[STREET STYLE] NAVY BLUE 3 WAYS

My declaration that winter is over seems to have been a bit preemptive. NYC has been bitterly cold as of late, with every other street turned into a godforsaken wind tunnel. I've noticed a lot of people combatting the chill in navy blue overcoats, such as this incredible looking artist/actor in a beautiful military-style coat, above.

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[STREET STYLE] EARLY WINTER

Holy granola! It's my first-ever shoppable* street style! (*Ok, so "shoppable" isn't a real word, but humor me.) I scoured the internet to find items similar to everything this guy's wearing and put it in a magical little widget because I love this guy's outfit so much. I feel like I could steal the whole thing, plus he's blazing hot and Latin, so he sort of is me, but in an alternaverse where I have superior beard-grooming skills, good hair and can't trace my lineage back to any elf kings. That sweater, the jeans, those tassel loafers? Marry me! Shot on the street in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn.

[STREET STYLE] BLUE IVY

Blue because he's wearing blue and ivy because he's preppy! A good last-days-of-summer look, no?

ANDRE J. X DECOPIC

The other week I ran into French Vogue cover star Andre J. in the West Village and I totally freaked. Andre is, if you couldn't tell from the above photo collage, pretty sensational. I first saw him out and about when I was visiting the city a few years ago, but didn't have the confidence to approach him. This time around I was more forward, but felt rushed and forgot to adjust my camera settings. The pictures I took were far from perfect, so I decided that justice could only be done with the assistance of the iPhone app Decopic, and now my crap shots are a mirrored disco ball of glamspiration.

Andre was recently spotted collabo-ing with Carine Roitfeld again for her soon-to-debut CR Fashion Book and I'm hopeful it's as unexpected and cheeky as their last endeavor.

ALE ET ANGE ET MOI

photos Ariel Park // all clothing Ale Et Ange // shoes Keds

I discovered the boutique Ale et Ange while out window shopping one day, as we penniless young gays are wont to do in the city. Their unassuming storefront is easily missed, save for the name hand-painted on the window, hovering amidst flowers. I popped in and was happy to discover that the shop houses a menswear and accessories line named for its co-creators, Eloise Ange Simonet and Osoré Ale Oyagha. From caps to culottes (no, not really culottes - I just like the alliteration - but pants!) the Ale et Ange label has all bases covered, often in bold prints. And did I mention it's all produced locally, here in NY's garment district? I pulled one of my favorite pieces, their porno print toile t-shirt, to shoot with these camo pants - maybe you saw my tweet, "thinking about camo for Fall"? Because I am, and here it is. The brand's caps are developing into its signature as they're incredibly stylish and versatile, plus they've been in Vogue - I'm seen here wearing the one model Kendra Spears wore in July's issue. Who wore it better? Debatable. (The brand was also recently featured in The New York Times.)

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TINY FURNITURE

photo Mieke Willems

I have this secret houseboat fantasy where I, well, live on a houseboat. There's not like, weird paddle sex involved or anything - because I know that's where your mind went next! My fantasy is about to kinda sorta come true as this week I will be moving into a gorgeous Fort Greene brownstone, and the only reason I can afford it is that my room is so small it may as well be carved out of the hull of a sailboat. But it's also complete with some built-ins and a lofted bed, so it's very futuristic Japanese pod hotel, which makes me basically sort of like a space pirate? IDK either, but there's more where this came from...

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[STREET STYLE] MY FRONTIERSMEN

These are some men wearing outfits that I think bring something unique to the "style table," but I'd really like to draw attention to the first and last photos...

I came across the man in the first picture at MoMa, where he was rather majestically strolling through some of the exhibits in studded-heel platforms (yes, with a studded heel! I didn't catch him from the right angle, je suis désolé.) I love love love the contrast between his look and the outfit in the last photo - they are both in skirts, yes (or maybe khaki-man is in some sort of artistically-interpreted apron, could be) but they are so different! I think the first look is maybe what we would consider a "traditionally" female ensemble worn by a man, whereas the second is very sexless - his look just happens to involve a skirt (and white nails)(but also Tevas?) and it's not exactly something you could easily or immediately imagine on a woman.

I find both looks to be exceptionally fashionable and courageous and feel they represent the next wave in men's dressing, which brings me to the post title. It's a reference to one of Bill Cunningham's columns from last month in which he discusses the "frontiersmen" whose ensembles are at the forefront of menswear...turning the tides, bridging the gap between East and West, confronting expectations and saying 'non!' to conformity. The men who are making America a better place to dress!

What do we think of these outfits? Granted, it is still maybe a bit of a shock to see a man in a skirt, but this is not drag, it's not "cross-dressing." These are simply men...in skirts! We know how I feel about this (or if you don't, take a gander at Some Boys Like Me and/or Men Without Pants), but I always welcome feedback, particularly on this topic ^_^ ( <- face of encouragement!)

