On The Street.....The Deconstructionist , Soho

Again abut the little details - I love the stylized "work boots" working back to the raw cut grey flannel pants.

Feels like the original Soho artist look

Coming Up At The Sartorialist

Show season is right around the corner and I'm gearing up for another great trip to Europe to cover the shows/guest blog for Style.com and shoot a page for GQ.

Super exciting addition!!
I'm adding Pitti Uomo, the men's fashion trade show in Florence, to my coverage for men.style.com this season.
Everyone tells me this is when the real men's tailoring peacocks come out to strut their stuff.

Here is the tentative schedule:

Jan 9th - 14th Pitti Uomo, Florence
Jan 14th - 19th Men's Milan
Jan 20th - 23rd Antwerp GQ
Jan 26th - 29th Men's Paris

Feb 3rd - 10th Men's & Women's New York

Feb 14th - 17th Sweden???
Feb 18th - 26th Women's, Milan
Feb 26th - Mar 6th Women's Paris

On The Street.....Navy Cape, 5th Ave.

On The Street.....New York Original, Union Square

Fashion Writer and Woman-About-Town.... Lynn Yaeger

Photos from the Luciano Barbera Archive/Website

I found these Elliott Erwitt photos on the Barbera website. Such classic style

On the Street......Grey Coat, Manhattan

This Email Made My Day

This is the first sentence of an email I received the other day

"i LOVE your site...my boss, Jean Touitou the designer and owner of APC forwarded me the link of your blog where you are talking about buying APC jeans...he loved it."

I think I should try to do a follow-up post while I'm in Paris and have Mr. Touitou give me his input on which jeans I should be wearing.

On the Street......Camo/Plaid, Paris

I love the camoplaid mix with the old school earphones.

At Louis Vuitton, Paris

I have my laptop computer with me here in Illinios and was going through some of my files and found this shot that I missed posting while I was in Paris.
I love this look but then again she always looks great!

On the Street.......Patterned Wool Coat, Manhattan

Click on photo to enlarge image - you gotta see the beautiful mix of print scarf and patterned wool coat in bigger detail.

On the Street.......Beauty On The Boardwalk, Miami

Gentleman Hunter

Gentleman really are the peacocks,
I love the flourish of color that is both dandy and yet very gentlemanly. The pale blue scarf with hunter green sportcoat is pure genius.

Notice the beautiful buttons on the jacket - great detail. He mentioned that the whole look came from Beretta, the Italian hunting outfitter.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

I am in the back woods of Illinois for Christmas but will be back with new posts tomorrow.

I can't thank you all enough for your support this year.
I realized that I didn't really want much for Christmas this year because the success of the blog and the community we have created has been the best gift.

I have some great new features that will premiere soon (hopefully first week of January) so I am guardedly optimistic that 2007 will be even better than 2006

How To Wear Plaid In The City

Dont Fporget that the photos are 50% bigger so click on the photo to enlarge image and really see the detail

On The Street.....Some Kinda Blue, Midtown

On The Street.....Tough Love, Downtown

Did I Just Take A Photo Of The Singer Pink?

January GQ - DeNiro Cover

My new GQ page just hit the stands. In this issue I highlight the "no-tie" (or as Adam from GQ says "air-tie" look) that I have been seeing again on some cool guys on the street and on the runways of Paris and Milan.

Also my good friend Mory makes an appearance on the page! His part is pretty funny (and racy), you gotta read it - even if it is just while you are standing in the magazine section of Barnes & Noble.

On The Street.....Martin Grant Peacoat, Soho

I love it when an item looks so simple from the front but when it walks past, you're just able to catch a glimpse of the "drama in the back".

A buyer once told me "drama in the back" was a favorite phrase of one of her salespeople. I always thought it sounded great and , well, dramatic but I have never found a situation to use it myself. Today..(dramatic pause)...is my day.

The Contest Winner

So many great entries!

It was fascinating to read about such a diverse world of inspirations.
I was a little surprised (pleasantly) that so much inspiration came from the home or personal interaction.

I think these entries also said a lot about respect.
Our respect for others, for family and for those that care for themselves.

A lot of grandparents were mentioned and again I think that has a lot to do with love/respect and how love/respect influences our concept of what is beautiful.

For the winner I chose the entery below.
What really got me was this line " My grandfather’s work bench and tools, where he set the diamonds into the ring I wear every day now and taught me to love the hard, precise labour of making things sparkle..."

That line really speaks to me and captures what i love about the craft of fashion, couture and tailoring. For me fashion and style is not about "I'm better than you" or "look what I have " but about the craft of making something beautiful or graceful. I'm a complete sucker for that romantic vision of a artisan in some little dim lit room crafting a pair of shoes or a shirt or ,for that matter, in a darkroom working on the perfect print.

