83 year old man shows the rest of us how to dress

[Ex Lurker]

http://petapixel.com/2013/03/30/photographer-turns-dapper-83-year-old-into-a-one-man-fashion-photo-blog/


Zoe Spawton earns a living working as a waitress in Berlin. While setting up the restaurant’s sidewalk furniture at 9am, the 29-year-old Australian photographer regularly encounters Ali, an 83-year-old man who always seems to dress fashionably and obviously takes great pride in his appearance.

After a few weeks of befriending Ali, Spawton began to document the man’s outfits through portraits reminiscent of The Sartorialist. Soon, these portraits became a full blown project titled What Ali Wore.

It’s a fashion photo blog with Ali as its sole subject. The site’s tagline: “This is Ali. He walks past my work every morning wearing great clothes.”

The collection of photos isn’t an expansive one — there are just over 30 at the moment — and Spawton didn’t have an answer for us when we asked her how long she thinks the project can continue (something that’s probably limited by how many outfits Ali can assemble).

However, the website went viral this past week after the photographs were shared through Reddit. Commenters remarked on how smartly Ali dressed, the personality captured by the portraits, and his “gangsta lean.”

Spawton has since been busy responding to interview requests from media organizations all over the world that are interested in learning more about the photos and about Ali.

[dionysus]

1. dapper fellow...

[WillowTree]

12. Exactly the word I was going to use. What a very cool dude!

[Rozlee]

55. Debonair and natty come to mind.

And do I hear Taco's "Putting on the Ritz" soundtrack in the background?.

[pepperbear]

2. put him on the runway right now.

[JimDandy]

4. I second that. Good looking

and such sashay in the last photo. I'd say he has another career on the horizon, if he wants it.

ETA: he's a retired doctor who now works six days a week at a nearby tailoring shop. He fashions some of his own clothes. Originally from Turkey, he has lived in Berlin for the past 44 years and has 18 children.

[steve2470]

10. 18 kids ? woah nt

[JimDandy]

19. His doctor's salary must have helped make that happen. n/t

[Warpy]

3. He's very dapper, that's for certain

He was a youngster after WWII and likely experienced the extreme privation of a would be empire that lost the big war. He's probably been a dapper dresser all his life, a reaction against wearing rags and putting newspaper into his walked through shoes when he was a kid who had no idea when he'd see food again.

He doesn't look 83. He just looks fantastic.

[amandabeech]

6. The dapper gent's name is "Ali." He may be one of the Turks who came to Germany as guest workers

in the 1960s and 1970s. If so, he may not have experienced the post-WWII devastation, but may have experienced poverty in Turkey while growing up, which was not in good economic shape until fairly recently.

If you click in the link, you can see him in other outfits. My personal favorite is the dark brown suede baseball jacket and matching pinstriped cinnamon-brown slacks.

[JimDandy]

14. There was a large influx of Turkish nationals in the 1970's

when I lived there. Since he is a retired doctor, I doubt if he came over as a one of the guest workers. There was a large insular neighborhood of Turks in the area where I lived. They didn't mingle much outside of their communities and were really looked down on by the Germans. I imagine Ali had it better due to his profession and that he lived in Berlin, a more cosmopolitan city than where I lived.

[amandabeech]

21. Ah, I didn't catch that he was a physician.

Thanks for the correction.

[Historic NY]

5. He's got some swag going....

matching strip fedora...KQQL.

[JimDandy]

18. He's pretty partial to double breasted suits

and they look good on him. Wonder which of these fashion plate outfits he made himself?

[Eleanors38]

45. And fat ties. He makes loose-fit look good!

[hifiguy]

7. Good for him.

I am a lot younger and only wish I could look that good in a suit. No way he looks 83.

[OriginalGeek]

37. Same here

I'd sure listen to him on matters of sartorial resplendence.

[roguevalley]

8. men dressed like this when I was a kid. It was the way. I miss fedoras.

[Cleita]

25. My dad always wore fedoras and being he was sort of an international

adventurer at times, it made a sort of Indiana Jones statement about him.

[steve2470]

9. dude is quite the fashion icon

Love the fedora.

[sufrommich]

11. He's dapper indeed. He reminds me of

how my Italian grandpa dressed when he was alive.

[yurbud]

13. the last one made me laugh after the deer in the headlights look of the others.

[aggiesal]

15. I lived in Berlin for 2.5 years in the early 90's ...

and German's were not known for their fashion sense.

So, I'm a bit surprised at how nice these outfits look.

I found that German's do dress appropriately for the occasion,
while Americans tended to dress to try and look COOL, regardless of
the occasion and we ended up looking like idiots. (i.e. Ugly Americans)

[JimDandy]

17. At 83 he works 6 days/week at a tailor shop and fashions some of his own clothes.

This is after he retired from being a doctor!

[amandabeech]

22. Perhaps he always wanted to be a fashion designer,

and in retirement, gets to do a bit of it. Good for him. He's an inspiration to all us older people who still would like to follow their dreams.

