How my perception of clothing has changed over 10 years

I have always had a passion for clothing.

I have never dressed badly. Or rather, never sloppily.

Even though it may seem superficial, I have always given importance to my appearance . I have always paid attention to my skin and to being well dressed, even in a simple way.

Clothes are a way to give me confidence in front of others . But more simply, it's because I like it.

I also think it runs in the family: even if they can't afford it as much today, my parents loved beautiful clothes. Apparently, I get this love of beautiful things from my father.

This is why, just like David in 2018 who told you about his six years of stylistic development , I wanted to share with you my experience and my relationship with clothing for a little over 10 years.

The race for the brand

I started getting interested in clothes quite early, from the middle of my middle school years, in 2010. A time when Justin Bieber had the same haircut as me.

Like everyone (or almost), I went through these stages that build us socially and individually. I quickly wanted to no longer let my parents dictate what I should wear , even though I was still dependent on their wallet.

And like everyone else, it started with buying designer clothes , just to pretend I knew something about fashion.

On the other hand, without any pretension, I was never really influenced by this race for the brand. I did not follow what was fashionable at the time, apart from Converse and skinny jeans perhaps.

I remember one time my mother bought me a black Adidas hoodie at Decathlon. Sure, it was a time when inflation hadn't yet hit, but it still seemed expensive for the time. Around fifty euros, for a piece that was made of cotton and polyester, with a big logo in the style of a tag.

This first big purchase for a hoodie made me realize two things:

• Clothes are expensive. I told the first one who tried to pull on that famous hoodie to go graze.
• We pay to advertise these brands for free, and we like it.

I also remember a period when I felt the need to stand out from others by wearing clothes with more or less funny messages.

That kind of t-shirt or sweater, with skinny jeans and my hair in my eyes, I felt like a real rebel.

By the way, speaking of skinny jeans, I realize that I was looking for a clothing choice that would follow me for the next 10 years...

Well (too) fitted clothes

Outside of this pseudo-rebel period, I had a classic conception of fashion where I only wore what suited me : a V-neck sweater or a zipped hoodie, with a t-shirt (logoed or not) or a shirt, blue or black jeans, and Converse (or Van's depending on the time). With all that, I felt at the top level. Besides, as for sweaters, I had a strong preference for t-shirts with a V-neck.

And to accompany this casual style, what could be better than wearing tight clothing.

I've always been thin, with broad shoulders (I did a lot of competitive swimming), and I lived by this belief that to be stylish, you had to dress in a fitted way . Who knows why.

So I had this obsession with tight clothing, to avoid feeling like I was drowning in my clothes. Even if it meant always taking a size smaller, and therefore seeing myself stop wearing this or that piece prematurely.

It started with “slim” jeans, but they didn’t follow the curve of my legs well enough in my opinion. And it took me several years to finally understand that what I was looking for were skinny jeans like the 510 from Levi’s.

After a few wanders at Complice Eagle and Teddy Smith, I set my sights on Levi's, which I considered a high-end jeans brand. This is not entirely wrong, given the prices charged in France.

They were black jeans, a 510 found in a Macy's in Fort Lauderdale (Florida) for about thirty dollars. These marked the beginning of an unconditional love for the brand , where I decided to wear only that from now on.

I also had another obsession with pants that followed me for many years: each leg had to fall just over my sneakers. I didn't leave room for hems, or for the bottom of the legs that were really too accordion-like. No, it had to be just slightly "broken" at the shoe level for me to consider the length as good. I forgot to mention that I have long legs, in American size it corresponds to a 34.

I can assure you that I did end up adopting hems after several years. My life and my style have improved since then .

Drop the logos

It was in 2013 that I began to put aside the brands that turn us into walking billboards, in favor of more sober and timeless clothing.

I gradually overhauled my wardrobe, focusing on basic pieces that I would get at Levi's outlets (because they were more affordable), the classics Jules , Célio , Devred and even Bonobo . With the occasional splurge by buying at Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger , which I considered “high-end”.

Again, I will say that I was relatively simple in the way I dressed. And always fitted, of course. I refused to wear clothes that did not show off my small arms, even if the armhole was clearly right. I had basics, which were not very pretentious: in cotton or mixed with synthetic materials, nothing extravagant.

2014 - 2018: a difficult quest for renewal

It was in 2014 that I discovered a media that talked about men's fashion. Maybe you've already heard of it? It's called BonneGueule. One of the very first guides I read addressed the notion of " good and bad brands ".

Despite my surprise at seeing some of the brands I cherished being considered very average, this guide opened my eyes and helped me change my mindset a bit about my clothing consumption.

Thanks to this media, I discovered a whole section of men's fashion that I didn't know, and that immediately made me dream. It was also that same year that they started to offer their own clothing lines. During this same period, a myriad of brands offering projects, each one cooler than the last, appeared. You know them as well as I do: Le Slip Français, 1083, Faguo...

