The Sartorialist

This is a photo of my Great-uncle Frank’s former girlfriend taken in the early 1930s on my Great grandfather’s ranch in Sun Valley, CA. I “borrowed” this photo from my Grandpa about 5 years ago so I could take it to my hair stylist for inspiration for a new haircut. I don’t know anything about this woman other than she dated a family member and she liked to ride motorcycles, my Grandpa was only about 7 around this time so he doesn’t remember much about her. Still I love this picture and everything the girl on the bike embodies.
I?m used to walk in the small markets of antique dealers and I found this pictures.
I paid attention to it as I liked the woman personality, riding the bike in an unusual or not so femenin way for the times it was done, but at the same time because she appears kind of ?daring? style.

Rinse your blond child’s hair in dead champagne to keep its gold as they do in France?

Thanks to everyone that submitted a photo for the contest!

I thought we might get a few hundred entries but we ended up with over 2,200 submissions.

We’ve all enjoyed the images and related stories. No matter who gets the book I think we were all winners.

If you like, continue to send vintage photos to this email address sartorialistcontest@gmail.com (and only to that email address)

The date is January 3, 1954. Pictured in the center is my grandfather Yukio (known to me as Ji-chan, Japanese for Grandpa). My dad (pictured on left) is 9 here, his brother a couple years older. The three of them are getting ready to leave Japan for the first time and emigrate to California. My Japanese-American grandmother (born/raised in Calif.) had earlier left her family in Japan in order to find a job, a place to live, and get settled here. Then she sent over for her husband and kids to come and join her in the States.

This photo of Ji-chan reminds me of a Japanese Indiana Jones with the leather jacket and fedora, ready to go on an adventure in a far-off land. He always looked sharp when he went out.

Ji-chan was always a bit of a mystery to me as there was a language barrier (he spoke only Japanese) and he was a quiet man. But I really loved him. He would sneak behind my grandmother’s back and smoke cigarettes in the garage or in the car. I’d always laugh at him becuase it was so obvious. He would awe me with his yo-yo tricks. When I was little I’d hold his hands and he would let me step on his toes while he’d walk around the house. And he was a highly regarded gardener in the Japanese community and won awards for his amazing bonsai plants. He was in his backyard garden, sitting at a chair next to a little table tending to one of his mini-tress when he passed away when I was 14. When my grandmother discovered him she thought that he was simply taking a nap because he looked so peaceful.

When I saw the pictures of my graceful compatriot on your site, I felt the urge to send some of my most cherished family photos too, those of my paternal grandmother Theresa Moreira Reis. She was born in 1903 in Recife, Northern Brazil, daughter to the city’s most sought-after tailor. Politicians and other affluent people were part of his clientele, and her father’s work influenced her sense of style throughout her life. Grandma Theresa was congenitally chic, and unpretentiously glamorous before fashion was in fashion. Her European taste in dressing must have made her stand out there and then.

Paint a map of the world on all four walls of your boys’ nursery so they won’t grow up with a provincial point of view?

For me, this shot is all about wearing color in a bland colorless city.

Look how she explodes out of the background griege of it all.

Again I don’t really think this is about these specific clothes but about the idea of color in a black and white world.

The man to the second right is my great uncle Bernard – the one holding an old-fashioned megaphone. Our family photo album is full of photographs of him with his friends horsing around. He was evidently a popular and outgoing man in his youth. We estimate this picture was taken in the 1930s, before he joined the Air Force and fought in World War 2. He travelled widely and even on holiday his signature style was present: a striped polo shirt and blazer with pocket square, and baggy trousers tucked into socks. I especially love that Bernard and his friend are wearing mary-jane sandals since it is a typically feminine style, but looking at this photo I can imagine them coming back as a menswear trend.
The photo I

Thanks for your input about the Celine inspiration book contest and for so many good ideas!

There was no real story included with either of these photos….but they are still fantastic!!

In the picture is captured my father, it dates 1978. The shot was done in St. Petersburg (Russia). A few years ago, while looking through
family photo albums i found this picture of my father and asked him to tell me something about it. He told me a little story about the jeans
he is pictured in. As it was a Soviet Union (USSR) times a lot of things were banned and jeans were not an exception. My father told me
that jeans were shipped from outside the USSR countries by marines and sold on the ?Black Market?. The price of the jeans my father is
wearing in the picture was $250, when his salary, during that period, was $280 a month. I always feel excited listening to my parent’s
memories about this non-repeatable period of time, and it really amazes me how people with such a modest resources managed to be
stylish.

