A few days ago, we welcomed Hugo Jacomet. He founded the excellent blog Parisian Gentleman, which is quite complementary to BonneGueule: you will see in the video that we share the same thoughts on men's fashion, its market and its media.
The difference is that Hugo is mainly interested in the art of tailoring (suit, shirt, shoes), whereas we are immersed in less formal styles (blazer, jeans, sneakers... see at the end of this article).
Micro-summary of the interview with Hugo Jacomet, founder of Parisian Gentleman
Hugo, can you introduce yourself?
My name is Hugo Jacomet, I just turned 50. Being passionate about tailoring, I founded Parisian Gentleman in January 2009. I was born in this environment, because my grandfather was a bootmaker and my mother was a seamstress. My goal is to work to educate men about elegance and traditional clothing.
Why did you choose an educational approach for Parisian Gentleman?
I think that’s the foundation of our success. When I read the magazines that talk about the subject, I realized very quickly that I was reaching a limit. These magazines have a business model linked to advertising. They do not have the freedom of expression necessary to talk about clothing as it should.
I decided to write and share my opinion and my knowledge on the subject. I learned very quickly that people were asking for just that, education. A piece of clothing tells a story , communicates a personality, a social environment, a posture and this fascinates a whole new generation.
What do you think is the state of the press and blogs on the subject?
Readers come to find with us a transparency of discourse that they cannot find in the written press. And it's paradoxical, because when we talk about the Internet, and especially about blogging, the word credibility doesn't come immediately. For example, small houses come to us, but large ones remain cautious because the blogosphere scares them.
Remember this: What is important is not the medium, but the content.
Does this improve the level of men's purchases?
Undeniably. There are signs that are unmistakable: the men's accessories market has made significant progress over the past 3 years: pocket squares, ties and even tie jewelry are making a comeback. We see them blooming more and more in the streets. We have never experienced this. If Berluti makes clothing, if LVMH buys Loro Piana for 2 billion euros, it's because there is a huge market.
So there is indeed a renewed interest among men in clothing?
Yes and it is very clear. We have to understand what we say in “regain”, because we are coming out of three catastrophic decades. I think we are in a cycle. Men's style was still present in the 1960s. The Internet created a real alternative. Thanks to him, we had access to advice and opinions. There is a revolution underway, things are moving.
What advice would you give to a beginner?
The divide by money is a false problem. Any man, young or old, interested in the subject, through blogs, private sales and all Internet content, can dress in a comfortable, sophisticated way, without having to pay much.
We must no longer accept the diktat of a guy who thought for us what we were going to wear and who heavily promoted it. We can have control over this. But it requires education .
What do you think of the current ready-to-wear offering?
We are moving upmarket. The man who comes to the store today is no longer the same. Sellers are sometimes completely lost when faced with readers of blogs and forums. We push them towards quality production because blogs are capable of making or breaking reputation. The offer has never been so interesting for those who know how to sort.
What do you think is the minimum budget for a costume?
In my opinion, the basis is the semi-canvassed suit , which breathes; below that there is an impact on style. Of course, during sales periods and with luck, for 400 euros you can have, for example, a beautiful Timothy Everest suit in London. But the 600 to 800 euro bracket remains the one in which we can start talking about quality and durability.
What advice would you give to someone in their fifties?
It all depends on your interest in the subject. A man who is elegant must take the time to build a wardrobe, to forge his own style. You should never compromise on the line. It is better to have a less classy fabric and favor the cut. Trust your eye, not the seller. Take it easy, buy one or two quality pieces that you like and build around it.
Can you be too dressed, too perfect?
When a movement is created, there are always extremists. Human beings are acceptable and interesting as long as they do not become caricatures of themselves. So yes, there are overdressed men. Again, the answer to this is education .
And you, do you happen to be dressed very simply?
I am not constrained by clothing constraints. I'm a fan of sports jackets, and sometimes I even wear t-shirts. But it's rare: four times in two years!
