The Sartorialist

One of my favorite guys in Milano.

This is an excellent example of how to wear brown and grey.

Both Gianpaolo and Lino always make a jacket seem young.

…here are photos from my first full-on editorial shoot. You might remember back in June I wrote about this British Elle shoot while i was doing it and here are the results.
I’m really happy with the results and that it still looks very much like my work.

Anyway, thanks again for all the beautiful comments about the two year anniversary!

ok, now less typing and more shooting

So I wanted to have more shots tonight but this rain is completely mental!! (sorry, I have have been watching too much Extras on DVD )
anyway weather is better tomorrow and i should have more to post (stupid rain)

btw, it is The Sartorialist two year anniversary today!

I can’t articulate (I am rarely articulate) how much the community here has meant to me and this blog ,so again, thanks!
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running to Fendi

I will post some more shots around 4 pm New York time

I have written a lot about the “proper” amount of cuff to show with a suit.

If your neck and face can handle it, I also love a dramatic amount of collar over a jacket.

Again it is all in relation to your size but it does really finish off a look.

I wish I had a better shot of this but when i look at this image all I can see is that great collar.

I don’t know how he executes this so well but he has on a white cotton shirt (visible only at the cuffs) under his black turtleneck.

I also love the extreme bravado of his pocket square/

The tux stripe on his pants were a jewely, sparkly something. Quite cool and reflective in the setting sunlight.

It seems every season I see a Burberry runway look with a cardigan or trench worn open with a belt holding it in place. I always think it looks great but I hardly ever see anyone doing on the street.

This young lady ,however, has done it in a really great, natural way.

I also like how she is transitioning her summer wardrobe into early Fall.

I almost want to describe this as a very “well-tailored casual” look but to call it tailored doesn’t seem right. It is not tailored but just “well-proportioned” or “well-fitted”
The jacket length is good, the sleeve lengths are good (if not a little fashion-forward) and the jeans are slim but not tight.

So often we call casual is actually just sloppy.

This takes “casual” to higher level.

So this is exactly how I saw her as I arrived at the Thakoon show.

Back on her heels like that, perfectly relaxed

As I approach her, she sees me and knows I want to take her picture.

I don’t want her to move a muscle so I have to start saying “don’t move…don’t move…don’t move …that is perfect” which , of course, makes her laugh.

A split second, a timeless image.

This is one of the most shockingly perfect covers i have ever seen. I hate to gush but wow!

Recently i discussed the VF Best Dressed List, though I wasn’t a big fan of the VF list I have to say that the GQ list of 50 “Most Stylish Men” is very good. The choices are well done and the images chosen to illustrate those choices are superb.

ok, enough GQ for the day

GQ had it’s 50th anniversary party last night in New York and what a bash!!

Kanye West performed a private show that rocked (would “rocked” be correct for hip-hop singing?)

I didn’t bring my regular camera because I just wanted to have fun but once the show started the photographer in me took over and I broke out the cellphone camera.

Anyway, the cover of the Oct GQ that I got is really cool.
It has an old image of Paul Newman which is shocking in it’s perfection.
I’m asking if I can scan it and post it today.
I’m telling you, it will be the first thing you see this month when you walk into Barnes & Noble or Kroger’s (Indy Supermarket) or any newsstand.

The old covers and review of the last fifty years inside is really incredible – it would have been perfect beach reading or long plane trip to Europe reading!

This look could have veered off into dowdy or made her look older than she is but I think she did a great job finding the right size and accessories to make this so chic and sophisticated.
I length it all rides on the length of the dress and the narrowness of the shoulders that creates the right proportion .

Carine Roitfeld and Olivier Lalanne asked me to shoot Fall ’08 sunglasses for Vogue Homme International on real men that I found on the streets of New York.

On the second day of shooting I almost fell over when I saw this guy crossing Madison Ave. wearing that tee.

What a perfect thing to wear for a shot of sunglasses.

Anyway, this is my favorite shot of that story that will be available here in the US any day now.

I’m kinda done with skinny jeans but i love how his seem to sprout up out of his rugged boots.

So, I knew Rodarte was good but I didn’t realize they were THIS good.

They hit the mark on almost every element I look for in good design – color, pattern, texture, construction and design details. It was easily the most sophisticated and refined collection I saw all season. I was talking to Sarah from Colette afterwards and she also seemed equally thrilled.

I have even more respect for this collection because I personally know how difficult it is for a young designer to actually physically create such an intricate collection on a limited budget.

Often young designers can conceive great work on paper or in their heads but to find a workroom (an outside contract workroom at that) to physically create those designs (on a usually limited budget) can be the most challenging aspect of the entire design process.

So which collection did you enjoy most?

Of course, the images above are borrowed from the fine and handsome photographers at Style.com

Having developed a well-defined personal style doesn’t mean never evolving that style.

How often have we seen someone who “found their look” in their 20′s or 40′s and have never really changed it since then.

I took the photo (bottom) of Terron about one year ago, I love how he has retained the very sophisticated nature of his “look” while still updating and trying something new.

Lets not make this about “I liked him more before…..or after” this post is not about that. it is about not been afraid to evolve and not letting yourself get stuck in a style rut.

