Valentin and his adorable girlfriend Clara were visiting Chicago from France where they live. I thought the pattern on his sweater was perfect for a man. It was just the right touch, the way it flows over his shoulders and upper chest, without being overbearing. Why are so many straight men afraid to wear bold colorful patterns, plaid excluded? Leave it to a French man to show them how it’s done.
Both Clara and Valentin had wonderful things to say about Chicago. Tourists who are visiting Chicago are usually full of compliments for our city:
“Your city is so clean! The architecture is unbelievable! The people are so friendly!”
When I rave about how awesome Chicago is on my blog, I’m a tiny bit biased because I choose to live here over anywhere else in the United States. I’m not from the Midwest originally, I moved to the Great Lakes region from Arkansas to attend Michigan State University. I fell in love with the region and stayed. I always joke that I could never live in New York again, but I also could never live in a city smaller than Chicago. So I guess I’m stuck inside the perfect city.
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Today Matt Kasin’s much anticipated new
GaudyGod.com website is launching. You’ll be able to find all things Gaudy God here, but don’t forget to follow him on his
Tumblr to see what inspires him. Matt has been one of my favorite street-style subjects since the very beginning of this website. I was super excited to photograph his nail designs for the Refinery29 story, “
14 Nail Art Snaps that Give Us Major Envy because I knew it’d give me an excuse to photograph his street style too. Several of the nail designs featured were painted by him. Although Matt is best known for selling vintage clothes and original designs under the Gaudy God label, he’s also a manicurist at the Strange Beauty Show salon just south of Division on Ashland. For proof of his amazing skills check out the photos I took of his work for Refinery29 in their entirety (and un-Instagramed) below.
Strange Beauty Show is located at 1118 North Ashland. Call 773-252-9522 to make an appointment.