Full transcription of the interview with Hugo Jacomet, from Parisian Gentleman
Hugo Jacomet: Measurement is the holy grail for me because after all, measurement is still the quintessence of life, my dear. When you find your wife, normally, it's tailor-made.
Can you introduce yourself ?
Hugo Jacomet: My name is Hugo Jacomet. I just turned 50. Nobody is perfect. And I am, therefore, founder of Parisian Gentleman which I created in January 2009, one sleepless evening, at exactly 4 a.m., without any specific goal since I was passionate about the art of tailoring . I am the grandson of a bootmaker. My mother was a seamstress. She is retired now. So, I have always been immersed in everything that is clothing, in everything that is elegance. Afterwards, I had a long career in audiovisual, cinema, events and directing. And so, since 2009, I created Parisian Gentleman. And it turns out that my site has become an important site at the international level and that we work on educating mainly men on elegance and traditional clothing.
Why did you choose an educational approach on Parisian Gentleman?
Hugo Jacomet: So, I think that’s the foundation of all our success. We realized quite quickly… I was reading magazines like “The Rake”, “Monsieur”. Just about every few magazines on the subject. And I realized very quickly that I was quickly reaching a limit. For what ? Quite simply because in educational terms, these magazines didn't really have the time to do it because they had a business model that was linked to advertising. And when you have a double page of any brand, generally mainstream, it is the only one which announces at the opening of your magazine, it is very unlikely that you will have all the freedom of expression necessary to talk about clothing as it is. must.
So I decided – for pure aesthetic reasons and for pure personal reasons, firstly to start writing and sharing my knowledge on the subject. And so, we realized that very, very quickly, what people were asking for was precisely that: education. That is to say basically, a piece of clothing tells a story , communicates a personality, communicates a social environment, communicates a posture. People are extremely interested and increasingly in the educational part.
What do you think is the state of the press and blogs on the subject?
Hugo Jacomet: First of all, we are experiencing a phenomenon today which is quite strange. That's one, credibility is real information more and more. The readers, and this is not to criticize people in the written press, but it turns out that today, credibility is strangely found on the Internet, in a few sites like ours. That is to say, people come to us looking for credibility and transparency of speech that they cannot find in any way in the written press. For what ? And this is not a criticism that I am making in this regard, but the written press has a business model which is different from ours, which is based on advertising, which is based on a certain number of things like that. And so what means that, today, these people are losing ground not because of what they do but just in relation to what they write in their credibility.
We, at Parisian Gentleman, are not linked to any brand. We are not linked to any manufacturer. Even if we of course have the houses that we protect, that we promote and to which we try to give access to the market directly. But for all that, credibility is on the side of the Internet, which is quite paradoxical because generally, when we say Internet, the word credibility does not come directly.
Interviewer: Especially with the word blog.
Hugo Jacomet: Absolutely. Especially with the word blog. Besides, it's quite surprising because I don't know if you're experiencing the same thing. I realize today that all the big houses come to us to find out if we can do reports on them, etc. Which is very good. But as soon as we start to talk about things that are a little bit more specific, like, for example, a guide that I'm putting together little by little on the Internet with what I call the "PG Guide to the Houses of quality”, on which there is an exchange of money which is completely known to my readers, it is quite transparent, we realize that there is still a blockage. That is to say that the small houses very willingly come to people like us to exhibit, but the big houses are still a little cautious because the blogosphere scares them. I don't know if you experience the same thing at Bonne Gueule. I'm being watched. I feel like I'm being watched like milk on fire. That doesn't mean we're here to criticize everyone. That doesn't mean we're here... I generally don't like hurting people. So, people I don't like, I don't talk about them. But there is still a real freedom of tone, a real freedom of language. And above all, I realize that today, people who read Parisian Gentleman and BonneGueule and who, really, get to the real subject, very often find themselves facing people in stores who know less than 'them. And so, we are really on this notion. We come back to education.
