There was no shortage of fashionable people at the 2025 Minnehaha Falls Art Fair. For July’s edition of MN Street Style, we chatted with three of them about style, fashion advice, and finding inspiration in the ocean, wandering musicians, and opera.
Sally Volar
After quitting a 9-to-5 job, Sally started allowing herself the freedom to express herself in her everyday wardrobe outside of dress codes and etiquette. Even though she believes Minnesota fashion gets “kind of boring,” she tries to test the boundaries of personal style through warm color palettes, secondhand clothing, and accessories with personal connections.
How would you describe your personal style?
Random. I used to tone it down a lot, but less so as I’ve gotten older.
Do you find style inspiration anywhere?
Probably random musician dudes that walk around the streets all day. Is that weird?
Where do you like to shop to achieve this random style?
Thrift stores, all secondhand. Most of my favorite things are actually from clothing swaps.
You wake up in the morning and have no idea what to wear, what do you put on?
This is it…something comfortable, fun shoes, and some element of an earthy color. I like browns, actually. A cinnamon brown, that’s my favorite. People actually pick that out when they see me. They say, “Oh, that’s your color.”
What’s your philosophy on accessories?
For me, they’re things that connect me to myself and my culture. The connection and if it can be a grounding source, too. A lot of times I’ll have stones that feel good, something that’s a family piece, or something that’s rooted back to the motherland, Africa.
I wear my rings every day. I love turquoise. This is another one of my colors. I always feel like I need to have a turquoise piece on. This one’s from the southwest region, which I love, so it makes me think of that area. This [gold ring] is an Adinkra symbol. It’s a West African symbol [meaning] the greatness of God.
Do you have a favorite piece in your closet?
Actually, I do. It’s a long, linen kind of robe jacket thing that’s multiple [shades] of teal and turquoise in a pattern. It’s really hot. And it’s from a thrift store so it’s probably really old.
What advice do you have for folks wanting to express themselves but might need some motivation?
Hang out with the weirdos. I think just look around at who inspires you and focus on those folks more than what is the mainstream.
Hannah Thorne
Always seeking more unique earrings to add to her collection, Hannah paused her search to chat about her style. She prioritizes comfort and is proud of her Lizzie McGuire-inspired platform shoes and coordinating outfit.
How would you describe your personal style?
Anything that honestly just gives that serotonin boost, literally just whatever I like. So, today I did orange pops of color. I love flowy stuff, and I think it’s called the “sandwich method.” I do the same color top and shoes but different colored pants, or vice versa. When I was younger I was more Boho but I’ve grown out of that. If I like it, I buy it, which isn’t good for my card, but, yeah.
Where do you like to shop?
Target, like this dress. I love Aerie, that’s my go to. And American Eagle. I used to shop at Arula a lot. I like to shop more plus size brands since I’m plus size. Target does go up sometimes which is nice, but Arula just sadly closed.
How do you think your style has evolved over the years?
It’s more comfy driven. Whatever I like, I wear. Because of COVID and being stuck inside all the time, I wore dresses inside because I didn’t want to wear sweatpants anymore. That grew into me just wanting to be comfy but not try too hard. Like, even though these are big platform [shoes], they’re squishy so it’s comfy. I love platform shoes, they’re the best.
What’s an everyday, casual outfit for you?
It’s usually biker shorts and a cute top. Or some sort of solid pants and a graphic tee. I’ll grab fun earrings if I want to fancy it up a bit.
Where do you find fun earrings?
Everywhere! I got started at Patina with their earrings. I get a lot of earrings from art fairs, probably Target, too. And Christmas presents, too. My mom knows my style so she’ll get me what I like.
Do you ever base an outfit around a pair of earrings?
I do sometimes, yes. I wore these Greek goddess earrings so much that I wore them out. They had like the floral, fern crowns that [Greek goddesses] would wear so I would do a lot of earthy tones with that. My favorite color is blue, even though I’m wearing orange today. Today, I just dug these out of my pile and realized I have shoes that match it and I could do this white dress with an orange T-shirt under it. I was like, oh, this is all perfect.
What about the rest of your accessories?
