Agent File #4: Tim A.

Pins and patches outside of a Soba restaurant

Check out those 7-11 kicks!!

Our next file features the ever-jet-set Tim A., one of the most talented graphic designers I've met and an all-around nice fellow native Wisconsinite.

AGENT CODE NAME: Timochi Warui

REAL NAME: Timothy Michael Anderson

LOCATION: UK

OCCUPATION: Freelancer/Dragoon

Describe your personal style.

A mix of '60s and '70s pastiche, thrift-store casual, and modern Japanese graphic design. Slightly preppy, slightly mod, and slightly punk, embellished with lots of skinny ties and colorful kicks.

Name your muses. Where (or who) does your style inspiration come from?

My fashion sense comes mostly music I listen to (and associated art and design), especially ska, Shibuya-kei, punk, yé-yé, and cool jazz. I love how genres like these have a way of fusing fun with cool, often by being shamelessly bold and exuberant.

What influences you in your fashion choices?

Color and cost. If I could afford to wear tailored Armani suits all the time, I probably would. But in this economy, I've got to be thrifty! And this is fine by me - I've always cobbled my outfits together from chartity stores, vintage shops, and clearance racks.

Are there any time periods/decades that influence your style?

I suppose the '60s, '70s, and '90s influence my style quite a bit, but not when you look at those decades as a whole. I'm more influenced by particular subcultures from those decades (e.g. '60s mods, '70s rudeboys, '90s skater punks).

Has there ever been a constant in your style life?

Ska and punk band t-shirts and rectangular glasses.

How old were you ten years ago? How did you dress then?

I was 14 going on 15. Back then I was friends with lot of skateboarders, and their style definitely rubbed off on me - lots of baggy dungarees, corduroys, grubby Vans, and t-shirts, especially band t-shirts. I think I had maybe two collared shirts to my name, and they were both from a thrift store.

Can you name the time in your life where you felt that you came into your personal style?

It would have been my sophomore year at college, I suppose, when I was 19. This is when I started to wear skinny ties, pants that actually fit, and blazers. I was a regular at this night club in Los Angeles called Par Aviøn, and the people there were really fashionable, but in a fun, colorful, expressive way, not in a pretentious or self-conscious way. I think that crowd really had an impact on the way I dressed.

What stores do you frequent?

I find myself at H&M a lot, for cheap basics. The same goes for the Gap, but only in America or Japan - the UK Gap is too expensive for how bland it is. I also love Next for socks. They have the best socks. Back in Japan I bought an awful lot from the design t-shirt store Graniph, and in LA my favorite was probably Aardvark's, a chain of vintage shops. I think my all-time favorites, though, are Value Village, an absurdly cheap thrift store in Racine, Wisconsin, and Yellow Jacket, a vintage store in Milwaukee.

Name one item you own that embodies your personal style.

One?! No. I have three: dingy '70s gas station attendant jacket with LA Metro patches that my mom sewed onto the shoulders; '70s black blazer, made at "Zeke's Male Shoppe" in Racine and purchased for $2.50 at Value Village; and New Balance 574s in 7-Eleven colorways, part of the "Conbini Three-Pack." (I have the ampm and Family Mart versions as well.)

What one accessory/piece of clothing are you craving right now?

Onitsuka Tiger Mexico '66 Baja sneakers - white with black stripes and velcro.

What are your current obsessions (fashion-related or otherwise)?

I just started reading the Harry Potter books on Tuesday and I'm on the fourth one now (it's Saturday). They are like a drug. Other than that: the new Big D and the Kids Table album, QI, and summer beer - it's saison season! I'm also a little obsessed with the Kanye West Louis Vuitton sneakers, but I can't quite decide if they're awesome or awful.

Please name your top (in no particular order):

-Books

And Then by Natsume Soseki, Rice As Self by Emiko Ohnuki-Tierney, His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman, and all the Calvin and Hobbes books.

-Movies

"Who Framed Roger Rabbit," "Rushmore," "Ratatouille," and

"Swingers." Also, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and

"Dr. Strangelove."

-Music

According to Last.fm: Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra, Less Than Jake, The Aggrolites, Beck, Pizzicato Five, The Slackers, Big D and the Kids Table, and The Specials.

-Artists

Oskar Fischinger, Chuck Jones, Shag, Bill Watterson, Akira Yamaguchi, Jenny Holzer, Young-Hae Chang Heavy Industries, etc.

-Websites

heyben.com, avclub.com, iamaviking.com, beeradvocate.com, last.fm, doodlepipski.com, yhchang.com, and Wikipedia.

-Designers

Ha! I can't afford designers. But if I could, probably Fred Perry and Giorgio Armani.

What style advice do you offer to the masses?

