Book review: The Sartorialist X - celebrating 10 years of street style

Published today is Scott Schuman's third book, The Sartorialist X, which celebrates the tenth anniversary of his blog, The Sartorialist, and covers the best of the last three years, spanning New York, London, Milan, as well as more unusual places like Peru, Bali, India, and Bhutan.

It was The Sartorialist that fuelled my search for style as an older man in the early days of Grey Fox Blog. As can be seen below, his shots of older men of style provide us with much inspiration.

The Sartorialist is still one of my most-visited blogs. In capturing what men and women, young and old, are wearing on the street he has been partly responsible for starting a 'ground up' approach to fashion, with trends being dictated by those selecting and wearing clothes, rather than by the fashion houses themselves.

This book, his third selection from the images on his blog, shows the continuing development of his skills as street and portrait photographer. From a photography perspective it's the best of his books. His portraits capture colour, style and character with immense subtly and power. He is particularly adept at capturing female beauty.

Until recently I felt that too many of his subjects, photographed at fashion weeks and shows, were linked to the fashion industry. This resulted in rather clone-like menswear style. There's nothing wrong with images of Italians at Pitti Uomo dressed in blazers, jeans and brogues without socks, but I wanted more of the ordinary man and woman on the street; those unrelated to fashion. The Sartorialist X suggests that he is now doing this and photographs from countries outside the western fashion scene demonstrate a refreshing new approach. For me, real personal style comes from within, not from the catwalk or those in the industry whose lives are ruled by what they wear.

The Sartorialist X should be on the bookshelves of all interested in photography, street style, fashion and men's and women's clothes. Published by Penguin priced at £20.00.

Buy the book here The Sartorialist: X (The Sartorialist Volume 3)

All images above by The Sartorialist.