Unlikely Style Icons - Parisian Toddler

Dress You Up In My Love from Jak&Jill Blog

Is it wrong for someone (who is close to clocking up a quarter of a century!) to be both jealous and in awe of someone who could still (possibly) wet the bed? This stylish Parisian toddler was caught in all of his perfectly styled, sartorial glory by Tommy and ever since I saw it a couple of days ago I just can't get the image out of my head. I am green with envy because I just adore his jacket and have been on the hunt for something similar for some time. but to no avail. There is simply no way that you would see a child dressed anywhere near as stylish as this little chap anywhere other than Paris. I can assure you that despite my undoubted cuteness I partook in a vast number of social faux pas but that is all part and parcel of growing up for most of us. What do you make of this little chap, are you in awe like me or do you find it a little creepy?

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Messing around in the mirror

I know we posted images of this chap from garance doré only yesterday but the more we looked at the spread of images, the more we fell in love with this chap's style (EJ went as far as calling him her new BFF on the images alone!) and he certainly deserves additional attention. -we have been starved of interesting men's street style for sometime so lets celebrate our first piece of nourishment in weeks! The post yesterday concentrated on his glorious round tortoise shell spectacles but we just had to talk about his hair, here is a man who is not afraid to play around every morning in front of the mirror and style his hair in a way which suits his outfit that partticular day. EJ is constantly requesting that I change my hairstyle because I've been wearing it in more of less the same way for the last few years. Gio has inspired me to mix it up a little. Armed with an assortment of Bumble&Bumble styling products and a comb I decided to have a play around with an element of my style which has remained motionless as my sartorial choices have evolved. I present to you an animated gif (who needs fancy videos when you can say it all in a gif? teehee) of my hair adventures...hopefully it will inspire you to think a little more about how you will wear your hair tomorrow.

This might not look much but EJ will testify that messing with my hair (however small) takes me out of my comfort zone. I like talking about hair and hair styles, as long as it is other people's.

Are you adventurous when it comes to styling your locks? How often do you change your style?

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Through the looking glass

The stylish Giovanni as captured on garance doré - which for me is now the best street style site because the shots are just beautiful!

Gone are the days where we would be embarrassed to be seen in public wearing glasses, opting for contact lenses, squinting and/or blindness (depending upon the degree of sight). There has certainly been a great deal of attention afforded to spectacles in recent months (culminating in a spread on Spectacle in the latest issue of Fantastic Man) and rightly so. The circular frames as worn by Giovanni above are something very special indeed. My list to Santa includes a pair of tortoise shell frames and I know that EJ has expressed a matching desire to own a pair as well. These are the finest pair that I've seen for some time.

The function of frames is just not merely to suspend a pair of corrective lenses before the eyes of a myopic or the hyperopic but also to serve as a statement of style. These days, glasses are not just for seeing things that little bit clearer, but for adding clarity to a chaps style. Mankind has come along way from playgrounds filled with mobs chanting 'Four Eyes' just before beating up the latest victim of bespectacled bullying. We are now beginning to see glasses as more than just a handy aid for the visually impaired, they are an object which can make the wearer more interesting, beautiful and desirable. I leave you with the wise words of Philip Crangi as featured in Fantastic Man:

"I never discriminate against the bespectacled. I think people in glasses are really sexy. Unless they're not of course."

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Picture Postcard - We are the mods

Ville was recently showcased on Hel Looks - "Two words describe my style best: mod and dandy. Tonight I'm wearing a Finnish vintage jacket from the 60's, Merc London trousers and Chelsea boots by Jeffery West. The 60's rules my style. I get inspired by music, movies and escapism."

Dear EJ

Instead of the manly pursuit of watching the Champions League football (the real game is tonight's anyway) I chose to watch the final instalment of British Style Genius. The show looked at a number of key street style movements which occurred in the aftermath world war two, beginning with Teddy Boys and ending with chavs (are chavs really the last bastion of Great British street style? I really hope not). My favourite of the looks featured were the mods. The Mod look was one of cool, streamlined, smart suits and the amount of care and thought which went into getting the look really appeals to me. There was a definite sense of aspiration, these youths didn't want to live the lives of their parents, they wanted to break away from tradition and created something special. There were a number of catalysts which helped this street style movement grow but one of closest ones to my heart (because I was a spoilt youth myself) is the fact that teenagers had greater disposable income than ever before. They relished their leisure time, going to nightclubs, listening to music and collecting records - I would be content in life as a Mod.