Try your best not to get blood on your favorite shirt. You may never find another shirt quite like it.

Agent File #003. Laura T.

In Japan~ Ready for the train!

Check out those armwarmers!

Laura says that she just lost at the races, hence the pouty face.

Laura T., a comrade with whom I spent time in Fukuoka, Japan, takes the questionnaire:

That's the best penguin shirt I've ever SEEN!

AGENT CODE NAME: Roll

REAL NAME: Laura Tedesco

LOCATION: UK

OCCUPATION: Research Manager

Describe your personal style.

Erm…slightly girlie, slightly quirky. Occasional indie girl, preppy and 50s undertones, with maybe a pinch of Japanese cuteness.

Name your muses. Where (or who) does your style inspiration come from?

Japan definitely made me more bold and creative in my style choices. I had never considered bloomer style “dress” shorts or owned so many different types of socks before I moved there. Embarrassingly, I also love a lot of the clothes on Gossip Girl and have definitely come up with a few outfits inspired by that show.

What influences you in your fashion choices?

I am a complete sucker for bright colours and pretty patterns. And fabrics that feel nice. I’m also trying to break my “it’s cheap, you might as well buy it” mentality and invest in fewer, more expensive things. I’m still not sure why I fall in love with certain clothes though. Once I went shopping whilst hideously hungover and realised that the only thing that would make me feel better was to buy a tee shirt with a penguin and bright green, red and orange designs on it (see above). It worked.

Are there any time periods/decades that influence your style?

Probably the 50s. I love those full skirts, scarves and huge sunglasses. I like that the look is feminine but classy. I’ve also always wanted to wear a can can/saloon girl fancy dress outfit at least once in my life. Those outfits are so decadent and beautiful.

Has there ever been a constant in your style life?

I’ve been wearing bold flower prints for the last ten or so years and am yet to get sick of them.

How old were you ten years ago? How did you dress then?

I was 14 and lived in baggy sweatshirts and jeans. I was a real tomboy, but also disturbed my friends with my penchant for orange and pink together on clothing. My mum despaired as was always trying to get me to buy tube tops and miniskirts.

Can you name the time in your life where you felt that you came into your personal style?

Probably 16. I could finally ditch my brown and yellow polyester school uniform and wear my own clothes to school. It had to be “office appropriate”, but I always had a lot of fun seeing how far I could bend the rules…

What stores do you frequent?

I like Yumi and Uttam for cute casual Japan type fashion. Topshop London never lets me down either. Jones and Rocketdog are my favourites for shoes and Oxfam (charity shop) Books for, well books.

Name one item you own that embodies your personal style.

My red and white flower print sundress from Zara or my orange wool coat from Hobbs (see above)

What one accessory/piece of clothing are you craving right now?

I really want a fascinator but I need somewhere to wear it first. I’m also trying to cut down my shopping to save money, so I’m craving pretty much everything to be honest.

What are your current obsessions (fashion-related or otherwise)?

Markets (specifically Portobello and Greenwich in London). I bought a gorgeous bright blue leather obi style waist belt from Greenwich recently, and Portobello is chock a block with antiques, boutiques and quirky clothes and jewellery. Also pastries, reading vaguely feminist novels, planning my wedding, floaty summer dresses, Coast (clothes shop) and cream cheese.

Please name your top (in no particular order):

-Books

Lady Oracle by Atwood, Shame by Rushdie, Kitchen by Yoshimoto, His Dark Materials by Pullman, Jack Maggs by Carey…I am such a book geek that I could go on and on, but I’ll cap myself at five.

-Movies

The Princess Bride, Grosse Point Blank, The Little Mermaid and Moulin Rouge.

-Music

At the moment James, The Postal Service, Idlewild, The Cure, Lily Allen, Ladyhawke…

-Artists

I like Matisse, but can’t think of any others off the top of my head. I enjoy going to galleries, but always forget the names of the artists I like afterwards.

-Websites

Flickr.com,

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/default.stm,

http://www.edwardmonkton.com/,

topshop.co.uk,

asos.co.uk

http://www.emcartoons.com/

-Designers

Julian Macdonald and Vivienne Westwood…though I can’t afford either. Oh actually I do have a Vivienne Westwood hanky purchased in Japan!

What style advice do you offer to the masses?

Wear things that will make you smile.

Agent File #002. Lars S.

Lars Swanson, Visionary Photographer, sits down for the S.A.S. Questionnaire

A guitar is always a fantastic accessory. Photo by Larzipan.

AGENT CODE NAME: Larzipan

REAL NAME: Lars Swanson

LOCATION: USA

OCCUPATION: Photographer/Purveyor of Musical Instruments

Describe your personal style.

