Fashion photographer Bill Cunningham, who pronounces “charmeuse” in the most interesting way possible, takes us on a little trip around Manhattan to try and figure out why it is that New Yorkers love swathing themselves in black, even into the (hot, unair-conditioned) summer months. View his slideshow and see how your rags match up to his exemplary Manhattanites.

He cites examples from 5th Avenue alllll the way to Park Avenue, because clothing becomes fashion when they happen to be hung on the shoulders of The Rich and Pallid. What’s your take on Cunningham’s observations and examples? Do you wear black in the summer?

And do you agree, as in the case of one woman who accessorizes her all-black ensemble with a wooden-picture-frame-as-necklace, that “weird” transforms into “eccentric” only when someone is white and included in a certain tax bracket?

Inky [NYT]