Suit Story #1: interview with Lastrolab, content creator

Michel. Can you introduce yourself and tell us what you do for a living?

Roman. My name is Romain. I think I'm... 35, I always forget (laughs). It's terrible, after a while you stop counting.

M. From what age?

A. 33, I think.

M. Ok, I'm 31. It's almost my turn.

A. You will see, from a moment on, you get stuck. Afterwards, it depends on whether you celebrate them or not… In life, I am a tax expert, trained in tax law. After being a lawyer for a few years, I am now a corporate tax lawyer.

M. In this profession, there must be a particular relationship to clothing and more specifically to costumes, I imagine?

A. Yes, it’s funny because I noticed that it attracted young people who were interested in costumes from their studies. At the time, I felt a little alone in this but today, I see that the young people who talk about suits and ties on the forums are often law students or trainee lawyers. I like costumes and it's true that this job gives a good excuse to wear them. Afterwards, as in all environments, we wear less and less. Each firm and each company has its own codes, which often depend on managers and are transmitted by mimicry to employees. These managers themselves are trying to get up to speed for their clients, so like everywhere there is still the need to be well presented. The norm is still to wear a suit but when there is no need to be in representation, a usual day at the office, you see very little of it. Whether in business or in practice.

M. At Fursac, when I worked there in 2016, clients coming from finance or law chose fabrics with very few textures and micropatterns. Even for a tie, a diamond stitch was the maximum. Have you observed an evolution at this level?

A. I thought about it again this morning. When I was in Master 2, about 12 years ago, one day, I wore a knitted tie even though it hadn't yet come back into fashion like it does today. Suddenly, people asked me what I was doing with a sock around my neck. Since then, I have the impression that there has been a polarization. Those who are interested in the costume go much more into it and those who don't like wearing one are gradually abandoning it, since it has become optional.

M. So the “sudden costume” exists less and less.

A. Exactly, and that’s so much the better!

M. And you, when do you wear the costume in your life?

A. I am lucky enough to be able to get rid of my desire to wear them at work, two to three times a week depending on the rhythm and teleworking. So, the rest of the time, for greater comfort, practicality and to avoid damaging them excessively, I like to turn to more casual outfits. Vintage clothing like jeans for example. I like to wear lots of different things and these varied frames give me the opportunity to do so. And then trudging in a square with your children is easier in jeans (laughs).

M. How many costumes do you have?

A. (Silence and sigh of reflection).

Mr. Surprise question. There are others, don't worry (laughs).

A. In my head, I feel like I don't have that much, but I still think my closet is a little overflowing. The problem is also that there are some that I keep even though they no longer fit me for a long time. I haven't been able to get rid of it yet. Will I get back my weight from 12 years ago? Unfortunately, I doubt it (laughs). I think… around ten. And a dozen mismatched jackets.

M. And what would be next?

A. Nothing crazy, but I would like to get a gray suit because the one I have no longer suits me. I would like it to be in a fairly classic style, I have to do my little market analysis.

M. A classic gray suit, simple but effective, is beautiful.

A. Yes. For a long time, everyone swore by the blue suit but you have gray ones which are magnificent too. In a simple outfit, this future costume would be sober but at the same time very beautiful. I hope so anyways.

M. Controversial question of the day : the width of the lapels, what union minimum?

A. Ahaha… I never measured it, really. I trust my eye. I think it should take up about half the chest. Neither too big nor too small.

M. And what was your first costume? If you remember, of course.

A. Of course! But I won't be able to tell you for what occasion it was. I was a teenager. Surprisingly, it wasn't too bad a costume. I bought it in a fairly standard store in Marseille, since I'm originally from Marseille.

A. It was a gray suit in slightly cold wool. Gray with pink stripes, but very discreet. Nothing flashy. It was the early 2000s, so three buttons. The brand was called “Lubiam” for Luigi Bianchi Mantova. LBM, A brand that still exists and has evolved over time. Today, it's much more unstructured with patch pockets etc. And I kept this costume. I left it at my parents' house for a long time and one day I got it back. I started wearing it again when I started work and ultimately couldn't get back to the three buttons. I ended up donating it to Emmaüs. But for now, it's a costume that I don't deny. Whereas as an intern, I then wore other things that were a little weirder, a little too shiny perhaps. This one was pretty much normal.