That line could also just as easily reflect what we do to present ourselves in the way we feel most expresses who we are.

"to love the hard, precise labour of making things sparkle..." perfect!




Even though I’m by long habit an observer rather than a joiner, I couldn't resist this question - any more than I can this blog! Here's a selection of some of the many images that have floated up since I’ve been musing on “What has most inspired your personal style?”

My grandmother’s cloche hat and fur-collared coat, which she wears in a photo from the roaring 20s when, appearances to the contrary, she was just a teenage kid from Montreal’s Saint Urbain Street...
Myrna Loy in the Thin Man movies, with her gowns for every hour and her wit for any situation ...
My grandfather’s work bench and tools, where he set the diamonds into the ring I wear every day now and taught me to love the hard, precise labour of making things sparkle...
My grandmother’s dresser drawers, where sweaters were swathed in tissue and nylons nestled in satin boxes...
My great aunt’s silk scarves, which she doled out to me one at a time on holidays and which I have somehow, between then and now, lost...
Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday, when she cut her long hair and rolled up the sleeves of her proper dress, and became herself...
My mother’s leather mini skirt, which was a glorious glazed mahogany, her multi-coloured Missoni blouse, which was a knock-off, and her appetite for all things lovely and lively, which was and still is her most fabulous accessory...
Jean Seberg’s t-shirt in Breathless, which said New York Herald Tribune and spelt new-world style in the old-world style capital...
My school friend Martha, who at 16 wore a Peruvian poncho as a skirt and looked soignée...
My father’s giant box of oil pastels, which at the age of three or four I often played with, arranging and rearranging the rods of colour until my fingers were muddy...

CONTEST UPDATE 12/20

I have just posted the entries that had not been verified with an email.

That takes the total number of responses to almost 350!!!

Thanks so much!

The Sartorialist on Paris Vogue.com !!!!

Anyone who has been watching this blog for a while can just imagine how excited I am to be on Paris Vogue.com.

It just went up today and though I can't read what it actually says, what I imagine it says is just fine with me!

check it out here. Paris Vogue.com

The Sartorialist Contest w/ the New, Signed Bruce Weber book as The Prize

I was in Miami this weekend for Art Basel and had the chance to attend the book signing for Bruce Weber's new book "Sex and Words".

Of course I was thinking about my readers and thought "How can I use this opportunity to benefit them and thank them for all their support?" then I got an idea A CONTEST!

A really easy contest that everyone can participate in.

Here it is
in the comments section of this post please respond to the following
"What has most inspired your personal style?"

This could be your Grandma, or a movie, a band, a designer or whatever.

I think it will be really interesting to read what inspires your style plus you can win a really cool book.

IMPORTANT - please leave your response in the comments section and then copy it and email it to me so I can match it up and send the prize to the right person. I will not post a response until I receive the email .
Please put CONTEST in the subject line

The Winner will be announced on Dec. 20th ( in time for Holiday gift giving or receiving)


I will begin with my response

Giorgio Armani ads of the 80's were incredibly influential on my early style development. The ads then were mostly shot by Aldo Fallai and were so beautiful (usually black & white). I could relate to what I was seeing in the ads, they were full of people and place that kinda looked like my life - only better.





This is how the Bruce Weber website describes the book:

“Sex and Words” is a limited-edition book of Bruce Weber photographs inspired by the writings of D.H. Lawrence. In the context of Weber’s catalogue of publications, this delicate volume features a unique construction. Sixteen black and white and three color plates are juxtaposed with selections from “Lady Chatterley’s Lover,” “Women in Love” and “Sons and Lovers.” Adjacent pages within the volume are interspersed with illustrated vellum sheets that play off the naturalism and sensuality of the photos and text.

This is a limited print run of 2000 books


ps for those of you that don't win but still want the book I have two other signed copies that I will auction off especially for The Sartorialist readers on Ebay.
I will place the link here when it is set

Good Luck

On The Street...Perfect Androgyny, part 2

This look is so perfectly androgynous that I will let it be my mens and women's post this morning.

Contest Winner Announced Tonight!

Wow!
What great participation for this contest!

I loved reading all the posts.

Tomorrow I will post the additional 100-ish posts that I was not able to post because I did not receive the email confirmation (they are also great)

I think this contest thing went really well, I think we should do some more!
I also bought the new Hedi Slimane book "Portrait of a Performer" featuring Courtney Love. I think it might be a good prize for the next contest. Actually, what I really love is that I think most of you really didn't care about the prize but just wanted to share, I could really feel the heartfelt sentiments in your stories.

