We all have those days when we look into our closet and hate just about everything in there.? How do we find the extra spark to put together something interesting?
I've written about inspiration before, and it can be key to a great wardrobe.? Some of the greatest sources of inspiration available nowadays are street style photographers.?
It's certainly lovely to flip through the pages and magazines, admiring the pairing of those boots with that skirt, or that jacket and those jeans, but the problem for us plebians with fashion magazine editorials, is that it is fantasy.?
Now, I've been known to wear my tutu skirt out every once and a while, but if the oft-extremist style of fashion magazines doesn't click for you, log onto the Internet and see fashions from all over the world, through the lenses of Scott, Garance and company.?
The Sartorialist, aka Scott Schuman, is probably the best known street-style photographer on the states side, but I personally find him a bit boring.? He loves fine tailoring and a dash of color.? It's so formulaic that the Pipeline's blog, Refinery29, was able to hilariously create a chart titled, "How to Get Shot by the Sartorialist." This isn't to say that the men and women he shoots aren't well dressed - because they are - but it's a little yawn-inducing.?
Garance Doré is a French photographer, and, incidently, Schuman's girlfriend.? One of the best things about her her Web site is the personality she brings to it.? She practically always has a write-up along with her photos.? After reading a few of her posts, you want nothing less than to be her best friend.? Her illustrations are also a prominent part of the site.? She captures a wide array of characters, and is a talented photographer, taking beautifully intimate portraits.?
One of my personal favorite sites is Street Peeper, which bursts with fashion.? At any one time you can browse through six main cities (New York, Paris, Tokyo, Melbourne, London and Seoul) and many others.? This gives it the most varied looks.?
A great aspect of Street Peeper, shot mainly by Phil Oh, is that they often label what brands a person is wearing.?
Face Hunter is a street fashion site similar to Street Peeper, but with a wider variety of cities visited.?
But for those looking for a truly inspiring niche, I'd suggest Mister Mort.? Mister Mort focuses mostly on men (although the occasional woman will show up). The fashion world is obsessed with the young, skinny, pretty things, and I often find myself yearning to see something different.? On Mister Mort, you will see the more everyday, the slightly crazed.? He shoots many older men who are overweight, jowly and have strange facial hair.?
One of his subjects I saw the other day had a cane - and not a sleek wooden one.? He has the looks that don't immediately scream fashion, and these are not the people that you will see on the Satorialist, but that's why I love it.?
In fashion magazines, you get the looks and opinions of only a handful of stylists, whereas on a street fashion blog, you have millions of different takes.? It's fashion paradise.