Which street style do you admire most and why?

Steve

Hola Steve!

I am clearly more manly than you (should I be admitting that?) as I was enjoying watching Chelsea lose (forza Roma!). I've managed to miss this entire series actually so hopefully they'll repeat it on BBC4 sometime.

The men of Manchester... wait, I'll start that again. The clothes orientated men of Manchester all seem to tend towards a mod-inspired look. Sharp haircuts and a particular type of tailoring are popular... a look carefully balanced between smart and casual. I love it!

I've always been drawn to people who favour tailoring, but done their own way. This doesn't seem to be so much a style tribe though, rather a certain type of male who you meet from time to time. Someone who manages to find that elusive vein of men's vintage... someone who was wearing waistcoats and bow ties before you'd even learnt how to tie a regular tie.

As for so-called chavs, I have to say I've been noticing more and more darn stylish ones lately, albeit stylish in a different way to how I normally like. A lot of them seem to be into the limited edition trainers I covet myself (I actually sought out and bought my current favourite trainers after seeing them on some lad's feet outside the Arndale) and some quality casualwear.

Ok, that's enough from me for now. I'll see you and Princess Anne tomorrow

EJ

x

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Street Style Surprise

As I made my final visit of the day to thesartorialist before retreating to bed (it was the second of the day...it had been a slow day for my aesthetic amusement as work was frustratingly an obstacle) I must admit that I was surprised by the below image....

The Sartorialist's shot on West 18th Street

My eyes have been conditioned by the elegant but somewhat safe style captured by his camera. After getting over the style shock my first reaction was that the comments box must be full of negative comments...questioning why Mr Schuman would shoot such a 'try hard' or at the very least just wouldn't understand where the chap was coming from...but to my second surprise in mere moments, the feedback was 90% positive. I can go to bed happy. Happy, firstly as thesart has given me something new, awoken me out of my constant nodding approval of the street style shots contained within his blog by offering me something different, something intriguing; and secondly because a significant number of people appreciated it rather than shoot it down with negativity. Yes, there are elements of the outfit which are questionable (the shoes in particular) but on the whole this is a multi layered and textured look which is original and (for me) carried off (interestingly). What do you make of it all?

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In amongst the fallen leaves

Despite frequent online procrastination spent looking for street style inspiration from all of the obvious and some not so obvious places, few looks have had such a powerful cerebral effect than Fantastic Man's Look for October. Ever since my eyes first encountered the combination of autumnal hues and the comforting and playful layering (some of you declared it ''Layering on Crack' ha!) I wanted to reproduce something similar to truly celebrate the season of dropped leaves. During the marvelous month of October, we are treated to a feast of colours. The look from Fantastic Man demonstrates that, although numerous they can all be worn at once, creating a marvellous harvest festival of an outfit which left me drooling over my keyboard. In my recent picture postcard post, I mentioned that I couldn't decide what it made me want to do more, sing kumbayah or just to throw myself in a big pile of crispy fallen leaves...Well...I gave it some thought and the voices in my heads were unanimous, it was a landslide victory for the latter....

Playing in the leaves...Carolyn Massey for Topman navy scarf coat, green jumper by Maison Martin Margiela, scarf from COS, wine corduroy shirt and purple jeans both from Uniqlo and mittens by Carolyn Massey.

As I began to assess my Autumn wardrobe, bolstered by the recent purchase of colourful Uniqlo basics (corduroy shirts and socks), I was inspired to recreate an artistic challenge from one of my childhood favourite shows. Despite having little, tangible artistic talent I used to race home after school to watch Neil Buchanan's Art Attack on CITV. Of course I used to try to replicate what I saw on the screen but generally made a mess on the paper and of myself. One of shows most memorable facets was the Big Art Attacks. For those not familiar with the show, were pieces of art created by Buchanan on a huge scale, often on a playing field, tarmac ground and similar. I recall the master turning his hand (and whatever he could get his hands on) to creating a large scale forest scene so surely I could make an Autumn park scene. So, I packed my brown vintage rucksack full of Autumn colour and headed to my favourite green space in London, Hampstead Heath. London has plenty of pretty parks but when I want to escape the hustle and bustle of the city, I head to the Heath and it is at its most beautiful during these few months.

