The Sartorialist

Is there such a thing as the right amount of cuff to show when wearing a sweater? I feel a good inch works for me.

I arrived in Berlin yesterday and I am so impressed!

I was expecting to be disappointment in the Berlin hype or that it would be a one-note hipster heaven but I have been pleasantly surprised by the layers of style here.

I got a lot of greater shots yesterday in Berlin and will start posting them tomorrow along with images from Munich, and Koln.

Today (Saturday and Sunday) I will go to Hamburg and then return to Berlin for Monday and Tuesday.

One very nice surprise is how many great little shops are in Berlin. Anyone that has ever shopped with me knows I am very picky about stores because I had to deal with so many of them for 15 years working in Sales & Marketing for several designers.

In Berlin the shop owners have somehow figured out how to mix sweet and tough in just the right amounts. I have taken pictures in quite a few stores so i will be posting them this coming week.

I have a new friend and her name is Berlin.

My GQ page from Antwerp just hit the stands in the US so I thought today I would run some of the other Antwerp photos.

This is the coolest old school glove store in Antwerp – maybe anywhere.
The gloves are still hand-made and are available in six sizes.

Could you imagine actually going to school in this building?

I think it would be a bit distracting but in a good way.

A cream colored vest under a navy suit – one of those pleasant surprises I seem to keep seeing in Milan.

This man is about 5′ 4″ and I would have thought that adding a contrast color vest would chop up his length too much but he looks great. I think it is because he has such a defined waist on the jacket.

This ii easily one of my favorite looks from this trip.

This gentleman is a bespoke tailor in Milan, his shop is on Via Gesu. I hope to feature more of him in the future,
maybe a conversation with him and Gianfranco Ferre on the challenges of dressing as related to size.

Mr. Barbera is truly one of the style stars of our time

I love how this woman (who is not a teenager) can wear a young-ish look and not make it seem like she is trying to look too young.

The Ed Meier store in Munich is one of those stores that is sooo old fashion and traditional that it is actually kinda cool. The “cool stores” with ironic tees and skinny jeans are a dime a dozen in most cities but a store like this really stands out. The best elements were the traditional Bavarian clothing and the old-school hiking shoes.

With that said the only thing I saw in the store that I really loved and wanted to buy were these colorful shoe shine brushes.
Am I the only one that has never seen colored shoe shine brushes?
What a great Christmas present or even better- a Graduation gift.

I could just see the Dad telling the son “Son, you are a man now so shine your shoes”

Any Guesses?

Love the vest – so cool and fitted
I also love how slim the sleeves of his jacket are cut and the extreme cuff he is showing – it is almost aggressive.

If you are in London today check The Daily Telegraph because I think Jefferson Hack is using this photo and writing a small amount about The Sartorialist in his new menswear column ” Delusions of Grandeur”

Again, Milan is a city that celebrates Men & Women not just hipster boys and girls.

I never officially announced it but The Sartorialist has been given a great honor.

My blog has been named to Time Magazine’s list of 100 Top Design Influencers which appears in its new Style & Design issue.

It came out on April 13th but I still have not seen the issue so it doesn’t quite feel real yet.

As I write this I am sitting in a little local coffee shop in Koln, Germany.
Notice that the title of the photo is MeKoln not MyColon (two completely different kinds of camera)
I shot in Munich the last two days, Koln today and tomorrow, Berlin and Hamburg next, then on to Sweden.
The weather has been great if a little warm and everyone has been very nice.
I have been very careful not to jaywalk while on this trip!

The color was even more electric than i was able to capture

I have often thought about buying some white jeans but never follow through because Levi’s 501′s in white make me look way too square.

They are too snug in the thigh and too wide in the ankle.

The white pants (which wear like jeans) in the photo above are perfect for most men. Cut slightly more full in the thigh and slightly tapered to the ankle. They look much more flattering – as you can see.

This gentleman wrote the name of the pants on a business card for me but it is lost in my pile of receipts. I will update as soon as I find it – and no, the didn’t say Dockers

Hard but rewarding to find shorts that are even remotely refined. Notice this waistband closure – it makes a big difference.

Really, just the best

I think this week will be one of my best ever on The Sartorialist!

I already have a weeks worth of posts ready to go and they cover a great range of styles, ages, and price levels.

I should be able to do two posts each morning and two in the evening.

The Salone del Mobile was great and provided some great shots that i will post here and on Wallpaper*.com.

I can’t wait to share the photos with you.

Now for my “The Sartorialist Tour Of Germany” for German Vanity Fair.

I will update a few photos from Germany this week and next.

Scott

Note that the shoes are navy.

I am here in Milan this week shooting the Salone del Mobile for an upcoming issue of Wallpaper* magazine.
Above are just two examples of the kinds of looks I have been seeing during the exhibt.

Even though this guy is dressed casually he still retains a bit of refinement with the tiny monogram on his shirt.

