the sophisticat

I'm Full Colour Photographed in Black & White

2011-12-27T19:02:00.004+11:00

jacket VINTAGE tee ACNE tank top AMERICAN APPAREL jeans J BRAND shoes FFOR sunglasses TOPMAN

Summer/Autumn/Inbetween/Yellow/Blue/Sunshine/Cool breeze/Vintage/Haircut.

Apparently if we dress ourselves in yellow we suddenly feel happier. Yellow is meaningful as a colour. It's the colour of the sun, and it's seemingly bright even when it's washed out. Even lemons make me happy. Washed out yellow is like a distant memory that comes back to you time and time again.

Ella ella, eh eh eh

2011-11-18T11:41:00.001+11:00

The potential of a thunder storm later today may have nothing to do with my thoughts about the potential glamour you may encounter whilst carrying the 'Westminster' umbrella by Archer Adams.

The hand crafted, silver handled umbrella is available in two sizes (long classic and collapsible) and comes in eight different designs including a lions head, snake and labrador.

Elegant, chic, and just a tad vampirific.

archeradams.com

Non-sense

2011-11-06T16:16:00.001+11:00

Cigarettes and cider...and new layouts.

Back soon...

10 + 1

2011-09-28T09:06:00.001+10:00

Frames, frames, frames. You can never have enough! (Dream Pop flash courtesy of Hipstamatic).

From top to bottom: Topman, vintage, Linda Farrow for Bernard Wilhelm, vintage, from Portobello Road flea market, vintage from Mauerpark flea market Berlin, Linda Farrow for Bernard Wilhelm, Dita, Gucci, vintage Dunhill, vintage

Black and Roll

2011-09-22T00:02:00.000+10:00

The initial reason for this post was something to do about my search for black jeans, probably about the fifteenth pair I have bought. But like most things in fashion, well, one of the things I enjoy most about fashion, is the multiple thread of ideas that runs through it.

So I ended up somewhere at Hedi, and that he put us into skinny jeans, well it's he that put the mass market into skinny jeans. But Mick and co were hanging around in smoke filled rooms in denim they'd been poured into long before that. Its strange how long a fad can last sometimes. But anyway maybe I was looking for an excuse I didn't need to post images of those cool guys that are now so retro yet still awesome.

Maybe I'm nostalgic for them. Wandering around the streets of London is a strange experience. I look around at the different people and then I find myself looking for a fume of smoke from where the trend bus crashed and hit all these people. Carrot trousers and collegiate jackets and knitted pullovers. I guess it depends what corner you happen to be walking around.

There's something I still love about the whole rocker look, all that tight clothing and hair and liquid sex. It's interesting how in the world of contemporary fashion and design were still reinterpreting the past, still making it our own. There is no forward thinking without looking back.

It's odd to me how fast fashion moves sometimes, or maybe it's not that. Maybe it's how disposable fashion is for some people. For them individual style is meaningless, fashion isn't complex to them. I love the complexity of high fashion, that it can change so drastically every six months and yet still retain meaning. It's this strangeness that I love.

And she's not so much a cool guy but man does Debbie Harry still work it hard.

Listen to this!

2011-09-15T20:51:00.001+10:00

Had to share this brilliant 'open letter' here on We Are The Market. It still does amaze me the manner by which we are driven by celebrity culture (and I use the word 'celebrity' with a sort of disdain, because these people aren't celebrities. The 21st century is not the century of the celebrity. The celebrity is a product of a bygone era - Monroe, Brando, Dean and moving through to Nicholson, Streep, Sarandon, Madonna even...those in the limelight who's work and personal culture is something that is actually meaningful. These days we just have famous people. They are not celebrities).

And on the subject of fashion week, just a small note on all the print we're seeing...something that was so prominent months ago in the Paris and Milan shows. Its a wonder why it took so long for it to cross the pond. Perhaps, more significantly though, is the way these prints have brought a brilliant light to the city as it coincided with the anniversary of what Tim Blanks has referred to as 'the most significant in the town's history.' It may seem abstract to say, but perhaps what were seeing is a collective vision of American artists and designers taking shape in a new world.

from top to bottom: Rodarte, Anna Sui, DKNY, Proenza Schouler all SS12

Follow follow follow follow!

2011-09-12T09:07:00.001+10:00

Follow me on tumblr for random inspiration: l'etat c'est moi

Plus you can still find me on twitter here: mitchellhc

Enjoy!

Summer Break Part Deux

2011-09-07T11:54:00.000+10:00

Live from Florence. Still beautiful since I was there three years ago. Pizza et Birra et Gelati and wanderings through hot streets and cool nights on the Piazza Santo Spirito (note: the non touristic side of Florence. Perfection).

tee shirt BASSIKE trousers VIVIENNE WESTWOOD sandals JIL SANDER sunglasses FROM PORTOBELLO ROAD FLEA MARKET

Kiss me Kate

2011-08-17T11:10:00.003+10:00

Just a quick post before I head off to London at the end of this week, and normally it wouldn't be about the subject of weddings but it would be foolish of me not to comment on the (fashion) wedding of the century.

I'm normally not one for weddings given they're usually so traditionally boring, but here you have someone that is neither traditional nor boring.

Jamie Hince in YSL, Carine Roitfeld and Terry Richardson together, Jude Law looking terribly English. The images are so perfect.

And the best part, I think, is that the dress was by John Galliano. Yes, the things he said were unquestionably wrong, but you can't deny his creative genius and think his dismissal was perhaps a tad rash. How appropriate that arguably the most sought after model in the world chooses this artist to make her dress, and reawaken the genuis in him.

See you in London!

Summer Break

2011-07-29T21:11:00.005+10:00

Hiatus. Hiatus'...ssssss. I have taken too many of these. It's been like a Summer away from home for me, although it's actually been an Autumn and a Winter of nothing much. Why is the weather so affective in dictating our mood and state of mind?

Whilst on said hiatus I did come across this small obnoxious snippet in an old Grazia which counted the number of 'fashion bloggers' orbiting cyber space as essentially too many, referring to the fashion blogger situation as a 'hostile takeover.' Any good journalism is food for thought, so why should it matter?

Regardless, a continue. A whole world has passed me by in menswear: Mrs. Prada' played golf, Dolce and Gabbana went fishing, and Nicola Formichetti launched a soft porn film that was somewhat underwhelming. Let's be honest I've seen more interesting soft porn before. You'd think the combination of pornography with a fashion designer/stylist would help push the boundaries on that front somewhat. A little viagra might have helped Nicola.

Mostly I've been left with the question: what is happening in menswear? Journalists are still meandering over the concept of the return of decadence in womenswear, or if not decadence, which is hyperbole to say the least, the return of a new glamour which in turn marks the end of GFC conservatism (monetarily, and fashionably speaking).

And yet menswear is still hanging back somewhat, still in a moment, ALWAYS in a moment of subtlety: man is traveller, nomad, sportsman, workman. Man is etc. He is typical and unchanging. What is the interest in that?