Clockwise from bottom left, purple corduroy shirt from Uniqlo, plum socks from Uniqlo, mustard scarf from COS, green corduroy shirt from Uniqlo, brown socks from Uniqlo, red scarf by Universal Works, green jumper by Maison Martin Margiela and orange socks from Uniqlo.

As you can see from the above shot, my 'Big Art Attack' was less of an impressive, large scale piece of art and more of a pile of clothes. Having found a suitably secluded, leafy spot on the Heath, I soon realised that in addition to lacking Neil Buchanan's artistic vision, my rucksack of clothes didn't quite cut it on the amount of raw materials needed to create anything close to being classed as 'Big.' Neil Buchanan I failed you. However, the pile was a celebration of Autumn...of sorts.

Green jumper by Maison Martin Margiela, scarf from COS, wine corduroy shirt and purple jeans both from Uniqlo, trainers by Converse and a vintage leather backpack.

After failing miserable at my art challenge, the only thing that could cheer me up was playing about in the dead leaves in my suitably Autumn outfit. I was always better at making a mess as opposed to a pretty picture. Oh to be eight again! Dressed head to toe in various autumnal hues, it is difficult not to have a little fun standing in a pile of crisp leaves. Am I slightly mad for wanting to dress like a fallen leaf? The answer is of course a resounding yes but do I care? Not a jot. Dressing each morning should be fun! As mentioned above, I injected a much needed shot of colour in to my wardrobe's jugular after a number of recent trips to Uniqlo. I have mentioned the 'Uniqlo effect' at least once before on the blog and the Japanese retailing power house is still having an effect on the colours hanging on my wardrobe rail and I've had a a great deal of fun experimenting with the various hues. Walk in to any Uniqlo store and you are instantly hit with an almost overwhelming number of colour variations. These colour variations confuse the mind initially but ultimately inspire. The brand's colour range has helped seduce me and many other men away from more muted tones. Due to my recent colour experimentation I've discovered that there are a number of colours that actually suit my natural colouring and tones. Colours that I would have previously steered well clear of now grace my back and wrap around my neck. Even if some colours don't work together, it is fun trying.

I first stumbled across Uniqlo's range of corduroy shirts at the beginning of September and since then I have been steadily increasing my investment in this wardrobe staple. My wardrobe now boasts a collection of four out of the six colour variants; purple, wine, olive and blue. However, as much as I adore the corduroy shirt, there is one staple from Uniqlo that I love more than any other, the sock! I find it impossible to leave a Uniqlo store without topping up the latest colour additions and now my sock drawer looks like a rainbow (every time I open it, I have expect to see a leprechaun sitting in amongst the cottons). The latest additions are perfect for autumn...

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Men Represent - Sketches

First and foremost we apologise for the obvious lack of activity on this Men Represent task. Jonas Fred has continued to lead the way with little support from any of us. Picking up a pencil and a notepad isn't that hard but some how we have let other things take precedence. No more. Steve is off to the seaside to visit the old folks so will have plenty of time to sketch the locals...expect a great deal of sportswear from him but more than likely the local uniform of intimidation and trainers will bore him and he'll take inspiration from the new issue of Arena + Homme instead. Meanwhile EJ is on her way down to the big smoke - no doubt she will be inspired by the abundance of art she will see over her stay in the capital. On Monday we will upload the fruits of our scribbling. We hope you all have great weekends and productive ones.

Please note, you will need the following to sketch effectively (we've packed ours):

Drawing paper
Tracing paper
Pencils (including coloured)
Eraser

An assortment of sketches from What I Saw Today to inspire you this weekend

If you are stuck on how to approach the task, here a selection of useful links:

What I Saw Today

How to Fashion Sketch

How to Croquis

Figure Proportions

Figure Drawing - Quick Poses
100 Years of Fashion Illustration

Aitor Throup

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Men Represent: The next challenge

Whilst we at Style Salvage have been enjoying something of a long weekend, Jonas Fred of The Journal of Style has been busy interviewing Paul Hardy (the aspiring designer we featured recently) and from this unexpected fruits have grown. Taking inspiration from the marvellous blog What I Saw Today, The Journal of Style has asked why not start a program in which we could all start posting sketches of the looks we have seen around town or even from the deepest darkest nook of our men's style obsessed minds? The Journal of Style has set the the challenge and indeed the bar with his own sketches...are you up for the challenge? Steve's ability at sketching is unexplored due to his inability during art class and EJ is nervous about sketching menswear (although she's a dark horse and quite the artist) so we have opened up this challenge to all forms of artistic interpretation. If you can't sketch, why not come up with your own creative way to recall a look, EJ is pushing the montage medium. We will both be posting our own attempts this week, are you with us?

