The Sartorialist, lovely coat, and Decemberists dress

I went and caught the The Sartorialist, Scott Schuman, speaking at NYU yesterday to the Fashion Business Association. He talked a lot about his vision for the website, how he came about starting the blog, his experiences in the fashion industry and a lot more. I won't delve into the details, as I am sure a quick search on google or a look into his new book ( which, according to him, will come out soon) will give you the information you need about his background history and his fashion connections- (after all this man was voted as one of the top 100 design influences by TIME magazine- that's no small feat), but there was something he did say about his vision and his choice of people to photograph that really connected with me. he said he wasn't necessarily looking for an elaborate outfit, or something different and shocking, but something that everybody could identify with that carried it's own imperfect elegance. i know that all sounds very vague, but it made sense to me. one always notices small details of perfection, or perhaps fleeting moments of infinite stylishness, on people who aren't necessarily the most trendy or cutting-edge, and it's this feeling that makes the moment so beautiful. this relatablility. (wow i am making no sense now.)

but look at the images he captures. sometimes, plain people, plain clothing, plan backgrounds even. but something about them and how they are put together just mesmerizes- you think i could be that girl. except i'm not. i dont have THAT one thing. that "thing" so abstract you dont even know what it is. yet he captures it.

ok, too much text and rambling in this post. but here's an image he posted that i absolutely loved, and this lends me to a new topic: amazing winter coats.



the coat itself is from Anthropolgie ( I did some background research), but it's sadly not in stores anymore. I panicked for about ten minutes after realizing this but then decided that just the fact that a coat so beautiful exists is gratifying. Actually this isn't the first time i've seen this coat. A girl i passed walking on the street while rushing to class was wearing it, and I remember thinking: "that is an amazing coat- look at those ruffles!" I only wish I had stopped her and photographed her- and then we could put that photo side by side with this one by the Sartorialist and do some comparing and contrasting, and my lack of photographic skills in comparison to his superior ones will become clear :), but just as well, i didn't take that opportunity.

this post has been a wall of text. let me share an outfit with you that i wore to see The Decemberists last wednesday:


the dress is vintage. I bought it at Kensington market in Toronto last last summer. the belt is from h&m- speaking of which, I will drop by today to catch some of the Commes des Garcons collection frenzy :). expect a new post in a few days!

posted by May