For us, I think today, despite all the respect I have for the printed press, that the future of masculine elegance lies on the Internet . But I also balance that with working on a book on the side since I'm very attached to the printed word, like you, I think you do printed things but it's not the same type of writing for me.
So, I think we should forget about the supports. This is not a real debate. What interests me is the quality of what is written. Afterwards, whether it is on screen, on paper, carved on a stone, on a marble slab, sung, it has no importance. The important thing is the point. The problem is that the Internet has opened a window of freedom. You should know that today, the big difference between writing in a magazine, writing a book and writing on the Internet is that when you write a book, you have been chosen from thousands of people who can potentially write a book. . So, you have been selected for this. On the Internet, you can sit down at your keyboard and write. That means that obviously, there are 85% of things that are not interesting even especially currently in our sector, you see it every day. There is, especially the word “Gentleman” – I was lucky to take it first, I really didn’t do it on purpose – every day, there is a blog… I’m exaggerating. Every week, there is a blog that is created, which has the word “Gentleman” inside.
So I see the future. Honestly, the major point is the point. And the question is not only linked to our sector. Well, I mean, that's true for every industry. I think that the paper press, by definition, apart from extremely specialized things like monocle, like this kind of thing which has opened up a somewhat particular voice, I think that the future of course is on the Internet. But I also think that there are also enormous bridges that are being created. Me, I write in the paperweight. I make contributions. I'm talking on the radio. I write books. So there really is a real merger. Once again, the justice of the peace for me is the quality of the words and it is the quality of what is said inside. Afterwards, let it be on a screen, even if… I recently wrote an article on the subject where it is true that there have been studies that have been done which show that the printed word creates something different mentally in relation to a word on screen. It's quite simple. In fact, when you are on a screen or on the Internet, you are by definition in an open environment. That is to say, you can escape at any time. You can click at any time. You can do your research, dig a little deeper. Whereas on a written book, you are face to face, alone, with something that is written and which is in front of you. And we have realized through studies that the basis of understanding itself is what we call "causal links", that is to say roughly, the understanding of causality between things , okay, and the word on paper. It's a scientific fact and much more interesting to really identify the contents since you are prisoners of so-and-so. You are face to face. Whereas on the Internet… that’s why on Parisian Gentleman, we put very few links. We put very little. We don't put up a banner. There is no advertising inside. We are completely immaculate. And then, I'm going to tell you exclusively for you, if you want, we are preparing version 3 which will be a fusion between the book and the Internet. So, with real old-fashioned typo work. That is to say really a typographic choice made for us where we will try to find the bookish flavor but while being in a screen environment. And that's a six-month project, I think, roughly.
Does this improve the level of men's purchases?
Hugo Jacomet: Undeniably. And I am not one of the sorrowful spirits. People who say, “Yeah. Look how he is... ". Yes, there is a huge construction site ahead of us. Finally, all the same, there are signs that are unmistakable.
The men's accessories market has seen enormous double-digit growth for two or three years. I think we even hit more than 60% on the small accessory, the pocket square, the tie. Tie jewelry is making a huge comeback. So there, you would have to be blind or stupid or narrow-minded not to observe. Something is happening. However, it is true that we are still in a civilization which has for a very long time ignored – especially in the world of man – what we called fashion, style because you are kind to me. I really appreciate that you say “style” and not “fashion”. Ok. We still blended into the article. Sonia faded into the article very recently, saying: “Wait. We have our backs full of this debate. Stop saying that the…”. It's quite easy to understand that style is timeless and fashion is fleeting. It's quite easy to understand that style is personal and that fashion is dictated. Or these are basic trends. But for all that, for us, there is no potential antinomy since there are still people…
Timothy Everest is a great example. Timothy Everest is a London tailor, a student of Tommy Nutter on Savile Row who dressed the Beatles and who, today, does collaborations with Superdry, does collaborations with houses that are much more mainstream. So afterwards, with more or less happiness. That's not the point. The subject is that simply, today, there is a kind of fusion.
To answer your question more simply about the elegance of men, undeniably, I think we are making progress on the subject. We see pockets flourishing. We see little pins flowering, etc.
