccer games played against NYCFC, E. 161st street provides everything its visitors need. Filled with many restaurants, delis, and coffee shops, E. 161st street is a nightmare for anyone who is on a diet.

On a more local level, the fashions of the people who live and work at 161st street are wide in variety. From students to lawyers, and from athletes to pizza shop workers, each one of those people has his or her own sense of fashions. However, those who stand out are students. With various schools within that neighborhood, students can be seen wearing their uniforms to and from school, sometimes late into the afternoon if they participate in extracurricular activities. One of the most prominent high schools of the area is Cardinal Hayes High School. Its students wear beige khakis or gray dress pants, blue, yellow, or white long sleeve shirts, blue blazers or burgundy senior sweaters, a variety of ties, and, if they are seniors, Cardinal & Gold bucket hats. In order to match with the New York Yankee brand, local fast food restaurant owners require their workers to wear blue pieces of clothing on the job (shirts, pants, sweaters, etc.) Those who work in the nearby offices can be seen wearing suits, carrying briefcases, and, more often than not, rushing through the streets trying to get to their destination.

Two local mall plazas provide the local people with places to buy clothes, get a quick bite, and even catch a movies. People can often be seen entering these plazas wearing anything from sweatpants and sneakers to dress shoes and dress shirts. Small children run around in the plaza wearing mostly casual but matching outfits that their parents have put together. For example, small boys often wear matching shirts and jackets, while small girls often wear a dress with a matching hat. Teenagers mostly wear flashy sneakers and flashy jackets or shirts, depending on the weather.

Because of its great diversity in people and in businesses, E. 161st Street – Yankee Stadium is home to an immense variety of fashions.

All images taken from Google.

I’ve lived in Ridgewood Queens New York for my entire life. It borders the neighborhoods of Maspeth, Middle Village, and Glendale, as well as the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick and East Williamsburg. This amount of experience has given me insight on what type of people that live in Ridgewood. The people in Ridgewood are predominantly working class democratic citizens. Ethnicity wise there are all different types of people, with different cultures and languages. You often see the occasional Polish deli’s, Italian restaurant’s, and Chinese food markets. This is just one of the indications that shows us just about how much diversity is in this neighborhood, other than just going outside and roaming the streets and seeing all the different types of cultures and people there are. However, one thing that I can find in common with all these different people is their fashion senses. The longer I paid attention to what they wearied the more clothing items I saw reaper in other people all around the neighborhood.

For example the baseball style hats are back in style in Ridgewood, however, people come to know this specific style of hat to be called “dad hats”. I’ve seen students that go to the local high school wear these hats. Along with grown men and women. As the weather gets colder I’ve seen a recent spike in a specific type of jacket that I’ve seen worn so many times that I even purchased it because of its appealing, and functional design. This jacket is called “flight jacket”. They often had patches on them that made every jacket distinctively different from someone else’s. Joggers  are one of the hottest new trends in men’s pant wear, according to my observations. The legs of the pants, which feature elastic at the feet, are designed to fall just above the ankle. I have a couple pairs of joggers too and love them especially for their comfortability.  The “Long T” has also made a comeback in today’s fashion trends. The long tee was popping during the 2000’s now 16 years later I see them in the stores by my house, in my cousin’s wardrobe, and on my best friends. These long shirts usually have simple designs and commonly one solid color. Kanye West might be responsible for this trends revival as he is seen wearing them several times during concerts and media events. Clothing brands such as Adidas, puma, Urban outfitters, Stussy, Puscans, Jordan, and of course Nike rank supreme in Ridgewood as it seems to me the most worn brands. This may have to do with the good quality these companies provide for such affordable costs which the working class people of Ridgewood appreciate and take advantage of .                        Watching and paying more close attention to the fashion of these people around me gave me more knowledge and insight on how these people think. I would’ve never even noticed all these new trends if it weren’t for this experience. It helped me realize how behind I was on my own fashion skills and how I need to update my closet draws with new clothes.