I have a few other questions that might make for interesting responses but if you have any contest questions that you feel might make for good participation please let me know.

Thanks again everyone

scott

Here is a link about the Hedi Slimane book

"Portrait Of A Performer, Courtney Love / Hedi Slimane"

Vanity Fair January 2007

I saw this shot in the current Vanity Fair and thought he looked like such an original Brooks Brothers Sartorialist.

For those of you that thought American men would never wear Thom Browne, well, we already have. Look at how high the pant leg is on his shin. and look at how high the shirt cuff rides up his forearm.

I also thought it was interesting that his jacket sleeve only has two buttons.

Momma Was A Rock n' Roller

On The Street...57th St, New York

It is actually a dark purple jacket which is a nice shot of color for a gentleman's wardrobe.

On The Street...Mercer Street, New York

Reversible Daryl K dress

On The Street...At Nolita Art Show, New York

On The Street...Outside Apple, New York

Marc Jacobs jacket

On The Street...More Flea Chic, New York

Well played sir

The Sartorialist is 50% Bigger!!

I listen to you and you wanted larger photos - now you got it!

I hadn't done it before because I was a little worried about the amount of disk space I would get from Blogger but it hasn't created a problem yet so I'm going for it.

I was also a little worried about the larger photos taking longer to load but I haven't had any complaints since doing a few protos over the last week.

Just click on the image for the larger version.

I hope you like it.

Also if all continues on pace, I will also soon introduce a few new features that I think/hope you will really enjoy. These new features are a direct response to emails I have received from you over the last year.

Thanks again to everyone for all your support and participation

On The Street...Two Chic for Soho , New York

I couldn't wait to post this shot!
So well done.

CONTEST UPDATE 12/17

I have about 100 responses to the contest that I have not posted because I did not receive an email from the responder.

Getting the email with the text is the only way I could think of to make sure that the right person got the prize.

I have not deleted any of the unposted comments ( they are really great) so if you don't see your comments posted then make sure to email me.

Any unposted responses will be posted once the winner is announced.

Thanks again for everyones input!!

This went so much better than I expected and I have received so much positive feedback. It seems people really enjoyed reading the wonderful, heartfelt comments.

On The Street...Madison Ave., New York

Sometimes the best menswear is the most quiet and subtle.

The accessories (purple tie, tortoise glasses and quality chocolate suede shoes) elevates the classic pinstripe suit.

click on photo to enlarge image

On The Street...Texturist, New York

I love the variety of texture, pattern, material and associations.

The demure (almost granny-ish) print dress paired with stylized motorcycle boots, crocheted tights, bouncy ball scarf and protective parka.

click on photos for larger detail shot

On The Street... Lower Fifth Ave., New York

Click on photo to enlarge image

On The Street... Plaid Shirt w/ Scarf, New York

Bruce Weber Signed "Sex & Words" Book Auction

I posted one of the signed Bruce Weber "Sex & Words" books on Ebay ( I bought 4!)

Here is the link

Bruce Weber's "Sex & Words"

On The Street....Fifth Avenue, Manhattan

I like this jacket but is it outerwear or a sportcoat? I think it might look a little odd with a jacket underneath but the sleeve-cuff detail makes me think it could only be outerwear.

Maybe the answer is just how he is wearing it - over a sweater.

On The Back Of The Bike

Click to enlarge

At The Marc Jacobs 70% Off Sale

The line outside the store stretched all the way back to the Mercer Hotel.

On The Street.....Domenico Vacca, Uptown

click on photo to enlarge image

On The Street.....Blue & Grey , Manhattan

On The Street.....UPDATE Madison Ave. , Manhattan

Some people left comments yesterday asking what I found interesting about this look or that this look had no personal touches.

What I thought looked really good was the overall fit of the suit. Maybe it could be a little more nipped in at the waist but that is a personal choice. I also really loved the beautiful shade of brown shoes with that navy suit. For a larger image click on the photo for better detail.

What I found really great and a VERY personal touch was the peak lapels on a single-breasted suit. Peak lapels on a single-breasted suit might not seem like a big deal in womenswear but it is not standard issue for men's and really quite a statement of his willingness to step out a little.

On The Street...Upper Madison Ave., Manhattan

Anonymous Option

The Anonymous option is back on. Sometimes a glitch in Blogger switches it off without warning. The only way I know is if you email me to let me know.

Thanks
Scott

On The Street...60th Street, Manhattan

Puffer Vest Over Suit

I see the puffer vest- over-suit a lot in Milan but it seems like a style that would look just as good in Denver or Seattle.

