Style Stalking (Snapshot) in Tokyo once again

Given my almost Victorian fear of showing off too much leg (no advance on the ankle) the short suit is something I've always been too quick to discount. However, in moments of warm weather when the streets are so often overrun with a cacophony of far too casual wear that share far too much anatomical information, surely the short suit is a better option than most. When worn well this sartorial hybrid feels even more feasible. In the glowing heat of Tokyo we encountered the practically perfect preppy example. In his mix of Opening Ceremony, Fred Perry and Tricker's, this Tokyoite struck the balance between smart and casual.

Style Stalking... Street Peeper

It is at times like this, when we are all a little weary of the goings on of the catwalk, the sight of Street Peeper Phil snapping away at the fashion crowd offers a welcome respite. Now, the mass of street style photographers that pound the streets in search of the stylish is every growing but Phil has been doing it since late 2006. He's a regular on the circuit, frequently awash of print and pastel. His colourful ensembles have the ability to both dazzle and soothe all at the same time. Unfortunately, he is rarely found on the other side of the lens...until now.

On our recent jaunt to Singapore and Tokyo we were joined by the street style veteran and I took full advantage of it in every sense. With Phil as our guide we were able to feed off of his knowledge of the Japanese capital. We gorged ourselves on everything from the finest tonkatsu to the very best designer bargains. However, Phil's need for shopping was exactly that. As he knew nothing of the trip beforehand, this jet setter had ventured to the East straight from a wedding in Mexico and landed clutching the smallest of suitcases. His hand luggage included two pairs of shoes, a shirt or two, two pairs of trousers (one with an increasingly obscene rip on the rear) and very little else. Over the course of his seven days in Tokyo, Phil set about adding to his holiday wardrobe. In addition to consuming all that the city had to offer in terms of both retail and food treats, Phil was there to work. Whilst he shot the stylish folk of Tokyo, I lurked in the shadows and peeped the peeper. Below is a three day style diary and a record of his growing wardrobe. Ordinarily, Phil is quite the talker but when it comes to his style he is surprisingly quiet. Probably because his clothes do the talking for him.

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Day One

Before the real shopping started....

Perks and Mini shirt with white polka dots

SFK camera strap

Comme des Garcons trousers

Cos belt

Happy Socks

Merci Beaucoup shoes

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Day Two

The fruits of the trip to Gotemba and frequent dashes around the various Ragtags on show during a spot of snapping...

Marni Top

Dries trousers

F-Troupe shoes

Lover tote

SFK camera strap

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Day Three

Taking to the streets in yet more bargains...

Comme des Garcons Ganryu top shirt

Peter Jensen purple gingham

Jil Sander trousers

Merci Beaucoup shoes

Tsumori Chisato tote

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Hopefully this three day diary has whet your appetite for more print and colour. All going well we will peep the peeper all over again when he is next in town for fashion week.

Details: Real Vintage

The way in which sections of Tokyo enthuse over and embrace vintages, both in terms of a retail and consumer point of view, is very special indeed. This guy was head to toe in garments that were atleast one hundred years old and looked wonderfully fresh. Each item told its own story but I was particularly drawn to the long coat.

Style Stalking...Ca

It has been far too long since we've lurked in the shadows to partake in one of our favourite past times, style stalking. The reason for the delay was finding a subject that could match our previous subject, Imelda Matt. After a few months of fruitless voyeurism we finally stumbled across an old favourite who has thankfully resurfaced on the blogosphere. Ca's previous blog, The Cablog, was a constant source of inspiration and it was a sad day when he decided to pause blogging. A number of months later and Ca has returned and we are pleased to declare that he lost none of his style. Ca is a man who knows how to use colour and play with textures to make truly wonderful, multi faceted outfits. He is a man who knows how to balance vintage, high street and labels in such a way that the admiring observer has absolutely no idea where he shops. We could wax lyrical about his style but that would only delay you from the real treat of the below visuals. Without further ado, here's the man himself introducing his diary...

