Color, size, budget, climate: these four mistakes I will no longer make

As I begin writing this, we are in the middle of August. In the exact middle of it, more precisely.

I'm in Paris, and as many people know, August in Paris is not always exciting. The streets are becoming emptier, and so are the offices. When you message your friends for a drink, they reply: “I’ll be back at the beginning of September!”. And the bakery down the street from you is closed for the next two weeks.

But this climate of flat calm has its good sides: it gives time to think. And for me , who joined the BonneGueule adventure during the summer of 2015 , these summer moments of introspection always take me back to my professional… and sartorial journey. The two are necessarily linked, as far as I am concerned.

So if I'm telling you all this, it's precisely because I thought about it, and I told myself that I was going to share with you something a little unusual.

Five years later, what are the things I won't do anymore, when it comes to clothes?

A type of room that I no longer like? A color that bores me? A purchasing mistake that I don't want to make again? A quest, an absurd clothing objective, doomed to failure, like Don Quixote fighting against windmills, that I would have abandoned?

There's a bit of all that. And obviously, the list is not exhaustive, far from it.

Moreover, as editors at BonneGueule, as people who speak out and represent our editorial line, we may be tempted to believe that we do not make mistakes . Or that we shouldn't do it. Personally, I sometimes even feel a certain pressure regarding this expectation.

Well no, dear friends, rest assured: we are wrong, we change our minds , and we intend to continue to do so, since this is the only way we can nourish our reflection, our approach. , and continue to share it with you. Besides, when I think about clothes, I look something like this:

1. Thinking that “it’s okay” when it’s a bit too tight

I really no longer have the body shape suited to this kind of compromise.

Some people already know this, but to explain what I'm talking about, let's say sport has become a pillar of my daily life and my well-being. Consequently, my body has changed: objectively, I now have the silhouette of someone "strong" , and I can no longer afford to have clothes that are “one or two centimeters too small” on the shoulders, or the thighs and calves too cramped.

If I were thin and lanky, as I may have been in my early twenties , I could afford to be less careful on this point.

Because the question is not only about having changed the size of my tops, going from an S to a good M. It's the whole definition of what is rewarding on my figure which must have changed.

As I explained in my Sapristi n°7 , which was dedicated to reconciling the practice of bodybuilding with style, clothes that are a little tight in places look best on those who have an interest in emphasizing these places: typically, a young slim and fit man, but certainly not muscular.

Whoever is, on the contrary, will have an interest in not exaggerating what is already visible to all.

In the photo below, you can see me at my thinnest ever, after losing a lot of fat two years ago. And before having re-muscled my thighs. These jeans are very slim, but they look good on me in the photo. For what ? Because the muscles in my legs are simply not bulging.

I probably could have seen it, or rather “admitted it to myself” sooner.

The problem being being able to realize that it is... I assure you, it is not obvious: there is nothing objective in what we see of ourselves in a mirror.

Below for example is an outfit that I made a year and a half ago. I still appreciate the idea: I had a lot of fun matching this play of contrasts between white and blue, the different materials, the smoothness and the texture... But at that moment, I was starting to be tight in our joggers, which I really liked.

Looking back today, I would be dissatisfied with certain points, such as the pant line on my thighs or calves, which was too prominent. Today I would have preferred just a little more width to create a more continuous line.

But above all, my current body shape no longer allows me this approximation, which would be much more visible.

So does this mean I'm stopping slim fits? Certainly not !

I maintain that going from one extreme to another, just because we have reached the limits of the first, is the best way to still have to change a few years later.

Because you have undoubtedly noticed: the cuts are getting wider and wider at the moment. At least among fashion lovers. I say this, because if you look on the street, “everyman” still often wears slim and semi-slim.

I'm guessing that half of those who rush headlong towards ever-larger cuts will be heading back the other way within five or ten years. Concerning me, this change does not result for me from a "fashion", but rather from an updating of my own image. The trend, at most, will have served me as a springboard to do so.

What is true, however, is that my vision of what a “well-fitting” garment is on me has evolved, both because of my body type, but also independently of it. Today, "fitted" pants on me would look more like this:

About BonneGueule clothing...

