The Sartorialist

I think it is only a matter of time before we start seeing more below-the-knee coats.

The real trick to getting the right fit is not really the length of the coat but how it fits at the shoulders. A correct fit at the shoulder will be essential to keep from looking overwhelmed in a larger coat.

However, some people look for that feeling of cocooning that a giant coat can offer, like we see here and here.

This is the third “Lunch for 25,” and it just keeps getting more fun. You’ll see some familiar faces, some new faces, and a wrinkle at the end.

Cheers!

My best new post ideas always come from  trying to solve a personal issue.  ”If You’re Thinking About” , “Vintage Photos”, “Style Profiles” and “SartoriaLIST” all came from that same process.

Recently I came to grips with how much time I would save shopping online more often.  Finally many of my favorite shops (mostly European) are now offering international shipping and the option to shop the site in English.

So, instead of keeping these sites to myself I will start sharing them with a new feature called “Shopping Online”.   I hope this helps the Sartorialists in cities that don’t have an Aspesi, or Boggi or Tod’s.

The first item I have to share with you is the Lambrettone Parka by Aspesi.  It was easily one of my best additions of the season.  Most of the photographs shot during snowy Milan Fashion Week were taken wearing this parka (except  when Garance wasn’t stealing it to wear in her videos.)

The reason I’m telling you about a parka just as spring is about to pop is that when the lining is removed the parka transforms into the perfect lightweight parka/windbreaker.  The overall weight of the coat (with lining) is a little on the heavy side but it makes up for it body coverage and warmth.

I only hope that they will soon offer this coat in both black and navy.

I thought this was such a great play on the mixing of textures, scale, color and proportion.  If the knit was much longer it would have given her a more square, boxy look.  Getting the inward curve of the high hip gives the eye a smaller line to look at around the waist. Basically, a well proportioned knit can can drop inches off your waistline.   

Fashion and vintage photographs! what more could I ask for in a book.

You can find this book on Amazon.

As much as I love my Aldens, my Church’s and my Tod’s, I have to admit, I love these Nike AF1 just as much.

Like a great cordovan wing tip, these Nikes only get better looking with age. I feel sad it’s almost time to pack them away until next October.

I’m not a sneaker guy so these may be AF1 but also they could be Nike Air Royals Premium Mids. I’ve heard that I could potentially have these remade (maybe same leather as AF1?) at the Nike shop down on Mercer Street, can anyone confirm that?

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Premieres tomorrow, March 26.

I’m seeing Birkenstocks and socks everywhere! The new editorial in Vogue Paris, Garance’s blog, and the new J.Crew catalog! I love the idea for men or women. I might have to breakdown and get a pair myself.

To get the look right, it’s not really about the model of shoe but really about matching it to the right sock.

The look is really only made for the months of October, November, April or May, so move fast.

The Sartorialist: Lunch for 25, Edition III premieres on Tuesday, March 26.

Remember there other day when I told you how cool it was to see Gianluca wearing his old school Loden coat (or this guy)? Well it seems the young ladies are now getting into the act. Apparently there is even a fashion version now!   

Street Art based on old street-style photographs at  the corner of Rue Charlot and Rue Bretagne, Paris.

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This is another one of the new crop of fashion editors that I love to shoot. I love her haircut and consistent, understated style. I think she is a great reference for young professional women.  

I couldn’t recommend a book more than this companion set of books about the life and work of Chuck Close. First of all, I think Chuck Close is an amazing artist and his personal story is one of continuous challenges and triumphs.

It was so fun reading the “biography” and being able to reference additional works from that period in the “art” book;  I wish more publishers would follow this example.

Premieres Tuesday, March 26.

Current public opinion seems to state that all fashion editors have unlimited amounts of cash and access to the closets of any designer collection in the world.

That’s simply not true.

There have always been and always will be cool young ladies making the most of the wardrobe they have earned.  Regardless of how much they spend on their clothes, it’s young ladies like Enrica Ponzellini who initially drew me to shoot at fashion week and keep me coming back every season.

This week I will introduce you to some of my favorite unsung fashion stars; young ladies that continue to inspire me and will hopefully inspire you.

Find more of their products at The Bureau Belfast.

I think there’s something so charming about the dark quirkiness of these young ladies at the Marni show in Milan.  

Where are the dreamers?      Where are the dreamers???

I wasn’t shocked by the comments regarding this photo, but I’m always surprised by how many people see the world in black or white, yes/no, or just give me the facts.

The USEFUL fashion or style information in this shot is totally irrelevant.

However, her style in this photograph totally sets the stage for the dream you can create around this image.

So sue me, I’m a dreamer!

Want to know what I see when I look at this image?

A real life Eliza Doolittle (apparently RJT and E. Lentini had the same dream).

Can’t you imagine this young girl (starving artist, i.e. a young Patti Smith in Just Kids) living in a drafty, cold-water flat, in the most dangerous neighborhood of Paris. She can’t risk catching the attention of the men in that quarter so she cocoons herself during her commute to an entry-level position at a chic but dusty antiquarian bookshop in the Palais Royal?

She carries her one nice pair of shoes in a bag to keep them from wearing out too quickly. Every morning before work she has the cheapest coffee and croissant she can find and then uses the café toilet to slip out of her warm cocoon to become the butterfly of the bookshop.

