Too much (anglicism): to do too much.
Yes, but what else?
Under its Franglais side , too much refers to that moment when, in one way or another, our outfit has something excessive about it.
Total look, a plethora of patterns, jewelry that is a little too imposing... The list is long. On the contrary, is overdoing it systematically bad? Beneath its apparent simplicity, the subject seems more complex to me.
I suggest we look more closely at this question, which, in my opinion, goes beyond the clothing itself. Let's go!
Too much, you say?
A matter of context
In some cases, the discrepancy is simply due to a misreading of the context . Example: you are invited to a beer and football party, to which you show up in a suit. I am deliberately exaggerating, but you get the idea.
When in doubt, ask yourself whether the occasion requires a particular outfit - the dress code - or at least a certain "register". It wouldn't occur to you to go to the office in jogging pants, the same logic applies to all situations!
Beyond that, I want to emphasize one thing: too much is defined through a system of conventions , to which it does not belong. What is excessive in some cases will not necessarily be excessive in other situations, nor from one person to another.
I know it seems obvious when you say it like that, but you'll see, it will be useful for the rest of our thinking.
Common Mistakes You'll Quickly Abandon
When you're new to a discipline, it's normal to want to do more. A bit like a novice in athletics who would run without warming up, here are some tips to avoid muscle strains...
Overdose of colors and patterns
I don't have much to say here. The explosion of colors and the wave of patterns are urban legends that have no place in existence. You will be the first to realize this if you look like a rainbow. And if you are still worried, you need to read this article .
Seriously, you'll definitely notice that your retina is stinging.
Create recall at all costs
Ah, a much more common mistake! We sometimes tend to think that our outfit lacks coherence, so we look for reminders to reinforce its harmony. The idea is good, but be careful not to think too much.
Let's take this photo. The whole outfit is based around a range of beige to brown shades, a form of elegance emerges... In short, we clearly understand that this gentleman spent time thinking about his look... but that's precisely the problem. Each piece seems to have been used because it would remind us of another.
Mind you, it's not a failure either and I wouldn't go so far as to say that he's badly dressed. Only, with such intellectualization of colors, we lose the spontaneity that also makes a look interesting .
Too many accessories
Obviously, we can only encourage you to wear accessories. Ties, jewelry, scarves... it's the best way to personalize your style without taking too many risks. ( If necessary, it's here for the reminder .)
However, as with everything else, they should be used sparingly: a few are enough to express your personality, don't let them speak for you . Same goes for jewelry!
Here, we have a pocket square, a tie and a boutonniere all at once. The whole thing is successful, we avoid overdose (imagine if there was also the tie clip and suspenders). It is also because the few accessories used have nothing to do with each other, none of them really match the other.
As an anecdote, Coco Chanel said: "With accessories, the most important thing is to always remove the last one you added."
Ignoring his age
This time, it works both ways:
- a young man who will dress with influences too "mature" for him,
- a mature man who would insist on wearing the clothes of his youth.
Fortunately, neither life nor style stops after 40 ! On the other hand, it is a turning point where we must find new ways to express our influences , which will have been refined over the years.
Conversely, the same advice applies to the younger ones: don't act older than you are. This is especially the case for fans of the sartorial style: of course you can wear a blazer if that appeals to you, but stay measured, you'll have plenty of time for the three-piece suit and its Oxfords.
Typically, many men believe that they can't dress casually as they get older, which is absolutely absurd! That being said, we're going to play casual differently: under a denim jacket, a beautiful ecru knit will have more effect than a screen-printed t-shirt.
So far, we've dealt with the most obvious. Ultimately, these are just adjustments that come with experience. Nothing insurmountable, then.
But can we overdo it even when our look is successful? Do we sometimes exaggerate to compensate? More subtly, can we have a good style, influences that work, while being too-much ?
The total look, a false safe haven
One of the mistakes we could make would be to opt for a kit look, a complete panoply of codes and influences that we translate literally.
Where we can see a reassuring side to it - no hassle; belonging to a group; a beginner's need for identity - we often end up with a string of clichés, without feeling anything personal about it.
The temptation of the tribal look
By tribe I mean "preppy", "grunge", "skater", "dandy", "bohemian" and the like.
There is good in each of them, as well as bad. For example, I like grunge plaid shirts but much less oversized jeans frayed at the heels. In short, take what is interesting and leave the rest . It is not Carnival every day, no lover of the adventurer style wants to look like Indiana Jones.