Special thank you to Julia at La Belle Oiselle for bringing this video and the Cunningham piece to my attention - I love to find bloggers on my wavelength!

LE PETIT DÉJEUNER

At The Standard Grill. Pain au chocolat and hot water with lemon. This place is chic as shi-yite ($_$) but don't be fooled by the Parisian vibe—portions are definitively American, a.k.a. go with a friend and plan to split it.

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BIG APPLE BROOKLYN

Just a little taste of life in the big apple...mostly Brooklyn, though. This is the last from my batch of $1 disposable cameras, *tear* - check out the other roll of film here.

spatial relations

I have this dream that apartamento will ask me to write one of the introspective essays that opens their magazine, but I'm not holding my breath for that to happen anytime soon and so I wrote this for *fruitpunch, maybe you've heard of it, possibly you're reading it right now (meta).

It's hard to pick a starting point for this post, a lifestyle post when my lifestyle has so drastically changed. You might think it should be easy, as I'm beginning a new life here in New York, but I find myself looking back on my former living situation (and its style) and feel in limbo. I am enjoying a borrowed space that cannot and won't be mine, though I've come to find much contentment here. Knowing that my enjoyment of this place has an expiration date hasn't diminished the pleasure of folding myself into that Eames lounger with a book of Wendell Berry essays, nor can I truthfully say that it has made me put any extra effort into savoring every minute that I can pretend this is all mine. Really I'm just ignoring the fact that this is another man's home; that outside the frames of these artfully cropped and filtered photos there is art that I don't understand, records I didn't collect and books I've never read. I am a transplant, continually adjusting and reorienting to my surroundings. This room is another man's canvas and I am lucky to feel at home here (noted: good taste is good taste).

I thought I had found my next step here, for about a day. The woman renting out the extra room in her Brooklyn two-bedroom was the definition of my definition of a cool roommate and I even liked her dog. I'd planned out the post introducing my new space and everything - her pug would've been in the photos and it would've been so cute you could just throw yourself off a rooftop garden. But, alas, it was not meant to be...but, really...I just want a clean white room where I can light a candle and sleep on a pile of my clothes, is that so much to ask for? I'll let you know if I find out...

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FOUND MEMORIES

One of my new hobbies is dropping into thrift stores and tearing through old bins of photos - it's sort of like Tumblr IRL. In these few post-collegiate years I've found myself drawn towards beautiful images wherever I find them, not necessarily sequestered in Vogue. Part of it is simply becoming more familiar with photography and the elements of a great picture...another factor is the excitement of finding stuff secondhand. As I've found myself drawn toward vintage and thrifted clothing, so too I've found myself hunting in a similar manner for the images I consume.

All of these are photos I found at one particularly plentiful thrift shop on my street. All of them were, I believe, taken with run-of-the mill disposable cameras and scanned by moi at a FedEx Office, on a scanner that was a bit crap and I think also dirty. Sorry about that. They're all portraits (with some pretty greenery thrown in the mix, so sue me) and quite a few of them have a Nan Goldin thing going on, with maybe some shades of Walter Pfeiffer. I don't really know how copyright works in this instance so I guess any one of the people who took these could sue me? I'll take my chances...

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[STREET STYLE] IN THE CITY

So, I'm officially in New York City! To sum up the experience so far: carry things, walk, eat, subway, walk, carry things, eat. There is actually a pretty funny story with which I could regale you, about me trying to ride a bike the size of a horse, but I feel like it needs to be acted out. Instead, prettiness! It was unseasonably chilly (i.e. 65-ish) and grey here yesterday - perfect for shooting. I passed this girl and was thrown into a fit of indecision about whether or not to approach her. I literally walked in circles for like, three minutes, but decided I would regret it forever if I didn't try. I just love the weight of those boots with the sheer button-up and that tailored bag! Not to mention her earrings, perfect hair and bracelets. The aesthetic here and the way she achieved it is just so wonderfully translatable to a male wardrobe.

What do we think...should I make this a regular feature here in the city, or are you supersaturated with street style? I figure it couldn't hurt to share what inspires me...and hopefully you feel the same way. And now, it is gorgeous here, so I'm headed out!

PATRON OF THE NEW

T Magazine recently did a profile on new boutique Patron of the New and it sounds wooonderful. The article author declares it "feels far more Parisian than American" and notes that he was encouraged to try on a dress if he felt like it, which is always a good sign. He also demonstrates how to wear a jumpsuit (tying it off half mast in a nice nod to the nineties' flannel-round-the-waist look) and works sweats-for-day, an ensembular phenomenon first legitimized by Alexander Wang. There is one problem, though, with picture two: where the hell is this guy's chest carpet? It's pretty much universally acknowledged by everyone with taste and class that a deep-V requires some serious fur. Unless, of course, your Twitter or other social media handle includes the word "boi," which I guess we'll assume is the case for this heterosexual New York Times writer. #offthehook

photos by Noah Emrich