Yes, it’s a silly, overly-romantic little fantasy but it’s all I see when I take or look at a photo like this. Facts and reality mean nothing to me in a case like this or this.

I love the cut of those jeans (fuller thigh, tapered to ankle) and that the small cuff doesn’t add too much visual weight around the ankles.

Finally, a passive aggressive passport cover!

This book was another no brainer! I have so many Picasso books (I loved his style and charisma in photos,) so to have a book about his tailor is a great addition to the library.

Unfortunately it’s written in Italian, but that’s ok because I will only look at the pictures and make up my own stories anyway.

Seems like you can find this book through second-hand sellers on Amazon.

While I was at Pitti Uomo, Angelo conducted a conference called Vestirsi da Uomo (Dress Like a Man). It was one of the best-dressed conferences I’d ever seen.

I’m used to seeing Angelo look fantastic in a suit, but it was unusual and super cool to see Gianluca in dreads and a tie.

I’m dying for these all-leather New Balance 991 that I saw in the window at Eral55 in Milan.

I heard from the New York store on Fifth Ave. that they were a limited-run shoe and will back in stock soon.

Anyone have more info on these?

The exhibit this month at 10 Corso Como blew me away. The work of Milanese photographer Alfa Castaldi is simple, honest and full of humanity. The early work centered around Bar Jamaca in Milan during the 1950′s is my favorite.

I loved the shot of the girl looking out of a rainy window so much I had to buy it. It’s  the type of image I love to see in the morning before I go out to shoot. It  reminds how strong a simple moment can feel on film.

Corso Como 10

20154 Milano

www.10corsocomo.com

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We’re switching up the posts today. Because I love the 4 p.m. shot so much, I wanted it to live at the top of the blog for longer than two hours.

I’ve been wearing, almost exclusively, cotton shirts for so long I can’t even remember the last time I had such a silk-ish shirt. I remember rayon was big in the 80′s so maybe it’s been that long.

I thought this one by Christophe Lemaire at The Broken Arm in Paris was very cool.  (more about the great new shop The Broken Arm very soon.)

I love Impressionism and I love photography, so this book was a no brainer.

If I was patient I would have waited to get back to New York and order it on Amazon; but I’m not, and books like this are perfect for the long flight back after fashion week.

I just think this guy always looks so cool, and yet he does it with such simple items. George Cortina has also always been a master of this chic simplicity.

Today, by coincidence, I was looking for an old image and found the first shot of this gentleman back from 2008.

I’ve often said that personal style is about consistency; this man has great personal style.

I really enjoy Instagram and the unique, immediate, and visual way it helps us communicate, but the whole advertising controversy kinda killed my buzz for it.

I want to get back to that kind of image sharing but it takes a certain constant mental/visual awareness to do it correctly, so I want to pick the right platform.

I love the audience that I’ve already built at Instagram, but are there other formats like Instagram that you guys love?

Ok guys, I think we’ve gotten a little carried away with the arm-full-of-bracelets trend.  If one is good, seven is not seven times better.

I’ve never seen Angelo wear so much color!

I think he’ll break Spring early from sheer force of style.

I love that this shot captures a moment and a moment that’s just about to happen.

I’ll be honest, I don’t really wear ties that much. It’s not part of my lifestyle. I’m a little bit jealous of the guys who do get to wear ties – not for the sake of wearing a tie itself, but for the fun of the morning ritual of putting together a shirt/tie/suit combination.

However, I keep seing super chic gentlemen bypassing the tie for the more relaxed and modern scarf/bandana. As you can see in both of these pictures, it elevates a classic, understated look by adding just the right amount of color and pattern.

Who said understated menswear had to be boring?

Mr. Kurino (images below) is a master of this look.

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Snowy morning in New York City today,  perfect time to get some fresh inspiration from a recent snowy morning in Milan.

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Mr. Tommy Ton is wearing the nameplate from his seat at the Chanel show.

Notice anything funny about that nameplate?

Right by the market of Les Enfants Rouges in the area of Le Marais in Paris, Fabien Breuvart, photographer and collector, owns this little and charming store.

You can find photographs from daguerreotypes to the lasts polaroids of the 80′s, all of them by unknown photographers from all over the world.

It’s a great place to get lost.

35-37 rue Charlot

75003 Paris

www.imagesetportraits.fr

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For men, there’s a way to wear color that doesn’t scream “I’m wearing color!”

This image from Paris is a great example.

Tomorrow I’ll have another great example, this time from Milan.

This might be my favorite shot of the season.

This is when being in the right place at the right time (and seeing the possibility of the shot before you even lift the camera) really pays off.

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Hot off the runway…. let’s discuss!

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In this shot Simone wears a “coat suit” – literally a suit made of trousers and a coat instead of a traditional jacket. Even the gentleman next to Simone is wearing a version of a “coat suit”.

Maybe it’s time for this?

For someone whose lifestyle includes constantly running around the city, both indoors and outdoors, this might be a better answer.

Read the rest of this entry »

I really love the idea of this dotted, net top from the Julien David Fall/Winter 2013 show.

It could layer over almost anything (flannel shirt?) and help take that item/look to another level.

It actually almost feels more like an accessory than an item of clothing.

For the home sewers this seems like an easy add.

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