THE CONSIDERED ENSEMBLE

KIM KNEIPP
Another rainy, winter’s day and I’m feeling the chill. I’m off to Melbourne to buy some eco house paint then on to see clients to return some of their altered wears. Working under the moniker of Frockerphiliac, I run a sustainable design and personal styling service. I have recently pledged to go a year without even op-shopping. I blog at www.thesustainablestylist.com

Raised in the tropics, Melbourne’s cold streets still feel like the Steppes, and I’m wearing a Tzar-esqe black fur hat that sits high on the head, hovering low to top lid. The macramé sides fall to entangle with the black, knotted, bead-scarf draping down my neck. My dress is also black and knife-pleated to on-knee. (An op-shop skirt refashioned by me).

Tones of caramel peek out from the gaps – the collar of a crumpled linen, button-front shirt and the warm, slubbed-sucrose tones of a thrifted blazer – clean cut with 40’s-style vertical yokes that flow to form sleeve. These layers are belted at waist by a handful of strip-cut, chocolate-coloured leather, knotted and hanging long from a circle of silver. Coated in three-quarter length chocolate wool with large, vintage buttons on three tiers of angled welt pockets, this ensemble has military overtones with flapper fanfare. Black low-heeled, laced ankle boots, black ribbed tights and a single gold bracelet help set the scene.

Worn from Daylesford, to Melbourne, then to Daylesford again, Monday 30th August 2010.

MENNO VAN MEURS
I am the owner of the denim store Tenue de Nîmes and the Red Wing Shoes store in Amsterdam. In addition to that I am the publisher of the quarterly magazine/weblog Journal de Nîmes.

Today (August 26th 2010) I am wearing a pair of grey Classic Work Chukka’s Sage Mohave by RED WING with a pair of BURLINGTON socks to complete them. On top of that I am wearing my hand-numbered (rigid) TELLASON x TENUE DE NîMES jeans. It’s one of the 24 Cone Mill’s denim pairs that our friends from San Francisco made for us in May this year. I am wearing a braided leather belt with a small brass buckle by ROYAL REPUBLIQ. On my denim I wear a customized, vintage RALPH LAUREN Oxford shirt that dates back to the 80’s. Because Autumn has started early I am wearing a blue ‘Harris Tweed” jacket that is finished with a monochram-chambray pocket square by our favorite Japanese denim label MOMOTARO. I will never leave the house without a vintage timepiece. My favorite watch is a 1964 TUDOR Submariner with a special Nato strap with leather lining. Last but not least NY based LE LABO provides me my favorite perfume: Rose 31, it will make every day start with a smile.

RAYMOND CHIU
I am a studio engineer and work in retail. I run RaymondChiu.com and Bornatdusk.com. It’s august 23, 2010. I am wrapping up my studio session with Robin Thicke and we are headed for drinks. The weather in Vancouver BC is neutral today. Not too hot, not too cold.

I am wearing black LABEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION low rise trousers from ss09. They are flowy up top, but taper from the knee down. Definitely my favourite pants at the moment. On top, I am wearing a grey reversible cotton screen printed LABEL UNDER CONSTRUCTION long sleeve from ss09. I like simple footwear with precise craftsmanship and tend to be drawn to the timeless classics from CARPE DIEM. Today, I chose black calf laced derbies from fw03. I have worn the same 3 rings for the last two years– A MARGIELA spiral thumb, WERKSTATT silver hammered ring and another WERKSTATT punched wound round ring. My fragrance for this summer is CDG harissa from the red series. Perfect if you’re looking for something light, yet still noticeable by your peers. Plus, the ladies love it.

MR SEKIMACHIHATO
Quit my marketing job to become a full-time house-husband and casual blogger at http://sekimachihato.blogspot.com/
Currently living in Hong Kong and about to return to Tokyo in a few months time.