I'm making a small comment on this subject, because I know that after reading these lines, some will take the opportunity to talk about the cuts of BonneGueule clothes, which are tighter than what I can wear today, especially down. Whether on my own Instagram or during the live shows that I host alongside Benoît, it's a reaction that I see quite frequently.

And it's completely normal for this to come to your mind: we are both a media and a brand, and one will always refer to the other in the thoughts you may have.

But we must make the distinction between what suits me, Nicolò, a sportsman measuring 1m72 and 71kg with very stocky legs, who am, moreover, a fashion enthusiast looking for the expression of a fairly personal style , and what can satisfy the majority of you , our customers, who do not necessarily have the same physique, nor the same expectations.

Not only am I not at all responsible for our day-to-day products , but in addition, even if I were, it would be essential to make the distinction between releasing clothes to dress myself , and releasing clothes to dress and satisfy our customers.

If clothes were cut for me, I assure you that fewer of you would buy them. 😉

Furthermore, I find that as a brand, it is good to exercise a certain caution regarding these reversals in trends, and to proceed with moderation, step by step.

You gave our straight bleach jeans a warm welcome. Is this a reason to only release this from now on? Nothing is less sure ! But it’s a positive signal to test more things like this 😉

How many of our customers really want looser cuts? Is it a minority? And how looser? And among those who really want more, how many will change their minds in five years? It is easy, in such a situation, to give in to a number of confirmation biases: very engaged comments, debates between enthusiasts, forums, etc.

Sometimes, we have our heads in our heads so much, and we see so many very clear opinions in one direction or the other, that we can forget an essential fact: the majority is always silent, and often wears a opinion less extreme, less innovative, more in search of consensus.

Even a brand like Officine Générale, which was quite ahead of the trend for loose dress pants, continues to sell slim jeans in 2020. And if it sells it... It's because it's still selling!

And then, trying to maintain consistency and consistency, or at least continuity in what we offer, is important. Things are changing, but imagine the disaster if, suddenly, every cut we released was a straight cut! So we test, and we move forward with you step by step. A straight cut jean here, a little inch of leg opening there... We take it slowly, just to find the ideal balance.

In any case, rest assured that the question of cuts is at the heart of the debate in the team, whatever the output concerned, and that all your opinions are heard.

For me, this evolution occurred via a fairly brutal change of point of view, because it was caused by several simultaneous factors.

First, my body shape has changed, as explained earlier.

Second, trends began to change.

And third... I'm getting older . Yes, you read me correctly, I dared to say that, at the age of 26.

I don't know what happened. However, there are no wrinkles or signs of aging on my face. I am, however, "young"... But perhaps I crossed an intangible boundary line, which took me out of the category of those called "young people", like a tribe?

Probably because I chose, last year, to celebrate my birthday in the countryside, with a handful of friends, good food and good red wine, rather than partying until the end. the night. Or maybe it’s my facial features that have hardened very slightly?

Benoît and me, in 2015. Do you think I have changed? Maybe it's the build, the skin, the less pronounced dark circles... In any case, I no longer aspire to the same style as the one I wanted at the time.

Regardless, something has changed in my own representation, and therefore necessarily in what I want to look like.

The image of the young person, thin, delicate, graceful, a youthful ideal, no longer appeals to me. When I see the smooth-skinned models of fashion brands, who will be 18 forever, I no longer feel targeted.

And I think that very fitted cuts have always had a certain connivance with the Epinal image of the handsome young man imbued with an element of femininity. .

I'm not denying her, mind you. I still recognize the appeal of it but... It's simply not for me anymore.

2. Picking the Wrong Shade of Beige

I have to face the facts: with the exception, perhaps, of summers spent under the sun, I live every day with a complexion too pale and hair too dark not to look sick in wearing light beige.

So obviously, layering always allows you to adjust things a little.

This is what I explained in an old episode of Sape M'en Cinq on colors : we can take a color that is not ideal for our complexion when worn alone and, by complementing it with the right color on another piece close to the face, you can restore the right level of contrast to wear it.