Robert Aldrich of Zegna

I knew I liked this look but I was trying to figure out how to explain why this looks so much better than most tech-support guys that also wear a polo and khakis.

Then I realized/remembered that almost all menswear revolves around two essential elements – fit and proportion.

I love the slim, shorter pants with the 1 3/4 cuff and the Gucci loafers ( actually, more important than the shoes being “Gucci” is that they are perfectly worn-in for this look)

I also really like the slim (but not tight) cut of the polo.

But the detail i can’t stop “looking at/wanting to buy” is the high side-vent on the polo. (Clicking on the image will enlarge it so you can see it better)

Apparently the polo is a vintage Fred Perry from the 50′s and the vents were just cut that way back then.

I love high-vents (I know, goofy thing to love right?) – on polos. jackets, whatever…..it seems like such an old school detail that it has come full-circle and seems really forward now.

I wonder if a higher vent creates a lengthening effect for a petite man such as myself? I think it would because a shorter vent ,like they had in the Sixties, would tend to make me look stubby (and I don’t need any additional stubby or huskiness)

When I was growing up I always wanted to be a designer.

Of course, every designer’s dream is to one day have the cover of WWD after their runway show.

Well, as it turns out, I was a photographer not a designer but today the ad campaign that I shot for Lucky magazine wraps the cover of WWD!

You know what? That works for me just as well.

please don’t feel you have to leave a comment, I just wanted to share that funny little thing.

Notice on the pants how the repeat of the print is cut alternating on each leg – that really breaks up the pattern nicely.

I am going to have to seriously reconsider this look when I’m putting together my wardrobe for next summer.

I love the fun factor of the shorts and the overall pattern mixing.

Don’t forget that if you click on any image it will appear larger in a new window.

I think it is a law that every rule is made to be broken.

So, if you are going to wear your sleeves too long then do it with conviction like this gentleman.

I also love the vintage spectator shoes.

In addition to the announcements from the other day I also wanted to announce my first ad campaign that I shot recently for Lucky magazine.

The whole experience was really great and I was really happy that Lucky let me use “real” girls (some you will recognize from this blog) and their real clothes for the shoot. Because I wanted to shoot it my my usual way I made the hair and make-up people stand around the corner while I was shooting. I told them it was so the young lady would feel more comfortable but it was more for me.

The images will appear over the next few weeks in various magazines and newspapers and websites so keep your eyes open for them.

Anyway, enough announcements for a while – fashion week is really kicking off today and the dust is settling for the new changes here so lets get back to normal at The Sartorialist!

For more New York Fashion Week womens images please checkout guest blog at Style.com

For more New York Fashion Week mens images please checkout guest blog at Men.Style.com

Danny is one of the tailors at Duncan Quinn. when I saw how great he looked in his suit I asked who measured him for the fit? he said “I did”.

Can’t you just imagine him measuring himself for his own suit.

I promise I will soon do another post with Danny to go over his view on how to get measured for a custom suit.

I have been really busy this summer and a lot of those efforts are now big announcements.

1. I have signed a contract with CondeNet allowing them to handle ad sales for my blog.

I have lasted two years with no ads but Condenet is a great partner (an industry leader) that will be able to deliver advertisers that work within the spirit of this blog. I resisted ads for two years because i didn’t want to do Google ads or have to hunt for ads myself which would have taken me away form my top priority if shooting on the street. This money will help me with more self-funded trips to places like South America, more of Northern Europe and Asia (just to name a few). Also it will allow me to hire someone that can keep up on computer-based projects like “The Shopping Guide” and “The SartoriaList” while I ,again, can fully focus on shooting. NetaPorter.com will be the first advertiser starting on or about Sept. 6th.

2. I have signed with Jed Root which is one of the top international agencies for fashion photographers, stylist. hair and make-up etc.
I am really excited to be in the same agencies as established star photographers such as Michael Thompson, Diego Uchitel, Koto Bolofo.
Up to now I have paid the bills with a mix of special projects and editorials which have been very time consuming. Now working with the team at Jed Root I will be able to work on editorials and ads that fit my style and schedule while leaving the paperwork, etc to the team so I can continue to shoot.

3. I will also be working with Danziger Projects to handle print sales and exhibits. Again, I am super excited to be in such an elite group of artists. Chuck Close is amazing and I am honored to be in his company. I have been working on prints lately and if you like the quality of the images on the blog then you will love the print quality because it is even better.

I have two or three other projects still in work that I might be able to announce soon.

I just want to thank everyone for their support over the last two years. When i started The Sartorialist I thought it would be fun to put up photos for people to look at but I had not really thought that we would create such a great space to communicate our inspirations, thoughts, and dreams.

I love that icy palette of blue with her pale skin and red hair.

You can tell where young models are going for a castings because they will be outside the building switching out of their walking shoes and into their heels. Notice her sandals in the left background.

This week New York fashion week begins, followed quickly by Milan and Paris.
I will try to make a quick trip through London on the way to Milan.

Doesn’t this look like the cast of an early 90′s Merchant Ivory film?
I think it would be so fun to come up with the plot of this movie and its characters.