Hi it's Nicolò, welcome to (Very) well dressed , the weekly video to look good.
And to look good, the basics are important.
However, hearing so much about “essential basics”... Perhaps you, like me, have the impression that there are too many?
“ESSENTIAL” BASICS, BUT FOR WHOM?
"Shirt" ? "T-shirt" ? “Sneakers”? "Coat" ? “Chino”? "Jeans" ? “Sweater”?
The majority of clothes that we can name off the top of our heads can be perceived as “basics”.
This is based on a simple little mental shortcut, a banal reasoning bias:
If it's "common", it's basic.
If it's "basic", it's essential.
If it's "essential"... I need it.
But not all basics are “essentials”… Or at least not for everyone.
The trap is that when you don't know your tastes, you think you have to have everything “just in case”.
A bit like a complete “kit” that you would buy to stop thinking about it...
IDENTIFY YOUR AFFINITIES
When you're starting out, you like everything and you don't like anything at the same time. Our tastes are uncertain.
Despite this, you still have to make purchases, and do them well.
We therefore try, in a way, to buy for our “future style” , the one that we have not yet found, and which is supposed to take shape through purchases.
So obviously, we disperse, we buy "in stock", a bit like a supermarket customer would buy toilet paper in March 2020...
Too much, and with uncertain long-term usefulness.
But how can we avoid it , since we don't yet know this style that must reveal itself to us?
For me, everything is based on a certain amount of introspection work upstream: you have to try to identify your affinities.
It seems difficult, but in reality, we all already have a vague idea of what we prefer.
Of what inspires us and makes us say "that's stylish" , or on the contrary of what categorically repels us from the start.
And in the end, even if it's cliché, even if it's over-simplified, even if "it fits into boxes" ...
For me there are always three major “poles”, three “universes” of style, around which men tend to gravitate.
And the sooner you know which one will serve as your starting point, the more you will start on a sound basis.
PRIORITIZE WHAT IS MOST LIKE YOU
Knowing what we identify with the most does not serve to restrict us or deprive us of access to the other two “boxes”, far from it.
The reason I advocate this approach is that each of these poles has its own “essentials.”
The plain white tee... King of "essential basics" and in my opinion, one of the most useless pieces on earth unless you have a "strong" idea of how to wear it. Otherwise there are a thousand better alternatives.
And what will save you a lot of unnecessary purchases is to replace the purchase of "generic" basics with these more specialized basics, which will remain relevant in the medium or long term.
Precisely because they will have been purchased with consideration for your initial affinities, rather than "by default" like a checkbox.
David has written a series of articles for you "Going Plus Loin Que..." , where he explores many alternatives to the most "mundane" items in our daily lives.
SHOULD WE PRIORITIZE VERSATILITY?
If I had to do a Bingo with the most recurring words when we talk about purchases that we think are essential, there would be "versatile" just behind "basic" and "essential" .
And versatility can be your best ally and your worst enemy.
When you start and/or the
© Good mouth
The good old round neck sweater , mid-weight... A great classic to start your wardrobe, but after two or three... You should perhaps try something else too.
Each piece represents a foundation on which you will build the few outfits that dress you every day, and you don't yet know what your next purchases will look like.
It is therefore the most sensible choice.
The problem is that this is not a situation that lasts forever, and you have to have the lucidity to recognize that moment when you have enough versatile pieces to dress properly.
And when it arrives, the paradigm is reversed: buying "all-purpose" means buying something that will be supplanted by an excellent piece for a very specific role that you have found for it.
THE COLOR CHANGE: THE FALSE FRIEND
And the most common example is undoubtedly that of the variation of color.
We believe, wrongly (and especially among men!) , that if a piece satisfies us in one color, buying it in another can only be a good choice.
But that’s without taking into account the fact that:
- you will prefer certain pieces in certain colors. (And ultimately wear the others less.)
- Certain pieces in certain colors will work better with the rest of what you own. (You will wear the others less, bis. )
- And finally, any “declination” purchase is a missed opportunity to discover a new brand, a new design...
And besides, it could very well be both at the same time, a test of a new design AND a new color.
Rather than saying to yourself "I want yellow, I'll buy my basics in yellow" , ask yourself:
“If I had to wear a piece in yellow, what type of piece, what design would it look best on? And what would I wear it with?”
PS: IN THIS VIDEO, I WEAR:
- A BonneGueule turtleneck
- An Atelier Mesure suit jacket
