Cover credit: Canali lookbook
I occasionally get questions about clothing and age that can be summarized into two categories:
- On the one hand, " can I wear clothes with a rather youthful connotation like a hoodie or sneakers after 40 or 50? " In which case, you will find our opinion and advice on this subject in Benoît's great article " how to have style after 40?" : part 1 , part 2 .
- And on the other: " I am young , I am starting to get interested in clothing and I like formal outfits like suits and ties, double-breasted jackets: can I wear them?
This is the second question I will answer here. First of all, it is to your credit that you have these desires, and I understand your question because I myself started to be interested in clothing when I was around 18 and before I was 20 I already owned a navy blue suit and a double-breasted blazer.
The suit has a strong image of elegance and presence, even more so when it is worn double-breasted. It is therefore not surprising that this type of photo makes a young man in search of style dream:
Here are my thoughts and tips for dressing elegantly when you're young.
Estimate social pressure
First of all, at BonneGueule we advise you to dress according to your style and your tastes .
That being said, I invite you to think about the social pressure that could be exerted on you if you change your style to a more dressy style.
I'm thinking, for example, of the recurring remark: " do you have an interview/date tonight? " that I heard a lot as soon as I put on a blazer in my early 20s, even in professional environments. .
Even in simple, no-frills ensembles, the blazer tends to get a reaction. ABCL Garments Outfit
- Do you think that the pressure you might experience in your environment (colleagues, classmates, friends, etc.) would be rather low, moderate or high?
- Are you ready to take on this stylistic shift in front of others, to face the remarks?
Here is my experience on this:
- Changing your style always challenges those around you, at first , for better or for worse: your change will polarize.
- If you persist in your change of style, after a certain period of time, which I estimate to be a few months, those around you will end up getting used to your new image.
- Over time, you may even find that people will come to you for style advice. because in their minds you will be " the person who knows about fashion" .
Think about the context
You have strong and assertive stylistic desires, that's great.
Now think about the compatibility of these desires with your context : does your personal or professional environment (including being a student) allow you to sufficiently carry out these new acquisitions?
Otherwise, you might end up with clothes that you rarely wear. And if there's a good chance you're on a budget, that would be even more of a shame.
“ But yes, this yellow jacket is very easy to wear! ” - Suitsupply
To return to the reader's question at the beginning of the article: does a double-breasted suit make sense in your wardrobe? Is a double-breasted suit the most relevant option for going to an interview for an internship, for example?
You love this accessory that is the tie : how many times a month do you plan to wear one? From there, what is the right number of ties to own in your opinion?
The compromise: be elegant without overdoing it
There are many ways to be stylish: it doesn't necessarily have to be extravagant or sporting a full two- or three-piece suit .
If you want to reduce social pressure, I can advise you to adapt your looks in such a way that they reflect your tastes while making them easier for others to understand, so that your style does not appear too formal or too out of place in comparison to others.
This is where the interest lies:
- From the so-called casual chic style, which consists of mixing more formal clothes with more casual ones. I invite you to look at the many silhouettes offered by the Mr. Porter e-shop which transcribe this spirit very well:
Here's an interesting way to dress down a navy double-breasted jacket .
If we take off the jacket but keep nice pants, here is an outfit that inspires me with its accuracy and simplicity:
- From the so-called soft tailoring style, the principle of which is to take clothes that are traditionally quite formal and to divert them by making them more relaxed. For example, by making a jacket more flexible, or by adding an elastic drawstring to wool pants.
A vision of the casual suit at Officine Générale , very far from the office suit, and easier to incorporate into everyday outfits.
You can find such clothes at , Man1924 or Suitsupply , for example. For a more affordable offer, look at Silbon , COS or Massimo Dutti .
It’s also the kind of silhouette that we regularly explore in the BonneGueule collection, like with our airy suit for example.
In the case of the blazer, I suggest you read this article which explains how to determine the degree of formality of any blazer jacket that interests you or in your possession.
Adopt a new style... with style
Here's another point that may seem obvious but is important: simply wearing elegant clothing like a suit or a white shirt does not necessarily convey style.
Being elegant is not the same as " wanting to be classy ."
Suits from fast-fashion brands, for example, regularly fall into this pitfall. Quality of cuts, materials or harmony of silhouette take second place to a more ephemeral and sometimes questionable style statement:
When I see this kind of creation, I find that there is sometimes a form of originality which is not at the service of style and which tends towards disguise .
What allows for elegance is first of all dressing in your size, choosing materials that hold up, combining colors well, etc.
Be demanding about the cut and fit of your clothes, and go for alterations if necessary, for minor adjustments.
I also invite you to seek inspiration:
- From brands with an aesthetic that you like.
- From people who sport styles that you like. In this regard, I find that Instagram is a good source for finding multiple inspirations. You can read this article for a list of Instagram accounts recommended by the editorial staff.
Even if you can't buy from the brands you've spotted because the prices are out of your budget, or you can't do as well as the people you follow, these inspirations are important to give your approach a direction : " this is my style goal ."
Three Pieces I Don’t Recommend You Wear, and Their Alternatives
Let's get practical with three false friends if you are building a wardrobe and include dress clothes in it.
I realize that these elements represent this idea that we tend to choose them because we think they " look classy " .
1. The black suit
A false good idea, even if the jacket is the right size for the model here. Jules
Why I don't recommend it
Benoît had the opportunity to express himself twice on the color black in the men's wardrobe:
I would stick to the following arguments here:
- Black, in a formal outfit, is rather reserved for evening wear (tuxedo)
- Most black suits are found in entry-level or low-end brands and made from low-quality fabrics.
- Black is not a particularly easy color to wear.
Here is an evening outfit, setting where a black ensemble makes sense. Suitsupply
The alternative
If you want a sober and versatile color for a suit, go for charcoal gray or navy blue , colors that are a little more lively, classic and easy to wear.
A charcoal gray of this style for a classic look, it will be very good. Anthony Garcon
2. Pointed shoes
I'm thinking exactly of this type of shape. Found here.
Why I advise against it
Yes I know, it's tempting.
You are used to wearing sneakers, with a rather round shape.
You are about to buy some city shoes, and you have to show that they are elegant, your shoes. So, hop, you choose a very slender shape.
Except no.
The very pointed shoes that you see many men wearing are often poorly balanced and do more harm than good to the figure. I have already had the opportunity to discuss the subject of " the big feet effect ".
The alternative
As with the previous point, the solution here lies in the right measure of things: favor a shape that is a little slender, but not too much .
Here is what it looks like in pictures:
The classic shape at is correctly proportioned .
3. Shirts with fancy details or floral patterns
Izac models.
Why I advise against it
Because here, the base of the shirt is a standard fabric that we try to enhance with a more or less discreet pattern that is often intended to be original and offbeat .
There is no particular work on what matters most and what gives a shirt its charm: the fabric, the collar, the details.
The alternative
A simple oxford shirt.
As simple as it should be, it also stands out as it should from the smooth poplin shirt.
It's a piece of clothing that I really like.
This seemingly simple garment whose history Gitman Vintage
The final word
What I think comes down to this topic is finding the right balance between your desires, your environment and your confidence in your clothing choices while avoiding the main mistakes that could stand in your way in your quest for a new style.
Imagine small sliders where moving one will mechanically activate another.
For example, if you have little confidence in your ability to pull off a more statement style, then it's probably wiser to initially move towards looks that are simpler in composition and color.
Feel free to react in comments on this subject, whether you are young and recognize yourself here, or to tell us your anecdotes about the evolution of your style over the years and the way others see it, for example.