Alas, all this seemed inaccessible to me.

Despite everything, I couldn't help but buy clothes from brands like Ralph Lauren or Tommy Hilfiger, cheaper and available on sale, and whose image is still strong in my mind. And well, having entered college at that time, the image of the "American student" sent by these brands was more appropriate for me. And more than ever, the little V-neck sweater and the shirt were in order.

All things considered, I was somewhat paradoxical at that time: there was a difference between what I thought and what I did. Rather than starting to invest piece by piece, in good clothes from perhaps lesser-known but more qualitative brands, I frantically swallowed up my few pennies in mainstream brands. In any case, I believe that I was searching for myself, and did as I could with my little knowledge on the subject.

It was only a few years later, between 2017 and 2018, that I acquired my first truly timeless and sustainable pieces, with my own hard-earned money! The most striking piece was a wool sweater from a collaboration between Saint-James and Le Slip Français .

That's when I decided to take a real step forward. To consume more wisely, buying only what I needed.

A completely renewed wardrobe

One of my biggest turning points in my relationship with clothing happened in Australia .

November 2019. After a year spent in Melbourne, including several months spent working on a dairy farm to renew my PVT , I have the opportunity to work as a sales consultant at Levi's in the Eastland shopping centre in Melbourne.

To prepare for my interview, I scoured the internet for as much information as possible. And it turns out that one site was a goldmine on the history of jeans and Levi's: BonneGueule. A certain Luca talked about it a lot on BG's YouTube channel as well as his own channel.

As an aside, I got this job. A consecration for me at the time.

It was during this rediscovery of the medium that I began to really educate myself on men's fashion , starting with the famous word "selvedge" associated with jeans; or even how good the Japanese are at making denim.

I also looked with envy at all the brands that BG praised ( Atelier Tuffery and Septième Largeur to name but a few), vowing to get hold of this or that piece as soon as possible upon my return to France.

I can never thank Luca, Jordan, David, Michel and Benoit enough for putting me back on the right path to saping.

When I returned in August 2020, and therefore 2 years of living upside down with almost the same things, I decided to do a big clean-out in my wardrobe. I got rid of all my clothes that no longer matched my criteria. Exit the Jules and Célio , Devred and Bonobo clothes that I haven't worn for ages and that had been neglected all this time in my wardrobe.

I gave as many as I could to my friends, and sold the rest. However, I humbly admit to having kept a few pieces from these dear Ralph Lau and Tommy. The complete separation from them is still difficult for me, I still appreciate the image they give off.

In December 2020, I received my first really beautiful piece.

A Japanese cotton t-shirt from BG. Le Bertrand , in ecru.

The starting point of a complete wardrobe renewal, where I decided to completely ditch the mainstream brands. Seagale merino t-shirts, LePantalon pants, National Standard sneakers… quickly joined the party .

Now, the brands that matter to me are those that really bring something to fashion, have an eye for detail and want to be ethical.

I am (finally) reconnecting with my size and volumes

In addition to these changes in my shopping behavior, I began a major transition in my clothing sizing. I was tired of feeling tight in my clothes on top, and having that “small legs, big feet” effect on the bottom. Also, realizing after several wears that yes, this sweater/t-shirt armhole is riding up my shoulders way too much.

Not only did I stop wearing Medium in favor of Large . But I also! I got rid of skinny pants. Let's take it little by little, not too many changes at once, please.

From skinny to straight-fit, to tapered. If you want an equivalence of my progression with Levi's jeans , let's say that I went from 510 to 512, and I discovered the 501 that I had been avoiding until then.

And today, I can actually wear straight jeans. But I'll tell you more about that soon!

An improved casual style

I've been telling you all along that I dress "classically," or "simple." I think "casual" is the more appropriate term. I've never really been extravagant, but there was still something chic about it.

Even if my outfits are not extravagant, the pieces worn are never chosen at random. I accessorize and play more with textures and materials, as well as colors. As such, I have eliminated the color black from my wardrobe, except for shoes.

I also have a more reasonable consumption, where I do not hesitate to invest a certain amount in a piece, telling myself that the cost will be amortized over the years.

But in the long term, I still want to go even further…

A definite orientation towards “soft-tailoring”

My clothing goal is the tailored style, which can be declined in casual chic. It is in the Ivy League or Preppy style that I find myself the most. Having a very well-dressed side with a touch of casualness, I find that perfect for all moments of life.

For now, I'm only inspired by it because I'm missing some elements to reach it, like loafers. But it's only a matter of time. Otherwise, I just bought my first pair of tailored pants from Berg & Berg, and now I can't wait to continue on this path to finally be the best version of myself.

By the way, if you're interested, I'll tell you a bit more about it in my good style resolutions for 2024. ;)