Where is the sex? The power? Maybe it isn't the lack of anything of those things. Maybe its the power, beauty and brilliance of womenswear that makes men's fashion seem so trivial sometimes. Mainstream men's fashion has become so intolerant of itself it has become stubbornly unreceptive to new ideas. What century is this?

PS Mrs Prada I REALLY liked the golf you were playing. I'm so on that page.

In Glass Houses, I Throw Stones

2011-04-07T15:54:00.009+10:00

pvc raincoat VINTAGE shirt APC cropped trousers MARNI boots YSL belt JIL SANDER

So I didn't mean to go crazy with the Photoshop styling but I thought this looked cool and I liked the way it brought out the white shirt underneath the raincoat. When I picked this raincoat up a while ago I did so because it reminded me of my grandmother. She was one of those gorgeous elderly women with a shock of white hair that you would see wearing this kind of thing at the bus stop. I'm not sure if she had a blue one, but it still reminded me of her for some reason. And it fits me perfectly so that the main thing. And the belt I picked up at INA in New York years ago and it also happens to be blue and plastic.

I think this is my version of conservative dressing. Or corporate dressing. Or combination of. You work in an office for so long, even the office of a fashion house, and it influences you. To do better, at least: this is how I break the mould of corporate dressing. Classic items in materials that you wouldn't normally expect to see together: plastic raincoat, simple white shirt, cropped polyester trousers and brogue boots.

Even before now I hated corporate dressing because it's always so bad. A lot of dull greys and badly cut business shirts in off white. And it's not so much men that are the culprits, but women. Sure there's the 80's suit you'll see on the odd middle aged man who's either failed to update his wardrobe, or doesn't know he needs to, but mostly it's women.

Since when is a pinstripe pencil skirt suit with a three button jacket acceptable? Or even flattering. And why have you got it buttoned up? Surely every woman is in the market for a beautifully cut, brightly coloured long sleeve shirt with a pussy bow.

Offline

2011-04-01T14:16:00.003+11:00

I'm trying to keep my posts less irregular. I've been working and trying to keep my hair from falling out, but I doubt that will ever happen because there's so much of it on my head.

When I was switched on but not and sitting in front of the television early one morning before work, they were discussing how 40% of the multi-trillion dollar Australian economy goes through the cash register, and how internet shopping is canibalising the Australian market.

I've been internet shopping since I was about 18, and at that time it was mostly books from Amazon.com. Even then though, when it was US60 cents to the dollar, it was still cheaper, because the tax here is so ridiculous. Now that it's pretty much dollar for dollar, and we're buying 'stuff' on the internet on our lunch breaks, the economy is somehow suffering.

Is this why almost every shop on the high street is offering percentages off their goods? Because they can't compete? Or have we just demanded too much of the Australian consumer? You go overseas and everything is cheaper, you go online and everything is cheaper, and you can have it first. So why bother shopping in stores.

When I was initially educated into the ways of designer wares, I assumed they were priced that way for a couple of reasons: quality, supply, and demand. The goods were quality, they had a name attached to them, it simply took an exponentional amount of time to get them to Australia, and the market for designer wares is small here.

And even though we've seen growth in the luxury market here in Australia, it has never been massive. You can't get the best of Prada here (I'm talking about the studded trousers from AW09), not even a quarter of the Celine collection will even reach our shores. Is it really that hard to get it here, or am I wrong. Are we simply not in the market for designer wares? And I'm not just talking about high fashion, I'm talking about quality clothes that are meaningful to us as consumers.

Prada Autumn Winter 2009

And I know the everyday Australian can't comprehend the brilliance of something by Prada, the beauty in a Phoebe Philo coat that was inspired by a car seat. But they do desire the fashion that others have and want. Did we become so depressed that we lost our stylistic individuality and stopped searching for things that are unique? Or do we simply want the things that others have. I know I'm not like this, but it kills me to see us all dressing like fascists. Plus military is out people (and I mean both stylistically and in general).

I think it just comes down to the fact that the everyday consumer just isn't educated to the designs they seek out. They don't know that the shoes they're buying at Aldo, or Wittner or Saba is some sort of Givenchy or Isabel Marant diffusion from two seasons ago.

So shop online, where there are no screaming children and people asking for discounts and where the selection is everything is you ever wanted. Depression or depressed, you'll be better dressed.

A Thousand Times. Yes.

2011-02-14T18:35:00.005+11:00

denim jacket BALENCIAGA shorts AMERICAN APPAREL

Travelling again…

Musing in New Zealand last week for two days not even, wondering if that hotel sheet smell is just a smell made by washing detergent and bleach and an industrial washing machine, or if it’s something that’s sprayed on before the quilt goes on over the top and seals it all in.

I think it was a psychology lecturer that once told me that you should never wake up in the dark; it makes it too hard to get out of bed. Apparently natural light should be hitting your body when you wake. It is easier this way. I’m a vampire in many ways but I do enjoy the way the sun is in the morning. Soft and quiet.

What makes it hard for me to get out of bed normally: when my lover is warm at my side, sleeping soundly, breathing deeply against the pillow, never forgetting that I’m always there.

Happy Valentine’s Day everyone.

xoxo

This is TOBI

2011-02-07T13:40:00.005+11:00

I am really happy to announce that I have partnered with the lovely team at Tobi.com. Tobi have a great selection of brands including Comme des Garcons, J Brand, Converse and Acne to name a few. They have also just redesigned their website (and it’s fab!).

Tobi.com is my recommended online shopping destination, and they ship to a number of destinations worldwide.

Get 20% off everytime you shop using my unique promo code: SOPHISTICAT20

Here are some of my favourite quick pics currently available:

Play by Commes Des Garcons/Cheap Monday/Acne/Comme des Garcons/Grey Ant

Live on H&M!

2011-01-28T13:23:00.003+11:00

Here’s a little piece I put together with H&M for their online style guide. I held off posting this for months because I wanted to wait until it was live on the website.

I’m quite excited to be featured on H&M.com

Online until February 10.

Much love.

The Holly and the Ivy

2010-12-26T11:39:00.005+11:00

I really want a Gizmo. But will settle for something Margiela!

Merry Christmas everyone!

xx

A Hand and a Piece of Paper

2010-12-21T08:21:00.011+11:00

Jean-Hugues Anglade in L'Homme Blesse, GQ Style UK, Danish sketches, early noughties JD, customised Marc Jacobs trench, painting I found in a warehouse, more GQ style UK, Fantastic Man.

Loving: tailoring, beige, camel, ivory, long hair, calico, brown paper, 1920's workmen, Scandanavian furniture, more tailoring meets grunge...