[JimDandy]

31. I am transcribing my Great-grandfather's Retirement Journal

that he started writing in 1962. Like Ali, my G-GFather did not really ever "retire'. He also did the same type of switch from a more professional career (accounting) to something more hands-on.

He was up almost every day at his son-in-law's ranch by 5:30 AM planting, hoeing, spring-toothing his huge orchard or doing any one of a myriad of physical labor chores like building a rock sled and hauling rock on it. He built picture frames for his wife, who was a painter of the Pacific Northwest, did home repairs, helped build and remodel several homes... it was incredible what he did when 'retired'. I hope to be as active as Ali and him when I am their age.

[amandabeech]

34. I hope to half as active as Ali when I am his age! n/t

[MadrasT]

16. These are so much fun. Thanks. n/t

[Raine]

20. Very nice, I wish more people looked that good! nt

[penndragon69]

23. Nice look..

I could dress like that too if i had a lot of money.
However, he is about 100 years out of fashion,
personally, i don't want to go back to those strict
conformist times.

[JimDandy]

32. Everthing old is new again...

often the case in fashion.

[BlueJazz]

24. You mean there was actually a time when people didn't look like they just crawled out ...

...a trash can ??

I don't believe it.

(OK..OK...I know not everybody looks like a slob but it WOULD be nice if I walked into a store and didn't have to look at butt-cracks)

[Uncle Joe]

26. This man knows how to "dress for success," but

he isn't always dressing, having 18 children as well.

Thanks for the thread, Ex Lurker.

[WinkyDink]

27. The definition of "cool." Just himself, not out for PR.

[ColesCountyDem]

28. Ali and my father would have understood each other.

My Dad had one weakness, if you'd call it that-- he was always dressed 'to the nines'. Even though Mom hated to iron, she would always iron and starch Dad's shirts, saying, "It's a pain in the *ss, but I'll admit that he looks like he stepped out of a band box whenever he leaves the house".

[TheNutcracker]

29. I love him

[niyad]

30. k and r and thank you for sharing this delightful gentleman with us!

[surrealAmerican]

33. What a fun project.

I love the seasonal streetscape behind him in these photos too.

[Kingofalldems]

35. ZZ Top says it all:

[MerryBlooms]

36. He looks marvelous!

[beam me up scottie]

38. LOVE the accessories!

Different hats and bags for every occasion.

We bought my father a leather "murse" when he moved back to Europe.

[Skittles]

39. I am guessing he is not in Texas

[steve2470]

54. he likes to sweat !

[Thor_MN]

40. If I can match that 4th one when I'm 83, I will be one heck of a happy camper.

Ali Rocks!!!

[duhneece]

41. Loved it nt

[ReRe]

42. He damn sure doesn't look 83 years old.

Yip, he needs to get in the modeling business. Snazzzzzzzeeeeeeee!

[Eleanors38]

46. Keeps in shape holding up all that yardage.

[ReRe]

58. .

[toby jo]

43. Love the stocking cap with the suit - looks Turk.

I worked for an elderly gentleman once who went to work every day at 8 in the morning in a 3-piece suit and a big box briefcase. The man just oozed class. He had the Hungarian Medal of Freedom for supplying hospitals with his heart/lung machine for free.

Sad to see these guys and their articulation of society pass.

[Brigid]

44. Very sharp.

Can't even get a lot of these kids around here to pull their damn pants up.

[grahamhgreen]

47. Maybe cuz the average Social Security payout in Germany is $1,700/month.

[JimDandy]

53. He works 6 days/week at a tailor shop in his retirement.

That average SS payment is enviable to me as an American.

[lovemydog]

48. Cool. From that site I went to the photographer's site.

She includes a nice 9 minute video about this project. It's vimeo and I couldn't figure out how to share it. Maybe someone else can link it here.

Thanks.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

49. That Last One = ZZtop: A sharp dressed man and cheap sunglasses !! Looking Good, Ali

[packman]

50. Gotta post it-

&feature=player_detailpage

[longship]

51. What a very nice post!

Well worth an R&K.

Makes me smile.

[Calista241]

52. Very cool post.

And a great idea to document.

From the article:

He’s a retired doctor who now works six days a week at a nearby tailoring shop — sometimes fashioning his own clothes. Originally from Turkey, Ali has now lived in Berlin for over 44 years. Oh, and he also has 18 children.

[hifiguy]

56. That gentleman has more cool in his little finger

than most people, even rock stars, will ever have in their entire bodies.

[bhikkhu]

57. Very classy. I always liked visitiing some of the bigger cities, where people dressed well to go out

I live in a semi-rural town, and most people dress down - very rarely do you see anyone in a suit. I'm life-long blue collar myself, and I dress accordingly. I'm always working on something, so its usually work pants and a clean shirt. On rare occasion it is nice to "clean up" and wear better clothes, but it doesn't happen often, and I haven't owned a suit for ages.

[KoKo]

59. All Good but that "March 14, 2014" is spectacular.......

What a great outfit.

[NaturalHigh]

60. I like this guy.