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Picture Postcard: The look of the season

Despite the warm sunshine forcing me to squint slightly as I type this and question what my calendar is showing me, we have indeed entered the month of October. It is one of my favourite months of the year. I like nothing more than wrapping up in warm knits to explore Hampstead Heath, kicking a few leaves as I go and chasing a few squirrels if the kid in me escapes and when it all gets too cold for me, escape to the nearest pub for a pint or two by the fire. During October, we are treated to a feast of colours. The recent look from the new look Fantastic Man website demonstrates that, although numerous they can all be worn at once, creating a marvellous harvest festival of an outfit. I can't decide what it makes me want to do more, sing kumbayah or just to throw myself in a big pile of crispy fallen leaves...at the moment I think it is the latter...

The more I look at this outfit the more I see, it really is a feast for the senses. Mr. Oliver Evans (can anyone tell me who he is, google is failing me) is wearing a mustard jumper by Dries Van Noten, an olive shirt by Lanvin and a grey cardigan by Comme des Garcons. Around his neck are a patchwork jumper by Comme des Garcons and a green scarf by Lanvin which combine wonderfully. His plum trousers are by Dries Van Noten and around his waist is an olive jacket by Lanvin. The look is finished off with plum socks from Falke and breathtaking oxblood brogues from Hermes. During October, the rich colours of autumn really come into play and should be celebrated. I thought I did until I came across this ensemble, I will certainly try and create my own harvest festival of a look for the weekend.

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Sweating in the name of fashion

During my twitter coverage of Menswear Day I mentioned to getting a tad warm and even little sweaty as the day wore on. Now, I'm not normally a sweaty chap, if I get a little hot under the collar I normally give off a healthy glow (ha!). The reasons for my slight over heating are twofold. Firstly, it was a warm, muggy day which would not have seemed out of place in the month of July but did so in the later stages of September and I was taken a by surprise. Secondly and most tellingly, I wanted to give my Carolyn Massey AW09 cable knit its first outing because it was the perfect occasion to do so...regardless of the climate! The below shot was taken at the mid point of the day when tiredness was creeping in but as it was taken by our flat guest, Phil from Street Peeper, I'm laughing because he is such a funny chap!

Carolyn Massey knit, trusty backpack by Material Boy, white t shirt and pleated grey wool trousers both by COS, socks from uniqlo and Stingray Orwells by Mr Hare. Shot by the lovely Street Peeper.

After inspecting the knitwear pieces up close (at the studio and at the Reflect Forward exhibition) I was left gushing at the cable knit pattern and I needed to own a piece and this one was just perfect. I have been in possession of this beautiful knit since mid July and it has been almost painful having to see it every morning and not having the opportunity to feel the soft, warmth of the wool because of the sporadic days of sticky sunshine we experienced at the tail end of Summer (oh boo hoo, I hear you cry and I have to concede that you'd be right but bear with me). Well, the opportunity to wear the knit to Carolyn's show and to support British menswear on the day proved too enticing and I teamed it with the best of the High Street and finished it off with those shoes. Despite seeing some folks in Spring/Summer attire I dashed from show to show, a little warm but extremely pleased. I can't wait for the temperature to drop that bit more so I can wear my knits every day!

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Picture Postcard: Fantastic Man minus the trousers

As you all know, I picked up the latest issue of Fantastic Man last week and every chance I get I either wax lyrical about it to anyone who has a spare ear or when that gets too annoying for those around me, I re-read it, quietly nodding and whooping inside. Inside the first few pages of the fantastic issue, I was greeted with the news that Jop van Bennekom, Gert Jonkers et al were finally unveiling a new website. Fans of the magazine will know that it used to be little more than a holding page with the opportunity to take the odd scan from the pages inside. It was far from fantastic. It has however relaunched as a full on interactive website, with a forum, a daily recommendation (today's is rising menswear design talent, Christopher Shannon) and my favourite aspect, a monthly outfit post entitled ‘the look’. We are told that this feature "is a monthly suggestion of an illuminating mode of dressing for gentlemen of the modern age."