Yes to the leather jacket and the old bag. Fortunately, we leave the dirty shirt and the Crocodile Dundee hat in the closet.
Beyond that, this poses a problem on a social level. Adopting a tribal look from head to toe often means thinking only in terms of that culture and closing oneself off from others. It also means making a literal interpretation of an idea, without seeking to refine it : not really doing enough, in a sense, is already doing too much.
Unfortunately, this also sends a negative image. , or even seem difficult to access.
The ease of the “single-brand” wardrobe
Same reasoning for brands: why put all your eggs in one basket? If a brand perfectly transcribes what we like to wear, there must be interesting things elsewhere, right?
Brands adapt depending on the tribes they sell to, typically Vans for skaters. If you always fall back on one or a few brands, you run into the same problem. Another thing: they don't have a monopoly on good taste from one season to the next... (which is also true for quality). So we remain vigilant.
In short, a single-brand style is often a coherent style but... one that lacks depth. In any case, it is never completely yours.
The totem brand: style on a platter?
One step further, there is the totem brand. This time, it is a bit the opposite: the community goes to the brand . In this configuration, the brand's word is authoritative. This is a notion that is found a lot in luxury but also in certain streetwear labels, surrounded by hype .
Full Gucci look, totem brand par excellence. In another register, I could also have put the Yeezy line by Kanye West at Adidas.
Totem brands generally benefit from at least two elements: very marked stylistic choices and a rich universe , conveying a strong image. .
As a result, they represent a form of ideal that their communities will seek to achieve. The more you have, the better, so much so that you end up as the self-proclaimed muse of the brand. The problem is that you:
- ends up wearing just about anything from the brand, the beautiful and the less beautiful,
- loses his reflexes, the right questions to ask : is it a good product? how is it made? what does it evoke...?
- finds himself a member of a mass.
What is treacherous is that as long as we are in this stylistic communitarianism, we do not realize anything. Whereas from an external point of view, it is a completely different story.
A quick question in passing: the day the brand changes creator, and therefore artistic direction, how does that happen?
Overplaying an attitude
I briefly digress from clothes.
Corollary to the previous points: I have sometimes seen people change their attitude when they put on their best clothes. Men peacocking in their power suits.
While I can fully understand that an outfit can help us feel confident, be careful not to overplay it. We can be just as excessive in the way we dress as we are in the way we behave.
Tom Ford costume.
Well, overall, we have just seen how to avoid being too much when building your style, from beginner's mistakes to the pitfall of false sure values.
Once one's style is constructed, is excess really over? Furthermore, can we consider that a little excess is sometimes good?
Is too much necessarily bad?
Haha, I'm throwing a huge spanner in the works here! But honestly, who hasn't seen a man wear an unlikely piece and thought "this wouldn't look good on anyone else." ?
If a person is inherently extravagant and their clothing should reflect their personality, isn't it logical that their outfits should also be (at least different)? Isn't that what also contributes to their personality?
Let's take the example of Nick Wooster, which is quite telling.
Can you imagine me in this outfit? I would look ridiculous with the bowler hat. Why? Because it is not a piece that speaks to me, it does not represent me and this will inevitably be seen in the way I wear it. On the other hand, when the "grain of madness" really echoes your personality, it is something else.
If this is you, then embrace that little extravagance or kitsch . It's also what defines you.
Of course, you have to be careful not to cross the line between original outfit and disguise, but when you get to that stage, you live your clothes so much that the question no longer really arises. Our style becomes purely and simply a representation of our spirit.
The final word...
First of all, let's keep in mind that "doing too much" is necessarily linked to a context, a given situation, even if we consider certain errors as quite general.
When you're starting out, it's normal to be a bit excessive sometimes, as if you want to do too well. In 99% of cases, these small flaws will fade away over time as your eye gets more practice.
Less obviously, we tend to overdo it when we follow a label: a set of rules that define our style at best; our behavior and social interactions at worst. In the same vein, beware of brands with a strong identity that make us believe we can jump into their lookbooks with our eyes closed. As with everything, take the best and make it your own.
From there, once a style is firmly established, one can take liberties with "the norm". It is then done with such conviction that there is ultimately nothing shocking. .
All in all, remember that dressing is above all a pleasure. Try, fail, succeed, start again but above all, have fun.
And you, how do you approach all this? Do you have your favorite piece that only suits you? What is your worst failure? Tell us in the comments!
