Melanie Kimmelman, 21
Student, George Washington University

What she’s wearing: Club Monaco jacket, her mother’s Hermès scarf, Brochu Walker tank top bought on Ruelala.com, J Brand jeans, La Canadienne boots, sparkly necklace from J. Crew, Coach watch, and Tiffany necklace and bangle. Another bangle is from a trip her father took to Peru.

I’m seriously loving that scarf, Hermès or not.
“My mom gave it to me because she never wore it. You just fold it into a triangle, and then fold it over toward the triangle. I have one from a trip to Prague and a few others. I wear them under jackets like this and a leather jacket I got recently.”

Tell me about your style.
“Being comfortable is important. I like classic clothes. I wear blazers a lot, and one of them is part of a Theory suit I got for college interviews. I like to mix up the classics and do more with accessories, which might be a holdover from high school, when I wore a uniform. You had to get creative with accessories—your bag, your jewelry, even your planner. I think about details.”

Fashion enthusiasts unaware of Scott Schuman (though we doubt many of you still exist) are in for a delightful treat the first time they log on to his blog. Aptly dubbed the Sartorialist, the ace photographer uses his domain space to exhibit strikingly sophisticated style from all over the world.

His subjects are real-life people (and the occasional celebrity nonchalantly thrown in), wearing clothes from their real-life wardrobes, on the streets of their real-life cities. In town for today only, The Washingtonian was lucky enough to catch up with the dapper gentleman to talk about his new book, future plans, and personal sources of style inspiration.

Lesley-Anne Pittard, 29
PhD student, education-policy studies, University of Virginia

What she’s wearing:
A skirt she bought in high school, a sweater from Ann Taylor, a department-store belt, and cowboy-style boots from either T.J. Maxx or Marshalls.

What’s your style philosophy?
“My work is all about equal access, equal opportunity, and inclusion, and I relate that to my wardrobe. If you believe in those things, it flows into your language, your attitude, and your appearance. I’ll be honest—I don’t really shop that much. I like nice things, but I try to consider myself a role model with what I wear.”

How would you describe your look?
“Traditional eclectic. I can get away with more because I’m tall.”

What do you think about stylish women in powerful roles in Washington, such as Michelle Obama?
“Now that we have a First Lady of color, I feel more affirmed in my look. It’s a fact that people see what you have on before they see you, and she has managed to be strong but have flair and personality. It makes me feel like I, too, can be at the table.”

Kat Hernandez (right in photo), 27, assistant manager at Current boutique
Cher Miller, 30, manager at Current

What they’re wearing:
Kat: Dress from Forever 21, vintage booties and sunglasses, and an Italian bag from her mom.
Cher: Silence & Noise dress, Gap bag, Ray Bans, and shoes from Current.

Tell me about your style.
Kat: “I like to wear black but punch it up with a really bright color that’s unexpected. And always heavy, tough accessories.”
Cher: “I run the gamut from goth to semi-hipster. I like prints, textures, colors. I have these goat-head stud earrings that I wear all of the time. This dress is one of my favorite things in my closet right now—I gotta wear it a couple of more times before it gets cold.”

Working together, do you find that you have similar tastes in terms of style?
Kat: “I think we’re very similar in that we’re a little rock ’n’ roll. It’s about the balance between masculine and feminine.”

Any wardrobe signatures?
Kat: “My motorcycle boots, hands down. I’ll wear them in 90-degree weather!”
Cher: “She has a pair of shoes for every day of the week—every day of the month!”

Tia Thompson, 26
“I work for the government . . . blah!”

What she’s wearing:
Jacket and shoes from Treasury, shirt from Urban Outfitters, jeans from Guess, bracelet from a friend’s mother, who’s a European jeweler.

Where do you like to shop?
“I’m not into the mall at all—I’m into shops. I just moved here from being in the Peace Corps, I found this shop like three weeks ago, and I was like, ‘ahh!’ ”