A Feather In The Storm

2010-12-14T14:49:00.008+11:00

I forgot about these photos for some reason but I had been meaning to post them, really. I took a brief trip to Auckland, New Zealand recently, for the first time. And the city didn't really make me think much about where I was because I was working and not really sleeping, but there was this time in the early evening when I would get back to my hotel and stare out the window at the hot sun, hoping for it to burn me through the thick glass and I had this 21st century Huckleberry Finn-esque moment about living out of a suitcase and just travelling and wandering. But it's probably too hard for me to be away from all those things that I love, from fashion and style and art and culture and the mundane that is part of our everyday.

But apart from all of that I did the very respectable thing and grabbed a couple of New Zealand labels I already have in my possession (specifically World, Zambesi) and had an enjoyable couple of days. I even picked up these pants in my travels. Daytime pyjamas. Brilliant. Plus the pattern is crazy and they're silk and so comfortable.

World is such an amazing label, iconic, original. I'd never been to NZ before and I went to their beauty store and had an orgasm, it's a simply phenomenal retail experience. I also think that World are better than any Australian designer. Sorry.

More is More

2010-12-06T17:14:00.006+11:00

So when it comes to Christmas, Birthday’s, any general gift giving occasion, I’m really specific. I provide lists, often with pictures, about what I want. This seems really mercenary but why not provide your gift givers, be they well loved or somewhat loved (or not, even) with a concise list of items that you actually desire. Take the thought out of it for them. The best present I could get is something off my list, with a beautiful hand written card to go along with it.

But in an effort to be less mercenary, and to think about others more than myself, I’ve thought about things I might like to give. The lovely team at APART have offered 30% Off their range, plus their Holiday Shopping Guide is perfect if you’re stuck for ideas. Despite what I said about lists, this is for those who simply want to give with abandon, and when you have a selection like this, then give away, I say.

I’ve picked a few items from their accessories range which I think are perfection… see the voucher above and start shopping.

Before Memory

2010-11-14T08:23:00.004+11:00

long sleeve tee shirt BASSIKE jeans J LINDEBERG boots YSL watch BAUME & MERCIER bangle VINTAGE

Reliving the days when I would ride my bike down the streets near my family home and go into houses they'd stopped building over the weekend. And later, when I would break into derelict buildings and pretend that I was scared.

Greatest Hits

2010-11-06T21:36:00.004+11:00

I've had a few random trips to Sydney over the last few weeks and when I was visiting my mum last weekend I was fortunate enough to find that she was still holding onto papers from weeks ago. I don't really read the paper; I love to read the paper, but I don't really. I'm an avid magazine reader more than anything else. Anyway, there was this article in the SMH Essential Style by Jacqueline Lunn on the 'Capsule Wardrobe', and the notion of screening anything that comes into your wardrobe, or buying for necessity.

At first I liked this idea, that I could simplify the dilemma I sometimes encounter when I'm getting dressed. But I realised something: I don't waste time. I get up early, I stand half asleep consuming my breakfast, I take long showers...this is the time I spend thinking about what I'm going to wear that day. There isn't time wasted. There is no dilemma.

Lunn makes this association between being "thoughtful and ruthless" when it comes to your wardrobe, and liberation: that the discerning consumer and/or fashionista is guided by the notion that less is more, and driven their ability to make well formed decisions when it comes to their fashion choices. Is excess the burden of the indecisive, fad driven masses? I don't think so.

There are some of us who are fashion intelligent, who can make informed choices about what to buy and what we want to wear. We simply desire more. I will often make a purchase and it will sit in my wardrobe for weeks, or months before I actually wear it out. There are clothes I have from 3 years ago that are still almost perfect and I wear often, in ways I haven't worn them before. I always think before I buy. Cut, colour, wearability. It all matters to me. I am ruthless and thoughtful.

There's no such thing as having too much choice when it comes to fashion. Or maybe wardrobe simplicity is the new fad.

This is just the 'hanging' half of my wardrobe. I may need more room for shoes at some stage.

No News Is Good News

2010-11-06T12:04:00.009+11:00

OK...so it's been quite a while since my last post. I got used to this thing, blogging/posting/writing down endless streams (or short, non-streams) of consciousness, and then I didn't post for a while or my posts were intermittent and I got out of sync and then got to this point, this while. But it was mostly to work being a hectic mess and because I moved to Melbourne, also.

So I packed up all my things and essential clothing items (YSL Boots, Marc Jacobs trench, vintage fur jacket, (bright yellow!) cashmere World coat, and managed to land here on my feet with the rest of my wardrobe in tact, and nothing missing. And now it's been a few

months or so and I'm all settled in. And there was nothing to it, really, except for that strange moment I experienced when I took my one way ticket to the check in counter and it was like leaving home for the first time but not really.

So Melbourne. It's not Sydney. When people ask me what I think of Melbourne I usually make this inane comment about it being just all the same. It's just like any Australian city I said. But it's not. Maybe I don't know what it's like yet. You make it you

r own. And there's all those cliche's about Melbourne too, like the laneways

, the Italian's and the cafe culture and the rain. And the black. Bringing me to the 'things that I need to do differently here that I probably didn't necessarily do in Sydney:

- reduce the amount of black I wear: I may be saying this and then posting images where black is the predominant colour of my clothing but this doesn't matter. It's necessary. The cliiche is true. Hence the bright yellow! cashmere coat from World. Mostly Melbourne black is really flat and corporate. So colour is my counter

- carry an umbrella. Always. It could rain at any time (it usually does)

- hook turns. Random. Right hand turn lanes please.

- order my latte strong. Not sure what's up with the weak coffee. It's quite good otherwise

Other than that it's been swell. I cut off all my hair and now I'm growing it back again. And I've acquired a few new things over Winter, including this jacket, my new favourite blue jeans and another pair of YSL brogue boots I got online. It was a moment of pure excitement when they arrived. Fuck I love new shoes. But enough of that. Should be Summer soon. And I can start taking all of these clothes off...

jacket HELMUT LANG tee shirt BASSIKE jeans TSUBI boots YSL

Groceries

2010-05-23T16:45:00.016+10:00

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA 1970's replica ankle boots

RAF SIMONS round framed sunglasses

LANVIN striped silk trousers

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA peacoat

RODARTE pullover

ACNE jeans

APC pullover

Possibility of being able to fit any more shoes into my wardrobe is still high. You need more shoes because that's where you should start dressing: from the bottom. Hence the reason I should have these 1970's replica ankle boots from Margiela (wow, wicked justification I'm giving here- to have or not to have). And although my taste for design is generally classic, minimal and simplified, there is something divine about the new knitwear range for men from Rodarte.

White jeans are my pick for winter - Acne always have the best. I've been obsessed with Swedish designers since I was younger than the young that I am now. Acne, Filippa K...They have such individual stylistic taste and an unusual and unparalleled design influence. White jeans, grey tee, brown leather jacket...perfection.

Oh and rain in Sydney means running around in my old as the hills acid blue nylon trench.

