Harlem is my favorite place to people-watch. Granted, I may be biased, living there and all, but it’s a welcome reprieve from all the downtown mural-backdrop selfies I witness Monday through Friday. Swapping a workweek MetroCard swipe for a Saturday morning step out of my apartment sets the scene for my favorite wardrobe-inspiring weekend ritual.
First, I fail to decide on a definite destination (Lenox Coffee for a caffeine fix? Amy Ruth’s for waffles? Apollo Beauty Land for a shopping spree?), which, as practiced people-watchers know, doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Next, a stroll through Marcus Garvey Park, headphones in and playlist queued, because what awaits on Lenox Avenue calls for a soundtrack: A never-ending parade of impressive accessorizing, pattern-pairing, hairstyling, street vendor-slinging and shoe-gaming.
Trying to predict what sartorial slice you’ll be served is futile. I may pace my wandering walks to “Fashion Killa,” Harlemite A$AP Rocky‘s brand name-dropping anthem, but this borough is less about what’s trending and much more about doing you from head to toe. Thankfully, you don’t have to wait until the weekend to Uptown Funk it up. We asked Angela Datre to capture some Harlem street style while we were chained to our desks, so sit back, hit play and click through her snapshots for a sampling of what I’ll be soaking in this Saturday.
Photos by Angela Datre; follow her on Instagram @angeladatre.