"I suppose the series below is representative of my style. At least for winter here in Norway at the moment. I have always been more of an autumn/winter person in terms of clothes and fashion. The crisp cold weather makes it ideal to layer favourite pieces and bundle up. Some may find it challenging during the cold season to stay both warm and stylish, but I thing it's quite amusing. As long as you have the basics, especially quality woolen pieces, in place then I believe you can always look well put together...

All photos by my good friend Sirin Winge"

When the six day diary dropped in to our inbox our week was made. No doubt his style diary will brighten up your week too...

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Day One

A simple and casual outfit, this is how I typically look at home or school. I enjoy focusing on collar/lapel details and love to collect pins and brooches from flea markets and vintage shops. Such an easy way to add a bit of fun. These ones, however, are from a regular high street store. The moment I saw them this summer I completely fell and had to have them. Such a sucker for the nautical theme.

The jumper is from H&M, the shirt is from Zara and pins are from Accessorize, the trousers are by These Glory Days, the glasses are from Burberry and the shoes are by Massimo Dutti.

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Day Two

Another simple outfit for a regular day running errands around town. This jacket is one of my vintage gems which I waited almost three months before purchase. Warm and with the perfect fit, it's such a great piece to throw on while rushing out and about.

The hat is from H&M, the scarf is by Burberry, the jacket is a vintage Wrangler, the shirt is secondhand, the jeans are by Monkee Genes, the bag is secondhand as well and the shoes are by Vagabond.

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Day Three

Ok, so I study library science and work at an eyewear store. Sometimes I get carried away. So much for breaking down the stereotypical view on nerdy almost corporate way of dressing. But I like it and this is how I look most of the time. I try to believe that this soft floral shirt makes the look less "dusty". Anyway, the shirt reminds me of a watercolour painting and I got it dirt cheap at a secondhand store. Win win situation. If you're wondering, I am clinging onto the precious and latest issue of Monocle, one of the few magazines I actually buy.

The cardigan is from Brunns Bazaar, the shirt is secondhand, the trousers and bag are both from Zara while the bag is by Bertoni.

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Day Four

Me at my most dandy. I enjoy wearing bow ties, especially during festive Christmas season. The small leather bag around my neck is the latest obsession. Very practical to keep keys and wallet safe in place. And the coat is Lanvin for H&M, this year's winter coat purchase. The deep blue colour is wonderful. I like the long lean look and how the length makes it completely reasonable for me to make swooshing sounds while wearing it around.

The coat is from the Lanvin for H&M range, the jumper is from Gap, trousers are by Topman, the hat is from Dressman, the bowtie is H&M, the bag is from Monkee and the suspenders and shoes are both secondhand.

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Day Five

Beside collar decoration I have become fond of elbow details. This woolen/angora/cashmere mix jumper is warm, cosy and perfect for winter. Also, the colour scheme keeps the elbow patches subtle and barely noticeable. My infamous binocular bag is making an appearance here as well.

The coat is from Victor & Rolf for H&M, jumper by These Glory Days, as you can probably tell the shirt is from Burberry, trousers are by Velour, shoes from Zara and the bag is secondhand.

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Day Six

Another piece of outerwear I've found secondhand and altered at my seamstress. I like to switch between several coats during winter to keep things interesting. I find brown softer and easier to create less strict winter looks than classic black and grey.

In case you're wondering, the answer is no. I am not doing publicity for the label These Glory Days. At least not paid publicity that I know of. I have been following the label's design for a while and truly enjoy it's casual style, small sizes, simple details and finally the reasonable price level. This winter I went all out and got hold of several pieces from the autumn/winter collection. Whatever the hype, the Swedes know fashion. And as a Norwegian citizen I am making a patriotic statement for Scandinavian design. Yeah.

Final note: I am having breakfast (cranberry scones) while doing Christmas shopping here. Do forgive the silly expression.

