'The Sartorialist' is the title of a street style photography website created by New York based photographer Scott Schuman. Since it's inception, the site has generated upwards of 14 million page views per month, and Mr Schuman, with style blogger Garance Doré, was recently awarded the 2012 Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Media Award.
'The Sartorialist' website was created to share photos of people on the street that Mr Schuman thought looked great. Over time, his content and narrative has evolved with a fascinating collection of people he's photographed around the world, especially in New York, Paris and Milan.
In August 2009, Mr Schuman published his first photography book, 'The Sartorialist', which featured many samples of his photographs, some of which had already been posted on his website, and many that had never been seen before.
The success of that publication has led to a second edition entitled 'The Sartorialist: Closer', which, like the first book, includes many photographs of people he's met and encountered going about their lives at work, on the streets and in café's.
Mr Schuman explains the reason he calls this book 'Closer' is that he has become driven to understand the individuals he's photographed better, to "bring me closer to the true essence of the person while still capturing them as stylish subjects."
Since creating the website, the author is also getting closer to exploring the character diversity that he had dreamed of. In this edition, there are more photographs of people from different walks of life, like shepherds, cowboys, nomads, house painters and bartenders, as well as New Yorkers and Parisians.
Like his first book, there are some images that will be familiar to followers of the website, but there are many more fascinating and remarkable photographs never published before.
There is very little narrative throughout the book. Except for a few explanatory passages, you are left to your own imagination to figure out where the photograph was taken and judge for yourself the true character of the people that grace the pages with their fashionable, and not-so fashionable clothes.
Mr Schuman has traveled the globe, capturing remarkable images of people as they were. The common denominator is that however they are dressed, or clothed, they all look so proud of their identities, of who they are, which brings us all closer together.
The book inspires us to find ourselves and forge our own identity. Being happy in our own suits is all that matters.