‽Bros

I’ve been hanging onto these three images for some time; they seemed to go together, but each time I tried to articulate their connection, there was always one odd image out. Two of them were taken out the window of a car, two of them show men at work, but what was that instinctive common thread that caused me to view all three as belonging to the same family of images? Ultimately, I realized that each image shows a man with something to offer. Some of the offerings are explicit, some more mysterious, but each man confronts us with the promise of something.

Above: Man outside 7-11, Portland, OR

Above: Haircut Sale, Newberg, OR

Above: Tobacconist, Victoria BC, Canada

Backstage on the set of the Alter Egos Society’s 48-hour film project, actress Melissa Murray demonstrates the art of eating in stage makeup.

http://www.alteregossociety.com/

Shelby, an 18-year-old Seattleite, rolled into downtown Portland with a suitcase full of dresses, three swimsuits, and a few Trojan Magnums.

The black one is Shelby’s favorite of the three swimsuits she had with her; however, she is careful to note that any of her suits will look good, “because, well, it’s me.”

I was impressed by Shelby’s modeling ability and her charisma–we grabbed strangers from the sidewalk for her to pose with, and she was completely unfazed. One of those strangers, Liam (below), was on his way to the Columbia Gorge in business attire and a friendship bracelet for unknown reasons.

Darcelle (above) has headlined her own drag cabaret at Darcelle XV, her downtown Portland club, for more than 35 years. Darcelle’s alter ego, Walter Cole, first dressed in drag at age 37; he is now 80 years old.

The showplace was largely populated by shockingly young bachelorettes and middle-aged birthday parties. Each performer held a distinct appeal and attracted tips, though some members of a bachelorette party near the stage were also seen stuffing dollars into their own bras, for reasons unkown.

www.darcellexv.com

Frank grows out his beard for months in preparation for his St. Patrick’s Day party, an all-ages affair spread out over the driveway and backyards of adjacent houses. When asked if shaving the green beard post-festivity is a ritualistic affair, Frank’s son replied that there is “usually some bloodletting,” though mostly accidental.

Danny fondly remembers childhood parties at his house as a whir of adult legs around him.

“I love everything about tights,” he says. “I love the way they look, the sound they make, they way they taste…everything.”

He says his surname, Chaoflux, could be used in everyday speech to mean “someone made an unbelievable mess but it was somehow perfectly arranged.”

Laura, of dress-obsessed fame, has made an excellent haircut decision.

Her hair’s farewell party was an exclusive affair.

model: Laura

Laura’s boyfriend of nearly a year has only seen her wear pants once.

During her junior year of high school, Laura began to “phase out” pants in favor of vintage dresses. By age twenty, she had eliminated pants from her daily wardrobe entirely.

Today, she estimates her collection at 120 dresses.

Laura’s reasons for dress-monogamy center around the inferiority of pants: how they smell, how they can make you smell, how the shirts they necessitate do not flatter the bosom, and how they end before the “stomach pouch” (“which women are supposed to have,” she adds).

Laura’s other friends who wear dresses wonder why they do not get as many complimentary comments about their clothes as she does.

“There is an answer,” says Laura, “And the answer is color.”

Some of her friends swear that they only look good in earth tones.
“Earth tones really look good on no-one,” says Laura. “They’ll say, ‘No, my skin tone,’ or ‘No, my hair color,’ but most people could look good in colors if they’d try.”

“You want a medal? You’ll have to grow a mustache first.”

What do you take into the bath with you?

Smoke and citrus fruit. What cleans us is ultimately a mystery. It makes sense to try everything.