Mr. Oliver Evans is wearing a long-length double-breasted jacket from Yves Saint Laurent over a white T-shirt from Sunsprel. His long johns are from Comme Des Garcons. The brown lace-up shoes are from Church's and the black briefcase is from Tom Ford.

"This September it’s time to go back to work, and revealed here are the unforeseen benefits of a longer line jacket lest one forget to wear trousers." The Yves Saint Laurent Jacket used here is beautiful. Over the course of the last month or two I have encountered the sight of a number of packages (mostly small) and the look would certainly have benefited from a longer jacket or actual trousers because I'd rather not have anything like that in my eye line!

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The Global Scenester - the end of individuality?

"There always used to be a particular city that was the centre of cool at a particular point in time. But now there's no longer a place where it's 'at'; there's no longer any centre of the world's popular cultural universe. For a time it seemed it would be a simple matter of shifting from London to Tokyo. But instead, street style is everywhere and in places you'd never have guessed it would be."

Ted Polhemus, style anthropologist and author of Streetstyle: From Sidewalk to Catwalk.

The Internet is full of interesting articles but sometimes there's just too much to find. Unfortunately I've not got the scan reading ability of Raymond (Dustin Hoffman's character in Rainman) or Susie for that matter but no matter I don't have to do it on my own, I do get the odd interesting article forwarded to me (that's an open invitation for you to do it as well, thank you very much). Our good friend Daniel Jenkins sent us Meet the global scenester which was featured in The Independent, which examines the seemingly decline of individuality or at least the 'spread of cool' as guys from across the globe (from Helsinki to Hull) buy into the same brands and lifestyle.

America Apparel's shades for Autumn will no doubt be worn in a city near you and far from you

So which brand's supply this new global order? Uniqlo is certainly one example. Uniqlo has something close to 800 stores worldwide, including outlets in the UK (a ridiculous number on just Oxford Street), US and France. Kashiwa Sato (the chap who turned the outlet from a perceived chap and nasty brand, into how we see it today) wanted "the ultra-contemporary cool aspect of Japan, its pop culture rather than something traditional and Japanese-y." He'd tapped into the global scene. For some reason I decided to brave the crowds of Oxford Street and ventured inside one of the many stores there, it was packed with men buying all kinds of basics (I left with a purple merino wool sweater and a pair of skinny jeans). Uniqlo is great, however, there is a much better example of a brand supplying this 'global scenster', American Apparel. The further the brand casts it's global net (which is damn far, as I type this they've probably opened at least one more store), the more easily the company can study and copy street style, which it then repackages and sells it back to the originators of that style and the masses alike.

Nathan Barley - a product of Brooker and Morris’ warped and wonderful imagination. It might be old but it's not dated. A hilarious look at the life of a scenester. Rather than being confined to areas like Hoxton has Nathan Barley spread, have you seen him in Helsinki and Hull alike?

A few years back now there was a comedy which highlights a number of the points within the article. Nathan Barley. Nathan Barley is 26. He is a webmaster, guerrilla filmmaker, screenwriter, DJ and in his own words, a "self-facilitating media node". He is convinced he is the epitome of urban cool and therefore secretly terrified he might not be, which is why he reads Sugar Ape Magazine - his bible of cool - which strikes a canny resemblance to Vice. EJ recently forced Thom Wong to watch and now he's a fan; the man, has great and so do we, so if you've not watched it go and do so now.

The rise and rise of the internet has been a key factor in the globalisation of hip. The world is certainly a smaller place with the internet (Nathan Barley himself ran a website – or "urban culture dispatch" – called Trashbat.co.ck). Through mailouts and blogs, the tropes of eclectic style tribes the world over are quickly integrated into a single street style aesthetic. The widespread "borrowing and referencing" takes place not just in capitals of cool like London but on an international scale, via the Internet, the result is that the same brand of individuality (or something highly similar) is sold, worn and celebrated the world over. As I've followed Facehunter's search for eye candy I've become tired of similar ensembles the world over. Is it just his photography style that is somewhat tiresome or is there an element of truth to the above article? Has the world indeed become a much smaller place? Where previously there was a set look representative of a city, has cultural globalisation evolved this into a look representing a global scene?

As it's the weekend, let's play a game. It's simple, all you have to do is match the Facehunter's street style shots above with their respective city of origin. Go clockwise from the top left and select the city you think is represented in the shot.

