At Undercover

I love all this layering of sleeve lengths that I have been seeing lately.
I also really like her mix of plum, taupe and grey.

La Siesta alla Milanese

While I was waiting for the Fendi show, I found this little barber shop down the street.

It was around 3 o'clock so the shop was closed for afternoon break but I wanted a closer look at the interior of the shop .

I peeked in the window and found this....


...the barber asleep in his chair!

Isn't this exactly what Americans picture the Italian "afternoon break"must be all about?
This is like the perfect Floyd the Barber from the Andy Griffith show meets Milan.

He even looks a little like Floyd.



Actually I was a little embarrassed that I had peeked in and seen him sleeping - like I had peeked in his bedroom or something.

Of course, after about one second the photographer in me took over and I paced around out front trying to decided if I should take his photograph.
Among other things, I thought to myself - "what if he wakes up while I am taking the photo!?"

I finally decided to take the photo when I determined that I was probably faster than him and if he got too mad I could probably out run him.

I did have momentarily frightening visions of him running after me down the street yelling "Stop The Sartorialist!!!"
but I figured people would just dismiss it as anti-fashion rhetoric.



On a side note, afterwards I asked several Milanese , mostly people that worked at my hotel, if there was an Italian word for the afternoon break - like the Spanish word "siesta".
Most of them thought for a while but could not come up with a word for it.
They could think of a word for a fast, short lunch break but not for the longer afternoon break.

I think "La Napoli" would sound good, be appropriate (nap time), and it could honor one of their most sartorial cities.
Lets see if they will adopt it!

A Little Hidden Something, Milan

At Jil Sander

All about the jacket sleeve length - longer than bracelet length but shorter than traditional plus the effect is compounded by the extra shirt cuff showing.

I also really like the fitted shoulder of the jacket paired with the slouchy belted skirt.

Is it too 1984 to call the skirt "paperbagged?"

On the Street.......Corso Magenta, Milan

There is just something about these Milanese gentleman and their bikes that brings the Sartorialist out in them.

The whole Gentleman Farmer look is fantastic.

The beautiful honey colored gloves really finish off the look perfectly

Blues Hues

I love these two blues together.
I have been looking for that exact color a scarf for myself but still no luck and she was not selling.

Fonts & Graphics of Milan

When I walk around Milan I keep seeing all these beautiful fonts on store fronts and on the packaging.
I am not a graphics guy but it seems like all their most beautiful packaging and signage fit into a few ,very specific, periods like Belle Époque or Old English or genres like a very fluid script.
It is one of the areas I look forward to learning more about over my future visits Milan. I also want to create a small photo library of these splendid works, I think they fit in on this blog ok, right?

City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948

City of Shadows: Sydney Police Photographs 1912-1948 by Peter Doyle

Breathtaking!

Like Paolo Roversi crossed with Weegee

This is definitely one of my new favorite books.

If I do a book at somepoint I only hope that someday, somebody is as moved by my work as i am the the images in this book.

I am in Paris so I am not able to get the American version of Amazon but I'm sure you could get it through them or B&N.com.

At Roberto Cavalli.....Stephen Gan

At Alberta Ferretti...Anna Wintour