Please find attached a photo of my grandfather and a friend from 1939. My grandfather, Sidney Foulkes, is in the dark polo neck on the left.
He sent this image to my grandmother just after they had begun courting and they had to wait till the end of the war till they were married
Here you can find my grandfather and some friends. He was born in 1908 ! in Valencia, Spain and later come to live in Barcelona.

This image comes from a collection of old photographs that belonged to my great-grandmother. It was taken sometime in the 1920s in a small country town in Australia. The subjects were family friends, most likely farmers or labourers with very little money. I particularly enjoy the individuality in the way they wear their hats.

This picture dates back to 1937, before Vietnam was invaded by the Japonese, the beginning of a war state that would last more than 30 years.
It may have been taken in Cap Saint Jacques, a fashionable resort were a mixed society – meaning the French and the locals – fled the heat from Saigon.
Amongst his numerous children – he finally had 11 – my grandfather had picked that day my 2 years old daddy, with his nanny, for his first fishing lesson.
I never knew my Vietnamese grandfather who died in 1975, since my father, after completing his studies in France and marrying my French mother in the 50′s, never went back to Vietnam.
According to my father’s telling, he had a very bad temper, spoiled by the use of opium, and spent his time hunting, fishing and collecting orchids. A long gone way of living.

I have sent you some pics of my Dad who simply embodies the essence of Southern California style. Being a 5th generation Californian, I have always been in entranced the beautiful beach boy and girl myth and I love this picture. The West Coast really does have the sunshine and a certain style of it’s own, No?

To me, my grandmother, Fran

this photo is of my grandma when she was twentyeight, in 1937. She was walking through the streets of Ostia, a little town by the sea near Rome. I was amazed discovering her simple, perfect and sophisticated style. She had a great class in style as well as in manners. Loook at the shoes!!! And the way she carried her bag. I was deeply moved by this image because I remember her having great difficulties in walking in her last years. So this is my omage to nonna Rosina who could have been a fashion icon
This is my beautiful mother, Valeria Perojo Frias, born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba on March 23, 1926. This photograph was taken sometime in the mid to late 1940′s. I believe she was at a christening of a friend’s child in Havana. She was an amazing and inspirational woman – making her way to the US with my father by way of Miami in late 1959, and ending up in New York City two years later, where I was born and raised. She was always a fashionista and had that amazing aura that exuded beauty, charm and grace. And boy could she pose for a picture, eh? She always will be my very own personal style icon

Here’s a photo of my boyfriend’s grandfather Papa Joe, who just had his 80th birthday last month. Papa Joe is such a generous, open-minded, and most humorous person. I’ve known him for many years and look up to him as my second dad. Papa Joe loves golfing everyday and stays very healthy. My favorite thing he does is when he twists his huge oversized vintage red diamond ring on his finger (which he won from a poker game when he was young) when he tells us a story; and he always ends the story in an unexpected humorous way. He used to sew and he still has his sewing machine in his room. Last month I stumbled across some photos on his sewing/computer table and was surprised to see this side of him. I totally fell in love with this photo and I am so glad I could share this with my favorite fashion blog. I love how he layered simple elegant clothes with a pop of funky polka dots scarf and tie. And most of all, I love the style of the photography (I am a photographer myself!). Hope you enjoy this photo too!

This is one of my favorite, he’s my fiance’s grandfather, Dr.Vittorio Mel

May I introduce you to my Texas Grandma, Charlene Beck, I liken her in my mind to a cross between Rosie the Riveter and Bonnie Parker. This image of her was taken in the 1950′s on a road trip from Texas to Tennessee by my Papa, Henry Beck, whom you can see in the reflection of the mirror. What is so inspirational about this image goes beyond the fabulous sense of style my grandmother had (and has still very much to this day). I mean, how cute does she look in her cuffed pants and rolled up sleeves with the scarf sweeping her shoulder?! If you look deeper you’ll realize she is a woman in the 50′s wearing men’s jeans, something women did not do in small town USA back then. She was a style trailblazer, not letting the fact she is a woman stop her from wearing what she wants, when she wants. The outfit in present day is not shocking but I think we can still appreciate her sense of style and take inspiration in that freedom she so boldly stood for back then with what we choose to wear today. Just a side note on this photograph ? if you ask my Grandma about it she likes to point out the fact that she’s at least drinking milk so no one gets the impression she’s as bad as she looks… I think anyone can see why she is my hero.

I found this image packed away in my grandfather’s army trunk along with old valentines, pictures of Europe, his family on the farm and mementos from his life after he passed away in the 90′s.

ps keep the photos comong. Almost 800 enteries now.
All weekend I will be posting more images from the contest.