Options:

a) London
b) New York
c) Copenhagen

d) Stockholm
e) Helsinki

f) Berlin

Please note that there might just be two images from the same city. You decide. No cheating please. Answers on a postcard to PO Box Stylesalvage...alternatively please comment.

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Picture Postcard: I can see the light

Dearest EJ

I have been told that moving is one of the top three most stressful times within a lifetime...It hasn't been that bad so life must be good (touch wood). I can now see the light at the end of the tunnel...and it's not a light purchased from Ikea... hurray! The place is looking great already and the move has made me find some forgotten pieces, not to mention the fact I know have my whole wardrobe in one place... finally! Expect some more interesting outfit posts in the coming week. Anyway, enough about me, I just wanted to let you know that despite the fact I've been doing some serious hard labour...not to mention white van driving...everything will return to normal soon. In the meantime please see my good friend Gustav shot by the sartorialist, I just love the over sized safety pin brooch.

Much love

Steve

Hola Steve

Glad to hear the move has gone ok. Looking forward to seeing photos (HINT HINT) of the new place. Liking this chap a fair amount, particularly the way all the blue look together. Also like his bag, even though it looks a little cumbersome for everyday use. Not quite sure of the proportions of the outfit though. Something seems a little bit off and I can't put my finger on what it is.

EJ

p.s. I have so much less hair than you now, it's great!

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Men Represent: Men of wardrobe_remix

A little late, here are my favourite men's outfits submitted to wardrobe_remix in the last few weeks and a very brief summary of what I like best about each of them. Steve's will follow when he's all moved in to his new flat.

Men Represent - Day 1

Thom really set the bar for the week with this one. Hat, jacket and nonchalance are my favourite bits of this outfit.

Messy Layers

Cozy, classy layering. Love the glasses. I'm just love hoodies too.

Red and Black Hellboy

Hint: I'm a sucker for buffalo check. Anyone else being dragged to the new Hellboy film and praying that it's good?

blogging 050

This is a woman's shirt! Fear not gender labels on clothes! (also love the cuffing on the shorts)

Sunday 10 August

The hair! The shades! The ability to wear white envy! (I spill) Did I mention the hair?

Day 1

Great shirt, great hat, great watch.

Wet Tuesday

Love the flash of stripes and the mooooon boots. I love stomping around in those moon boots almost as much as Steve does.

La fleur du mal

Gian killed me with his gloves and shoes combo... not to mention the silk flowers!

P.S. Because Steve is so busy moving all his worldly possessions to a new abode with the lovely SB, this week's Men Represent task will be extended for an extra week... keep those style icons coming!

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Men Represent - One week on

Above documents what I've been wearing this week. I wasn't able to experiment as much as I'd hope to but it gives an honest account of what I've been wearing lately. The last few weeks have been monopolised by flat hunting and other stressful tasks which have not allowed me to do everything I planned, but that's life! I've been away this weekend so not had a chance to look at your posts on w_r but we will put up a selection of our favourite outfits over the coming days. It was great to see so many of you taking part. How was it for you?

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Picture Postcard: Smartening Up

Dearest EJ

Before I escape the hot, humid, hustle and bustle of London for yet another quiet weekend by the seaside, I have a confession. Over the course of the last few months, I've been throwing together increasingly casual ensembles for work. As you know, my office has one of the most laissez faire attitudes to work attire possible. As long as we are not meeting clients we can where practically anything we desire (flips flops, vest tops...pretty much everything that should be discouraged during the warmer months are more or less encouraged in my work environment. Disclaimer: I do not wear either of these examples. Thank you). Today, from the bottom up, I am wearing, grey jersey boat shoes, drop crotch grey wrap trousers, a basic tshirt with a thin business veneer offered by my CdG jacket. In short I look ready for vegging out on the sofa as opposed to work. Earlier this year you talked about personal uniforms and I confessed that the informal work environment had a strange affect on my Monday to Friday attire. Now, after a few more months it has gone further. I find myself dressing smarter outside of work than I do inside it...which is most strange and something I feel I need to change.

I stumbled across the above chap over on The Sartorialist and my brain is urging me to adopt a similar basic uniform for work. Scott 'pretty good at the sex' Schuman loves the simple colour story of navy, tan and brown and I have to agree with him and feel the relaxed yet tidy tailoring and cut will suit my everyday work environment. The above shot appears simple at first but the more I look at it the more I see and want...the brogues, glasses and watch all catching my consumer eye. I certainly need to address the strange imbalance between the casual and formal elements of my workday outfits and will keep you informed of my progress.