I love seeing a guy that can do classics but still look cool and young doing it.

I think the key with this guys look is that the khakis are not cut so big in the legs – his pants were actually more jean cut. Notice also his pants are sitting higher on his waist which is often a much more flattering way to wear pants.

So many American were their jeans really low and it just accentuates a belly.

So, I am finally catching up with my shooting here in Milan. For the rest of the trip I should be posting on a pretty regular schedule.

The purple Tods(?) are just enough.

I might be wrong but I feel like a lot of the women here in NYC have been shopping for Spring over the last several weeks but the cold temps have been keeping them from breaking out their new purchases which is just killing them!
I have seen only a few young ladies( like the one above) who have successfully layered a Spring-ish dress, over tights and under a wool coat.
The forecast is for another week of this weather in NYC, luckily I’m headed to Milan where Spring has sprung!

Love the green shoes

I love the stripe on stripe here working with the dot tie. Again something that could be easily be considered overdone in a store display but actually works very well in real life.

I don’t remember or didn’t quite understand how she did it but this young lady (about a size 2) is wearing all Dior Homme.

I asked if she was seeing a reaction to Hedi leaving and she said people are buying the denim like collectors items.

She kinda looks like the young man they shot for this seasons Dior Homme advertising campaign, don’t you think?

I know it seems crazy that going sockless is a big deal in menswear but it is and doing it the right way is tricky.

Magazines and fashion shows always propose men go sockless in the summer but I do it right now , in the Spring, when the temps are between 45F and 70F.

Any hotter than 70F and my feet sweat too much but my feet don’t sweat at 50F or 60F and they don’t get cold either. I just wish my legs were already a tiny bit more tan.

For the Germany tour I will be visiting Munich, Cologne, Berlin and Hamburg.
in Sweden I will be in Stockholm

I have been busy finalizing a few really exciting trips that begin next week!

As it stands now

April 17th to 22nd
Milan Furniture Fair for Wallpaper* magazine

April 23rd to May 1st-ish
Tour Germany for German Vanity Fair

May 1st-ish to May 5th
Sweden for Style.com

Of course I will be updating my blog everyday as usual during this trip.

I think the Sweden and German section will be great
and the Milan section will be a different crowd than the fashion group I have shot there before

I will update this a little more later this week

Love all the elements and how they work together
-Purple tights
-Zebra!! Stripe Dress
-Navy 3/4 sleeve jacket
-green knit scarf & gloves

This is a shot of Michel from last June on Fifth Avenue.

I did my first “fashiony” shoot for GQ this past Saturday.

It was great – I had a trailer, permits, models, a wardrobe, catered lunch!

It has been cold all across the U.S. this past week and Saturday was no exception.

Considering that I was shooting a story for the June issue (a Fathers Day theme) ,of course, it had to be freezing outside while I was shooting. I think the high temperature got to the low 40′s. (it snowed a little the next day in NYC)

I had to be very careful not to shoot people in the background wearing winter coats or shooting a bunch of trees with no leaves on them.
I am very happy with the results but you will have to see for yourself in late May.

Father & Son – We used the younger of the these two handsome young men for the shoot.

I love how Mory often makes his suits seem more casual by layering a knit underneath.

Though I didn’t start out trying to shoot like August Sander I think I always had this image in the back of my mind when I started The Sartorialist.
I remember when I bought my first Sander book, I would look at this shot and wonder what that person was like, and why he was standing in such an empty street.
A fascinating photograph.

I have no idea where my career will go but I hope to create at least a few images like this along the way.

If you are not familiar with August Sander please click on the links below to learn more about him and his work.

Masters of Fine Art Photography

New York Metropolitan Museum : August Sander: People of the Twentieth Century
A Photographic Portrait of Germany

I think most women her size (I’m guessing about 5’1″) would probably pass right by a coat like this in a store. The fear of a coat with that much pleating and length would overwhelm their petite size would keep most from even trying it on.

Next time keep this young lady in mind.

I’m sure most of you can easily see that her trick is that she has tightly wrapped the belt of the coat around her waist twice creating a cummerbund effect. This clearly defines her waist & her overall shape.

I forgot to mention that….
YES, Karl did ask to see the photo I took of him!

After I took his photo he said “Let me see your masterpiece.”

Unfortunately whenever I tell someone the story Karl ends up sounding like Arnold Schwarzenegger. I can only do one German-esque accent, yes I know Arnold is not German, but that actually kinda goes with his Terminator outfit.

I was so psyched to have an article about my blog in the NY Post this past Sunday. Notice that I’m smiling in the photo! (much easier to do when not taking a self-portrait)

Here is a link to the article Shoot to Twill

I love the overall fit
I really love the way he has tied the belt back and how he has achieved that “fin-like” yoke on the coat back.
It is not the way he is standing, the “fins” just stay that way.