So I’m a house-husband. The rain finally stopped so after hanging out some washing I took my son for a walk outside in the sun. I wore a fine stripped gray three-quarter sleeve shirt from UNITED ARROWS, skinny fit beige pants from UNIQLO and a thin leather belt from TOMORROWLAND to keep them up. As it was hot outside I should have opted for some leather sandals but instead wore my navy leather deck shoes from I.T. My accessories today included my silver CASIO databank watch and a simple silver bracelet from the France based Japanese designer HIROKO OMARI.
My 3-months old son was wearing a cute stripped outfit from GAP Japan.

WAYNE TIPPETTS
Photographer/Street Fashion Blogger living in London.
http://www.streetstyleaesthetic.com

I am wearing an old green army style shirt from GAP – with nice pleats on the pocket, and a pair of Khaki shorts with cargo pockets – very functional and utilitarian. I am also wearing a UNIQLO Tee with yellow socks, also from UNIQLO. It’s 6:00pm and I am sitting at my desk after a day of walking the streets with my camera, in London’s Urban jungle.

ANJA LOUISE VERDUGO
I sell vintage clothing online and have a journal where I share my photos & finds here: www.clevernettle.com/blog (based in Portland, Oregon)

This outfit all began with the most special shoes I can imagine- black & white satin cat print flats from MIU MIU’s spring 2010 collection. I’m almost embarrassed to have these shoes, owning a designer item is so foreign to me. This is my first time wearing them, and I’m nervous! In a way they seem almost too precious and fancy to wear, but before I bought them I visualized the little cats many years from now… worn, scuffed, and loved, just as they should be. I’m wearing them with little black silk tap shorts from the FLETCHER BY LYELL collection that was sold at Urban Outfitters, vintage-inspired and featherlight. The blouse is vintage 1960’s white lace, perfectly fitted with sheer sleeves, a gift from a friend in Maine. I’m all black and white, a little silent movie apparition from the future. Ok, not quite- my lips are a bright crimson red. I’m also wearing a dab of single note rose perfume made by TOKYO MILK (Scarlett 57). Portland is known as the Rose City and this year I am more obsessed with roses than ever. I hope a bee doesn’t chase me!

I’m wearing this 7/31/10 at sunset for a nice drink & evening walk, maybe to take some pictures with my 70’s SLR since the light is so good at night these days. I’m not exactly sure where the evening will take me yet!

ANNA MIRIAM ETHEL PARKMAN
I’m a 19-year old countrygirl nowadays living in Stockholm. I work in a swedish kids clothing store half of the time, and on the other half I work with my interests such as baking, sewing and photographing through my vintageblog, http://www.miriamskafferep.blogspot.com. I dream of becoming a pastry chef and I also dance Lindy Hop and Balboa, sometimes wishing I was born 80 years ago.

Today, on the afternoon of july 24th, I’m wearing a 50’s summerdress, with the perfect tiny waistmeasure I very rarely find. It’s cream white in a heavy, dull kind of silk, with raspberry red stripes, mixed thin and thicker ones. It has a square boatneck with short sleeves, typical 50s style, with one big, red stripe following the neck, and then thin ones down to the skirt. Around the waist there’s a thin, red belt, with a buckle of mother-of-pearl-shimmering seashell. The skirt is over-the-knee-length and pleated all around. Together with the fabric’s heaviness its’ swing’s lovely around my legs when I walk and dance! The tag inside the dress says “Suprex Models” but I don’t know from which country it’s originally from. I bought in Stockholm’s best vintage store: Old Touch at Upplandsgatan for 450 SEK (approx. 61 USD).

On my feet I’m wearing a pair of 50’s reproduction wedge sandals from british ROCKET ORIGINALS, with peeptoe and anklestraps crossed back and buckled in front. The wedge is bright raspberry red with a following cream white stripe, and over the toes the sides cross over to an atomic shaped “V”, marked with a another cream white stripe.

I wear my blonde hair in a low, curly ponytail with pinned up sides and my bangs in a big, in-rolled curl, pinned with two green and golden dragonflies. Like a mix of Grace Kelly, Audrey Hepburn and Marilyn Monroe in their more casual moments. I wear a light perfume with lily of the valley-scent from british PENHALIGON, bright red lipstick, light foundation and rose pink blush. When outside I wear a pair of green and yellow cateye-shades, also bought at Old Touch, and a little 50’s handbag in beige and white, bought on a block fleamarket.