Have a lovely weekend!

Steve

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Picture Postcard: Men Represent

It is great to see so many men submitting their daily looks on w_r. I must admit that I spend far too much of my time at work exploring and commenting across the site. Despite, this time consuming and addictive exercise, I still have time in my busy day to check up on my favourites though and I came across the above image on thesartorialist, it has to be my favourite image for some time. The chap on the right looks very familiar but with this shot we have a whole new element...I wonder what they are talking about....

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Fashion vs Sport

Sportswear meets fashion

Firstly, apologies for being so quiet the last week or so but I've been hanging out with the guys above (I wish, I've actually been in the process of flat hunting...a difficult and stressful time at the best of time, made worse by the fact that it is taking place in London). I will be taking a well deserved break from the antics of flat hunting over the weekend and as things return to normal top of my agenda is a write up on the recently opened “Fashion Vs. Sport” exhibition at the V&A. Fashion and sport might not have always gone hand in hand (I can recall many poorly dressed sportsman over the years and digusting sportswear) but there are so many designers working to improve this poor relationship, even the sport stars themselves have been challenging this idea aswell.

Y3 a/w 08/09 - Fashion hits the streets

From the creation of Y-3 by avant-garde die- hard Yohji Yamamoto to the fashionable appeal of Nike Dunks (an item only previously seen on the court, sportswear and fashion have created this great amalgamation of high/low and casual/formal) and this exhibition is delving deeper into this interesting relationship. What does sportswear offer fashion I hear you question? Well the curator, Ligaya Salazar, mentions one of the main reasons - "Technological innovation allows designers the freedom of new shapes and fall. There are so many new man-made fibres in sportswear. For designers, it opens doors." Which is certainly true, I recently saw a Lucas Ossendrijver interview where he discussed the evolution of his fabrics over the seasons; how at Lanvin the choice of fabric has changed from purely natural fabrics like cotton and silk are increasingly looking at methods of fabric creation. I recently talked about my respect and admiration towards Aitor Throup and look forward to seeing his work up close. Sportswear has become an essential part of the modern wardrobe. Trainers and tracksuits are often more readily worn than suits, and high performance textiles developed for competition are being integrated into high-end fashion.

Unfortunately the exhibition doesn't allow photography so when I do the full write up you will have to make do with my crazed and excited ramblings. If you are interested the exhibition runs from August 4 – January 4, 2009 which gives one and all plenty of time to go and see it.

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My eyes lie

I am under constant threat of Susie raiding my wardrobe in the morning and supplementing her outfit with one or a number of my items. It is extremely rare that I get the chance of some pay back but last week I discovered a new, cotton grey jersey sweatshirt and I have to confess that I’ve stolen it for myself. The black hole top is a recent find from Your Eyes Lie, a London-based artist collective whose identity is anchored in their use of bold statements and graphics on the classic white tee. The sweatshirt comes in the softest grey jersey and it is really hard not to spend the day stroking myself in some demonstration of childish abandon...

Outfit rundown: Sweat shirt from Your Eyes Lie, Unconditional drop crotch trousers, hi tops by Lanvin, glasses by Bruno Chaussignand. The jacket in the top pic is from APC.

Regular readers will know that I rarely post outfit shots anymore. The reasons being... firstly because there are better blogs doing more interesting things than I in the style stakes on a consistent basis (The Cablog, The Dandy Project and Tales of Frederic instantly spring to mind)... secondly, we've always wanted the blog to be more of a discussion and lastly...I just can't pose! The last reason is the all conquering one. If I could pose, the blog would be littered with entries of me in various shots. Fortunately for you, I really dislike posing in front of the camera... I just feel silly. In the best shots I look annoyed and grumpy, precisely because I am annoyed and grumpy as the shots never turn out how I want them to. I do however like the two shots here because it looks as though the black hole design is sucking my body in to it (starting from the head). Since seeing me wearing her top, Susie has offered it as a gift…an act of kindness which worries me slightly…what has she got her eyes on of mine that she wants to accumulate for her own sartorial endeavours…I will have to sleep with one eye open from now on...

