Articles of Clothing: Meandering in the market

Documenting Israelis and their knack for looking fantastic, no matter what the occasion.

Articles of Clothing: Meandering in the market (photo credit: Lauren Izso)
Articles of Clothing: Meandering in the market
(photo credit: Lauren Izso)
To her right: an old woman yelling that her tomatoes and bread are “the best in all of Israel.” To her left: a quirky young man telling her how many pairs of print leggings he will give her for the price of one. Above her, hanging on a line stretched across the narrow alleyway, is every Goldstar and IDF tourist t-shirt available in Israel. Welcome to the Carmel Market, the last place one would expect to find a fashion statement.

Market-goer Tamar says that no matter where she goes, she keeps her outfits simple and clean, even somewhere as untidy as the Tel Aviv market.Meandering among the clutter of stands full of chuchkas are Israelis shopping for odds and ends. Just like the disorder of the market, most are not concerned with the way they are dressed for such a menial daily activity, and there is no shortage of unkempt and mismatching outfits.Sorting through a pile of hats at one of the shops, Tamar’s neat outfit is a diamond in the rough outfits that surround her. She knows the importance of staying true to her style, no matter her surroundings.A Tel Aviv native, Tamar spent some time studying acting at the Drama Center London, and clearly acquired inspiration from the European runway.“I always make sure my outfits are clean for the eyes to look at,” she says.While keeping her outfit within a neutral color scheme, she is anything but boring. Pairing a printed T with classic blue denim shorts, her native-esque tassel bag is the perfect accessory. While looking clean-cut, her bag gives her just the right amount of edge.Across the street, at the Nachalat Binyamin art market, another shopper Tair also chooses her outfits according to a neutral color scheme, but with different intentions. Rather than keep everything clean and tidy, Tair likes to bring out her wild side.With her leopard print pants paired with a plain black tank top, she wears a perfect balance of wild animal and plain Jane. She emits just the right amount of sass to stand out in the swarm of poor outfit choices, but blends in nicely among the extravagant art pieces put out for sale.Her top may seem boring and basic, but as soon as she turns around, her semi-exposed back shows enough skin to give a glimpse of her torso, while not giving too much else away. When you are 19 like Tair, classy is the name of the game.“Prints are fun, and show off how fun I am,” says Tair.Animal prints do have an elegant side if paired properly, and don’t always need to be trashy, despite all the tacky animal print outfits that are out there. Simple philosophy: don’t blame the print, blame the person with bad taste who put the bad outfit together.If paired with the wrong shoes, or a top with too many details, Tamar’s tassel-bag could have also been tiptoeing on too much. These ladies are lucky to have an eye for style and know exactly how to put together an outfit that emits their personalities. Just by looking at them, it is simple to see what they are all about, without giving away too much.Try it: Pick one central piece. Could be an animal print, or a tassel-bag, something busy, but not tacky. Pair it with a neutral so it stands out like a centerpiece. Be prepared: both you and your outfit will get noticed.Warning: Do not under any circumstances pair two different animal prints in the same outfit. Nobody ever rocked the genetically modified look. It’s just not good.