One Photographer's Jaded Eye on San Diego Club Couture

I’ll be the first to admit I know next to nothing about fashion and/or style.

I don’t know what the phrase “urban chic” means, nor do I care, to be quite honest. Such things have never held any sense of importance in my life, and I intend to keep it that way. Give me a pair of Chuck’s, Levis and a thrift store band tee and I’m a happy camper. Throw in a fedora or newsboy hat every now and then and that’s about the extent of my “flare.” 

Thus, to say I was shocked when DiscoverSD.com approached me and asked that I draft a “style” piece, would be an astronomical understatement. But then again, in a roundabout way, it makes perfect sense considering I happen to be out and about shooting photos in the “scene” more than I’d like to admit. That said, I guess one could consider me an incidental fashionista, if you will; observing (and photographing) the ever-evolving San Diego club couture week in, week out.

San Diego Club Couture

I still couldn’t tell you what shoe brands make women wet.

In fact, I happened to be out and about making the photographic rounds one recent weekend evening when I stumbled into a conversation with a woman about that very topic… not of my own volition, mind you. Nevertheless, she dropped the name of some apparently chic shoe company I should have known better than to be unfamiliar with, as my lack of response upon her utterance of said brand seemed to offend her very sensibilities. She disengaged from the conversation in a hissy fit, and I went about my photo duties, laughing as the brat stumbled across the dance floor. 

I don’t pay much heed to female attire when I go out these days, as when it comes to shock value, I’ve essentially seen it all. I have, however, noticed women are favoring the dress shorts (emphasis on “short”) over the miniskirt or even cocktail dresses recently. I’m just curious when and where the ascension towards the “promised land” will stop. Perhaps never, and before we realize it, nude will be the new clothed. Hypotheticals aside, with summer nary a month away, it seems the logical approach to club comfort.

Battle of the Sexes

More intriguing to me, however, is the apparent inverse relationship between modern male versus female club style.

While women seem to be favoring the less-is-more approach, men, on the other hand, are piling on the flare and accessories like veritable fashion whores themselves.

The latest trend seems to be scarves (of the cotton variety, not wool) with t-shirts. This is one of the more blatant examples of fashion, not function, I’ve seen in a long while… maybe ever. Unless you happen to have an affliction of the neck region which requires continual coverage, there’s little, if any purpose for the adornment. But, as I said in the opening paragraph, I know not of what I write.

Other popular accoutrements seem to be bandanas (on either the head or wrist), massive watches such as Curtis & Co. (pictured below), a surplus of silver jewelry (the subject matter of which is frequently skulls or some dark, tough design which screams “I’m a badass and proud to let everyone know!”), Affliction or Ed Hardy tees, and jeans which are strategically torn and ripped in order to create the illusion of vintage while simultaneously justifying the triple-digit price tag.

San Diego Pool Party Style
Of course, said styles are more relegated to the San Diego nightlife scene, and as all of us locals know (or should be familiar with by now), there happens to be a burgeoning “daylife” scene taking place poolside at various watering holes dotting the downtown landscape.

Here’s where the less-is-more concept comes into play for both sexes; more specifically, the fairer of the two. 

Skin is in, and one need look no further than Intervention at Hard Rock’s Float, or the KIN pool parties to realize the less a bikini conceals, the more attention it draws.

Throw in a bit of bling in the form of vintage-style gold jewelry, a pair of designer Dolce & Gabbana or Dior shades, stilettos and a fedora, and you’re covered (well, at least in the figurative sense). Ditto for dudes, but replace the bikini with boardshorts, trade stilettos for flip-flops and lose the bling.

Now, go out and show off your threads, and I’ll be sure to continue relishing in my lack of the very same. 

Insider Tip: Discover San Diego club style in new San Diego party pics, many shot by Bradley Schweit himself. Checking out nightlife and event photos will help you plan what to wear, or not to wear, at San Diego clubs and pool parties.