Something I'm doing here with my From Future turtleneck, and a denim jacket. Without it, however, my complexion seems pale, dark circles stand out, my eyes seem more tired... In short, nothing very happy!

And even when you're not wearing a jacket, there are always ways to cheat, after all: check out this photo with the vest instead . Contrary to what one might think, the white of the vest totally saves the day because it gives a point of contrast to the beige which would blend too much with my complexion otherwise. Unlike the photo with the denim jacket, beige takes the role of the "dark" color, next to white.

One of my "vest + turtleneck" combos that never ceased to amuse me in 2019, as much because I sincerely found it successful as because it shocked more than one person. :o)

But here it is: what happens when you only wear one layer of clothing? As much as this can work every time for a coat, since it is never worn alone, it can also work for a sweater, and with a turtleneck at that…

It's a matter of nothing. All you need is a beige that's a little less yellow or leans a little more towards brown, and that's it! So look at the photo below.

If I had to describe the shade of this beige, I would say it is “dark sand”.

Jordan and I have very similar skin tones and hair color. On our BonneGueule turtleneck , it doesn't have the problem I have with my From Future sweater , because it pulls a little more towards the sand. It's a less "yellow" beige. In my opinion this winter, I'm going to have to find a replacement... Even if it's not cashmere.

Dear readers, because I don't want you too to get lost in the jungle of beige, camel, sand, fawn, and other shades of beige and light brown, so remember this, in order to choose a beige for your complexion which suits you without having to resort to any artifice.

First, there is the "pigmentation" of this beige, which you must choose according to the complexion above all.

• The lighter your complexion , the more I advise you to wear beiges tending towards brown.
• If your complexion is darker , you can wear beiges leaning more towards yellow , even close to the face.

And then there's the question of how "bright" this color is.

• If the contrast between your complexion and your hair is STRONG , avoid too light beiges.
• If the contrast between your skin tone and your hair is LOW , it will be the beiges that are too dark which will suit you less well.

Example here: these shades would suit fair-skinned people. But the top half of the image would tend to go to blondes, while the second half would go to brunettes.

Another example: these shades of beige tending towards yellow would go very well with black or matte skin. Less, probably, with fair skin.

Don't see this as a "hard and fast rule" , but if you are lost, I hope this will serve as a guide for you.

PS: know that a full beard (which I don't have) can help you wear tops in colors that are not "ideal for your complexion" without it being too noticeable.

3. Wanting to touch everything, and lacking patience

I talked about it during our last live: working at BonneGueule has lots of advantages, but it brings a disadvantage that you wouldn't suspect: I've seen, for five years, so many magnificent pieces, so many beautiful things. , of diverse and varied styles, possible combinations, variations of collars, colors, designs, so many possibilities...

That I sometimes find myself caught by a form of “sense of urgency”. This is the famous “Fear of missing out” as English speakers call it, the fear of missing something.

The result is that over these five years, I have been more dispersed than necessary in my purchases.

Taking a step back, I don't think it's possible to buy both fatigue pants and workwear jackets, while wanting more "fashionable" things like a Norwegian Rain raincho, and AT THE SAME TIME have a great array of saror suits and dress shoes to match.

AND be a fan of denim, sneakers, beautiful bags, leather jackets... AND beautiful glasses.

I therefore undertake to “choose my battles” , stylistically speaking.

Furthermore, I gave way too much to the impulse of the “small pleasure purchase” , that of the piece for 50, or 100 euros. And in doing so, I missed several times the opportunity to save enough money to buy a nice jacket, a coat, a pair of dress shoes.

In short, I need “a plan”. Go back to basics, and make a list of what's missing, a list of what you want, prioritize, and do your best to stick to it.

So, during confinement, when the pace slowed down a little and I found myself for two months in the middle of my Normandy campaign , I decided to take matters into my own hands.

Following Benoît's advice, I created piggy banks on Lydia, into which I allocate all my budget for hobbies and "pleasures", via monthly transfers. Including clothes. And I make sure not to exceed it, or to “repay” myself for what I borrow from elsewhere.

Yes, finally here is the obvious thing that I had lost sight of: better managing your money means better managing your style . Since I tell you that I'm starting to get old.