ADD. I'm a walking, talking, singing ANACHRONISM. Mixing decades and breaking fashion rules with abandon. 1950S rockabilly cat, 1970s polyester, early 1980s punk rock, 1990s Japanese rock band t-shirts, modern designer jeans on occasion, pinstripe sports coats... Endless hair colours and styles. I can't leave my hair alone.

Name your muses. Where (or who) does your style inspiration come from?

Art Deco. Love. Also 1960s/1970s modern design. Orange plastic furniture, chrome, laminate, I can't get enough.

What influences you in your fashion choices?

Emotion. Color, shape, vibe. I don't care who made it as long as it speaks to me, and I can afford it.

Are there any time periods/decades that influence your style?

See above.

Has there ever been a constant in your style life?

Chuck Taylors, especially pink ones.

How old were you ten years ago? How did you dress then?

I was 18. Black motorcycle jacket, pompadour, sideburns, a-shirts, blue jeans, steel toe engineer boots. Everyday.

Can you name the time in your life where you felt that you came into your personal style?

I was 15. I had a skater mullet/ponytail thing that was past its prime. I chopped it off and sculpted my first pompadour. I really started making progress on guitar, stopped caring what others thought, and started on the path to becoming the non-conformist pacifist artist I am today.

What stores do you frequent?

JimmyZ (so sorry to find out that Aeropostale owns the brand now...), Ikea, Express, Unique Thrift Store, garage sales, any vintage shop or antique store...

Name one item you own that embodies your personal style.

My afformentioned pink Chucks

What one accessory/piece of clothing are you craving right now?

Red Wing engineer boots. I haven't had a pair in so long... I would also love to own more Emporio Armani clothing. Who ever thought that those two brands would ever appear in the same paragraph?

What are your current obsessions (fashion-related or otherwise)?

The songs Dubble by Trevor Loveys, Spartacus by Ino Hidefumi, California Stars by Billy Bragg and Wilco. Bicycling. It makes me feel free somehow. I need cool bike clothes like Twin Six.

Please name your top (in no particular order):

-Books

“Robots and Empire” - Isaac Asimov

“Wild at Heart” – John Eldredge

The Bible is a fascinating book.

I'm halfway through “The Language Instinct” by Steven Pinker

-Movies

The Fifth Element, Boondock Saints, Snatch, Chocolat, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, Interstella 5555

-Music

Stereolab, Nick Drake, Daft Punk, The Stray Cats/Brian Setzer, Kaskade, Theviery Corporation, Grant Green, Wilco, Dada, Telepopmusic, Dexter Gordon, Groove Armada, Adele, Beasty Boys, Kraftwerk, Bo Diddley, Django Reinhardt, Social Distortion, Chet Baker, Koop, etc.

-Artists

Piet Mondrian, Mark Rothko, Harold Rosenberg, Ansel Adams

-Websites

Larzipan.com, Marriedtothesea.com, mplsbikelove.com, thisiswhyyourefat.com, google maps, j-guitar.com,

-Designers

Eero Aarnio, Frank Lloyd Wright (my main man), Alvar Aalto.

What style advice do you offer to the masses?

Be yourself, break rules. Wear tall navy blue socks with black shorts and sandals if it's what you like. Rules are meant to be broken, especially fashion rules.

Agent File #001. Jessica B.

The ringleader of this blog sits down to the Secret Agent Spygirl Style Questionaire:

Yes, she's wearing a tiny beret. Photos by Larzipan.

AGENT CODE NAME: Cultural Catgirl

REAL NAME: Jessica Barrett

LOCATION: USA

OCCUPATION: Shopgirl/Illustrator

Describe your personal style.

Right now, it’s kind of like how a weird elementary school art teacher would dress. It’s always in flux between go-go and flapper, but the constant is that I’m always dressed in color. I can’t stand black, except for black tights or leggings, which I can’t live without since they make my frocks stand out and add a modern quality to things.

Lately, I’m finding that I’m dressing more and more gamine lately- very 20s inspired. That could just be the indirect influence from the trends as of late, though. My haircut right now is also very flapper-ish.

Name your muses. Where (or who) does your style inspiration come from?

The whole aesthetic of Mid-century Modern is my biggest inspiration, but also the slightly campier side of it- cheesy spy movies, go-go dancers, crazy bright prints. Sienna Miller’s style as Edie Sedgwick in Factory Girl is my golden standard.

My mom, who is an ESL/ELL teacher and language-learning theory pioneer, also inspires me with her trademark huge earrings, funky glasses, layering, and ethnic influences from her love of learning about other cultures. It’s through her that I got my wanderlust and constant need to express creativity. My boyfriend, Alex, has really gotten me even more into Mod and Jet Set glamour with our shared obsession of vintage graphics, poster art, and stock photography.

What influences you in your fashion choices?

