Reference Point: George Cortina

The Sartorialist is a photographic trove of the stylish and fashionable.  Scott Schuman’s 12-year old blog has a delightful lo-fi minimalist appearance, which allows his photos of industry insiders and everyday people with great personal style to take center stage.  Thanks to Schuman, I - and many others - have been introduced to countless magazine editors, creative directors and off-duty models who are the new style celebrities.  They may not have tons of cash, but they have cultural cachet and in our visual, digital age, that’s more important than a loaded bank account.

One subject Schuman returns to year after year is freelance stylist George Cortina.  Cortina is best known for his photoshoots with Vogue - both domestic and international - and his style continues to resonate, almost completely unchanged from when he was first captured, because he sports clothes with timeless silhouettes that possess an aura of classic masculinity.  Not the faux-machismo masculinity that’s gone, dead and buried (or is heading that way), but that of a gentle man, a man of convictions who knows what’s best for him and simplifies.  Cortina’s ensembles remind us of an era before men wore designer labels and spent hours in front of the mirror.

Cortina with Anna Dello Russo.

Part of Cortina’s secret is that much of his wardrobe is bespoke (though his look can be achieved without spending serious coin).  His peak-lapeled suits are made by Savile Row firm Anderson & Sheppard, and his crisp shirts originate from French shirtmaker Charvet.  The back hem of his shirts are squared off at their bottom, which means they pull double-duty as casual - as well as formal - pieces, a line Cortina blurs due to his willingness to dress up every day, whether in full suit or adding dress shoes to a rugged military-inspired ensemble.  Cortina’s suits are daring, one-button works of art in the lineage of Miles Davis (who also had his bespoke suits tailored with one button instead of the traditional two), and he doesn’t shy away from double-breasted jackets, pinstripes and less-ordinary colors.  It’s thanks to Cortina that dark brown and army green suits are becoming part of our cultural style fabric once again.  

Cortina arm in arm with Kate Moss.

Cortina also employs a couple style tricks I love.  One is his signature henley with a double-breasted jacket.  Granted, part of the reason this works on Cortina is because he’s in impeccable shape, but it’s a much better way to dress down a suit than a v-neck or scoop-neck t-shirt.  The other is his rotating arsenal of oversized sunglasses.  Some might be Persol, some look like Tom Ford, but I’ve never been able to tell who makes them.  That’s a secret Cortina seems willing to keep, and the best we can do is to search for similar specs that project the same swagger and playfulness as his ‘70s-inspired frames do.

There’s a reason tailored clothes persist despite our society’s slide into casualness: They project a sense of authority and occasion, a respect for everyday life and a reverence - or irreverence - toward the spectacle of our existence.  Cortina accomplishes all of this with his ensembles, and thanks to his flourishes he’s adopted and perfected over the years, makes it a whole lot of fun.