Constraint is sometimes good. Imagine instead: a few days ago, my left foot was literally turning under my weight. Failed balancing act, ants in your legs, poor leg coordination?
The verdict is without appeal or surprise: a half-Smurf, half-grape foot . “It’s a severe sprain, Mr. Olivier, you’re good for a few weeks without walking.” Oh.
OK. It's not like I haven't experienced this before. Forced immobility, stepping aside, you could say that I have already experienced it extensively. You too, perhaps.
We've all had our little and big sprains, and not necessarily just to our feet. Have you noticed how everything suddenly becomes complicated when it comes to getting dressed?
In recent years, however, things have changed a little on my side: I ask myself new questions which all have more or less to do with style and clothes and this applies to all the little things of everyday life. This accident is a perfect example.
How to dress with an ankle brace? What shoes to wear when our foot is suddenly twice its size? Is it more generally a sign of destiny to invite us to wear looser things ?
You do not believe in it ? It was just this morning, and indeed, things are changing. We probably adapt with the means at hand. And from constraint sometimes comes a discovery of style : that’s my little story of the day.
Let's start at the bottom. Out of the blue, I rediscovered that a brace takes up space and that it's still quite ugly. We can also point out that there is not much information on the object itself: "made without natural rubber latex" the instructions tell me, and that's about it.
I haven't used scratch since at least middle school and quite honestly, I didn't miss it at all. But let's move on, we'll have to deal with it. If it is without possible comparison with Jordan's Versace pants , this brace is nevertheless a handicapping element in every sense of the word. The style inevitably takes a hit.
I can immediately forget my BonneGueule chinos, my Officine Générale pants, and to be honest a lot of my stockings . Not that I'm particularly keen on the very snug, but given the size of the brace, none of that will work. Without being critical, the situation obviously requires fullness and wide pants like here or there .
And that's good because I have exactly what I need: Margaret Howell jogging pants, in light cotton and brown, with a leg opening of... 22cm . That's two more than my Informale drawstring pants, and that makes a difference.
What can I say about these pants except that they have been sleeping peacefully in a corner of my closet until now? Guess I didn't really know what to do with it. But as with ties and yellow clothing , everything ends up becoming lighter one day. These are the perfect pants for what I have.
And my first thought is of course to find him one or two little brothers soon. We take a strange liking to this rediscovered space.
Ok for the pants. But what to do about the shoes? If I quickly abandon the idea of boots and the dressiest pairs, I still have hope for sneakers . Except that I very quickly encountered another problem. The sprain is so severe that the foot has doubled in size: it no longer works.
That’s when I rediscovered the new additions to my shoe closet . Since the publication of this inventory where I presented both my shoes and my little physical peculiarity, we can say that I have made some adjustments in my team. The Seventh Width Chukka boots, for example, have given way to a new pair of Crockett & Jones in brown leather .
Then two other pairs of moccasins joined the ranks, undoubtedly due to the powerful lobbying exercised by Jordan in recent times: a pair of Brooks Brothers made by Alden (model 684) as well as a pair of soft Quoddys in camel suede .
I had already mentioned the Quoddy brand during my brown nuggets . The pair I own is a little different from the one shown, without laces or boat effect but with a little touch of Yuketen spirit.
This is precisely the pair that I try out of desperation, and believe it or not, I suddenly take a new pleasure in putting on these shoes : not only can I slip my feet into them without damage, but the comfort is such that I 'forget even that damn sprain. Well almost. Let's not get carried away either.
Ok also for the shoes. Seemingly nothing, despite the constraint, I manage to find something to wear in my locker room, and if I'm not yet walking masses, I'm seriously starting to leave my usual comfort zone: Native American moccasins, pants wide. But what is happening to me?!
A new style is starting to take shape for me, and let's admit it right away, it owes as much to this sprain as to the always astonishing capacity of human beings to adapt to everything.
There still remain two or three points to be clarified. The top of course, and a detail that we don't think about very often: the socks. This is even more important with moccasins.
For the top, even if it means going casual, I tell myself that it's now or never: a merino t-shirt and a Norse Projects hoodie will do the trick. For the record, it turns out that David and I have exactly the same one, a mixture of yellowed ecru and light gray heather.
And then ? Why not a Corridor NYC overshirt and a Champ de Maneuvers moleskine work jacket . I can't think of anything better in my locker room at this point.
As for the thorny question of socks , it is still a vast subject to be explored. It's still cool, so I let myself be tempted by a pair of brown Missègle , but through my research I came across a Spanish brand called Thunders Love. It's interesting, with a hint of Rototo in mind. I'll have to try it to see.
What can we learn from this little story? Probably it is always possible to transform a tile into a positive adventure , even if I grant you, morale can take a serious hit at the start.
For my part, I take this little episode as a sign from heaven and/or an obvious call to order: pay attention to your body and more generally to yourself of course, but also not to be afraid to leave your zone of comfort. Try it to see. We are never safe from a pleasant surprise when it comes to style .
Think for example of those clothes lying dormant in your locker room: one day perhaps they will be remembered by you, out of necessity or more generally through a strange combination of circumstances.
Personally, I note that my legs now seem to demand more space and comfort . Note that I did not start bodybuilding . No, beyond the sprain, my legs have become more fragile. Yes, I know it's ugly. But it's cool too. Because from this constraint all kinds of unexpected things are born . This little story, for example. And that's exciting. If only for the clothes.
Who knows, maybe I will think more seriously about the issues of volume in my outfits? Or maybe get into the world of streetwear? Everything can happen .
Certainly, this spirit of adventure is of the modest kind: I have not traveled around the world, much less revolutionized the world of fashion, but I have traveled in my own way towards another style. It's a small victory. All that remains is to get back on my feet completely to appreciate it on the ground, beyond the small perimeter of my building.
