You don't realize it, but your clothing habits play a key role in your style. And the more entrenched they are, the more difficult it is to change them. The most telling example that I have seen in men's makeovers is that of the man who has worn jeans that are too big all his life: imagine the difficulty we have in making him understand that he must buy jeans slightly tight when purchasing!
Bad clothing habits
It's exactly like with food: sometimes we have the impression of eating well, in the end we eat anything... and then we are surprised at the damage to our health (without knowing where it comes from) .
It's a bit like fast food: it's the mass-market ready-to-wear offering that is responsible for these bad clothing habits . You have never had the (real) choice of trying jeans that are well cut at the buttocks, or shirts with arms long enough for your body shape (apart from some Parisians, who have one of the best choices in the world in terms of clothing).
And above all, you have been widely encouraged to never look elsewhere : to stick to a single brand, as evidenced by the loyalty cards set up by Celio, Devred or even Jules. The latter (Jules) being a special case, they even arranged for it to be your girlfriend who pushes you into their stores through campaigns well known to girls:
“Please darling, let me dress you up as a guy with no style”
Being aware of it is good... but you still have to act for good, rather than giving up and going to Celio on Saturday afternoon "because you need a shirt". And this is how a bad habit sets in: through laziness and lack of curiosity about other shops. It has to stop !
Here is the list of these habits that you absolutely must lose for the sake of your style:
“Yes but you understand, it’s a pair that I wear to be comfortable”
So here, it's a habit that I still can't understand: having a really worn pair, marked by multiple creases, ravaged by lack of maintenance and continuing to wear them "to be comfortable".
Generally, it's an old pair of skate shoes or a pair of Bata/Eram/André shoes that have suffered too much. How comfortable is it?
While it's good to keep this kind of pair for doing DIY or other activities where you have to wear pieces that don't worry about anything: why knowingly go out with these things on your feet to go meet a girl or friends? Or even to go shopping?
Stop! Your feet are not platypuses!
I'm not saying that you should always wear a perfectly polished pair of Berluti, but simply have a decent pair, which doesn't weigh down your look ... whether they're sneakers, ankle boots or derbies (you're the one who see).
You really need to give up this habit of wearing worn out crusts to go everywhere, including in the evening, in bars, or on a walk with your girlfriend.
If you really want a comfortable pair: opt for sneakers, loafers or even modernized boat shoes (see those from FrenchTrotters).
On the other hand, I warn you: when you have worn Asics or Adidas sneakers all your life, putting on a pair of ankle boots for the first time can "feel weird". The shape of the foot or even the elegance conveyed is radically different: also you will need a fresh perspective.
But being stylish also requires a certain level of self-demand. To the tips of your toes...
A good compromise for making the transition: the Nike Post Harbour.
“It’s too tight.”
In the same way that drinking only coke prevents you from enjoying the freshness of a kiwi-cucumber smoothie: being used to wearing clothes that are too big prevents you from choosing fitted ones. Indeed, you have the impression of being "too tight"...
And yet, we will have to lose this habit of buying too big because "I'm going to work out and gain two sizes" (impossible) or "I want to be comfortable, move as I want" (a blazer won't is not made for doing sports: you have to get used to it).
Therefore, if you try on a shirt and you have the impression that you will not be able to play tennis with it: this is completely normal... because it is not made for . The same goes for new jeans, you won't be able to climb the stairs two by two for the first few hours of wearing them: and that's normal .
It seems silly as hell, but I'm always surprised to see men who try on shirts by swinging their arms around , or who do a few bends after trying on a new pair of jeans and who end up saying the famous: "It's too tight..."
I'll say it again, tight-fitting clothes may keep you from playing baseball, but they're not meant to! It's even more obvious for a suit jacket, where you are limited to your... most elegant gestures. That said, it forces you to stand up straight, to bring out your shoulders, which is not a bad thing in the end.
Conversely, I have already observed passages from one extreme to the other. From too big to too small. There is something very simple to grasp the nuance: just look at the folds . A fitted garment will have very few (or very light) tension creases, while a tight-fitting garment will show many horizontal tension creases all over the place.
Undoubtedly stylish clothes, in beautiful materials... but ESPECIALLY much too big!
“But it’s very waterproof as a parka!”
I admit: the Aigle parka is an extremely practical piece of clothing. The fabric is virtually indestructible, perfectly waterproof and regulates heat very well, especially if there is a fleece lining. It is also a durable garment: no buttons popping, and you can load the pockets which are most of the time reinforced.
But rather than making a wool coat VS parka comparison, ask yourself the question: “ what do I really need? ”.
When you go to work or see your friends, you don't equip yourself like you would for a trek in the Alps. For urban use, you don't need sweat-wicking fabric , waterproof seams, and even less reinforced zippers.
And here too, when you have been used to wearing parkas for years: putting on a coat with a waistband that slightly supports the hips is sometimes unsettling . But rest assured, we quickly develop a taste for clothing that fits our figure perfectly.
You need a great silhouette and a stylish blazer or coat much more than an avalanche of Gore Tex! (without being forced to go so far in the colors)
A little story at the end...
I would like to illustrate what you have just read through a small recent anecdote:
A friend of mine, Vincent, needed a white shirt. I warn him that the cut must be impeccable because on this type of clothing: there is no safety net. Yes, no particular color or pattern to fool the eye. He is a business engineer: he needed one for the office but with which he could also go out.
As I like to advise my friends, I forced him to try on a shirt that he had to choose himself... This so that he would understand his mistakes himself. Unsurprisingly, he chose a white shirt that was a little too big, with sluggish shoulders.
I tell him to try a size down, and he looks at me strangely:
Vincent: But I'm going to be too tight!
Benoît: How do you know?
V: Well, it's not my size, that's all!
B: Have you ever tried a size down?
V: Um... No.
B: I suspected that, here’s an S.
It was when the S fell perfectly on his shoulders and back that he realized that the simple habit of not trying on a size smaller had made him wear shirts that were too big all these years.
Think about it the next time you go shopping and come across Celio or Jules. And so, do me a favor: take the trouble to look elsewhere.
For some, this article will seem a little difficult... I know. Even peremptory...
But getting rid of bad clothing habits is a bit like going on a diet: the beginning is tough, you tell yourself that you were better before, but the efforts made over time are extremely rewarding. So, have a good diet!