There are also people who help with that. For example, there are places like Pierre Degand in Brussels, like The Armory in Hong Kong which are absolutely magical places where people don't come to buy clothes. They come to immerse themselves in a world of elegance. They come to share a cigar, drink a whiskey, and incidentally, make a custom suit at Liverano, etc. So there is a real push.
Afterwards, is the movement sustainable? Yes, undeniably. I think we have at least 10-15 years because we are really on a peak. Afterwards, it's all about education once again. My analysis is that we have never experienced that. Well, I'm 50 years old, I have a little more perspective than you children. So, I've never experienced that. There is definitely something going on. Afterwards, we have to make a distinction because everyone now claims to make ties, to be... that's it. Even The Kooples, who are... Anyway, they almost got me. I actually turned around with them since I went to see them. Okay, whatever. But once again, the sorting will happen naturally. Today, we are in the fray. Everyone is going for it. The Kooples, they still go very far. They even make fixed pouches, and even fixed accessories. Yes. For example, they have chains to put on watches. It's fixed. It's just an accessory.
Yes, well, it's vulgarity incarnate. What gives me confidence, what pleases me, is when I see colossal investments like that. When I see Pinault-Printemps-Redoute buying Brioni, it could be seen as bad news. In the end, this is good news. For what ? Because Brioni is a great tailor. It's a real fashion house . And that Pinault-Printemps-Redoute promotes and invests in people like that is really good. And so, I think that in all of this, we are in for, I think, 15 exciting years on the subject. And after all, a man is a woman like any other . You just have to be aware of it.
So there is indeed a renewed interest among men in clothing?
Hugo Jacomet: I think that, indeed, there is a very clear renewed interest among men in clothing. I think we have to be careful in what we say, first of all.
Renewed interest, we really have to understand what we're saying in renewed because we're coming out of, we're going to say, really two decades, three decades which are catastrophic for men's style. 80 is a disaster. 90 is catastrophic. 2000, began to raise its head. So, we are really coming out of three decades. But on the other hand, just before that, 70, despite everything that can be said about it, was an absolutely gigantic field of experimentation. There still came out people like Tommy Nutter on Savile Row, like Edward Sexton, who were people who were completely in that environment. So, I think a lot of bad things are said about the 70s, but it was very interesting. The 60s were the end of the real period of 40-50 men's style. So, we still had real contributions, particularly in terms of Parisian style. It was very interesting. So, I think we're in a cycle, first and foremost. Ok. But for all that, the Internet has created a real alternative. I'll explain this to you in two words.
We have been in easywear, sportswear, streetwear for 30 years, and with this notion above all that men were not very concerned with elegance, etc. So we're going to say that it was 30 years. Pretty much like that. And all of a sudden, there was a kind of click that was created. For what ? Well, quite simply because thanks to the Internet, we suddenly had access.
We must not forget one major factor. Before, in 1988, you wanted to be interested in masculine elegance, where were you going to be able to read on the subject? Almost nowhere. Today, therefore, in my opinion, we are restarting a cycle. And what's interesting is that we restarted a cycle with images in our heads which are images from the 30s and 40s. Ok. Aster, Cooper, Grant have never been so much in the spotlight over the last 30 years than today. There are books coming out about Gary Cooper. Very good book by Bruce Boyer on Gary Cooper where he had access to all of Gary Cooper's family archives which is a magnificent work which was released in the United States. I think it was released in France as well. So, we are rediscovering that period.
So, I think this renewed interest comes mainly from the Internet, with this access to information. And then, I also think that there is a revolution underway which is a gender revolution, a sexual revolution, a revolution in everything. Really, things are changing a lot. And today, we can start to dress stylishly without being, how should I put it... I've been carrying around my whole life because I dressed a little differently. I got carried away. Which, rather, pleased me. But then, it's a form of personality. I think that indeed, we are going for 30 years. But, that's nothing... I mean the Lascaux cave, on the walls, there are cave paintings which are ornamental paintings where we see silhouettes of people who are dressed. We saw that ornamentation is very important for humanity. This is what makes the difference between man and animal.
