Tips: How to put your clothes together?

This is 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 do you coordinate everything into a harmonious ensemble?

As if putting together an outfit was something necessarily obscure and complicated.

I mentioned this 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 not the question to ask: it complicates things unnecessarily. However, you know that men's fashion is simple and not meant to be a headache (in case you've forgotten).

Dressing because you want to, not because you have to

The right question to ask is rather:

What do I want to wear today?

I've said it many times too: without pleasure, you won't really get far in learning style. That's why I put it at the heart of how you put together your wardrobe pieces.

It's much easier and more fun to create a look with items that you want to wear, rather than having a rational approach behind it!

Saying 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 frankly annoying!

Approaching the assembly of an outfit for pleasure, rather than rationality, may not seem like much. But I guarantee you that in the long run, it is a huge change of mindset.

What do I want this morning?

Comfort, again and again

This morning, you don't really feel like it... We all know that. You get up and tell yourself that today, it's going to be comfort above all (which doesn't mean neglect)!

Pretty simple, right? You've built a basic outfit but one that you feel good in. It matches your current mood, that's the most important thing.

You see that it's a little chilly outside, so you think it's time to put on your chunky 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 it's worked or not, because it's a nice piece to wear.

I'm deliberately skipping the question of what jeans to wear, you know the answer. If it's cool, a good pair of raw selvedge jeans that are starting to fade are a must. But chinos/wool pants would work very well here.

There's still the question of shoes. We get it, you want to be comfortable today, so it's time to get out your pair of sneakers. And since you know it's really hard to get the color wrong, 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 dressed elegantly?

Sure, dressing casually seems easier than dressing up... when honestly, there's no difference.

All you need to do is replace the T-shirt with a nice shirt. You definitely have one or two nice models in a sober color. No problem finding one that goes with your cardi!

But since you know that you're going to be walking a lot today (several appointments are planned and your friends aren't nearby), and you want to have comfortable shoes on your feet, you keep your pair of sneakers. That's all!

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 thing.

Ultimately, you just need to know what you want - that's the most important thing - and then choose pieces that match that desire to wear with each other.

It sounds silly and, in a way, it is... We'll see that there are really only two conditions to meet for this to work. In addition, 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 as many questions in the morning.

Wear a strong piece

You wake up thinking about your red jacket, less obvious than your blue blazer. So what? Don't worry any more!

First of all, if you have purchased a "strong piece" (in any case, more original than what you usually wear), it is because it suits you . You saw yourself wearing it at the time of purchase, right? In this case, it is the moment.

What to wear with it now? Easy, basic pieces that you are used to wearing and in which you feel comfortable!

A light blue shirt, gray jeans, and nubuck ankle boots are understated elements that soften the statement piece. Statement piece = other, more understated pieces in the outfit to temper it.

And if unfortunately, you really don't know what to wear with your new yellow and grey tweed jacket, it's perhaps because you've fallen for a model that doesn't suit you...

To be sure, do not hesitate to try on several pieces in front of your mirror. . You might have a lightbulb moment. It's very hard to just imagine clothes between them, try on outfits!

These three looks manage to incorporate strong pieces.

With an efficient wardrobe, putting together your clothes becomes easy

It makes sense when you see it that way: if you only have nice 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 with time, you will know how to spice things up!

These pieces that go with everything (the essential recap)

A man's wardrobe should be largely made up of basics. There are eight of them. If you don't already know them, it's here .

Here is also a little reminder of versatile pieces, extremely easy to assemble in an outfit.

Jeans: raw, grey or faded

Really, it goes with everything. I'm realizing that even a nice pair of faded jeans is super versatile.

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 (plain or patterned),

• A shirt (plain 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 there again, no questions to ask.

Beige or khaki chinos

This might be the piece that will give you the least amount of trouble! A chino goes with everything. And if you don't believe me, check it out here .

A nice cardigan

Whether it's with a pretty plaid shirt, chambray, white poplin, a t-shirt... Everything will go well with this piece on your shoulders.

If you can (but it's not 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 chose a wine lees.

Two conditions to be met: quality and size

To have parts that fit together easily, you absolutely must have quality parts:

• A well-balanced design, without excess,

• And carefully made.

It sounds silly when you say it like that, but if you knew how much I struggled to dress friends when they only had Brice or bad Celio in their wardrobe...

Most ready-to-wear pieces for the masses are often a real pain to match : the collar of the shirt is too big to fit into the lapels of a jacket (or too loose to hold up well), the leather shoes are marked, the colors aren't great, there are inscriptions everywhere, useless details... In short, avoid them as much as possible.

Trust me, you don't have all these problems with a balanced locker room .

It's simple: a nice cardigan (with an interesting material and a clean design) goes with everything. A bad cardigan (whose knit pills and frays) doesn't go with much.

A beautiful shirt with a worked fabric, mother-of-pearl buttons, a collar that stands up and a beautiful drape is easy to wear! It will be highlighted in any style, from blazers to bombers.

So you can have fun wearing strong pieces like a "blue work" jacket or a military jacket.

The parts you can't cheat on

There are some pieces with which it is even more obvious! This is 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 it).

The leather shines and marks everywhere. To be avoided strictly!

This is why we insist a lot on buying quality clothes. The other important point is the size. If the cut is good and the clothes fit you , you really minimize the risks of doing badly.

So be careful about 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, there will always be something wrong.

Let's put things into perspective: big mistakes are very rare.

Yes, you have to know how to put things into perspective a little bit. To really mismatch your clothes, you have to do it on purpose (garish colors, transparent materials, big writing, cheap denim wash).

In the worst case, you have a style that goes completely unnoticed , nothing more.

The faded printed T-shirt, the poorly cut blazer with sagging lapels, the not-so-subtly faded jeans, the worn shoes... You can't say that the outfit is a success. However, nothing is ever catastrophic. No one is going to throw stones at this man in the street, he won't be disowned by his friends. It's good to put things into perspective sometimes.

Unless the result is truly catastrophic, no one will turn around and think, " I've never seen a guy dressed so badly ." So keep cool, guys !

And remember, men's fashion is simple and not meant to be overly complicated (yes, again).

Remember that you don't risk much by making a few mistakes. So dare to try. 😉

Three tips for putting together your clothes

To conclude, here are three points you can focus on to make sure you put your clothes together well and/or to stand out a little from 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 exceeded with a little experimentation.

• Focus on volumes. You have to think about overall balance: for example, if your top is oversized , wear well-fitted jeans. If your shirt is very fitted, you can opt for a slightly loose cargo, etc.

• Focus on materials. This last point is more difficult because as much as you can play with it to create interesting contrasts, you should not think of it as a rule/obligation. Basically, it's a bonus! If you manage to create beautiful contrasts, that's great. If you don't, it's not a problem.

To your mirrors to try out new looks! And don't hesitate to tell us in the comments how you go about putting together your clothes.