The Week Of

2010-05-23T16:27:00.006+10:00

tee shirt BASSIKE jacket NICOLE FARHI jeans J LINDERBERG boots GUCCI bag MULBERRY watch BAUME & MERCIER bangle VINTAGE

images via xssat.wordpress.com

A couple of photos taken of me at RAFW this year. Pretty much wearing my favourite pieces here. It's strange how extensive our wardrobes get and yet we always wear the same thing. Well, sometimes...

Also it's kind of nice having a photo of me beside the harbour. I love the darkness of the sky and the looming storm.

(Why am I frowning? So forlorn!)

Life Inside the Music Box Ain't Easy

2010-05-07T12:38:00.005+10:00

jacket VINTAGE tee shirt and boots YSL jeans RA-RE

A little lapse between this and my last post...moving house and having no internet are the easiest explanations for that though. And during that period I decided that growing my hair was something I no longer wanted to I took care of that as well.

No reason for the blackness of my last post and the whiteness of this one...if you take a peek inside my wardrobe the predominant colours/shades are black, white and grey.

But to post about something a little more interesting, today marks the last day of Australian Fashion Week in Sydney. I've been referring to it as Fashion Weak, however there were a few highlights (Zambesi, Magdalena Velevska). The most disappointing thing however is how few menswear designers that were showing this year. Kate Sylvester didn't even see it fit to include menswear in her show. And Tsubi won't offer anything original. Does the problem exist because there is so few menswear designers, or because womenswear is so easy? Earlier this year Scott Schuman remarked that there are no well dressed men in Australia. There are well dressed men in Sydney, and Melbourne I know, but to be honest there aren't that many. There is a fare few who dress for themselves, with confidence and authority, and even some with a slight of ambiguity.

In between managing this blog and my regular job I've been designing my own menswear for a while but it just seems so difficult to launch menswear properly in this country. But more than that, I struggle with the notion that Australian men (generalising now, of course) don't comprehend design on the level of our European or even American counterparts. Australian department stores have gone back to such conservatism during the crisis of the last couple of years and our options are limited except for a small number of boutiques that are scattered throughout the country. Do others hope for change as I do in the realm of men's fashion, or do they grasp to uncertainty, still?

Happy Fashion Week.

The Butterfly Effect

2010-02-14T15:56:00.001+11:00

It would seem unconscious of me not to add to the ever-expanding rhetoric on the death of Lee Alexander McQueen that has appeared in the media since Thursday last week. Especially since I am one of many of legions of individuals aware of his work as a fashion designer and artist.

Apart from the shock and grief that his death has brought to many, is the uncertainty about what will now happen to his house. Can Alexander McQueen carry on without Alexander McQueen himself? I myself am unsure about this. Presumably someone close to him will take hold of the house. But McQueen was an artist, and it is difficult for another artist to simply step into the place of another. For me, McQueen is the British fashion designer of his generation (as Westwood is of hers). His design aesthetic is comparable to no other. All we can do is wait and see what happens, and remember the brilliance he brought to fashion and design.

RIP Lee Alexander McQueen 1969 to 2010

White Wash

2010-02-14T15:44:00.008+11:00

All-In-One and Boots MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA

I thought it would be fitting for my first post of twenty-ten to be dressed all in black. Because black has been the colour of choice for me this summer. Black has always been my colour of choice but its much more unusual in summer, because it doesn’t make sense. But I think I find colour more interesting in the cooler months, when others retreat into the dark colours of their wardrobe. It is better to dress for the weather than to let it dress you.

[My hair grew out over the holidays, I bought more black pieces and second hand clothes, I longed for jackets (again), I disconcerted people (apparently) by wearing prints and I tore holes in my favourite black jeans (and continued to wear them). I smoked way to many cigarettes and drank sangria that reminded me of how much I like the colour burgundy, and lay naked in cream sheets under the blow of a fan, imagining myself in the Moroccan summer.]

And so, my first post is to reference the mood of my wardrobe this summer, and also to pay homage to Martin Margiela, who stepped down from his house at the end of last year. It is repeated often, but Margiela is one of few designers who designs for the intellectual. This is the appeal of his clothing.

With so much change happening at this time, all I can do is watch it, take it, have it and go with it. More to come…

No More Bright Lights, Today; Tonight

2009-11-17T17:01:00.003+11:00

shirt VINTAGE jeans CHEAP MONDAY shoes ACNE

Slow Moves

2009-10-31T12:22:00.008+11:00

suit FILIPPA K shirt APC shoes ACNE socks AMERICAN APPAREL corsage SECONDHAND glasses VINTAGE

A little while since my last post...all work and no play (maybe). The green shoes have been having a work out though, and this suit is perfect for the warmer weather.

Mostly I: celebrated my birthday on the 10th, had my hairdresser take a number one to the sides of my head, was gifted some pale pink trousers from a friend, covered my wrists in jewelry, read Alice in Wonderland, smiled on sunny days, and on rainy ones, consumed the SS10 shows and was overwhelmed, mostly, watched The Look and laughed, and wrote letters that are illegible (apparently).

Trumpet

2009-10-04T15:02:00.007+11:00

When I received my Vogue Hommes International in the mail yesterday I wasn't surprised to find Alden Ehrenreich on the cover. I'd predicted this may happen. I'm not one for making comparisons between individuals but I do agree with Vogue Hommes in that Ehrenreich does have that same quality as Brando, dark and brooding, elusive, intelligent and fearful, but somehow quietly joyous at the same time. And he's only 19.

photographs by Bruce Weber for Vogue Hommes International

Breakfast On Pluto

2009-08-29T14:39:00.006+10:00

trench UNIQLO tee shirt LEVIS cotton trousers ZARA MAN belt BURBERRY sandals JIL SANDER

The perfect recipe for a black summer.

Aretê de Baiser

2009-08-14T09:33:00.001+10:00

long sleeve tee shirt PLAY BY COMME DES GARCONS jeans APC shoes FEIYUE sunglasses TOPMAN watch BAUME ET MERCIER

I 'found' my watch in the bottom of my wardrobe and decided to wear it after probably about 8 months. I'd forgotten how much I liked the heaviness of it on my wrist. I also tried a new way of rolling my jeans which involved folding them up and then pushing them down; threw my Feiyue trainers into the washing machine and have yet to re-lace them but they still fit well. And I've decided I want it to be warmer nowish so that I can wear sandals and tailored cotton pants and enjoy the warmth for once. I'm probably going to wear a lot of black this summer.

In A Manner of Speaking

2009-08-12T20:20:00.008+10:00

via styleclicker

You Can't Refuse It

2009-08-02T16:31:00.006+10:00

jacket FILIPPA K tee shirt BASSIKE tank top and fleece pants AMERICAN APPAREL shoes ACNE

So the shoes don't really require any explanation do they? They're just a brilliant pair. That's all.

