Hands down the L train is much better for spotting fun fashion items (the J train is much more hardcore when it comes to hipsters and has more of a blue collar crowd). In fact one of my favorite L train activities to play is to guess who will be getting off at the Bedford stop vs. staying on the train (hint: the Bedford folks always seem more trendy/yuppie in their attire). I spotted these creative shoes on the L train on April 2nd, 2005 (as I got on at Lorimer).