This system of piggy banks not only allowed me to realize that my clothes budget was not unlimited, but that it tended to encroach on other important things, such as travel!

The funny thing is, when I started “really dressing,” I had a plan . It was even so detailed that it was ridiculous: I had in mind a precise number of chinos, shoes, and pieces of outerwear, in a very specific color, with this or that pocket...

Over time, I realized that we don't really build a style like that: having a "shopping list" in mind for the next five years is not just "a little excessive", it It’s also denying yourself the opportunity to enrich your vision.

It's believing that the person you are at the start of these five years will have made decisions deemed intelligent by the person you will be at the end of them. Without wanting to spoil the surprise... This is rarely the case.

But in understanding this, I may have gone from one extreme to another. I said to myself "come on, you know what a beautiful piece of clothing looks like, let your instinct guide you" , and I too often forgot to consider my wardrobe as a whole, an eco-system.

Four pairs of white sneakers (or similar), but only two pairs of dress shoes? And both, double loops? Anything, Nicolò, anything...

So I end up with several nice suits, but just two pairs of formal shoes to wear them with.

Or with four pairs of white sneakers , but still not the pair of jodhpur boots that I have wanted for over three years already.

In short, the good “plan” is a dynamic structure : it is not fixed, it is updated according to our needs and desires. But it is definitely there!

Finally, I remembered that we had to learn to admire beauty, to appreciate it, to know it... without necessarily wanting to possess it. I arrived at a strange, somewhat counterintuitive philosophical solution: I decided to be both extremely discerning about what I buy, and extremely forgiving and open about what I enjoy .

In short, it's decided, this year, I'm making a plan again.

4. Forgetting how hot it is, at 35° and beyond

I don't know why, but every year, I suffer a sort of recurring amnesia around autumn: I start to think that, from the moment we can walk around in a t-shirt and Bermuda shorts, let's say, around 27°, suitable clothing is all the same. Probably the effect of nostalgia for sunny days?

Either way, THIS IS FALSE, dear friends. Or else, I have to accept a level of thermal suffering that I refuse to endure from now on.

At 35° and beyond, it is no longer enough to wear shorts and a t-shirt : the cuts must be a little looser, the fabrics thinner and lighter, and even the materials must be optimized.

And without fail, every summer in the middle of a heatwave, I always say to myself the same thing: “ But everything is too HOT in my wardrobe! ”.

Obviously, we start buying what we will wear in August from May. And for my part, I sometimes don't realize that all these pieces bought in the spring won't be able to help me get through the summer.

Yes, even these Bermuda shorts which seemed fresh when I tried them on at 27°, and whose stiff fabric I appreciated for the look and fit they gave it. Only, two months later I realized that I needed to be even lighter.

The suede sneaker? The same ! It is no longer suitable, and we have to switch to canvas sneakers. Yes, even with invisible socks.

BonneGueule Bermuda shorts from last summer, NN07 shirt. Mr. Olive sandals that would make Jordan cringe , since I wear them around town sometimes.

Let's take the photo above as an example: beyond the fact that I wear sandals, I feel much less hot wearing this long-sleeved shirt and these Bermuda shorts than with certain cotton t-shirts that I wear at the year, like my Maison Cornichon.

It's all in the materials and volumes: Bermuda shorts are made from a fabric, which was originally intended for shirts.

The shirt is made of linen, in an airy weave, and is not too close to the body. It changes everything !

By the way, in the photo below is the best, most beautiful, nicest, most AMAZING summer t-shirt I have ever owned. A Roberto Collina in cotton-linen, which had undergone a gradient dyeing process. It was light, easy to wear and at the same time had enough originality to be the key piece of my outfits. It was well cut, it had beautiful details on the collar and sleeves...

Well, I feel a pang in my heart every time I see this photo since this t-shirt was completely torn when Michel and I, a little agitated one evening of "Team Building" last summer, we "played fight" while leaving the bar.

So, if there is one lesson to learn, ultimately, it is that you should not fight against a 1m96 Franco-Polish man while wearing your best t-shirt. .