316) Street Style

(Image from PSFK.)

In 2005, Scott Schuman began carrying a digital camera with him around New York, taking pictures of people who caught his eye with their style. He posted them to his simple blog, sometimes with small blurbs.

Today, we see the influence of The Sartorialist on the fashion world. From the legions of street-style blogs started, to the wild popularity of sites like Lookbook.nu and Chictopia, consumer style has become just as celebrated as manicured fashion photography. The attainability, creative crowdsourcing of fashion ideas, and identification with others seen in these photos go a long way.

We even see brands getting in on the consumer-as-stylist approach. Recently launched Uniqlooks and Gap's 1969 Stream let consumers show off their own interpretations and use of brands' pieces.

Of course, this isn't all the Sartorialist's doing. It's a parallel off shoot (is that an oxymoron?) of the democratization of fashion as a whole. As PSFK succinctly puts it, "We can’t help but wonder if the democratization of fashion also involves the ‘Sartorialization’ of fashion retail photography?" That a blog of humble beginnings can now be used as a noun speaks to the power personal initiatives can have.

(A mediocre post after a long day at the office. Self-aware apologies.)