I think like many others lately, it’s price. Not hugely, but it’s a factor. Other than that, I just look for good craftsmanship, originality, and flattering fits. I work at a boutique, so I’ve really been inspired to buy unique and good quality clothing. I think it really says something if you’ve met the designer of your clothes or if they live locally.

Are there any time periods/decades that influence your style?

The 60s, by far. I’m amazed that I didn’t buy a thing from Mary Quant during all the time I lived in Japan. I also like the 20s, but not as much- I see it as a kind of forerunner to the 60s.

Has there ever been a constant in your style life?

Anything brightly colored or “Mod.” My first album was “A Hard Day’s Night,” a gift from my parents (early enablers!) When I saw the movie at an anniversary showing at the Downer Theater in my hometown of Milwaukee, I was hooked. I wanted to be just like George Harrison and wear skinny suits!

How old were you ten years ago? How did you dress then?

I was 14, and wore the most ridiculous stuff. I think I wore huge, bright red hiking boots and a furry trapper hat for most of that year.

Can you name the time in your life where you felt that you came into your personal style?

Oh yes- when I was 18. I was really into the Japanese magazine Fruits at the time (and had already gone to Japan twice as an exchange student), and I was obsessed with school uniforms and wearing that style to my very casual public high school. One day that spring I wore a children’s poly-blend navy blueschool uniform skirt (more like a miniskirt on me) with a matching tie from some run-down department store in Milwaukee, a fitted navy blue blazer, and a bright orange Oilily collared dress shirt. That day I realized that, style-wise, I was incredibly different from everyone that I knew, and that there was no problem with that at all.

What stores do you frequent?

Anthropologie is the only chain store I frequent, only for their great sale rack. Other than that, I try to go to locally owned boutiques, where I can get to know the designer or the owner and work with them. I’d much rather buy locally and support upcoming talent. I spend hours on Etsy for accessories and homegoods, as well as handmade toys and artist prints. Sometimes I get clothing and accessories custom-made.

Name one item you own that embodies your personal style.

My red Earth maryjane shoes. They’re classic but kind of quirky and a little off...even fairy-ish maybe.

What one accessory/piece of clothing are you craving right now?

I’m really into cotton, high-waisted, printed A-line skirts with vintage inspired patterns. Anything cotton and printed, really.

What are your current obsessions (fashion-related or otherwise)?

Vintage-inspired fabric, Flickr, Italian sodas, Japanese traditional sweets, kitschy ceramic cats from the 1950s and 1960s, going to the library, knitting, cruising Etsy, old and new buttons, watching old spy movies (or doing anything) with my boyfriend, trying to cook extravagant meals in my tiny kitchen, trying to learn to embroider and cross stitch.

Please name your top (in no particular order):

-Books

“Confessions of A Window Dresser” by Simon Doonan, “Hall of Best Knowledge” by Ray Fenwick, “This Is For You” by Rob Ryan, "What I Talk About When I Talk About Running" by Haruki Murakami, "China Chic" by Vivienne Tam, "The Bedside Book of Birds: An Aviarn Miscellany" by Graeme Gibson, "I Am A Cat" by Natsume Soseki

-Movies

American Splendor (2003), You Only Live Twice (1967), Desperately Seeking Susan (1985)

-Music

The Twelves, Shinichi Osawa, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Ladyhawke

-Artists

Yoshitomo Nara, Yayoi Kusuma, Kozyndan, Deth P. Sun, Leonard Foujita

-Websites

Etsy (http://www.etsy.com), Flickr (http://www.flickr.com), Craft (http://www.craftzine.com)

-Designers

Vivienne Westwood, Tsumori Chisato, Vivienne Tam, Zakee Shariff, Milkfed., X-Girl

What style advice do you offer to the masses?

Don’t even worry about how you look, because most people are too self-conscious about how they're dressed to even notice your fabulousness. Also, wear whatever the hell you want and don’t be afraid of your own creativity.

いらっしゃい, Pedestrian, and Welcome to Secret Agent Spygirl

(NO PASSWORD NEEDED)

You've stumbled upon a secret file of the jet-set, adventurous, unafraid, and completely original fashion agents of the world. They range from mild-mannered office workers to out-and-about artists.

Read on if you're still in.

Here I, Secret Agent Spygirl (OK, my real name is Jess), will showcase everything that I love about personal style and all of the forms that it takes, undercover and not. This file will contain personal interviews, experiences, essays, street snaps, and more. This will be a style blog, but a goofy, unpretentious, and consistently unique style blog. No big-box designer promos, putting-down of so-called "fashion victims" or "hot or not" lists, or style discrimination. It's time to take back the way we dress into our own hands and stop blindly following the international trend machine. Thus is my goal and manifesto for this project.

Plan accordingly, Agent, and enjoy!