This Time I Waited 5 Rings and then I Answered

2009-07-21T07:44:00.006+10:00

jacket SELF DESIGNED MADE TO MEASURE tee shirt VINTAGE jeans J LINDEBERG wool jersey scarf SELF DESIGNED HAND MADE

I Couldn't Breathe Without Parentheses

2009-07-19T12:02:00.005+10:00

fur jacket VINTAGE shirt APC cardigan RALPH LAUREN bowtie FENDI

I was kind of overwhelmed this weekend when I saw so many people out during the day...Australians tend to hibernate in Winter but the sun was warm today (although this is no excuse for still wearing thongs. Please, put some shoes on). It reminded me of how much I loved the London winter, when it's dark around 4 in the afternoon and there are still so many people about.

And because most (if any?) of the bars in Sydney don't have cloak rooms people get confused about how to dress properly at night. Either not enough clothing or too much (you don't want to be getting undressed in public, really). That's just an observation; I'm not most people.

And because I'm completely a paradox I'm having a crisis and thinking I want it to not be this cold and wondering how many pieces of black I'll be able to layer when it's warmer or maybe wearing just white on white and even shades of green as an alternative to blue. Mostly I'm thinking about a relaxed way of wearing tailored pieces and this shouldn't be too hard for me.

We Walked Blindfolded In Search of The Ocean, Listening Always

2009-07-08T22:22:00.011+10:00

cape VINTAGE denim shirt SECONDHAND ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA jeans NOM DE GUERRE boots HUDSON

photos by Tegan Broderick

I discovered this cape in a very well known vintage store in Melbourne. After the discussions I'd had about capes over the last couple of days prior to my finding it, I was somewhat excited. It's not something I'd expect to find in Australia and I'm quite certain it's English. It's from the 1960's and is beautiful to touch, a heavy but not too heavy wool, reversible and with pockets and armholes. The detailing is so subtle, the way the orange edging highlights the same orange in the houndstooth.

I even wore it on the flight back to Sydney, wrapped in it. I guess it's not something that I'd choose to wear that often, although with this weather heading the way it is that may change. I'll most definitely be taking it with me on my next trip to London.

When All Relationships Reach Equilibrium This Building Will Explode

2009-07-07T22:35:00.013+10:00

images from Arena Homme + 31

Finally got around to reading issue 31 from front to back without disturbance. It was good to finally pore over the magazine properly. There is always that decadence that Arena Homme + inspires in the McLellan shoot. (Side note: I ran into a friend who's the buyer at Prada here and she didn't order the wool studded trousers from AW 09 (featured) which is disappointing...other options will arise...). And the interview with THE decadent designer, Rick Owens, was great also, 'Well it's all about sex and death, what I do'.

But I found the images from the Somewhere in Boystown shoot styled by Olivier Rizzo most inspirational; the light and shapes are somewhat beautiful. And there's some sort of quietness or longing there, but also a disturbance that is only slight...

Vegetable Love

2009-07-06T22:37:00.011+10:00

beret VINTAGE roll neck knit H&M jeans NOM DE GUERRE boots HUDSON

photos by Tegan Broderick

So the title of this blog post won't seem so obscure if you've read the story by Max Apple. Quite brilliant really.

Don't You Know I Want You

2009-07-05T19:29:00.015+10:00

leather jacket FILIPPA K tee shirt BASSIKE jeans J LINDEBERG boots HUDSON

I’m sure it was Emmanuelle Alt who said that a man looks best in a worn in pair of jeans, a tee shirt, leather jacket. It’s so simple. It’s effortless.

If I was to count how many times a week I wear these jeans, this tee shirt, it’s probably about three or four. And it's not just a safety of objects thing. They're two pieces I have that go with anything, and yes they’re black or variations of, but still, they almost go with everything I have, because I let them.

But that’s not to say that that’s the way I shop; that I let older pieces dictate the way new ones might fit in. I guess they’re just a thread in my wardrobe that’s running through, something that always works, something that fits so well.

But then I might not wear them one week at all. They might just sit for a week, cosy on top of another stack of clothes.

The Way It Should Be

2009-07-04T18:00:00.004+10:00

This photo probably encapsulates everything that is Autumn for me, even though I took it a couple of weeks ago, down my street. It makes me think that maybe the world can be perfect.

10 Ways Which (part deux)

2009-07-02T20:20:00.002+10:00

The Paris menswear shows last week were possibly less sober than those at Milan (maybe I wouldn't say sober at all), although white, black, grey and beige were all key shades, especially colour blocked. It was possibly recession wear, recession wary or just plain chic (the latter option being the one I’ll be going with). But I was glad to see the pop of acid yellow at Louis Vuitton, somewhat because it was on my hit list of colours I was interested in this year.

Sartorial influences were key in double breasted jackets and short suits. The Japanese take on the gent was very well done at Watanabe, where the designer pulled it altogether in complete outfits (hat, jacket, shirt, pant, tie, pocket square, belt, brogues) and it was this steering away from American sportswear that was particularly refreshing. The more than playful play on menswear at Comme des Garcons was, well, Comme des Garcons.

At Lanvin these sartorial elements were implemented in soft silks in khaki, burgundy and orange, combined ever so effortlessly, so glamourously with tee shirts and miniscule detailing. Softened tailoring called for more relaxed pant styles, although Tisci carried through the leggings from his debut menswear collection at Givenchy from SS 09 (his gladiator sandals were also brilliant). Kris Van Assche turned out his best collection yet at Dior Homme since Slimane’s departure, layering soft tailored pieces in simple shades (like those aforementioned).

So here are my 10 Ways Which, for Paris.

Clean slate, at Maison Martin Margiela

So fine, at Lanvin

Crop, cut, clap, at Givenchy by Ricardo Tisci

Very Gent, at Junya Watanabe

Cold Love, at Dior Homme

Under the radar, at Miharayasuhiro

International style, at Dries Van Noten

Postman Pop, at Louis Vuitton

Over the top, but out of this world, at Comme des Garcons

The sophisticated man, at Raf Simons

images via men.style.com

How Can You Chew When You Have Toothless Gums?

2009-06-30T06:41:00.001+10:00

Who decided skinny jeans on men were bad? According to M Magazine’s (The Sunday Age, June 28, 2009) Rachel Wells, you already thought they were.

But skinny jeans aren’t the issue here. They’re already commercial, a best seller.

Now it’s leggings on men, or meggings. Firstly, when did leggings become a gendered article that needed to be relabelled with the masculine ‘m’ tag? This isn’t Rachel Wells’ idea, because these lurid descriptions of articles of clothing have been in use for a while (the man bag being the most prolific; see also murse, or man purse). Which ‘fashion types’ are you referring to that use these terms? I don’t recall hearing them from any respectable fashion journalists.

But men have been using bags since the Aboriginals were hunters and gatherers. And Ms Wells, are you not familiar with medieval modes of dress? It would be a fair assumption that you have seen either of the films Elizabeth or Shakespeare in Love. Yes this is Hollywood, but Hollywood that, in it’s costume design at least, is historically accurate. Perhaps a visit to the National Gallery of Australia is in order. Their collection of European Renaissance works may enlighten you.

