The Sartorialist

I love this knit jacket with the fur collar. Notice that the fur is different in the front and back.

He wears this look all the time and he just owns it.
He looks so natural in it to me that eventually when I see him in something different it will surprise me a little.

This is one of my all-time favorite shots simply because I almost didn’t get it.

When I am walking on the street I am constantly,constantly, constantly adjusting and readjusting the setting on my camera so I don’t have to be messing with them when I stop someone to take their photo. On this morning I knew I walking into the sun for a little while so I did a few adjustments to my setting.

It was pretty quiet that morning so I was a little relaxed and not expecting to see much then all of a sudden I see this young lady on her bike.
I had no time to do anything but raise the camera and shoot. Eight out of ten times I would miss this shot because the focus would be off, or the shot is too blurry or the exposure is overly bright or dark, or I just didn’t see the outfit well enough before it was too late.

This time it all worked perfectly and I didn’t even see the white leather boots she was wearing (to ride her bike!) until I looked at the shot in camera.

I love her posture, the bike itself, her hat pulled low, the studious glasses, she just seems so elegant and yet completely sporty. I hate over-preciousness and she seems like the kind of girl that would ride in a convertible with the top and not worry about her hair because she knows she has a great cut.

I know I am completely projecting here about what who she is or what she may be like but that is what inspiration is all about. I don’t need to know the facts- this unknown woman will live forever in my memory just like this. Perfect

Click on image to enlarge image.
I’m still working on this color splicing thing so the enlarged version is the correct color. I will resolve it when I return to NYC.

Love the belted cardigan on this gentleman.

My new video just went up on Style.com last night!
I found some really great women (like Venetia Scott, above) in Soho that day so I think you will enjoy it.
Here is the link The Sartorialist Video @ Style.com

When redheads understand their coloring and how to accentuate it they can really look fantastic.

Some of my best shots on this trip has been of redheads.

I hear that Dries is preparing to open a new shop in Paris.

The shop here in Antwerp is closed to transition into Spring 2007.

I will try very hard to get shots of the shop while I am in Paris the next few days.

Most of the photos I am taking here in Antwerp will appear on my GQ page.

I have gotten some great images, a great mix of the cutting edge and the traditional that makes Antwerp so interesting.

The fashion school here is incredible , it is so inspiring to see how proud the faculty is of their students and how happy the students are to be there.

If only Project Runway could have been based in Antwerp!

While I was at the school today Walter Van Beirendonck was working very closely with the 4th year students on their final collection. Couldn’t you just imagine watching him on the students back instead of Tim Gunn!

This girl was quite the site walking down a side street with her cape blowing in the wind. What I really like is that she has a Goth look but has kept the sweet innocent face. I think that is much more interesting because you don’t quite know what you are up against. I was a little ……not nervous….but more guarded when I approached her. I love that this sweet girl was able to keep me a little off-balance.

I notice the pink scarf first but equal to that I also notice his overall well-groomed appearance, but he doesn’t seem to fall into the trap of being an over-groomed metrosexual.

Yesterday I received three hate emails from weirdo’s that think I wrote an article about men wearing leggings.

Personally I don’t care if men wear leggings but I feel really sad for the guys that feel compelled to write stupid emails about something so frivolous.

Are they really afraid that they may soon have to make the decision of which leggings look best with their sportcoats?

One guy said I wouldn’t last long in his office…..well, I run in leggings, I think that means i would kick his ass twice as fast.

Sorry for the rant but I hate the fear the runs some peoples lives.

If i could figure out how to document it I should wear a pair of leggings with a sportcoat ,like in the Marni show, and capture and how people react. i would have to do it in a city like Philly or Pittsburgh.

Wasn’t that Cameo’s whole look back in the 80′s?

Has anyone seen the article that these weirdo’s are talking about?

Prostitution is legal in Antwerp and I think pot is too but don’t cross the street against a red light or BIG TROUBLE!

A cop car stopped me today in Antwerp because I crossed the street against a “NO Walk” sign.

Well, I am a New Yorker, sorry but that is what we do.

In New York If no traffic is coming and you don’t cross the street people will think you may be hurt and will come to your aid.

This policeman stopped me not because i had created some type of traffic problem but merely because I had crossed the street against the red “right in front of my nose.”

He was so mad his hands were shaking while he looked at my ID. When he asked for my ID I gave him my drivers licenses but he wanted my passport. He really thought he had me when I couldn’t find it right away but when I found it he was pissed that he didn’t get to take me in to the station house.

He asked all kinds of questions like how long I have been in Antwerp and why I am here.
He was looking for the stamps on my passport and asked why the last one was from 2006. I told him I don’t know and that i came here on the train. “From New York by train?” he asked, “No from Paris” I said.
I was trying really hard not to laugh out loud.

“This is very bizarre, let this be a warning!!!”he said and he drove away.

That’s right, me and 50 Cent, we are some bad-ass lawbreakers in Antwerp!!!

Can I come back to New York now?

This Italian gentleman was the first man I had seen at Pitti with worn faded jeans. It is funny when something so common in New York stands out so much in Italy.

The new GQ with my photos from Art Basel is out or just about to drop. I saw the issue in Milan at a GQ party and the page looks great. This time there will be some additional photos available at GQ.com

Marni’s men’s show today (their first ever) was really great – right up there with Jil Sander.

PS – Please click on image to enlarge AND to see a better color version. I have to contact Blogger b/c for some reason the images are coming up a little flat on the main page lately.

I saw this young lady while I was leaving the Dsquared show on the way to Valentino. I thought she looked so great I had to try to get a shot.
As it turns out, she was headed to the Valentino show too.

After I took this photo Carine told me they are using one of my photos of her for an upcoming issue of Paris Vogue!!