The coat is secondhand, the hat and shirt are both from These Glory Days, the jeans are Monkee Genes and the shoes are from Zara.

All photos by Sirin Winge.
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Advent - Day Eight

We have long admired the snapshots of style that Tommy Ton captures for his own site Jak & Jil and those for GQ. Tommy's images are at times breathtaking and frequently more inspiring than the happenings of any catwalk. His roving eye scans and focuses on the details that are often overlooked but are in fact so very important. Tommy can zoom in on a contrasting cuff, tailoring quirk, novel print combination and sartorial scenes from one hundred paces. He undoudtedly has the eye. With this in mind we just had to ask him to reveal the one item he hopes to unwrap this year and he plumped for a beautiful pair of Northampton crafted boots...

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TRICKER"S MALTON BROGUE BOOTS

Tricker's Malton Brogue boots with a Commando sole

"For Christmas, I'd love to receive a pair of Tricker's Malton Brogue boots with a Commando sole. It's funny how long I've wanted a pair but yet I haven't had any time while visiting London to go to the Tricker's shop. My time is always occupied by fashion week and rather than ordering a pair online, I'd like to properly get fitted and fully experience the Tricker's experience. Ideally, I'd love to customize a pair but I also really love the Vibram wedge sole on the pairs they collaborate with Present London. Brogue boots are a classic staple in my wardrobe and to receive a pair would be the ultimate Christmas gift."

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Snapshots: Mablethope 1927

Snapshots of style

I can still recall the frantic Terry Riley composition echoing around my skeleton as Patrik Ervell managed the unlikely but ultimately happy union of traditional tailoring fabrics of tweed, wool and twill with the fetish, wipe clean fabrics of latex rubber and transparent vinyl. Back in February my heart was thumping inside Milk Studios. One season on and…and nothing. This has nothing to do with with the design offerings for SS11 (far from it) but everything to do with a mere two thousand nine hundred and eighty three miles. It is nigh on impossible to get excited when I can not see the clothes for myself. So, as excitement bounces from show to show across the Atlantic, I've decided to temporarily turn my back on the future fashion on the catwalk and instead focus my gaze on the style of the past. This mood has been greatly enhanced by a discovery at Vintage at Goodwood. Taking a break from crowd voyeurism and vintage rail rummaging we spent quite some time hunting for second hand home wares. Amongst the fantastically ornate picture frames, cufflinks and various trinkets, Susie picked out a photo album.

Entitled Snapshots, the discovery is of full wonderfully posed moments of an unknown group of friends in addition to a few loose mixed shots accompanied by pencil scribbled notes. The first series of shots follows the gang on a a seaside trip to Mablethorpe, dated 1927. This isn't street style, this is promenade style at a time when George V sat on the throne and Cardiff City beat Arsenal in the FA Cup final.

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For me, these black and white shots serve as a welcome antidote to early fashion month fatigue and I hope you enjoy them as much as I have.

Eye on Goodwood

I had been debating whether or not book a whole weekend of fun and frolics at Vintage at Goodwood for the last few months so when myself and Susie were offered a day ticket by the British Fashion Council we jumped on to the coach. For those of you unfamiliar with the festival, it is fresh to the ever growing summer circuit and combines art, music, fashion and film while celebrating Britain of the 1940s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. We accepted the trip to add support behind London's New Gen finest at a special show entitled 'Future Vintage' - the collectibles of the future that include Louise Gray, Holly Fulton, Michael van der Ham, Mary Katrantzou and David Koma. As expected there were school trip style japes throughout the day with London's emerging talent but there was plenty of time to explore the vintage space and ample opportunity to partake in our favourite pastimes, people watching.

It was quite fascinating observing the crowds diverse interpretation of vintage and to see how that filtered down in to their choice of attire for the day. Rather than become bewildered by the ensembles I chose to focus on the details. Below are a few that caught my eye...

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...

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.

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!

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!

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