It would be gnarly of me to rant at Ms Wells apparent lack of design knowledge and understanding of fashion trends. But long johns are long johns, leather pants are leather pants, drop crotch ‘versions’ (of leggings) are harem pants and leggings are leggings. Items of clothing that differ in design are what make them different. FYI, a Birkin is not the same as a Kelly.

I agree with Ms Wells on one point: that leggings should not be worn as pants on those that they could be deemed unflattering. But for those of us who make intelligent choices about our modes of dress and manner of style your opinion is dated, and more so, tired. Why would anyone be pointing and staring at a well dressed man in leggings? Because they’re philistines, or because they’re opinion of fashion is basic, staid and exactly as Ms Wells puts it: lacking any front.

It's unfortunate Australia lacks a generous fashion editorial scene for men, or an inspiring base that men can appreciate the fashion stories of local and international designers on a scale that is neither subjective nor commercial. I wait for the day an Australian equivalent of Another Man or 10 Men stands on its own here. What we have is fashion editorial controlled by mass conservatist's in which trends two seasons old and Ralph Lauren polo shirts are in 'style'.

PS: To the Editor of M, your Street Seen section features a man wearing a Politix jacket and ZU shoes. No.

I'm already at the disco: Maison Martin Margiela's mirrored leggings (SS09)

image via men.style.com

With All These Naked Trees You Couldn't See the Breeze

2009-06-27T08:06:00.007+10:00

suit jacket FILIPPA K tee shirt AMERICAN APPAREL cardigan (underneath) SECONDHAND RALPH LAUREN pants AMERICAN APPAREL shoes LACOSTE bag MARC by MARC JACOBS

10 Ways Which

2009-06-25T22:01:00.015+10:00

The menswear SS10 Milan shows are now over, and the Paris showings have already begun. I'm not too sure where to place the Milan showings in the terms of recession wear...Dolce & Gabbana's beading was a completely different story. Prada's study of menswear was brilliant as always, showing the body underneath through the clothes, whilst Zucchelli refocussed his study of futurism at Calvin Klein Collection. And at Jil Sander, Raf Simons showed pieces that weren't simple in their minimalism, but were a presentation of understated subtlety, pitched in perfect white and barely there shades of blue and lavender.

Apparently Milan was a quiet affair (?). Well, here are my top 10 (clearly, I have a thing for shades of grey):

Love, actually, at Jil Sander by Raf Simons

Comfortable, in a very good, very chic way, at Missoni

Is it possible to be this cute, so easily? at Moschino

The clothes always speak, at Prada

Sartorial softness, at Undercover

Delightful dandy, at Z Zegna

Brilliant brilliance, at Calvin Klein Collection

Play in print perfect, at Marni (and the shoes are great, too)

The real artiste, at Alexander McQueen

Pastel perfect, at Burberry Prorsum

images via men.style.com

Ice Cream and TV

2009-06-22T21:17:00.001+10:00

via Hedi Slimane

via Garance Dore

silk hand knitted pullover SECONDHAND tee shirt AMERICAN APPAREL track pants BASSIKE glasses DITA

boots HUDSON shoes VINTAGE

Weekend: dreamt about bicycles, dreamt about Courtney Love, saw I Love You Man, devoured pastries from Bourke Street Bakery, listened to Grizzly Bear twice and then a third time, ignored my housemate in a non passive-aggressive way, read The Monster Lives of Boys and Girls again, flicked through 10 Men whilst contemplating wide leg trousers, polyester and silk, read Vogue Paris from September 2004, wore two pullovers inside the house and one outside, bought American Apparel fleece pants to wear with my YSL Johnny's, chewed on Iron Melts, found some photos from last year and fell in love with Berlin again, thought about washing my oversized knit pullover, considered shades of grey in leather, missed the Winter Festival but didn't care because it looked terrible but reminisced about ice skating at Somerset House, made a mix tape, tweeted at twats, laughed at British humour, listened to a whole heap of Erykah Badu, because, bored myself by thinking about how boring Sydney is/was, saw Jil Sander SS10 and died and went to heaven.

I Don't Eat Sausages but I'll Still Love You

2009-06-21T23:35:00.002+10:00

shirt APC jeans NOM DE GUERRE watch BAUME ET MERCIER shoes ADIDAS bag and glasses both VINTAGE from BERLIN FLEA MARKET

I started going through some photos from last year that I wanted to get printed (finally) and found these. I love my pictures of the graffiti, because they're cliché. I was talking to someone a few weeks ago about Berlin, about how fuck off it is: house of post modernism slash bomb site slash temporary exhibition space slash bicycle riding heaven. That bag is sitting in the wardrobe with a broken strap smelling like delicious Berlin flea markets. Hearts.

I Wanted to Kiss You But My Shirtsleeves Were Creased

2009-06-19T23:00:00.006+10:00

vest PRADA long sleeve tee shirt AMERICAN APPAREL jeans J LINDEBERG boots VINTAGE

Boots: at first glance, patent leather. At second, up close, they're perfect plastic. They fulfilled my Doc Marten considerations, only better. And the swirling mohair Prada vest got a lot of attention at work. Granted it is stroke worthy. I've only worn it once before. I'll forget and not complain about the climate and I'll wear it again.

Oh, where is the pink wall? It's not anywhere. That's my pink wall.

The curious case of...

2009-06-14T19:47:00.007+10:00

Pop star(s): The Artisan Guild & Curiosity Shop is open 7 days, 10.00am – 6.00pm until the 31st of July. Extended hours on Thursday 10.00am – 8.00pm.

They Watched From Afar Through Opera Glasses

2009-06-09T09:38:00.001+10:00

fur jacket VINTAGE tee shirt TOPMAN jeans J LINDEBERG boots HUDSON silk scarf VINTAGE cotton scarf AMERICAN APPAREL

photos by Tegan Broderick

At 12am it would be midnight

2009-06-08T20:58:00.005+10:00

jacket SELF DESIGNED MADE TO MEASURE tee shirt SECOND HAND LEVIS cardigan COS pants VINTAGE boots HUDSON

Photos by teegz

We took these photos in ACDC lane in Melbourne over the long weekend. I had no reservations about the location, or the possible comments about cliched Melbourne laneways (or laneways in general) because I found the graffiti, the posters, the general putrid appearance of the laneway somewhat inspiring. Mostly I was glad the weather was the way it was (that lovely Melbourne 'fresh'), because I wanted to get myself into these pants again.

Mykromag

2009-06-05T23:40:00.000+10:00

Issue one of Mykromag has just been launched and is now available on stands and online.

Featuring albino model Shaun Ross on the cover.

mykromag

mykromag blog

Your hands around my throat

2009-06-05T18:00:00.000+10:00

mondblog.com

And again...

2009-06-05T17:17:00.006+10:00

Referred to me by a friend, as featured on Kahlan's Wardrobe. Not too sure why I was frowning, but clearly in a hurry.

And...a lovely little entry on The Vine. Front page. Gloss.

