Disclaimer - We were contacted by the Italian e-commerce site Luisa Via Roma, who offered to test its services and write an article about it. For us who have been interested in fashion on the Internet for 7 years now, LVR is a familiar name because it is one of the first e-shops to have emerged on the subject, so much so that today it occupies a very popular place. go.
Indeed, LVR almost only offers very strong pieces. It is undoubtedly one of the most confusing shops for a beginner (as opposed to a Menlook), but on the other hand it is an excellent market place for someone looking to hire the services some (really) strong pieces in her wardrobe.
So, I started walking around Luisa Via Roma with my knife and my €300 coupon between my teeth, navigating between pieces each as strong as the next, when I came across this jacket :
And I found myself very perplexed , not knowing what to think of something so different from my daily stylistic life. And yet, something spoke to me with this jacket:
- the colors as such , which are very pretty taken one by one,
- the way the jacket is worn , with the matching shorts and a black hat/black shoes combo that frames the silhouette. Hats and shoes reframe the look, thanks to these two items of clothing that are more intelligible to ordinary mortals,
- a motif, let's say it frankly, psychedelic , but which makes me think of the pearly interior of shells, or of puddles of gasoline on the asphalt; two things that I really liked to watch when I was little,
- the idea of shaking up the team a little by walking around with such a jacket, integrated into the right outfit, leaving some of the people completely polarized (I love VS I hate), or totally in the same questioning as the one in which I found me.
Note from Benoit: I could never wear a piece like this, because from what Geoffrey cites, nothing suits me. I say that to show you that strong pieces are interesting because we enter into the most total subjectivity; beyond the rules, it is your tastes and your feelings that come into account.
So rather than giving you a wise article on a new pair of Lanvin sneakers , or a selection of Nike technical clothing (the other two choices that I had identified), well I thought I would surprise you a little. , polarize you...
But ultimately also make you think about the meaning of beauty , about how to wear a strong piece , and about the sometimes too sudden immediacy of the judgments that we all have (saying "I don't like" by default where we are simply surprised and disconcerted, without really thinking about how we feel about the novelty object).
So let's go !
How to wear a strong piece?
First, be sure to identify why you're buying a statement piece, as it won't go with everything. Make sure you have the pieces on hand that will either calm down or complement a loud room:
Calm a loud room
The easiest way to wear a strong piece is, of course, to complement it with a solid selection of basics . I won't dwell on the basics (everything is in the link), but know that the more they are devoid of details, and in simple colors, the more easily they will allow you to integrate a strong piece into a look.
Bonus for the gray color, which tends to soften other colors.
I chose to wear the Uniforms For The Dedicated blazer, with an Office Artist shirt (small brand with a very good quality/price ratio), the gray BonneGueule x FrenchTrotters jeans ( which we will perhaps bring out again following a big number of votes), and a pair of Nike Lunars (from the Nike x Undercover collab).
Complete a strong piece
Another possibility is to wear other clothes that echo the strong piece . This can be done via color reminders (I do this a little with my sky blue shirt), but I could have completely swapped my gray jeans for emerald green chinos (another of the colors of the jacket).
Of course the reminder could also be done via similar materials, a repeating pattern, or details that echo each other (example: edging, pocket braids, etc.). If you have read part IV of the Stylish Man's Guide , this must speak to you...
On the other hand, if you want to wear sharp pants with this type of jacket, you must always make sure to keep an easy color . This does not prevent you from taking a piece with a very elaborate design, a complex material or a slightly unusual cut. But on the other hand, the color must remain very simple (blue, gray or beige, for example). Otherwise, the outfit will be unnecessarily overloaded.
A sky blue shirt that avoids adding more colors.
Don't overestimate yourself
We often have good ideas on how to wear a strong piece when trying it on. However, if no idea comes to you, because the piece doesn't speak to you, or doesn't look good on you: drop the matter, and move on to something else.
I receive a lot of emails and comments from people who have seen this or that item of clothing in an ad, or on a star, trying to copy an outfit at face value , without worrying about their own style, the context, the work sometimes. advanced styling (play of materials, cuts, accessories), or elements which mean that in a photo (in the middle of the dunes, against a car, or with a beautiful woman), a garment looks better than in reality (typical example: white pants).
Nothing brings out white better than a nice car
and Photoshop color balance.
But often, in reality ...
Another classic beginner's mistake: wanting to buy a strong and iconic piece, like the Colorama by Pierre Hardy, the Doberman sweatshirt by Givenchy, or a very daring pair of Lanvin, without wondering if it will suit him, and before that, if it's in good taste (yet another debate that I won't answer regarding these pieces, but that I will open up more broadly at the end of the article).
