In terms of fashion, the choice of a shirt is the closest most men come to self-expression. This young man wore one of the most flamboyant shirts I saw during my four years of photographing in Chicago’s Uptown neighborhood. I took this shot in 1975. The mid-1970s were a time of self-expression and liberation from what many felt were oppressive social norms. Memories of Woodstock were still fresh in people’s minds. Playboy Magazine’s success was the talk of Michigan Avenue. Rock was firmly entrenched as the dominant genre of popular music. And this young man was wearing a silk shirt featuring a nude woman.
