It's a question that comes up all the time. In fact, some people know how to choose a shirt, jeans, shoes, but they think they don't know how to put together an outfit with all these pieces. How to coordinate everything into a harmonious whole?
As if putting together an outfit was something necessarily obscure and complicated.
I mentioned it in my article on overthinking : sometimes there are questions that don't need to be asked. “What to wear with raw jeans?”, for example.
And as is often the case, “how to put your clothes together?” is precisely not the question to ask: it unnecessarily complicates things. You know it though: men's fashion is simple and it's not made to take your head (in case you've forgotten that).
Dress by desire and not by constraint
The right question to ask yourself is:
What do I want to wear today?
I've often said it too: without fun, you really won't get far in your style learning. This is why I place it at the heart of the way you assemble the pieces of your wardrobe.
It's much easier and fun to create a look with items you want to wear, rather than having a rational approach behind it!
Say to yourself "Okay, here, I have a checked shirt. But given the size of the checks, I should take a jacket with narrow lapels, and given the color, a slightly light jacket... Ah but in fact, I don't have the right jacket..." is really annoying!
Approaching putting together an outfit for pleasure, rather than rationality, doesn't seem like anything like that. But I guarantee you that in the long term, it's a huge change in mindset.
Note : In addition to this article, I advise you to read our new ultimate guide to basics , which will allow you to quickly master and have fun with the 10 essential items of clothing in a men's wardrobe.
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What do I want this morning?
Comfort, again and again
This morning, you don't really want to... We all know that. You get up and say that today, it will be comfort above all (which does not mean negligence)!
Pretty simple, right? You have built a basic outfit but one in which you feel good. It corresponds to your desire of the moment, that's the most important thing.
You see that it's a little chilly outside, so you tell yourself that it's time to put on your thick knit shawl collar cardigan. This is a piece that you love and want to wear today.
But you also want to be relaxed and comfortable , so you put a simple t-shirt underneath, whether worked or not, because it's a pleasant piece to wear.
I deliberately skip the question of what to wear as jeans, you know the answer. If it's cool, a good pair of raw selvedge jeans that are starting to fade is essential. But chinos/wool pants would work great here.
There remains the question of shoes. We get it, you want to be comfortable today, so it's time to break out your pair of sneakers. And as you know that it is really difficult to get it wrong in terms of color, no worries, you take the ones you prefer.
An outfit that also works in the evening
Conversely, an evening with friends is planned this evening? Do you want to go to work elegantly dressed?
Sure, dressing casual seems easier than being elegant... when, honestly, there's no difference.
All you have to do is replace the t-shirt with a nice shirt. You necessarily have one or two beautiful models in sober colors. No problem finding one that suits your cardi!
But as you know that you are going to walk a lot today (several meetings are planned and your friends are not nearby), and you want to have your feet comfortably shod, you keep your pair of sneakers. Quite simply !
An elegant outfit that remains comfortable, with more or less basic pieces: big cardi, white shirt and sneakers, and pants that liven up the whole look.
Ultimately, you just need to know what you want - that's the most important thing - then choose pieces that match that desire to wear together.
It seems stupid and, in some ways, it is... We will see that there are really only two conditions to be met for this to work. Plus, unlike women's fashion, men's fashion is full of pieces that go with everything . If you choose them well in advance, you shouldn't ask yourself so many questions in the morning.
Wear a strong piece
You get up thinking about your red jacket, less obvious than your blue blazer. So what ? Don't worry any more!
Already, if you have acquired a “strong piece” (in any case, more original than what you usually wear), it means that it suits you . You saw yourself wearing it when you bought it, right? In this case, now is the time.
What to assemble it with now? Easy, basic pieces that you are used to wearing and in which you feel good!
A light blue shirt, gray jeans and nubuck ankle boots are sober elements that soften the strong piece. Strong piece = other more sober pieces in the outfit to temper it.
And if unfortunately, you really don't know what to wear your new yellow and gray tweed jacket with, it's perhaps because you've fallen for a model that doesn't suit you...
To be sure, do not hesitate to do several fittings with the pieces in your possession , in front of your mirror
These three looks manage to integrate strong pieces.
With an efficient wardrobe, putting together your clothes becomes easy
It's logical when you see it like that: if you only have beautiful pieces, in your size and of quality, it's difficult to put together a horrible outfit.
At worst, it will be too classic or even a little bland. But over time, you will know how to spice it up!
