1/ Become this man
Credit: Scott Fraser <3.
That's it for my resolutions. I hope you enjoyed 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 2000s, house itself being born from the ashes of disco). I find it in the films and series I like to watch again (Pulp Fiction, the 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 broad shoulders (like in Friends <3), a pair of 90s bleach jeans with a very light wash (like in Friends <3).
Al Pacino in Scarface (1984).
Casatlantic outfit that 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 by @niklinio on Instagram, featured 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 thought process, it is because it can become yours in case of a search for stylistic direction: what codes do you regularly find in your interests? You might like to find some of them in your wardrobe 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 scooped collar + ribbed cotton > round neck + 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 belt Olive Clothing.
With the browns and greens, I'm moving to the gold team. BonneGueule x Paul Binam cardigan , vintage tank top, Brut Clothing belt and Uniqlo women's x Comptoir des Cotonniers pants.
In this outfit, I thought a chain would add a touch of the unexpected over the turtleneck. And guess who I find with the same Gimmick illustrating this article...
...good old Leo, in one of his very vintage outfits from Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
🤓 Geek tip: Whether it's from movies, brand lookbooks, or content creator posts, gathering inspiration like I did here is a good exercise to give you a clear idea of the style you want to go for. And therefore the clothes you're 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 opposite of this cut: tighter hips and thighs, wider bottom.
⚠️ Sensitive souls, refrain: invisible socks are visible in the following photo.
Bound shirt, Orbans loafers.
The vintage pants in these photos, from Universal Surplus, revealed something obvious to me: this type of cut suits my body shape much better. It follows my silhouette better, slimmer at the waist, hips and thighs. It erases my prominent calves behind its very retro volume (<3) reminiscent of 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 the sake of fullness, but the bottom should be at least as wide as the top. Not the other way around.
BonneGueule sweater , Uniqlo x JW Anderson jeans and Velasca derbies.
Trying on a pair of Uniqlo x Comptoir des Cotonniers women's pants. And clothing experience validated.
I will still keep my carrot pants that fit me best, especially my Casatlantic and my Bergame models from BonneGueule, which have generous and well-designed volumes.
The lesson to be learned from this resolution that might be useful to you: don't wait 5 years of excessive passion for clothing to try out all the styles of pants available to you.
3/ Wake up Dark Michel
I bought a .pdf training course on the Sith Lord profession 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 mainly memes of Sidious laughing. So I will be content to wear mostly darker colors than before, because that is my current preference. It probably also comes from a desire to play on cuts and textures rather than color combinations in my outfits. Another way to stimulate yourself in terms of clothing.
Casatlantic and Gant outfits (whose lookbooks are very cool this year).
Barena Venezia lookbook that I showed you quite a bit this season.
In my sights, beyond the monochromes of gray and navy blue, there is of course black that I have gradually tamed this year. If you are also interested and you are a beginner, here is how you can do it:
1. Start by matching a black patterned garment with the colors present in the latter.
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 you.
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, add silver jewelry (because black + gray = life) and move to Berlin.
The good old bathroom selfie, you know.
Next steps for 2024: continue exploring black with browns, grays and whites. Because it's beautiful and it's a new terrain 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 (to avoid the shipping and customs charges that make it overpriced).
Wondering why? Take a second look.
Seriously, it's a SNAKE BELT. Is there anything more retro, cool and kitschy on earth?
5/ Learn to aim
I've always had a soft spot for clothes. One day, I'd wear a blazer with a turtleneck and the next day, I'd fall for a pair of running shoes on Vinted.
The problem with not setting a single stylistic direction for your clothing development is that you don't focus your financial efforts. You can buy 4 pieces in a row and, because their styles are not consistent with each other, not be able to put them together. And for the same reasons, you can only make very few outfits with your wardrobe. The example of the blazer, the turtleneck and running shoes speaks for itself (unless Steve Jobs is your idol).
My current outerwear stash with, for winter, two jackets, a more dressy 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 loafers (of course) with gold bits. No need to explain why.
Trying on a pretty good pair at Meermin in Paris.