I keep my rings on all the time. I love the ocean. My aunt has a home in Florida and I go there every year. I bought these [rings] right after COVID; have never taken them off. Both of these are from the same shop, Tuttles Seahorse Shell Shop on Sanibel Island. Some bracelets are from the State Fair or Stillwater. I have 2 permanent chains and this evil eye [bracelet]. I got into the fish [trend] this year so I have a fish and seashell, just off of Etsy.
Garrett Obrycki
Despite the simplicity of his style, Garrett likes to call on his roots for some flair and drama every once in a while. He’s a classically trained opera singer who has traveled the globe performing with theater companies, working in leadership development, and pulling style inspiration from his passport stamps.
How would you describe your personal style?
Like a gender neutral, witchy, lesbian from Vermont.
I was an opera singer for a long time and I love the big drama of that. There are some references to that if I’m trying to go all out, like the big coats, big shawls, big capes. It’s that and then kind of the queer mama thing, just big, flowy clothes.
Where do you shop to achieve such a niche style?
I thrift up a lot. I’m lucky that I can travel a lot so I go and find a thrift store wherever I am. I used to live in Brooklyn, so a lot of my clothes are from stores in Williamsburg. I have a lot of stuff from Barcelona, Turkey, Greece. I like to learn about a culture through clothes shopping, and it’s an affordable way to shop and sustainable. I’ll splurge on one or two kind of big pieces by a local designer. It’s usually a statement piece like a coat or a pair of boots.
Is there a particular city with the best style that you wish you could embody?
Hmm. It’s probably a mix of cities. A bit of Berlin with Mediterranean life. Berlin’s got the edgy, queer thing going on and I like the ease of Mediterranean linens and flowiness.
Do you have an everyday outfit you can pull together if you don’t know what to wear?
I have crazy ADHD so I try to grab the first thing I see. It’s usually big, flowy black pants and usually a black or neutral shirt and then boots and a canvas tote bag.
What about accessories?
I have a lot of earrings. I tried the necklace thing but it doesn’t work for me. I like to wear these big clothes but they’re all pretty simple so I don’t do a lot of accessorizing.
I have a lot of tattoos, too. All of them are black and red.
Do you have a favorite piece in your wardrobe?
I got this coat in Turkey last year and it’s like a mullet coat. It stops [at the thigh] in the front but it goes all the way down in the back. It’s my favorite thing. It’s a little bit of a statement piece, a good fall coat.
Shelly Fisher
When Shelly got her first tattoo 22 years ago, no one could know about it. The limitations of corporate America workplace etiquette meant she couldn’t have ink showing or have fun with personal style. But that tattoo on her back was the first step in a silent fashion rebellion that now includes hair dye, bright lipstick, graphic tees, and more tattoos.
How would you describe your personal style?
I’m 68 years old, so I just try to be a fun, funky senior person.
Where do you look for style inspiration?
Just going to places like this and seeing what other people wear. And my sister has a very interesting taste so sometimes I copy her.
I like interesting things. I don’t generally wear things that are plain and everyday. I like unique things.
What do you do if you don’t know what to wear one day?
My sister and I sell art at events like this; our company is called Saintly Sisters. So, it’s real easy. We sell T-shirts so I just choose what shirt I want that day, and what pants or shorts go with it.
Does your hair color influence your personal style?
Absolutely, yes. I’ve been pink now for two or three months. Before that, I was white with kind of a silver tint. Pink is my favorite color. So I’ve got pink hair, a navy house with pink trim, a fuchsia car. Pink is my deal.
How has your personal style changed since retiring from corporate America?
It was very different from what I wear now as a retired person. Now, when I have something special [to dress up for], I make it a point to wear special clothes. For my 50th class reunion coming up, I’ve got an Isaac Mizrahi sequin skirt to wear. I can fancy it up when I need to.
Which tattoo is your favorite?
[My favorite is] my golden retriever who died 13 years ago. It’s done in a Lisa Frank style.
What advice do you have for folks who maybe feel constricted by workforce limitations?
Try and do a little bit. Start with that first little tattoo, and then you can do more and more. I got my first tattoo 22 years ago and nobody knew I had it for decades because it was on my back. Now that I don’t work in corporate America anymore, they’re all over.
