On the Street....Brooklyn Boho, Brooklyn

On the Street....Belted Shorts, Paris

This Is Why Biking Is Good For Your Legs, NYC

The Saggy Debate

So apparently this is now a legal issue.

Here is a link to the NY Post article.

So what do we think?

I understand (but don't agree) that the guys feel this is a macho thing but do women really want to be seen with a guy wearing their pants like this?

On the Street....Greene St., New York City

On the Street....Thea, New York

Isn't it so refreshing to see a sixteen year-old dressed like this?

I didn't immediately know if I wanted to take this shot. While I was deciding I thought about my own daughters and realized it would be nice for them to see a young lady ,that is obviously very cool, dressed like this instead of the constant media parade of Britneys and Lindsays. This is the anti-"Jersey Shore" (I mean the show not the actual place)

On the Street....Mr. Zegna, Milano

On the Street....Fabrizio, Milan

Fabrizio is one of the few men I know that can pull-off a club collar shirt. On him it looks so normal.

I also love the military tie-tuck, that's something we just don't see enough of these days

On the Street....Hanson Place, Brooklyn

On the Street....Andi & Jordan, Brooklyn

On the Street......All About the Shades, Florence

The Unstoppable Anna Dello Russo, Milano

Wasn't This What They Really Meant For Casual Friday?

On the Street....Military/Floral, Milano

On the Street....West 24th Street, New York City

On the Street....Francesco Clemente, Bond Street, New York City

This was the first time, in a long time, I was really nervous to ask someone for their photo.

I have always loved Francesco Clemente's work and his personal style (notice the frayed sleeve of his well-worn linen jacket). For me, he is a real icon of the New York art scene.

Here is a link to a great interview he did with Charlie Rose. I love what he says about "boredom" and "waiting" playing a huge role in the creation of art. As a street photographer I understand exactly what he's talking about.

Can I Have My Gourmet Magazine Back?

Ok, this was funny for a while, but the joke is over. I want my Gourmet magazine back!

Come on Conde Nast, don't you think you overreacted pulling the plug on Gourmet so quickly? Not only was it my favorite food magazine, but it was also my favorite travel magazine. I not only wanted to eat the food but I also wanted to go to that place and meet those people.

To make matters worse the archives of Gourmet are either so buried in the Epicurious website or they are gone completely. The only element that is still easy to find are the recipes. If that's all they thought was worth holding onto then they didn't realize what they had in the first place.

How about this Conde Nast: if Gourmet was pulled as a reaction to the economic crisis then can we set a Dow number that will mark the immediate and simultaneous re-introduction of Gourmet? Let's say at 11,000 we go quarterly and at 13,000 we are a monthly again!!

All kidding aside....I'm serious....bring back my magazine.

This Collar Brings Back Memories, Florence

This type of shirt collar reminds me of my first Armani way back when I was in high school around 1985ish.

It had the same type of snap collar detail, but mine was in a beautiful grey/white/red stripe. I asked my Mom to buy it for me for Christmas from LS Ayres (luckily it was on sale), and after a month of begging it was under the tree on Christmas Day.

I loved that shirt SO much that I didn't dare unwrap it from the orignal packaging until around March! It took a while after that before i could actually start wearing it. Just between you and me, I think I still have that same shirt in storage back at my Mom's place.

It's great to have such fond memories of a first "designer" piece of clothing. They say "clothes don't make the man/woman" but that passion I had (and still have) certainly shaped the course of my future.

On the Street....Franca Sozzani, Milano

At Jazz-Age Dance Party....Erika, NYC

Jazz-Age Dance Party p.2, Governors Island, New York

Jazz-Age Dance Party p.1, Governors Island, New York

On the Street....The Fab 3, Florence

On the Street....Lucia, Florence

Pitti Uomo Recap....The Uniform, Florence

On the Street....All Viv, All the Time, Milano

Pitti Uomo Recap....Bold Solids

At this recent Pitti Uomo I surprised to see so many shirts in bold solid colors. As you can see in these two examples, it can be done very well when toned down with a navy suit.

The choice of color is extremely important. Because of the shirt's boldness, if you make the wrong choice, everyone will notice. To be honest, I can't really imagine a loud purple shirt looking good on anyone.

Along those same lines, I think it would also be a mistake to try and match a boldly colored shirt with an equally bold patterned suit. We'll see how this emerging trend plays out, but let's watch this with a very cautious eye.

The Perfection of a Simple White Blouse, Milano

It's been great this summer to see all these cool young ladies embracing the understated sophistication of a well-designed blouse. Whether new or vintage, cotton or silk, solid or patterned, the blouse has been severely under appreciated the last few years.

On the Street....Old World Retail, Florence

When I walked by this shop in the blazing, late-afternoon sun of Florence, I thought "why does this seem so romantic to me?" I realized that it looks so different to my eyes because, as Americans, we would never see a retailer cover up the merchandise.

We would put some ugly orange gel in the window before we ever covered up the product.

I know it is such a cliche, but it is refreshing to see some things still done the old fashion way, even though I'm sure this place isn't air conditioned, which is not refreshing at all.

On the Street....Biffi, Milano

When I was in Milan last time I made my usual trek/pilgrimage to Al Bazar.

On the way I stopped into Biffi, a great old pasticceria, for a very cold sparkling water. While I was there I was struck by just how professional the gentleman behind the bar looked in his perfectly tailored uniform. Actually, the afternoon that I shot this image was the same day that I posted the young lady in Florence wearing a cleaning uniform. Maybe I had uniforms-on-the-brain that day.

If you compare the two images, I think both are great expressions of self.

I think that the young lady is expressing her self-image at the expense of her uniform: an "I'm more than this job" kind of expression. This gentleman, by contrast, seems to take great pride and respect in the profession he has chosen and expresses that pride in the exactitude of his uniform.

To me, this is also a great example of the difference between fashion and style.

This guy has STYLE. He has mastered the "refinement of detail."

He stood out dramatically from all the other bartenders, even though they were all dressed exactly the same, simply because he understood the implied dignity of the uniform. I mean, wouldn't you be surprised if this guy did a sloppy job on your cocktail? His style tells you "Trust me, I take my performance personally."

I would love to see a return of pride in wearing a uniform, not only from the people wearing the uniforms, but also from the companies providing the uniforms.

Many years ago my Mom use to work for American Airlines. They flew her from Chicago to New York just to have her uniform fitted. Who does that these days? Hardly anyone and our culture is poorer for that.

On the Street....Summer Suited, Milano

I love that he has put a new spin on seersucker.

On the Street....Eighth Ave., New York City

The Mystery of the V-Neck Tee, Milano

Why is it that some guys look so cool in a V-neck tee, such as Milan V. in this photo, and some guys look like total sleazeballs?

Usually a good chest helps to fill out a tee, but with a V-neck I think a well defined collarbone is a huge help. This is similar to the idea of never wearing a tank-top unless you have well defined shoulders.

On the Street...Heat Wave, New York City

On the Street....Viale Piave, Milano

Looking Forward.....Baggy Jeans, Florence

On the Street... Summer Denim p.2, Florence

On the Street... Summer Denim p.1, Florence