“Colorama” sneakers by Pierre Hardy, with a slew of colors and lines in every direction.
"Rottweiler" sweater by Givenchy, in the aggressive genre, we're good!
Sometimes when you think, "Will I be able to wear this item of clothing?", the answer is in the question. And that's a "no".
And yet, by starting with neutral pieces, the famous sneakers are very well calmed.
This young man from lookbook.nu perfectly integrates the Rottweiler sweatshirt with even more "grunge" pieces: the denim jacket, lighter than the rest of the outfit, draws the eye away from the print. And the sneakers, also a little lighter than the sweatshirt and jeans, in turn integrate the jacket. If you can't yet do this kind of analysis, don't risk it on this type of part.
Strong pieces that speak to you internally... but that you have to accept
Finally, strong pieces will be more or less easy to wear depending on the context in which you find yourself (it is also the context that makes the strong piece). I was recently invited to a somewhat non-conformist wedding, since the bride and groom (whom I congratulate, and thank!) asked everyone to come dressed in "costuchic", with the little video explaining that it was These were repurposed costumes.
So I disguised myself as... Angus Young from AC/DC, by transforming one of my old gray suits into shorts, of which I had duplicate pants. And it's true that during the mass, there were very few people in disguise, and I felt a little alone, even slightly uncomfortable with my costume shorts and my big Heschung rangers... The guests in disguise did not exceed 5% of the assembly at that time.
That was at the end of the evening .
And then finally, during the party following the wedding and after the majority of the guests had changed, I realized that 99% of the people had decided to play the game, while sometimes remaining very elegant (hussars, lookalikes of Jean Dujardin and other zouaves), and that my AC/DC costume was ultimately rather "playful" especially since one in two people took me for a boy scout ...At that point, it was undoubtedly the guest who would have come only in his work suit who must have felt uncomfortable and out of place.
Fred and Sylvain ( from Flageolet ) in office attire.
In short, this example - admittedly a little forced - clearly illustrates that it is really easier to wear strong pieces in environments where they are socially tolerated . And they are undoubtedly the most interesting when they result in outfits that are slightly stronger than the average for the place where you are:
- a pair of sneakers a little more original than those of the other students,
- a senior executive who tries a knitted tie , or lightly patterned suits, where his colleagues are dressed in a more consensual manner,
- a chunky raspberry-colored knit for a birthday where most of the guests already have well-made looks,
- a tuxedo jacket at a party where the majority of people are just in suits and white shirts (shout out to Benoit and his indestructible eclectic tuxedo jacket)
- my psychedelic jacket at a cocktail party.
You will have understood: here we have cases where differentiating yourself will be socially rewarding. But take the ditty a little too far, and you find yourself disconnected from the group, and that's when you will feel less comfortable, feeling that your outfit then comes across as a lack of social intelligence.
Pieces that can be bought for the imagination they represent, for the image they convey
However, certain pieces can also be purchased for what they represent, for the imagination to which they are attached:
- the perfecto : imagination of the anarchist biker, the outlaw, films with James Dean, etc.
- the pair of rangers : adventurer, the military environment, the punk universe,
- the sailor's peacoat with gold buttons : travel, isolation, adventure,
- the smoking jacket : financial success, good manners, classic elegance,
It is entirely possible (and advisable) to ask yourself what image your outfits project of you, in relation to the pieces that make them up.
So should we choose clothing for what it is? For what you feel when you see it? Or for the image it conveys? This is an open question, but the right answer is probably a mix of all three.
And for the viewer? Questioning your “sense of beauty”
Our sense of beauty results from a set of factors that are specific to us. We can certainly share tastes, but it is rare to find a person with strictly the same beauty standards. However, it's often in the looks that are the most different from ours (but which work) that we say to ourselves " oh hey, there's a good idea to pick up" .
It is essential to remember that the notion of beauty is not immutable, but on the contrary, it continually evolves through our discoveries, our encounters, our inspirations, etc. Let's keep an open and curious mind.
A few words about Uniforms For The Dedicated
So, I didn't really talk about the blazer as such (yes, it's a long article). Uniforms For The Dedicated is a young brand that embraces the Scandinavian avant-garde spirit. With quite a few elements of surprise, they have an original and offbeat approach to elegance.
From what I have seen, the cuts are often adjusted, and the materials sought after. The brand's pieces present on LVR are mostly strong, but there is everything. And overall, it's well priced.
First of all, I don't know if I'm really a fan of this blazer,
but it definitely made me think!