What advice would you give to a beginner?
Hugo Jacomet: What I think first of all is that the divide by money is a false problem. Today, every educated person, that’s why education is fundamental. Any educated person – obviously, anyone who has the means – well, if you have the means to go to great extent directly, go for it because you will never be the same. Afterwards, it's... No, but I think it has a terrible impact on the personality. It’s almost a heuristic approach. It's almost a philosophical work for me. But obviously, the average basket – you realize this – is I believe, three and a half times the minimum wage today for a suit. So, I think that's definitely the top of the heap. But it is a profession that is extremely important to protect and promote.
But today, any gentleman, any man young or old who is really interested in the subject through blogs, private sales, eBay, and all the possibilities there are today, can dress extremely sophisticated and extremely comfortable, and extremely reasonably in terms of rate. If you avoid all the big brands that sell very expensive crap.
Obviously, anyone who has the capacity to go towards measure, whether it be large measure, half measure, small measure, industrial measure, if you want to know the differential on Parisian Gentleman, it will be a bit long to explain right away. Today, we can start to claim measurement for around 1000 euros on industrial measurement. Obviously if you have the possibility to go towards that, it is of course better straight away because you have access to something which is closer to expressing yourself than simply buying a piece of clothing . However, today – and this is the positive effect of everything that is happening today – the offer is absolutely plethoric. I mean, not a week goes by without there being a new maker of ties, shirts, suits, etc. So, I think today it's much easier to be stylish. The offer is there. There are all price ranges. Me, I discover nuggets. This is what I say for example for shirts. Everyone asks: “But how do I start with the expensive shirt?” ", etc. I said, “Listen. If you want to do it by hand, go to Levine. TMLevine. » Ok, it's made in India. It says "established 1800, something on Jamin Street". We know that it's made in India. But finally, when in sales, you can have access to four types of collar, three types of handles, different materials, different patterns for 29 pounds sterling for three shirts during the sale. It allows you to experiment. The ties, you can see, it's good quality, obviously, it's the same at. Tyrwhitt. You know, all the English shirtmakers have extremely competitive offers. A young man who wants to try it a lot: Go to Levine. of risk, you can order 100 bales of shirts Maybe you're going to have six shirts You try on what color suits you best. , search online offers, go to stores and go to EBay too.
It's a shame to say that because I'm not protecting, but I mean that for a kid who really wants to try a suit from Rubinacci or Attolini, he won't be able to afford it today. If he goes on EBay, he might with luck find it. Basically, today the universe is open. And above all, I think that measure is the holy grail for me because after all, measure is still the quintessence of life, my dear. When you find your wife, normally, it's tailor-made. You see, you choose it. Yes, the measure is really this notion of, how to put it, no longer accepting the diktat of a guy who thought for you what you were going to wear and that he heavily promoted, and putting yourself back in this idea that after all, you can have control over it. And after all, it's really good to have control over it but it requires education. So.
And what do you think of the current ready-to-wear offering?
Hugo Jacomet: The revival is very good because there is an excellent effect from people like you and like us. It's that we're breaking the arm of a lot of houses, that is to say that I've noticed, for example, over the last few years that we're seeing a lot of the things I talked about: the little buttonhole on the back. 'horizontal on the shirts. We are starting to have a little more interesting Milanese. In this case Milanese, no since that's a real Milanese, but we're starting to have work on the buttonholes. So there is...
Interviewer : Open buttonholes?
Hugo Jacomet: There you go. It's thanks to us and you, and us and many others. We are in the process of breaking the arms of these people and undeniably – I observe it, I am able to say it and really without any reservation – we are moving upmarket. That is to say that today, I find that the offer is of much better quality because the men are educated. At Francesco Smalto, they know this very well. When you go to Rue François 1er, you will still buy a suit costing 2,500 euros, 3,000 euros, 3,500 euros. So, it's an investment. Beyond 3,500 euros, you have to go big. It's ridiculous to buy more expensive. But today these people have moved upmarket.
