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Gimme Some Skin on NYC Skirt Day 2013

After a treacherous winter that chafed our asses and sullied our social lives, the sun is finally shining on the Big Apple. Considering all the pale skin we saw on the street this morning, it must mean that today is Skirt Day—that time of the year when...

Photo by Conor Lamb

After a long and treacherous winter that chafed our asses and sullied our social lives, the sun is finally shining its light on the Big Apple. Considering all the pale and puffy skin we saw on the street this morning, it must mean that today is Skirt Day—that special time of the year when New Yorkers trade in their black pea coats and lace-up work boots for spring/summer clothes that expose their fleshy bits to the world. All kinds of guys and gals—from bankers to punks and hip-hop heads to hipsters—join in on this Urban Dictionary-certified holiday, which signals the beginning of a long and awkward season of ogling. We sent out photographer Conor Lamb to shoot some of the most fashionable and sparsley dressed people on the streets of SoHo, while our intern Andrea Garcia-Vargas chatted up the shorts- and skirt-wearing kids of Williamsburg. We mixed in Andrea's interviews with Conor's beautiful fashion pics. Enjoy!

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Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Andrea Garcia-Vargas

VICE: How'd you put your outfit together this morning?
Sierra, student at School of the Visual Arts, 20: Well, it was the first super nice day outside, and I've been waiting to wear this dress since February. It was still way too cold back then.

Where did you get that dress?
My little sister. But she's 17, so maybe not that little.

What's the story behind that jacket?
This is actually my uncle's, he wore it while he was in the military.

Did he shoot down any enemies down wearing it?
He had it for a really long time, and then my brother had it. He kind of beat it up. And then I stole it from my brother. That’s how it happened.

Can you tell me why some people are wearing jeans and cargo pants today?
I guess they weren't expecting it to be this warm. But as soon as the sun sets, it'll get cold.

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Andrea Garcia-Vargas

Nelson, architect, 39: I decided to wear this today because I wanted to feel cool. I actually found this vest abandoned in a building nearby. These shorts are cut-off pants that my wife made me.

Do you wish you'd worn shorter shorts?
Nope, this is just right.

And what's that pin on your chest? 
Talk Normal? It's kind of like a noise band.

You're so much cooler than my dad. Your son also looks pretty cool. What’s his name? 
Horacio. We both come from Venezuela.

His pants are pretty rad. 
We got them on Etsy. They're made of wool, which is not only warm in the winter but also cool in the heat. I think it was a Gypsy girl in Latvia who made them.

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Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Andrea Garcia-Vargas

How'd you put your Skirt Day outfit together this morning?
Ashleigh, artist, 32: I didn’t want to wear a bra because I couldn’t find one, so I put on this shirt. I thought it wouldn’t really matter.

Well, congratulations, I can't see your nips at all. What about the skirt?
I rolled out of bed, and this skirt was lying the floor. I knew it didn’t match but I was like, “Eh.”

Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed or do you just hate harmony?
I always wear clothes that don’t match. But I'm not clashing that much today.

You took these clothes off the floor, but they must've come from somehwere.
This is my sister’s skirt—feel how soft it is. I never see her anymore now that she's in Europe, so I wear it to remember her. And this is my friend Jasmine’s shirt.

You're like a walking thrift shop!
Yeah. I don’t really buy clothes, I just get hand-me-downs.

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Andrea Garcia-Vargas

Sam, cook at Pies 'n' Thighs, 29: The weather kind of decided for me what I should wear today.

What's the deal with your threads?
I should’ve worn my lucky shirt. I was wearing my lucky shirt before. But we're going to walk along the water, so I put on this because it’s a little chilly.

Do you usually do the whole open-chest thing?
Sometimes. Only when I’m rocking the chest hair.

It's the most underrated commodity ever. 
Yes, I think it’s absolutely underrated. More people should appreciate it. Gimme a high five!

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So overall, your outfit's pretty boring.
Well, my shoes have actually been in a lot of cool places. Recently they were on top of Mount Kilimanjaro. They have a lot of stories, but they’re a little beaten up.

Looks like your shoes are more interesting than your shorts.
Yeah, these are just regular shorts. I wore them every day last summer.

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

Photo by Conor Lamb

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