We already have over 300 entries!
The photos and stories are fabulous…thank you!
Here is just one of the entries I loved

Hi Dear Scott,

The idea of the contest is amazing, that’s why I felt encouraged to send 3 pictures (in different mails) of my father, Jorge Vargas de Andrade.
This one here is my favourite, but I think the others complement this one and the three give a whole idea of his sense of style.
He was born in 1921 and I believe this picture was taken when he was in his twenties. I am a child of his second marriage, so this image is somehow very far from the man I knew.
Despite being from a failed family from the elite of Rio de Janeiro, he has never lost his elegance. What I like most about his looks is his natural style, with a bit of an edge, very effortless and not too worried to show off. For me the way he dressed was part of the charming person he was and the bon-vivant he would become in the following years.

Yours sincerely,
Isabella

When I opened the new Italian Vogue my mouth almost dropped to the floor.

New York’s own Rodeo Bar & Grill featured in an editorial shot by Steven Meisel!

Dries is still the best!

Did you see this article about Prada and Mr. Bertelli in The Wall Street Journal Magazine this weekend?

Very good but too short.

I would have loved for the writer to really dig deeper into the vision Mr. Bertelli has for the future of Prada.

I’m not into “conspiracy theories” but Mr.Bertelli bought and basically destroyed his nearest competition in Jil Sander and Helmut Lang. Some “analyst” think it was a huge debit-creating mistake on his part but I think it was genius to remove them from his retail/wholesale playing field.

I mean…if you can’t beat’em, buy’em!
and then get rid of the namesake…and then sell them again!….Genius!

…with the Celine Inspiration Book Give Away

The last two seasons Phoebe Philo/Celine created beautiful inspiration books that were placed on the seats of each person attending the fashion show. I assume these books are reasonably rare since I don’t think you can get them in the shops or anywhere else.

Of course not everyone took their book so Garance and I picked up a few of the extras for you, but we can’t figure out how to get them to you.

A contest?

A Ebay auction for charity?

A raffle?

Instead of letting another season go by without getting these books into the hands of real Celine/fashion fans, I thought we should just ask you for ideas.

The trick is to create something that can have everyone participate (like yesterdays “versus” post) AND be able to identify and verify the winners (not so easy)

Remember that the least complicated ideas are the best for everyone involved.

PS just to be clear…the ideas do not have to relate to Celine at all

Last week I held a casting for “real girls” to be featured in an advertising project.

The young ladies that showed up were so cool I thought I’d share some of my reference photos.

Most of the reactions I heard were that Celine was what a woman wanted to be. Louis Vuitton was the woman a man wanted to be with.

So I ask you.

Women – Would you rather be the Celine woman or the Louis Vuitton woman?
Men – Which woman would you rather be with, the Celine woman or the Louis Vuitton woman?

photos from Style.com

So some of you have asked why I post these videos on my blog.

Easy, I think Garance work is great and I did some of the filming on these videos.

I probably shot 25% of the material on the video but Garance and Chris did all the heavy lifting on editing, music, etc.

Now that I know how to focus my camera correctly while filming I will be including more videos that Garance and I shoot together.

Video compliments of Garance Dor

Watch for a theme

Watch for a theme.

I love how Milanese gentlemen move like they are the star of their own film.

Such swagger. Such intrigue.

This isn’t about fashion or even style but about creating an impact on the viewer.

A visual seduction.

Mr. Barbera (some men just seem to command the title Mr., anyway) is one of the most elegant gentlemen I know. Of course he always looks great but it’s his manners and his manner that really set him apart.

Manners and grace are soooo important to great style. Would Cary Grant be Cary Grant without his grace? I’m telling you guys, women really notice that stuff.

Anyone know of a good book on manners for gentleman and young men? One that’s actually modern and reflective of today’s society. I’m not kidding but I saw one for young girls done by American Girl and I thought it was great. I’m buying it for my girls for their birthdays (I already know the response it will get but, I’m doing it anyway…they’ll thank me later).

While we were walking together Mr. Barbera kept stopping to emphasize a point he was making in the conversation. Usually this was done with very emphatic but graceful hand gestures (like any good Italian). Though I was listening closely to what he was saying, I was also looking closely at his gloves!

Garance has been on me about not buying so many new clothes and instead wearing the clothes I have if I want them to age gracefully. While I was shooting Mr. Barbera I was wearing a pair of slightly darker brown pecari leather gloves and I kept thinking to myself….”My gloves are going to look just like that in about two years.” Of course, about an hour later, I lost them in a taxi on the way to the Gucci show!

Take note gentlemen, this is not that hard to do but very rewarding.