The time is 17.47, on a sunny, lazy day in my hometown Härnösand, north of Sweden.

KAREN BARBÉ
Textile designer in Santiago, Chile (www.karenbarbe.com)

I’m wearing a bluish grey CALVIN KLEIN chambray pencil skirt with pintuck details at waist and slit side pockets, a white AKIABARA cotton shirt and a blue CALVIN KLEIN wool v-neck sweater. Variegated blue and grey SILVANA cotton/wool tights with classic and simple white REEBOK Princess leather aerobic shoes. Hand knitted fingerless gloves in grey merino wool. Long black ZARA padded jacket. As a handbag I’m using a REISENTHEL mini maxi shopper bag in sand. No jewellery. No nail polish. A basic Nokia cell phone in my pocket. Chance by CHANEL.

A cold 8˚C Friday 23th July in Santiago, Chile.

LAURA CHÁVEZ SILVERMAN
I am Laura Chávez Silverman. I am a writer, gardener, cook, nature lover and blogger at www.gluttonforlife.com. I live in Sullivan County in upstate New York.

Today, 7.23.10, is cool and rainy. It’s a casual day at home for me, and I’m baking peanut butter cookies, so the Dries, Rick Owens and Marni are in the closet. I am wearing JAMES PERSE dark grey sweatpants, a navy cotton-cashmere t-shirt by VELVET and my comfy black clogs. My accessories include my favorite TIFFANY diamond studs (a wedding gift from my amazing husband), a delicate silver chain ring by GUINEVERE RODRIGUEZ purchased at her shop in Williamsburg, and the small tattoo of the California state bear that I have on my inner left forearm. It’s a tribute to my home state and to my former husband who died in 2003.

SANNA HELENA BERGER
I run TOURIST magazine and make things in Manchester and sometimes Sweden.

From below and up I am wearing a pair of black (somewhat sun bleached) shorts in sweatshirt material, they are an akward length, one popular in the early ninties (the era of which they are a bi product) which is why I have made turn ups of the ends. On the back pocket there is a screenprinted capital R. I dont know where they are from. We dug them out of my mothers back up wardrobe, she saves everything. They have drawstring in the waist and cement splatter all over since they were used to build a wall by my fiancé helping my father where we are holidaying, in a small sea side town on the coast of sweden which I can only describe as paradise on earth. Underneath I am wearing black knickers, totally standard cotton girl next door knickers, which is what I find both comfy and sexy. On my upperbody I am wearing a grey washed out tshirt with an OHM sign from India. I bought it there (for about a pound) a few years ago when I went to the very south of india to sit on a rooftop practicing yoga for 2 weeks. On top of that I have a black cardigan which (as the label tells me) is from UNIQLO, it confused me a while ago where this cardigan actually came from, I thought maybe I bought it when I was living in Tokyo, only to remember that its from the lost and found box of a bar that I do the door for. Not a single garment is spot free. from cement splatter to chocolate rice pudding from Berlin which I had the other night in bed whilst watching the new Roman Polanski film which was pretty terrible.

Other than that I am wearing my engagement ring, which is the same ring my father gave my mother as their engagement ring, saving up all his money whilst being in the army for the white gold, which my fiancé now has filed with a small diamond from england so not only is it a heritage piece but like us part english, part swedish. My skin is plenty of shades darker from the mid day swims and I also constantly wear 5 tattoos, ranging from 2 crosses, a square, 2 pieces of writing and a triangle. And my nails are scuffed with CHANEL rouge noir.

10.08, Arild, Sweden, 23rd of July 2010

PAUL PJ CHENG
Fashion Photographer – Beijing

No underwear, dark grey skinny jeans from UNIQLO, naked feet in warm grey MUJI shoes. White HUGO BOSS dress shirt, tapered waist, rolled sleeves, button to the top. Dash of L’eau d’issey pour homme. Classic RAY-BANS for eye protection. Riding my white vespa.

4pm in Beijing, in between meetings, navigating in the summer streets.