For what ? Because the guy who comes to the store, the man who comes to the store today, is no longer the same as in the 2000s and even less so in the 90s. And there are how many salespeople who find themselves in front of a reader of “Bonne Gueule” or “Parisian Gentleman” or others and who is completely lost because he is going to ask: “But is your shoulder between Romaine and Napolitaine? » And obviously, the vast majority of sellers in stores. So there is a real positive effect. That is to say that through the impulse of people like us who exist out of passion first and foremost, we have – I like the lesson of breaking the arm – when we push them towards quality because that today, a house that sells a suit for 2,000 euros for example, sells crap for 2,000 euros. It becomes known in three days on the Internet. And through a dozen blogs or forums, etc., we can make or break a reputation. So, after that, that opens another subject. Let's stay in our place at a certain point too. This is another subject that I do not want to deal with here.
So, to answer your question globally, I really think that we have never had so much choice and that we have never had so many quality offers because precisely, there is education. Customers are becoming more and more educated. And it's not because they buy an item for 300 euros that they want to buy crap. And so more and more, I think that on the contrary, the offer has never been so interesting for those who know how to sort.
What do you think is the minimum budget for a costume?
Hugo Jacomet: My grandfather always explained it to me – it wasn't my grandfather anyway, it was my friend Roger who was a winegrower. Do you remember I wrote that in an article? He told me: “Hugo, it’s not possible to make a Bordeaux.” He was a wine producer in Anjou, a small red wine.
Interviewer : Cabernet?
Hugo Jacomet: There you go. Very good. It was exactly near Saumur. And I remember, I was crushing the grapes with him since that was how it was done at the time. He told me: “Hugo, for less than 35 francs, which at the time was like 5 euros, you can’t find a decent Bordeaux. It's mechanical. » That is to say that at some point, mechanically, you cannot find the quest. So, after all, it all depends on what you're looking for. In the costume, it's the same. Today I consider less than a suit. So, we're not going to get into the iron-on debate, OK. What we simply know is that in terms of comfort, drape, durability, at least in semi-canvassing, that is to say say a free canvas inside the costumes that breathes, not something that is flared, that's really the word. I'm making the noise because that's really it. That, for me, is the basis. Below that, we are really in the wrong subject, etc. and above all, it impacts the style and fit of the garment.
So, I think that... come on, I'll give it a go but I think that if you are able to buy during a good sale period at Timothy Everest in London, you have semi-canvass made in Portugal, in a very open way. That means that Timothy Everest is one of those people who doesn't hide because after all, he is linked to a very, very good house in Portugal and that is true in this case. We're talking about sales, you can have a beautiful suit for 350-400 euros, something like that from Timothy Everest in London. Today, it's true that as a standard, for me, I think that from 400 euros, you can start to get something decent. 600 or 800 euros is for me still the bracket in which you really find something but which will last.
Do you know, for example, that Cifonelli used to make 600 suits with 40 clients? This year they made 980 costumes with 250 customers. So that says it all. That means that today at Cifonelli – at Camps de Luca, it's the same – they have thirty-somethings who come and take out a bank loan to buy two bespoke suits. And they are right. Not because everyone thinks it's ridiculous to spend 10,000 euros on two suits, etc. No. Rockefeller said, do you remember that sentence? We asked Rockefeller the question one day, we said: "Mr. Rockefeller, if you had 10,000 dollars left, what would you do?" » He said, "I'll buy myself a nice suit." »
What would you advise someone who is in their fifties?
Hugo Jacomet: It all depends on the interest we have in the subject because I am not one of those who absolutely want to convince everyone that we must be elegant all the time. Afterwards, as the Americans said: “Every man for himself. » Who cares but actually, I recently wrote a little summary of elegance for the Smalto house which is going to be released in stores because people... Yes, a very good example. Smalto is making a new collection and asks us to write an elegance guide on how to wear the new collection? You see that, it’s a little aside but that’s education. Even the big houses now call on people like us to do the education.