These pieces that go with everything (the essential recap)
A man's wardrobe should largely consist of basics. There are eight in total. If you don't already know them, click here .
Here's also a quick reminder of versatile pieces that are extremely easy to put together into an outfit.
Jeans: raw, gray or faded
Really, it goes with everything. I'm starting to realize that even a nice pair of faded jeans
So don't deprive yourself of this piece, and don't worry about it. You can definitely be very elegant OR very casual with the same jeans.
These three jeans are equally versatile.
The gray jacket
Same ! Whether with:
- A hoodie,
- A t-shirt (simple or patterned),
- A shirt (simple or patterned),
- A cardigan,
- A chambray shirt,
- Etc.
It's zero risk! You really have to do it on purpose to mismatch a simple gray jacket. So here too, no questions to ask.
Beige or khaki chinos
This is perhaps the piece that will give you the least trouble! Chinos go with everything. And if you don't believe me, look this way .
A pretty cardigan
Whether with a pretty checked shirt, in chambray, in white poplin, a t-shirt... Everything will go well with this piece on your shoulders.
If you can (but nothing obligatory!), choose models with a shawl collar: they tend to flatter the build.
Don't hesitate to choose it in a beautiful color. Here Florian has chosen a wine lees.
Two conditions to meet: quality and size
To have parts that assemble easily together, you absolutely must have quality parts:
- A well-balanced design, without excess,
- And careful tailoring.
It seems silly said like that, but if you knew how hard it was for me to dress friends when they only had Brice or bad Celio in their wardrobe...
Most mainstream ready-to-wear pieces are often a big hassle to match : the collar of the shirt is too big to fit into the lapels of a jacket (or too soft to hold well), the shoes in leather are marked, the colors are not great, there are inscriptions everywhere, unnecessary details... In short, to be avoided as much as possible.
Trust me, you don't have all these problems with a balanced locker room .
It's simple: a beautiful cardigan (with an interesting material and a clean design) goes with everything. A bad cardigan (one whose knit pills and frays) doesn't go with much.
A beautiful shirt in worked fabric, with mother-of-pearl buttons, a collar that stays in place and a beautiful drape, is easy to wear! It will look great in any style, from blazers to bombers.
So you can have fun wearing strong pieces like a “blue work” jacket or a military jacket.
Coins you can't cheat on
There are pieces with which it is even more obvious! It's the case for :
- Leather jackets,
- The mesh,
- And the shoes.
In these categories, it is strictly IMPOSSIBLE to cheat on quality (you have to be ready to invest for this).
The leather shines and marks everywhere. To be strictly avoided!
This is why we place a lot of emphasis on purchasing quality clothing. The other important point is size. If the fit is good and the clothes fit you , you really minimize the risk of doing it wrong.
So pay close attention to this. Far too many people dress too big or too small. If this is you, no matter how hard you try to put together a cohesive outfit, something will always go wrong.
Let’s play it down: big mistakes are very rare
Yes, you have to know how to put things into perspective a little. To really mismatch your clothes, you have to do it on purpose (garish colors, transparent materials, big inscriptions, cheap denim wash).
In the worst case, you have a style that goes completely unnoticed , nothing more.
The faded print t-shirt, the poorly cut blazer with sagging lapels, the not-so-subtly faded jeans, the worn shoes... We can't say that the outfit was successful. However, nothing is ever catastrophic. No one is going to throw stones at this gentleman in the street, he will not be disowned by his friends. It's good to put things into perspective sometimes.
Unless the result is truly catastrophic, no one will look back at you and think, " I've rarely seen a guy so poorly dressed ." So keep cool guys !
And then remember, men's fashion is simple and not made to take your head (yes, again).
Remember that you don't risk much by making a few mistakes. So dare to try. 😉
Three tips for putting your clothes together
To conclude, here are three points you can focus on to make sure you put your clothes together well and/or to go a little out of the ordinary.
-
Focus on colors. You can remember this simple rule: never more than three colors in a single outfit
. But this rule can also be overcome with a little experimentation.
- Focus on volumes. You have to think about general balance: for example, if your top is oversized , wear well-fitted jeans. If your shirt is very fitted, you can opt for slightly loose cargo pants, etc.
- Focus on the subjects. This last point is more difficult because as much as you can play on it to create interesting contrasts, you should not think of it as a rule/obligation. Basically, it's a bonus! If you can create nice contrasts, that's great. If you don't, it doesn't matter.
To your mirrors to try new looks! And don’t hesitate to tell us in the comments how you go about putting your clothes together.