On The Street.....Tailored Peacoat, Manhattan

On The Street.....Burberry Quilted Trench, Manhattan

Tomas Maier Boutique , Miami

The Scent and Body Care Room
The Library
The Gallery

Why can't every reasonably sized city in America have a store like the Tomas Maier boutique in Miami. Like a little jewel (or more like 10 Corso Como West) Tomas Maier's boutique caters to a certain taste level. As most of you already know Tomas Maier is the creative director of Bottega Veneta. As you can imagine Bottega is well represented but so are his Milanese colleagues like Marni and Missoni plus Parisian houses like Azzedine Alaia and Lanvin. The store has also become THE place for sexy sophisticated swimwear.

You can find most of the products offered in other places but it is how he edits the assortment and how respectfully he displays his collections that makes it special. Spread out through a converted house on South Beach the boutiques tiny themed rooms (like the library, photo gallery, etc) feels much more like a fashion gallery than just another store. There is no reason that a boutique like this could not be done in a Chicago or a Seattle. Actually ,to be truthful, there is not even a little boutique in New York right now that carries the sophisticated variety of products that this boutique does.

On The Street.....Madison Ave., New York

Brilliant mix of plaid and paisley

On The Street.....Purple & Red, Manhattan

What Influenced Me When I Was Young - Aldo Fallai for Armani

These are some of the Aldo Fallai photos that I remember loving so much when I was growing up.

Like I said in my contest post these were images that ,as a kid in Indiana, I could relate to - I had a family, I rode a bike, I played basketball - but it was all projected in a way that was a little more dreamy and romantic than what I saw around me. Too bad Armani has gotten so far away from these type of images.

On the Street.......The Young Romantic, London

The guy in the bowler hat reminded me of this shot I had taken in London and had not yet posted.

Another Great Short Sleeve Coat in Nolita

CONTEST UPDATE 12/12

Other bloggers I know are a little jealous of the amount of participation I have on my blog and it is one of the things that I am really proud of, so again thanks to everyone who has left a response to the contest.

I think what we learn about each others dreams and influences will be even more rewarding than the prize (but the prize is still pretty nice).

On The Street.....Spring St., Soho

Contest UPDATE

I love all the responses to the contest!!

Thank you all for your input - it is fascinating to read these personal little stories

IMPORTANT NOTE
I have quite a few posts that I have not received an email for. I can't post the response without the email so I can make sure to match the response/person.
If you just want to just add to the discussion without trying for the book just mention it in the header of the post.

If you have left a comment but you don't see it posted then email me with at least the exact first couple of sentences so I can match it up.

I didn't mention this before but the value of most Bruce Weber books skyrocket quickly. I would not be surprised if a limited-edition, signed Bruce Weber book would be worth a couple of hundred bucks very soon

On The Street.....Broome St., Soho

On The Street...Black/White/Grey, Houston Street

On The Street....57th Street, New York

On The Street....UES, Manhattan

Seize sur Vingt Shoulder

click on image to enlarge
Menswear is all about the little details

I was at Seize sur Vingt the other day and could not stop admiring the great soft shoulder jackets that they do.

As you see in the photo - the two jackets on the right are the typical American shoulder jackets but the two on the left are the soft shoulder jackets, they almost look like the shoulder of a shirt and can be as comfortable.

This type of shoulder is not exclusive to Seize sur Vingt but they they certainly offer one of the best versions of it in New York.

Notice the little puckering at the sleeve cap - the actual sleeve piece is bigger than the opening of the armhole so the extra fabric has to be eased into the space. The tailor tries to easy most of the extra fabric into the top of the sleeve cap so as to give your shoulder a little extra room.

that is the kind of jacket that was made to travel in.

Hello from Art Basel

So my last trip to Philadelphia was a bust so I thought I would be more adventurous this time - I went to Miami!

Actually I am here covering Art Basel for my GQ page. What a scene!

Where to begin:
- I almost got a beatdown for taking a photo of Jay Z at the Fair.
- I bid on something that was not a piece of art but apparently an actual sprinkler system.
- I almost ate a piece of art - looked like a bowl of fruit to me.

I also learned in Miami that just because your hotel has an iron it does not guarantee they have an ironing board.
They suggested ironing on my bed. (I was afraid to ask for coffee for fear they would ask me to cup my hands)

On a good note I did receive a lovely spa level micro-abrasion treatment from my grade 3-level sandpaper bath towels.

I have gotten some great shots though and they will be in the Feb. issue so you will see them soon.

Sorry for the stern look on my face but I'm much better taking the photos than posing for them.