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An afternoon flicking through 'When you're a boy'

(When you're a boy) You can wear a uniform (When you're a boy) Other boys check you out (You get a girl) These are you favourite things (When you're a boy)
David Bowie and Brian Eno, Boys Keep Swinging (1979)

Two weeks have passed since the opening of Simon Foxton's When you're a boy exhibition at the Photographer's Gallery and the closest I've got to the images is the Gallery Shop whilst seeking shelter from (one of many) Summer downpours. Alas, we just didn't have enough time to explore the exhibition space fully so rather than trudge my sodden hi tops around I just picked up the exhibition catalogue. For those of you who have not been to able to see the exhibition yet, why not make yourself a cup of tea, sit in a comfy chair and pour over the pages as I have done this afternoon and marvel at Foxton's amazing body of work...

From 'Punk', photographed by Nick Knight. Published in The Face, Feb 1986

The exhibition explores exactly what a great stylist contributes to a fashion photograph beyond selecting clothes and dressing models. Through the impressive body of work of pre-eminent menswear stylist, the exhibition traces the growth and development of men's fashion over the past three decades. Foxton has deservedly built himself a reputation as one of the leading image-makers of men’s fashion; anticipating and defining key shifts in menswear design throughout. the 80s, 90s and 00s. Foxton's interest in masculinity, ethnicity and sexuality are captured in images shot by photographers and longtime collaborators Alistair McLellan, Nick Knight and Jason Evans. Foxton's contribution to fashion photography goes way beyond the production process that precede a shoot, and towards offering a benchmark of taste; it is a singular world view. In combination with longstanding photographic partners (Knight, Evans, McLellan) who each bring their own specific perspectives to bear on the work produced, Foxton's unique perspective inspires discrete and different bodies of work.

Left: From 'Punk', photographed by Nick Knight. Published in The Face, Feb 1986. Right: From 'War' photographed by Nick Knight. Version published in Big, No.18, 1987

Elements of the styling practice that Foxton had been responsible for popularising in the 1980s - street casting, customisation, inveigling non-fashion accessories into shoots, using 'model's' own clothing - were crucial in shaping the identity of my favourite magazines whilst growing up and beyond. Foxton began styling for i-D in 1984, at a time when the visual language of fashion photography was still being established. Since then he has contributed to my favourite magazines and more including The Face, Arena, Arena Homme Plus, Vogue Hommes International, Details, W, GQ Style and Big Magazine. Without his work, the magazines that we know and love would certainly not be the same.

From 'Strictly', photgrpahed by Jason Evans. Published in i-D, July 1991

There is a great Penny Martin interview with Simon Foxton in his garden shed featured inside the catalogue, below are a few of my favourite questions and answers...

Penny Martin: How did you make the shift from designing to styling?

Simon Foxton: When I had my own little design company, I found the whole process of from imagining the clothing to the realisation and production such a long, laborious and tedious journey. The idea that I could come up with ways of dressing people to make them look different and for it to happen almost immediately was like a big light going on in my head. I thought "I don't have to deal with factories in the East End, or order buttons. I can actually come up with ideas and make them happen within a week."

From 'Hey there fancy pants', photographed by Jason Evans. Published in i-D, May 2004

Penny Martin: If not money, what do you think still motivates you after twenty five years?

Simon Foxton: It is only when you stop and look at it, like now, with doing an exhibition, that you think "God, I have been doing this for twenty five years! Why?" I don't know. It is partly because it is fun. The commercial things can be tough but the editorial is usually great: having a freehand to make images. Once that whole character is there, it's almost like giving birth. I've created this thing and it's like "wow, I've not seen that before, a person dressed in that way." That is enough for me.

From 'Atlas', photographed by Alasdair McLellan. Published in Arena Homme Plus, AW 2003/04

With wit, sophistication and irreverence, Foxton continues to redefine perceptions of masculinity with his uniquely thrilling and fantastical portrayals of men. During his twenty five year career, Foxton has evolved a highly recognisable and much emulated approach to creating fashion photography. An approach which sees him balance a deep respect for traditional men’s fashion design with an injection of street culture, popular imagery and much needed humour. He is quite simply the quintessential menswear stylist, consistently progressing men’s fashion and truly deserves this exhibition. If you are in town anytime from today until October 17th, you have to make a trip to this exhibition...if you've already been, please let us know what you thought.

Selection of shots published in i-D, unpublished work and webcasts on SHOWstudio.com

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