At the Burberry Show

I am seeing a lot of equestrian inspired looks in Florence for both men and women.

This is easily a half inch cuff and it looks perfect….ok, so does everything else.

Her top looked and moved like a fur pullover, if it was then it is really cool. It may also be just a fur jacket which would still be pretty cool

I have heard about the gloves-in-the-breast-pocket look but I have rarely seen it done successfully.

This version, I think, is very well done.

Click to enlarge.

The men are the real peacocks at Pitti Uomo but there are a few women can can hold their own.

Here is the link to my “Guest Blog ” at Pitti Uomo that I am creating for Style.com

I met this gentleman last summer in Milan when I was at Brunello Cucinelli. He reminds me of a 1940′s Italian movie star. He just has that look.

I just got back to my room after a whole day at Pitti Uomo

It was fantastic – the shots are great and I will have some up in about two hours

S

I am so excited to premiere today a new and more resourceful The Sartorialist.

As you can see I have included a bio page, and press page.

I have also included pages that link to my past guest blogs for Style.com, in case you missed them the first time, and a page for my Intersection videos (a new one will premiere soon).

The centerpiece of the new The Sartorialist is the “SartoriaList.”

Since beginning my blog I have received quite a few emails requesting recommendations for services like tailors and barbers.
I realized I should come up with a page for that kind of information but I didn’t want to just rehash the same old names that all the magazines promote. Then the other day it came to me that I already know an incredible group of Sartorialist and that I should also pull together their suggestions. They are the ones I would go to for recommendations anyway.

So today, I give you “The SartoriaList.”

I think it will be a great resource for real services that every Sartorialist needs. I asked these gentleman to give me the names and addresses of the real places they use not just fancy places.
For instance, my haircut costs $10 because with the way I wear my hair I don’t need to spend a lot of money.
“The SartoriaList” will be constantly expanding and including new cities and very soon include women’s suggestions with the addition of a few women’s specific services like nail salons.

I am also really excited about the Shopping Guide.
Again, I have been listening to your requests and I will create a page of shops that I really love. I will try to focus on the smaller shops that maybe don’t get as much press but are still little gems. It will also be an expanding page and will be constantly updating with new suggestions and new cities. That page will premiere in April.

There will also soon be a few technical updates , like category listings, that will premiere soon.

I also have one more big announcement that I will make a little later this week.

Tonight I am off to Florence where I will begin my coverage of the mens fashion collections for Style.com.
I will continue to update with new images at The Sartorialist everyday and I will provide a link to my coverage at Style.com so you can enjoy both.

Again, thanks for all your support and I hope you find the new The Sartorialist even more inspiring.

If you have a boldly patterned shirt you almost have to work it back to an equally bold patterned tie.

love,love the hair and simply elegance.

The temperatures have been in the 50′s and 60′s in New York the last couple of weeks which seems to be a perfect temperature to do a sockless shoe look. I love the way that Robert ,from L’Uomo Vogue, has done it here.

It is almost warm enough in New York this morning to wear her look here.

Just about perfect – click to enlarge

I love the new The Sartorialist slide show they have done at GQ.com
here is the link The Sartorialist@ GQ.com

Minimalism without texture, and dimension is just boring – she does a great job giving depth to the look by using black and navy layers.
I really love that both bags have their own pattern and texture.

This shot of Lapo Elkann by Robert Maxwell ran in the Style of The Times section a while back. I finally found it on the internet the other day.

I always thought it was one of the best shots of him – I like how everything is a little askew and yet kind of regal.

The white/navy striped pants back to a navy DB blazer is quite….quirky.

I was editing a new video for Style.com today and one of the young ladies that I interviewed mentioned that she blends Comme Des Gar

click to enlarge

If the pattern on this coat was just a little larger it would almost look like an abstract graphic. I like that.

I really like the crazy mix of a tailored, 3/4 sleeve jacket(notice the longer gloves) with military pants and Converses.

Some might say that it looks like two different outfits mixed together but I think that is the charm.

I’m noticing a lot of tall grey boots. The colors look even better when you click to enlarge.

Love the asymmetrical hair. For better detail, click to enlarge.

The Liberman book “The Artist in His Studio” features a very style series of Picasso photos.

In the images Picasso is wearing a blue dotted shirt buttoned all the way up. When I saw this guy I had a vision of Johnny Depp doing a very surreal homage to Picasso and his fascinating life.

I have just realized this is the second time this month I have referred to the Liberman book ” The Artist in His Studio”. It is really great and very inspiring. I seems to me it would be a must have for any designers inspiration library.

We hit a major milestone in December – 1 million pageviews for the month!

Thank you all so much!

I couldn’t have done it without you (actually, I could have gotten to half-million just from my Dad, he is a big fan)

I can’t wait to get started on 2007.

I had a nice little break for Christmas but it made me realize how much I have grown to love the daily challenge of finding, shooting, and writing about great style.

I have some great trips lined up, new features for The Sartorialist, a new video for Style.com that I’m preparing to edit, and some more events in the United States (and ,if I can swing it, London, Hong Kong, and Rio)

I’m dying to make it to Sweden and efforting to make that happen soon. Should I go in the Winter or Spring?

Dying to go to Naples and Tokyo.

This posting is going longer than I expected so while I’m at it I want to send a thanks out to some of the people that really made a difference to The Sartorialist this year.

Mom & Dad

Dave Allen

Dirk Standen and everyone at CondeNet.com

Adam Rapoport & Jim Nelson and everyone at GQ

Michael Macko and everyone at Saks Fifth Avenue

Finally, thanks to everyone that allowed me to take their photos and played along ,in good nature, while people all around the world dissected your style choices of the day.