1/ Become this man
Credit: Scott Fraser <3.
So much for my resolutions. I hope you liked this article!
Otherwise, you can stay to find out the details of my plan.
I won't have the charisma of this gentleman tomorrow morning but as for the outfit, there are several retro influences that I really like and that I plan to explore even more this year.
I find this appetite for retro in the music I listen to, mostly electronic but often with synthwave influences (I could listen to the same synth arpeggio for 10 hours) and disco (Daft Punk, Justice, French house from the 1990s and 2000, house itself being born from the ashes of disco). I find it in the films and series that I like to rewatch (Pulp Fiction, old Star Wars, Back to the Future, Stranger Things, Friends...). So why not find it in the clothes I wear? With, for example, a shark collar here, a few stripes in kitsch colors there, a blazer with very wide shoulders (like in Friends <3), bleach jeans from the 90s in a very light wash (like in Friends <3) .
Al Pacino in Scarface (1984).
Casatlantic outfit which gives a modern idea to appropriate this influence without falling into cosplay, with a Cuban collar and a blazer with square shoulders.
Leonardo Di Caprio and Brad Pitt in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019).
Outfit from @niklinio on Instagram, here for the jacket (probably stolen on the set of the film mentioned above) and the jeans, with an old school cut and wash.
If I tell you this train of thought, it is because it can become yours in the event of a quest for stylistic direction: what codes do you regularly find in your centers of interest? You might like to find some of them in your closet too.
In this retro category, there are also tank tops (#freetheshoulders)...
On the left, @jackkthelad and on the right, @reganwalker_ .
For me, under a cardigan or a shirt, the equation is indisputable: slightly low-cut collar + ribbed cotton > round neck + very smooth jersey. Especially with...
...the chains and pendants, to make Al Pacino proud...
California Arts outfit 🤌.
Still @niklinio on Insta (I promise, I'll close one more button).
With grays, blues and whites, I have a preference for silver. Nevaeh necklace, Cos tank top, vintage Levis jacket, vintage pants and Olive Clothing belt.
With the browns and greens, I go to the gold team. BonneGueule x Paul Binam cardigan , vintage tank top, Brut Clothing belt and Uniqlo women’s pants x Comptoir des Cotonniers.
In this outfit, I thought a chain would add a bit of unexpectedness over the turtleneck. And guess who I find with the same Gimmick while illustrating this article...
...good old Leo, in one of his vintage outfits from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
🤓 Geek tip: whether from films, brand lookbooks or content creator publications, grouping together inspirations like I did here is a good exercise to give you a clear representation of the style you are moving towards. want to go. And therefore the clothes you are missing.
2/ Invert the carrot
I assure you that this sentence makes sense.
Look: that's me in carrot cut pants, looser at the thighs and hips, tighter at the bottom of the leg.
And that's me after discovering the exact reciprocal of this cut: tighter pelvis and thighs, wider bottom.
⚠️ Sensitive souls, refrain: invisible socks are visible in the following photo.
Bound shirt, Orbans moccasins.
The vintage pants in these photos, from Universal Surplus, revealed the obvious for me: this kind of cut suits my body shape much better. It follows my figure better, slimmer at the waist, pelvis and thighs. It erases my prominent calves behind its very retro volume (<3) which recalls bell-bottom pants.
Objective 2024: favor pants that tend towards this volume.
Lookbook Fursac and @newkissontheblog on Insta.
They can also be wide from top to bottom for volume's sake, but the bottom must be at least as wide as the top. Not the opposite.
BonneGueule sweater , Uniqlo x JW Anderson jeans and Velasca derbies.
Trying on Uniqlo x Comptoir des Cotonniers women's pants. And validated clothing experience.
I will still keep my carrot pants which suit me best, in particular my Casatlantic and my Bergame models from BonneGueule whose volumes are generous and well designed.
The lesson to learn from this resolution which could be useful to you: do not wait 5 years of excessive passion for clothing to try all the cuts of pants available to you.
3/ Wake up Dark Michel
I bought a .pdf training course for the profession of Sith Lord with my CPF. The gentleman who approached me on the phone assured me that it would be the deal of the century, but it was essentially memes of Sidious laughing. So I'll just wear mostly darker colors than before, because that's my preference at the moment. This probably also comes from a desire to play with cuts and textures rather than color combinations in my outfits. Another way to stimulate yourself sartorially speaking.
Casatlantic and Gant outfits (whose lookbooks are very cool this year).
Barena Venezia lookbook that I've shown you quite a bit this season.
In my viewfinder, beyond the monochromes of gray and navy blue, there is of course black which I have gradually tamed this year. If you're also interested and you're just starting out, here's how you can do it:
1. Start by matching a black patterned item of clothing with the colors present in them.
In my case, it was my Percival Clothing shirt. I played on the continuity between its beige patterns and my chinos.
Same idea with this tobacco-colored BonneGueule jacket , made in collaboration with Kardo.
2. Wear it with other black pieces to continue experimenting with this color on yourself.
Here, with vintage pants, Orbans loafers, a tank top and a chain (obviously).
3. Continue with shades of gray.
Here, in gradient from top to bottom (Arpenteur pants, New Balance sneakers).
4. Go full monochrome, adorn with silver jewelry (because black + gray = life) and go live in Berlin.
You know the good old bathroom selfie.
Next steps for 2024: continue to explore black with browns, grays and whites. Because it's beautiful and it's a recent area for me.
@garconjon on Insta.
@imdanielsimmons on the right and California Arts on the left.
4/ Buy this belt
Non-negotiable resolution: pick it up from Scott Fraser when I'm in London with our editor friend David (just to avoid the shipping and customs fees which make it overpriced).
You wonder why ? Admire it a second time.
Seriously, it's a SNAKE BELT. Is there anything more retro, cool and kitsch on earth?
5/ Learn to aim
I've always had a big heart when it comes to clothes. One day, I wore a blazer with a turtleneck and the next day, I fell for a pair of running shoes on Vinted.
The problem when we don't set a single stylistic direction for our clothing development is that we don't concentrate our financial efforts. You can buy 4 pieces in a row and, because their registers are not consistent with each other, not be able to put them together. And for the same reasons, being able to make very few outfits with your wardrobe. The example of the blazer, turtleneck and running shoes speaks for itself (unless Steve Jobs is your idol).
My current stock of outerwear with, on the winter side, two jackets, a more formal coat and a more streetwear fleece. Having a bit of everything may seem like a good idea but ultimately, I find that it limits the creative possibilities.
For the sake of my wallet and to have a little more fun with my next purchases, I plan to limit myself to the soft tailoring universe, with the touches of minimalism and the slightly too nostalgic details that you may have seen in this article.
Next target: black moccasins (of course) with gold horsebits. No need to explain why anymore.
Trying on a good pair at Meermin in Paris.
