Street Style

Street Style: Monette Flores

2009-06-22T01:32:39Z

Monette Flores, 27

Childcare worker
Elk Grove resident

Outside the All American Tattoo Festival, Monette Flores shows off her style, which she says is called "just plain me." Influenced by Suicide Girls, an online community celebrating alternative beauty and culture, Flores likes to dress in a style that is "crazy and colorful."

She accessorizes herself with a "Living Dead Dolls" T-shirt, purple zebra-print pants, rhinestone-encrusted leather boots, a Kool-Aid purse, pink hair dye, pink glasses and pink body jewelry.

"I got the rings as gifts," she said of her 10 colorful finger accessories. She has been collecting them since grade school.

Flores scours thrift stores for vintage styles, but she also occasionally shops at Hot Topic. She gets pierced at various tattoo conventions and likes to purchase her jewelry at Sub Q, located at 1715 I St.

She admires U.K. style more than U.S. style, but says that one American celebrity who influences her style is Marilyn Manson.

Old Sacramento shop wearing more than one hat

2009-06-09T05:39:04Z

Dr. Seuss would have had a field day describing the hats at The Village Hat Shop in Old Sacramento. With more than 1,000 styles and 120,000 hats between its four locations and two warehouses, this is one store worth tipping your hat to.

The company got its start in 1980 in San Diego as a specialty western-style hat store banking on the emerging cowboy hat trend, which was propelled by the television show "Dallas" and the John Travolta movie "Urban Cowboy."

When the cowboy fad died out, the company began stocking different styles of hats.

Today, patrons of the shop can find anything from a fedora, beret, trilby, a newsboy or even a Panama at The Village Hat Shop, located at 123 K St.

"We have every type of hat... well we don't have construction hats... or motorcycle helmets," Viki Spector, store manager, said when asked what kinds of hats the store carried. "Lids (the national hat chain) basically carries ball caps, and we don't have very many ball caps."

There's even a "silly hats only" section.

The Village Hat Shop has been in Sacramento for 15 years, the last five in Old Sacramento, and the previous 10 in Downtown Plaza.

Hats from literally all over the world make their way into the shop. Some are directly from manufacturers, Spector said, some are from the store's own label and some are from other companies.

The safari-explorer's pith helmets are made in Vietnam, the famous Panama hats, made from Panama straw, are made in Ecuador and many of the other hats are made in China, Guatemala or the United States.

"Some of them are handmade, individual dressy hats, and some of the ladies' dress hats have piecework on them that are hand-done," Spector said.

"We're one of the last (hat stores). There used to be another hat store in town, but now we're the only one that is a full-range hat store -- men's, women's, children's, all seasons."

Villagehatshop.com also features a wealth of hat information including style guides, history, hat making and hat care information.

Street Style: Avanni Briggs

2009-06-01T20:07:04Z

Avanni Briggs, 20

Starbucks employee
Choreographer, dancer, singer
South Sacramento resident

When he's not dancing, Avanni Briggs shows his rebel style. This Sacramento dancer was recently in New York for a taping of BET's Wild Out Wednesday, a talent show for young people.

"I don't like to look like anybody else," he said when asked where he gets his style.

"I use my own imagination," he added. Briggs shops at Getta Clue in Downtown Plaza.

"I get the clippers and get to work. Doing your own hair takes hours," he said of his unique hairstyle, which has an artistic design etched into each side.

Briggs accessorizes himself in a white tank top, red-and-brown-embroidered Christian Dior blue jeans, brown Air Jordan sneakers, graffiti-themed boxers, and a black belt with silver studs.

Street Style: Jenn Walker

2009-06-01T05:02:33Z

Jenn Walker, 22

Sac State Student
Sacramento Press Intern
Natomas Resident

Jenn Walker knows her vintage style.

"I guess it would be from working in a clothing boutique for over four years," she replied when asked where she got her style.

"I kind of just like recreating old looks and putting my own twist to it," she added.

Walker accessorizes herself in Big Star jeans, a t-shirt from Crossroads Trading Co. at 2935 Arden Way, a tan leather vest, matching pumps, aviator-style sunglasses with brown tint, bracelets and a necklace.

Brown highlights in Walker's hair complete her unique look.