Fierce

2009-05-30T23:27:00.005+10:00

(images via Jak & Jil, Nitrolicious)

Two images from the phenomenal new Givenchy AW 09/10 advertising campaign photographed by Mert Alas and Marcus Pigott in a room at Château de Ferrières. Fierce.

No counterparts

2009-05-27T22:22:00.013+10:00

Alden Ehrenreich in Francis Ford Coppola's Tetro

I wait to see Ehrenreich start appearing in GQ and Vogue Hommes International (and the gossip mags, no doubt). He seems to have this dark kind of omnipresence, a face that is almost comparable but not. The new style muse, perhaps.

Swedish Shout Out, part 2

2009-05-26T22:57:00.003+10:00

As featured in Dagen's Outfit (Today's Outfit) at Stockholm Street Style.

Much love.

Their gifts were papier-mâché

2009-05-25T22:52:00.005+10:00

tee shirt BASSIKE cardigan FROM PORTOBELLO MARKET jacket VINTAGE jeans J LINDEBERG shoes MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA bag MULBERRY

10 is a perfect number

2009-05-25T22:25:00.000+10:00

Issue 18, Summer 09, of 10 Men is now on stands and online.

10 Magazine / 10 Men Magazine Blog

Wrist

2009-05-25T22:15:00.005+10:00

I've been thinking about the Hermes Collier de Chien for a while. There are two narrow bracelets in the window at Ferragamo I saw today, one in a very dark green and another in black that also caught my eye.

Are you some kind of a punk?

addiction liberator(s)

2009-05-25T18:16:00.002+10:00

For the joy of all the other things that move in and out of my mind:

addictionliberator

Send me your love, too.

Long way off

2009-05-20T20:03:00.014+10:00

jacket VINTAGE shirt DRIES VAN NOTEN jeans APC boots HUDSON

It Was Romance

2009-05-19T21:28:00.005+10:00

tee shirt AMERICAN APPAREL jacket NICOLE FARHI jeans J LINDEBERG

"as Darth Vader, in a frock" ... Anna, on Anna.

2009-05-19T20:06:00.004+10:00

Dapper Day...at RAFW

2009-05-16T07:24:00.002+10:00

shirt APC jacket FILIPPA K scarf VINTAGE HERMES pants VIVIENNE WESTWOOD shoes DOLCE & GABBANA

At RAFW, as featured in the street style section on stylesight.com. I love the look of the guy in the centre; there's something about tattoo sleeves.

There aren't any clocks up here

2009-05-08T16:30:00.014+10:00

tee shirt VELOUR jacket SECONDHAND LEVIS jeans J LINDEBERG boots HUDSON

I wore this denim jacket nearly every day this week. I bought it at a second hand store in the west village when I was in NYC in October. I'd been styling a new window at work and had a few early starts so I'd been getting quite lazy, even though I changed the pieces I'd been wearing underneath multiple times. I wanted something I could just pull on and off, but I guess that's the joy of denim that everyone loves...then I wore it out Saturday night as a shirt, kind of, buttoned all the way up almost with a tank top underneath and it was perfect.

Pop Star

2009-05-02T21:27:00.004+10:00

One of my favourite stores in Sydney, Our Spot, which closed earlier this year, has 'popped up' again. Sydney has yet to catch on to the pop up store concept and it's great to see this one open again, albeit briefly. Cheap Monday also has a pop up currently open on South Dowling street in Darlinghurst, until Tuesday next week.

More poppin', please.

Our Spot, 114 Burton Street, Darlinghurst from Friday May 1 to Saturday May 30

Cheap Monday, 379b South Dowling St, Darlinghurst until Tuesday May 5

Is it still morning?

2009-04-28T20:31:00.003+10:00

tee shirt BASSIKE pullover H&M jeans J LINDEBERG boots HUDSON

Notes to myself

2009-04-25T18:40:00.005+10:00

What do you need such a big bag for?

My thoughts.

I found this photograph the other day, a photograph I took of my belongings as they spilled out of my bag onto the grass in the Place des Vosges. I'm usually carrying large bags, deep and wide, like my Mulberry.

The what:

wallet

moleskin diary and notebook

a book (today, Eleni Sikelianos The Monster Lives of Boys and Girls)

iPhone

iPod

lipbalm

marlboro lights

matches

camera

keys

pencils!

sunglasses

paracetamol

cardigan

glasses

contact lens case

umbrella

No security blanket cliches, nothing unnecessary, just everything I need.

Let's just try this one then...

2009-04-23T08:24:00.005+10:00

tee shirt COSTUME NATIONAL jacket AMERICAN APPAREL ring (worn around neck) VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and chain VINTAGE

jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE & GABBANA sunglasses VINTAGE

The Sartorialist

2009-04-22T21:21:00.001+10:00

A beautiful post from The Sartorialist today, here

Mode...

2009-04-22T18:19:00.001+10:00

Images via

Another Man Spring Summer 09 / Vogue Hommes International Spring Summer 09 / Vogue Paris April / British Vogue March /

GQ Style Spring Summer 09 / L'Officiel Hommes

Swedish Shout Out

2009-04-22T17:39:00.000+10:00

Just because...

StockholmStreetStyle

Caroline's Mode

Mode Man

RAFW

2009-04-21T22:30:00.000+10:00

RAFW is next week, and I'm hoping it will generate some buzz. Unfortunately for me it doesn't really hit me on the fashion radar. I guess Australian menswear designers aren't making that much of an impact in the international fashion stakes, really.

The reason I'm most excited is that Garance Dore will be in Sydney, as will The Sartorialist. I look to both of their blogs every day for inspiration.

Sophia Neophitou-Aspostolou, Editor-in-Chief at one of my favourite magazines 10 Men, will also be heading down, and that is something to smile at.

A very good RAFW, I am predicting, no?

I cover the waterfront

2009-04-19T01:49:00.002+10:00

long sleeve tee shirt ACNE cardigan COS jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE AND GABBANA bag VINTAGE bangle VINTAGE

Get Stuffed (for Tegan)

2009-04-16T19:43:00.005+10:00

Tegan (with Future Wives by Helen Mentha) wears shirt, vest and skirt VINTAGE jewelry HER OWN

tank top (worn underneath) AMERICAN APPAREL pullover H&M jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE & GABBANA bag VINTAGE

A couple of photos from my long weekend in Melbourne. I found Helen Mentha's art (at Smith st Gallery) oddly inspiring.

Grey on black on grey

2009-04-15T20:17:00.000+10:00

jacket VINTAGE tee shirt CK CALVIN KLEIN jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE & GABBANA bangle VINTAGE

Sun warm, breeze cool

2009-04-10T11:45:00.000+10:00

tee shirt BASSIKE jacket FILIPPA K jeans J LINDERBERG sunglasses and boots GUCCI

ring (worn around neck) VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and chain VINTAGE bangle VINTAGE bag MULBERRY

Well that was easy...