M. Nice first take. It’s true that we didn’t all start out like that. And if tomorrow you got into a time machine to see yourself face to face with your first choice of costumes, what advice would you give yourself?

A. Other than one or two that were a bit hit or miss, I wouldn't change much actually. Oh yes ! Precisely, not to take cuts that are too tight in relation to the evolution of morphology that I mentioned. You see, for example, the bottom of the pants, I find that they really mark an era. And typically, a suit with very fitted and slightly short pants, which I took in 2012 or 2013, would be very good today except at this level. Fashions and tastes change, so I think I would advise myself to take more timeless cuts.

M. I see very well what you mean. I'm selling one right now, for precisely this reason. It's perfect, but too tight at the bottom.

A. That’s exactly it. And we take less pleasure in wearing it. Afterwards, in terms of fabrics, textures and colors I remained quite classic and as a result, I am still very happy with it today.

M. How did you learn to wear the costume?

A. There were very few costumes in my family environment. My father wore a little bit but it was more out of obligation so apart from when he went to work or a wedding, I didn't see him wearing them. So, it was through the internet that I learned. In the early 2000s, I think every man who had a computer and a hobby started talking about it on the internet. Clothes and costumes are part of it, so I found out about it by talking to enthusiasts. By going to stores, too. I would have liked to tell you in the films but the truth is that it is often so old that it would be more of a disguise today. What inspires me the most are photos of well-dressed, very classic Italians. To give you an example, there was a Tumblr, and I think it still exists, called “Italian Industrialists and Intellectuals”. Italian businessmen who dressed neutrally and soberly but with great taste. I think it has a lot of class. It's not exuberant, nor extravagance, and at the same time, there's a bit of coquetry in what they do. But always without going overboard. This is an ideal towards which I would like to aim. Ideally, by managing to incorporate a more French touch into the materials or cuts.

M. It’s true that we don’t necessarily think about it, but there’s more than just Instagram to get inspiration from. Surprise question #3: The tie, in the pants or over it?

R. Jacques Chirac, get out of this body (laughter)! No, not in the pants anyway. Are there people who run into her?

M. I know some of them, yes (editor's note: refraining from saying that I did it too). So for you, it's pretty fair on top?

A. Not rather, always haha.

M. By the way, can you tell us about your outfit on the day of our shoot? Why did you choose these pieces?

A. In fact, every year, when summer approaches, I start thinking about beige suits again. I have never managed to take the plunge, because it is an investment for a garment whose use may be limited. And we always find something more basic and all-purpose to buy first. Seeing this suit halfway between beige and brown, I thought it was a very nice summer color. It is flexible, light. It changes from gray and navy. I just wanted to change, without being eccentric. I wanted to see what it could look like, both with a shirt and a tie and with an open denim shirt over a white tank top. It's a relatively classic color, which has always existed in summer outfits but which is being lost a little because we see fewer and fewer suits. It goes very well with the sky blue shirts and I almost only wear that. In fact, I wanted to treat myself!

M. Tomorrow you have a job interview for your dream job (maybe you already have it today). You have to come in costume. What are you going to wear ?

A. Hmmm… It can be any costume or it must already be in my wardrobe?

M. You can even have a Yves Saint Laurent, if you want (laughs).

A. The idea is that I am still very careful about what I wear. I always have the fear of overdressing, of doing too much. So I think it would be a very sober costume, especially in my industry. Navy blue, or gray. A sky blue striped shirt, because that's what I like to wear at the moment. A tie, to show that I take the interview seriously. I think that even if today, it is no longer common to wear a tie to the office, it is something that can be expected of a candidate. In navy blue knit, so it's still more casual. And then, if I feel comfortable, a discreet clutch. For the shoes, hmmm… Ah! Just for the tie, navy blue or burgundy otherwise. And the shoes I like when I go to the interview. You know, we always have a pair that we enjoy wearing more than the others. Right now, I'm very Alden. A black pair.

M. Besides, new pseudo-controversial question: shoes, “brown in town” or “no brown in town”, Mr. tax lawyer?

A. It’s like in life, you need everything! All shoe colors are beautiful, they just have to match the pants well. I started with a lot of brown shoes and now I'm making up for it by buying black shoes.

M. We completely agree.