FASHION IN SEATTLE

 Then came grunge, the fashion that ate itself. It's odd to imagine an aesthetic so absent of effort would be so easily and instantly co-opted by the mainstream, but it was –very soon after Nirvana hit it big, major fashion designers were dressing catwalk models in ripped clothes, long johns and unwashed hair.

It's almost no wonder Seattle has opted for more of a Banana Republic–Nordstrom brand of chic over anything new that might call attention to itself.

Still, it's fairly easy to find pierced, dyed and tattooed specimens here in Seattle, mostly in Capitol Hill, Belltown and the U District.

The young and hip will dress to the nines to go out on the town – whether that means satin and heels, plaid zippered bondage pants or a perfectly aged, faded-black vintage Aerosmith T-shirt.

But, for the most part, Seattle's day-to-day fashion seems to have lost its edge and softened, paw and practical over the weird, funky or runway-ready.

Shopping in Seattle  Seattle's downtown shopping district is a compact square of several blocks with brand names like Urban Outfitters, Gap and Nordstorm.