2009-04-04T11:09:00.001+11:00

tee shirt BASSIKE jeans J LINDEBERG underwear AMERICAN APPAREL boots HUDSON bangle VINTAGE FROM PRAGUE

(photos by GARETH)

Une allure au present

2009-03-29T21:40:00.000+11:00

(image via Vogue Paris, March)

I'm fluent in French navy (part deux)

2009-03-29T17:01:00.000+11:00

tee shirt and slim slacks AMERICAN APPAREL boots HUDSON

(Part une, here)

Influence

2009-03-29T14:08:00.000+11:00

Carine Roitfeld on CNN Revealed. Watch parts 1, 2 and 3 here.

Advanced Style

2009-03-28T20:56:00.000+11:00

A new favourite of my forwarded to me by my friend Tegan:

http://advancedstyle.blogspot.com

(images via Advanced Style)

Brilliant.

Best laid plans

2009-03-27T22:07:00.000+11:00

Cary Grant in Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House. Comedy, style, success.

Wisdom

2009-03-23T22:20:00.000+11:00

Sunglight Over The Bridge

2009-03-22T23:09:00.002+11:00

tee shirt ARVUST jeans NOM DE GUERRE shoes DOLCE & GABBANA bag MARC BY MARC JACOBS glasses DITA watch BAUME & MERCIER

watch MoMA

Laced up

2009-03-18T21:05:00.002+11:00

(Givenchy Autumn/Winter 2009. Image via men.style.com)

(image via Jak & Jil)

Tisci's Autumn/Winter 09 collection (his second menswear collection for the house) was one of the most interesting of the showings. Although there are specific military and sportswear inspired pieces in the collection, there is a definite darkness to the collection, something that is almost neo-goth/post-punk that brings some ambiguity to the masculinity Tisci imagines. Something that is uneasy.

In any case, the laced up trousers are a piece I wish to acquire, for the sheer fetishism they inspire.

Somewhere in Kiev

2009-03-18T19:38:00.000+11:00

Face Hunter appears to be the only one following Ukranian Fashion Week.

http://facehunter.blogspot.com

He seems to be one of the only major 'street style' bloggers who really gets around the international fashion weeks apart from the usuals (London, Paris, New York).

Brilliant.

If I were a girl...

2009-03-15T22:45:00.000+11:00

(image via style.com)

...I'd be wearing black velvet Chloe overalls. And if I were a boy, I'd be wearing them too.

Forecast

2009-03-11T22:00:00.000+11:00

I'm thinking about these things for my wardrobe, they're my predictions for the coming year. Some I have and some I will start looking for.

: cropped tuxedo jackets

: capes

: quilted tailoring

: black and navy

: black velvet pants

: black fur

: nude and black

: sheer black

: mass pleating (shirting)

: strong(er) shoulders (padded)

: patent (again. More!)

: dark aqua blue (accessories, especially boots)

: slashed black denim, slashed white denim

: citrus/acid yellow (pants, accessories)

: acid blue

: stripes

: double (even triple!) denim (all lighter, washed)

: brooch groupings on jackets, shirts

: gold lurex

: basic black leather gloves

A man's right to shoes

2009-03-09T21:38:00.000+11:00

I'm always seeing bad shoes. On men mostly, but on women too. I don't need to justify my shoe purchasing habits. My desire for great shoes is unexplainable because it needn't be explained. It has something to do with the high standard of design, manufacture, originality. It's something to be appreciated.

And people do generally comment on my shoes because I only wear quality footwear. I bought my YSL boots (featured snow treading at home in Paris, January) in July last year on my second day in London and carried them all around Europe safely in their white shoe box. They're particularly great, I think, because of the 2.5" heel. Why be tall, when you can be taller?

The pedestrian chore of walking becomes the fashion shoot. Good shoes are great. Great shoes are better. Brilliant, even.

And I was a boy from school

2009-03-01T11:04:00.000+11:00

jacket FILIPPA K long sleeve tee ACNE jeans CHEAP MONDAY shoes FEIYUE

Muse

2009-03-01T10:58:00.000+11:00

Yves Saint Laurent (with Catherine Deneuve)

Let's twitter...

2009-02-28T12:50:00.000+11:00

mitchellhc

I made it to the office on time

2009-02-26T18:08:00.000+11:00

shirt DRIES VAN NOTEN jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE & GABBANA bag MULBERRY glasses DITA

Best Dressed

2009-02-23T21:30:00.000+11:00

I'm yet to see the Oscars. I probably won't. I did jump onto their website and didn't automatically but almost made my way to the red carpet link. There weren't a lot of standouts, at all.

Tilda Swinton was toward the end. She was criticised last year for her choice, and possibly again this year. Lanvin, two years in a row. She is a consistent woman. She is a phenomenal woman. A brilliant choice. Credit to Albez, of course.

Vampire Disco

2009-02-23T21:21:00.000+11:00

shirt APC jeans J LINDEBERG shoes DOLCE & GABBANA ring (worn around neck) VIVIENNE WESTWOOD and chain VINTAGE

watch BAUME & MERCIER acetate cuff M!MCO bangle VINTAGE from PRAGUE

Dress up, please!

2009-02-21T15:56:00.000+11:00

To dress up, to dress well, to wear good clothes - it makes the day better.

I'm fluent in French navy

2009-02-19T06:22:00.000+11:00

jacket and trousers FILIPPA K shirt APC

A Man slash Woman Thing

2009-02-16T22:00:00.000+11:00

On the subject of boyfriends I recalled the image above, which I tore from a page of an old Italian Elle when I was in Florence. The photograph is perfect because of the way the frame of the door blocks the models face. It's a deliberate distraction but it fails because we see the shape of the coat, so traditionally masculine (colour, silhouette) but the way it fits her is so obvious it's perfect.

I didn't deliberately take to looking for women's jackets, but I did find one vintage one a while ago that fit well and was both original and yet somehow just slightly brash in its design. And now I have three. I think it's the shoulder pads, of enlarging my already large shoulders and keeping the rest of the silhouette slim. The shoulder pads in suit jackets are just too understated to make this impression.

I've always been interested in the way men's clothes and women's clothes have become so stereotyped that we forget about the evolution of clothing. The fact of the jacket and it's original intention (that it was designed and made for a woman) doesn't phase me. Rei Kawakubo showed skirts at her last Spring Summer collection for Comme des Garcons. And Thom Browne was on a whole other track with his. (Even Marc Jacobs has been getting around in skirts; I assume they're more comfortable. His followers will be, well, following, no doubt).

In the current issue of 10 MEN Andreas Kronthalar (better known as husband to Vivienne Westwood) said something important: "With menswear...further back than the 18th century, people wore stockings. Men were legs! Now we think this is a women's thing, but at some point, it was actually a man's thing."

It is the beautiful and the brave who dress without the considerations of others, who ignore the wide eyed stares of strangers and their beeping horns.

jacket VINTAGE

These shoulders, they are a little extreme. I agree: it's much better this way.