Street Style
Manolo says, one of the Manolo’s many internet friends, the Justin, has just written the most entertaining and informative article about the street style blogs.
[A]n exciting new development is making it easier than ever to follow the look of the man (and woman) on the street. Made possible by faster Internet access and cheaper digital photography, street-fashion blogs have sprung up all over the world, and they are quickly proliferating.
The best of these sites capture the joys of people-watching and offer an experience that’s more like lounging on a park bench than flipping through a fashion magazine. For one thing, the blogs aren’t label-conscious: Few identify the brands worn, and not one mentions the prices paid. Their subjects also tend to be dressed casually, with few business suits or cocktail outfits in sight. Even better, many of the subjects are actually smiling—quite a faux pas in the fashion world, which still demands the scornful, stricken look that traces back to Lord Byron.
The Manolo loves the street style blogs for exactly the reasons that the Justin has cited, because they display what the real peoples are really wearing. The best of them show us that super fantastic style it is not merely the province of the rich and powerful.
Here is another portion of the article which the Manolo believes to be most wise.
But ultimately these blogs should strengthen the leveling and decentralizing forces that continue to dismantle the once dominant fashion pyramid. The time is long past when a few couturiers could dictate international style from the heights of Paris. Thanks to the growing popularity of this new medium, it seems likely that a leaderless multitude will increasingly influence fashion from the ground—or rather, pavement—up.
Of the course, it is not the secret that the Manolo should agree with this, as he has on many occasions in the past spoken about the trend towards the greater democratization of the fashion.
July 21st, 2006 at 3:10 pm
Are street-style blogs the same as those little columns in fashion mags where they stop people in the street? I’ve only got dial-up, so a load of photos would drive me CRAZEE. *makes crazy face*
July 21st, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Manolo, have you ever seen the wardrobe_remix group on Flickr? We’re the most FABULOUS personal stylists on the planet. Many photos are posted daily.
July 21st, 2006 at 3:59 pm
One of my faves is The Satorialist.
http://thesartorialist.blogspot.com/
July 21st, 2006 at 4:00 pm
By the way, here’s a description for the group:
I believe the best stylists walk the streets, not the photo sets, nor the backstage of the runways. The real innovators are you and me: real, fashionable people, men and women alike.
How do *you* put it together? Where did you get that item of clothing from? Is there a story behind something you wear? A reason why you wear specific styles or types of clothing, or a particular item all the time?
July 21st, 2006 at 4:33 pm
Miss Janey is so very right- The Sartorialist! His eye is beautiful, and he seeks out the not so perfect fashionistas, all ages and styles. I visit every day! But in a larger sense I agree completely with the Manolo about the democratization of the fashion world due to many of these street blogs.
Men, women, young, old- one can both learn and appreciate something from viewing people who may have a different asthetic. And I really think in the long run this trend will indeed level the playing field. As opposed to having an editor dictate where hemlines fall this particular season- we can all be superfantastic on our own terms. As for the Dora, she’s never actually given a damn about trends and wears what flatters her.. but it’s pleasing to see the younger ones especially going forth and wearing what suits them personally. True personal style should be an evolution, not a walking billboard for Vogue.
July 21st, 2006 at 5:39 pm
I love Hellooks.com, it’s not the sort of thing you can get away with if you don’t live in Helsinki, but they capture the street vibe of the place and are fairly democratic in terms of who they put up.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:10 pm
Manolo, could this be your artfully veiled response to this:
http://millionairesocialite.com/?p=233
To be completely honest, people who know how to look good aren’t that interested in the latest trends. Skinny jeans do not suit all people so in the words of the venerable Tim Gunn, *make it work!* and I think that’s exactly what the democratisation of fashion allows many of us fledgling fashionistas (and fashionistos?) do.
Style and fashion are not the same thing but even if the Satorialist is a few cycles off, is that truly relevant if one is seeking a personal style? I think not. Fashions come and go but style is a labour of love: it’s fashion digested if that makes sense. We take what is necessary and discard what just won’t work.
Dora Long, I totally agree with you. This democratisation gets rid of the -isms that are invariably and unfortunately a part of the high fashion world: ageism, racism, classism, etc. I think these blogs are a great vehicle for the greater good.
July 21st, 2006 at 9:38 pm
hell I have been taking note of streetstyle as well. Interesting is it’s like the indie movement in fashion. It’s great that in style fashion mags (rags) are no longer the only voice in town.
these guys have come up with some sweet urban concepts.
http://www.cafepress.com/urbangrenae
July 21st, 2006 at 11:24 pm
Along the lines of your discussion of democratization, here’s hoping street fashion leads to more alternatives for women who are not built like adolescents. It is one of my enduring frustrations that I can’t find nice, stylish clothing that will look good on a woman, how shall I say, past the first blush of youth and no longer rail-thin. Given the size of most American women, the choice to focus on the body types featured in fashion mags has always struck me as suicidally narrow-minded.
July 22nd, 2006 at 5:34 pm
Oh, thank god. I’ve been looking for international street style links for months now. I sometimes do a lot of traveling, and I always like to know what people are wearing in the city, but it’s so hard to really find out that information before you go. I like to dress fashionably (yes, even trendy) and hate going over and looking out-of-date and frumpy compared to the fashionistas on the street (I guess it’s that lingering sense of fashion inferiority, living in the midwest, that’s hard to overcome when visiting the “big city”).
Now I know that people would say, “just dress as you normally would and you’ll look fine – work your own style!” Somehow, that just doesn’t seem to work, once you get over there and you find yourself wearing last year’s wide-leg jeans and pointy-toe heels, while on the street everyone else has switched to skinny jeans and round-toe flats. It’s hard not to feel unstylish and out-of-date.
July 22nd, 2006 at 8:59 pm
Concerning the last paragraph (the most wise), I certainly hope so. Perhaps this could serve to drive prices down when everyone sees the real world is really wearing clothes from (shhhh) Target.
July 24th, 2006 at 2:12 pm
It is part of a larger trend of tribalisation and segmentation of post-industrial society.
And it is wonerful!
Let’s hope that we can create the same fashion revolution that they are enjoying in Japan, where independent small designers churn out small or limited edtions runs of merchandise that are bought by different marginalized groups.
July 27th, 2006 at 10:26 am
To Veddy: Don’t fret! Follow fashion if you enjoy it, but not to the detriment of your Look. Skinny jeans make me look stupid, and wide leg jeans make me look hot. Why would I follow fashion that makes me look bad?
October 19th, 2006 at 5:28 am
The project is related to the Street style and Style on the street in Ukraine:
http://www.street-style.com.ua