On The Street....58th Street, Manhattan

On The Street....That Chloe Coat, Soho

Did the leather vest come with the coat? If not, she just earned extra points.

On The Street....Joseph Abboud, Manhattan

On The Street....Study In Grey & White, New York

Style Walking

On The Street....Fifth Avenue, New York

VINCENT & EDGAR, New York

These images remind me of the opening title sequence from some 30's movie
To see these images larger just click on the image

On The Street.....Flea Market Classic, Chelsea

On The Street.....Outside APC, Manhattan

On The Street.....UPDATE The Fashion Editor, Nolita

One of the things I think is nice about The Sartorialist is the ability to see variations on a personal style. I shot this gentleman last month and ran into him again yesterday. I love how the pieces are very different but still very much a reflection of his style. I think consistency is a big part of style.

On The Street.....Lafayette Street, Manhattan

On The Street......Broome Street, Soho

On The Street......Great Coat, Nolita

This young lady is wearing a wool coat that has knit sleeves - I thought it was such a great design detail.

On The Street......26th St. Flea Market, Chelsea

On The Street......Brown/Metalic, Uptown

The other day I did a post about Brow/Black color combo.

Yesterday I saw this young lady and I thought her Brown/Metallic color story was really great.

Also I usually think of a plaid coat as country-ish and more cozy but she gives it a bit of city edge working it back to the silver metallic.

The Shot I Got...And The One I Didn't

The flea market is such a great place to find a wide variety of styles.

These two gentleman walked by right before the "American Classic" guy.

I think their look is such a nice contrast to his so I'm happy with the shot I got.....but the shot I missed was a photo of the young lady that they were with - Helena Christensen!

She very politely declined my photo request, which is too bad because she still looks stunning.

On The Street......American Classic, Chelsea

This young man's look is probably the closest to what i would call true "American Style" of all the shots I have posted so far.

Menswear Article

A while back I posted some photos from a shoot that was to accompany an article in Menswear magazine written by Sandra Nygaard. Last Friday I finally got around to buying a scanner so I won't bore you with the whole article but here is a particularly funny section (ps Sandra I'm not saying what you wrote was boring just the subject - me)



There weren’t many teenagers in Indiana who wore suits to high school in the early 80’s but then again there weren’t many guys as obsessed with men’s wear as Scott Schuman.
The sartorially savvy teenager was so dedicated to fashion that he would regularly visit L.S. Ayres ,the local high-end department store, where he'd pour over the Italian labels with the sort of reverence most guys his age reserved for baseball or the latest album from The Police. Sometimes the kindly salesmen would even bestow him with leftover copies of men's magazines.

One day the fashion gods shone down upon Schuman and by mistake a salesman added a L'Uomo Vogue issue signed by Giorgio Armani to the giveaway pile. When Schuman later returned to the scene of the slip-up, the salesman asked him if he still had that magazine. The teen calmly shrugged and claimed he'd thrown it away.

"It was like finding a piece of gold - there was no way I was going to give that back!" Schuman recalls without a hint of regret. "There was no way that guy was going to appreciate that signature more than me."

On The Street......Layered, Soho

On The Street.......At The Flea Market, Chelsea

Fashion Week Shopping Has Begun

I did that APC jeans post yesterday because I have started shopping for January fashion week/months and it reminded me that I should do a follow-up on those jeans.

That was great and really funny.

One thing I learned ,the hard way, last time was that I needed a shoe between a true dress shoe (like the Lidforts I bought) and my Jack Purcells.

I'm standing and shooting most of the day but I'm not a big fan of rubber-soled dress shoes. I think (hope) that these Tods will be the answer. They look great and should be more sturdy that the gum-soled boots I have had in the past.

APC Jeans UPDATE

Several people have inquired about how my APC jeans (that I purchase before Sept fashion week/month) worked out for me.

All of you were right - the waist did stretch out comfortably BUT they are still tight in my calfs.

I am considering Jeanie-o-plasty (Angioplasty - is a medical procedure in which a balloon is used to open arteries around the heart)

I think I will get a weather balloon, insert it into the slim legs of my jeans and begin pumping it up with a bicycle pump until they have stretched to the desirable circumference !
(It is still undetermined if I will be wearing the jeans during this procedure)

I have also considered letting two gerbils live in the legs of my pants and feeding them nonstop until they grow to just past the size of my calfs ( again, it is undetermined if I will be wearing the jeans during this procedure!)

if you have any suggestions please feel free to leave them for me in the comments sections

Don't forget, you got me into these jeans and now I can't get out!

help!

On The Street.......West Village, Manhattan