Produced | Filmed | Edited
Printed in The New York Times on April 25, 2014
In the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, Calif., it is hard to ignore the bustling scene where scores of people are lined up in front of food trucks or going in and out of the hip restaurants, bars and salons. Among the foot traffic is a colorful display of relaxed Northern California style: vintage button-down shirts and scarves, tattoos and piercings and hoodies with the logos of local brands . Originally from Chicago, Sarah Barnekow moved to the area three years ago and has undergone a style transformation, most recently chopping 10 inches off her hair and dying it a white-and-gray hue. Sporting brown combat boots, a scarf she bought while traveling in India, a bracelet she recently purchased at a local flea market and a tattoo of the Wi-Fi sign, Ms. Barnekow said that her style usually errs on the side of masculine.
In the Grand Lake neighborhood of Oakland, Calif., it is hard to ignore the bustling scene where scores of people are lined up in front of food trucks or going in and out of the hip restaurants, bars and salons. Among the foot traffic is a colorful display of relaxed Northern California style: vintage button-down shirts and scarves, tattoos and piercings and hoodies with the logos of local brands . Originally from Chicago, Sarah Barnekow moved to the area three years ago and has undergone a style transformation, most recently chopping 10 inches off her hair and dying it a white-and-gray hue. Sporting brown combat boots, a scarf she bought while traveling in India, a bracelet she recently purchased at a local flea market and a tattoo of the Wi-Fi sign, Ms. Barnekow said that her style usually errs on the side of masculine.
Sarah Barnekow, 24
Product support engineer
How would you describe your personal style?
“I like to be kind of edgy, feminine but also masculine, kind of like obscuring the gender identity in a way.”
How do you think about picking out your outfits in the morning?
“When I go to work in the morning, I try to tone it down a little bit, because I am going to San Francisco, and I work at a pretty big company. It’s a midsize software consultancy. And I’m definitely not the only person there who lives in Oakland, which is great because I can go into the office, and there are two or three people that I can really vibe with style-wise.”
This interview has been edited and condensed.