On the Street....Owl Foot, Florence

At Pitti Uomo

I'm at Pitti Uomo in Florence right now, and getting a ton of great shots.

I'm really looking forward to posting them.

The first will go up today around 4:00 PM EST.

Vintage Photos

Here are my French grandparents, Marie-Thérèse and Georges, in the 50's for their second date.

The sister of my grandfather took this picture in a field of French country.

They married few months later.

- Mei

Vintage Photos

My maternal grandfather was an incredible gentlemen and always looked very dapper, no matter what he wore. Being a South African mango and cattle farmer that usually meant a light plaid shirt, khaki shorts, knee high socks, leather shoes and always, always a hat. His hair was always perfectly pomaded underneath the hat and I cannot recall ever seeing his hair in a mess. Despite the fact that he was out in the fields all day long he always looked neat.

I selected this picture of him in a military factory during WW2, somewhere in Northeast Africa, mainly because of his hair. Neat and stylish without a curl out of place. And even though he is wearing a plain military shirt and pants, he still looks perfectly styled.

- Bordeaux

On the Street...Rivington St., New York

On the Street...Ninth St., New York

On the Street...Houston St., New York

Summer hats too often take on an overblown Kentucky Derby vibe that is a little off-putting.

I like how this hat is sun effective and yet still city chic.

On the Street....Jersey St., New York

On the Street....Tompkins Square Park, New York

On the Street....Seventh Ave., New York

On the Street....Carlos Castillo, Madrid

I have to say I love Carlos' look.

It proves that the right fit doesn't have to be a tight fit. The idea of a perfectly proportioned but completely rumpled linen suit for Summer is so alluring to me.

This photo makes me want to get a linen suit and go live in this book.

Fashion Above the Neck, New York

This look is really about focus. This young lady knows that the drama of her look is in her asymmetrical haircut, strong contrasting eyebrows, bubblegum pink Chanel lipstick and her quirky tomboy hat.

Let's not forget that clothes can be just a distracting as they are alluring, and by keeping her clothes very simple she's creating a clear "take-away" statement for the viewer.

The more I do this blog the more I believe that great hair and well choosen accessories can be the raison d'être for a whole look.

Remember this young lady from Savannah? I do.

Her sexy, shaggy cut created a mysteriousness about her (something I see often in France - I think French girls in particular are very good at this). Again, by keeping the fashion simple she has created a very strong and concise fashion message.

Were I a young lady I would easily spend as much on a good haircut/styling as I would on a Celine dress - after all, it's something you wear every day.

In fact, if it's a really good cut, you can also wear it in a variety of ways - not always the case with clothing.

On the Street....Old School Woven Pullover, Madrid

The Sartorialist & Kiehl's

I just finished a great project with Kiehl's based around Father's Day.

I'll tell you all about it next week.

We're also celebrating at the store next Tuesday! If you're in NYC and would like to come, RSVP to Michelle at MShildkret@kiehls-usa.com

Life.com's First Annual Photo Blog Award

The Sartorialist by Andrew Hetherington

I was pleasantly surprised today when I found out that I had been named to Life.com's First Annual Photo Blog Awards.

It's such an honor to be included with such media giants as the New York Times' Lens, NPR's The Picture Show, and TIME.com's Lightbox.

I was also happy to see Andrew Hetherington's blog What's the Jackanory? also on the list. I've known Andy for years; he took the above photo of me way back in 1997. (Yes, I had very long locks back then.) I watched Andy struggle for years to find and refine a visual vocabulary, and then face the challenges of finding people to listen to that voice. It's great to see that he stuck to his guns and is receiving the respect he worked so hard to achive.

Self-Portrait by Andrew Hetherington

Madrid in Full Color

I really enjoyed myself in Madrid last week, thank you Movistar!

It takes a few trips to an emerging design city like Madrid to start understanding what makes it uniquely beautiful. I think I'm starting to get the groove of Madrid. It's turning out to be a great city for menswear. Just One, Man, and Patch are all shops I want to explore and report on in the near future.

Vintage Photos

- David

Vintage Photos

My dad - wearing a Rubinacci suit.

- Benedetta

On the Street....Tompkins Square Park, New York

On the Street....Tompkins Square Park, New York