A man who wants to be elegant, who has a little bit of means, I advise him to take the time to build a wardrobe. I'm not one of those people who say, "You need three suits, thing... two suits... no." » Start with one or two items of clothing, slowly. Forge your own style. It’s a process if you really want to do it in a way… it doesn’t take 15 hours a day. Yes, for people like us. But for us, it’s our job. We are immersed inside. But I know plenty of men who are really interested in it. The only problem is that the man... we must keep this sentence: “When the man is passionate, he is 10,000 times more unreasonable than the woman. » Man is uncontrollable when he has a toy. Okay. But it's real. Even the big fashion houses know this. Cifonelli knows. There are people who lose their temper at his place, who buy 15 suits, who blow a pipe. I'm not kidding because the man is completely unreasonable, you have to know, much more than the woman. So that's a subject that interests me a lot but a little psychologically because it's quite true.
What I would advise is, first tip: never compromise the line. Make “compromises” – compromises, we say in French – on the fabric. Compromise on finishes but never on line. I prefer a fabric that's a little less classy but with a real cut.
Second, trust your eye. Store salespeople are there to sell clothes. You are there to buy something that will suit you. So, never believe a seller who tells you: “it looks good on you” etc.
Third thing, take it easy. Buy one or two beautiful pieces. Live with it, see what happens. And above all, one little thing that no one does – so this has always amazed me – you see that when a woman goes to a store, what is the first gesture she makes when she picks up a dress? She takes the dress and puts it on. She looks at herself like that in the mirror. You've ever seen a man do that with a suit. Never. This is the first thing to do. I can tell you right away what suits you or what doesn't suit your complexion, it's fundamental. So.
Today, we're giving a whole bunch of little tips. So, what I would advise a man is to take his time: do one piece, two pieces, determine what suits him. Make tests little by little, go a little towards the cross, give the three pieces a chance. And little by little, there it is. I think a man who reasonably has six or seven suits – come on, let's say five suits with a nice sports jacket and then two nice flannel pants – already has a serious wardrobe. Ok. Afterwards obviously, it's endless.
I know people who tell me they have 250 costumes. There is a mentally ill person in Paris who has 350 costumes, who spends his life doing this all day long. There are people who are extremists. I know people but I can't even tell you. It's incredible. There are people who are completely...
So here is. What I would recommend, yes that's it, it's a simple, progressive wardrobe. And above all, take the time. It's awesome. The work of art is yourself. Finally, it's still great to take the time to get dressed and try things on. And so, read Bonne Gueule, Parisian Gentleman and others to choose the houses on which you will be able to take the time to do this. So take your time. And for heaven's sake, avoid those kind of overmarketed houses that sell you things that aren't even decent.
Can you be too dressed, too perfect?
Hugo Jacomet: Yes. I am perhaps not the only one but one of the rare ones to express that elegance does not only have to do with clothes, and I even think that it has quite little to do with clothes. Human beings are acceptable and interesting as long as they do not become caricatures of themselves. And the problem with these people is that they often become caricatures of themselves. So I see people who are overdressed, who are oversophisticated. And that’s why education is once again important. For me, the subject of men's clothing, of masculine elegance, has a little to do with clothes. Of course, because it's still easier to look elegant in a tailored Cifonelli than in work overalls. Although, but normally, that's the case.
Without going into formula, it seems to me that elegance, by definition, is discreet. The elegance is refined. And you know that one of the sentences that is particularly close to my heart in Parisian Gentleman is: “First, you learn the rules and then break them”.
I meet people all day long who make the mistake of overdressing and overdressing. It's absolutely ridiculous when someone wears a tie, jewelry, necktie, pocket square, etc. and we see right away that he made an effort to do that. Well, what happens to people? We see that this person exposes his efforts instead of exposing himself. So, she is really showing others that she has made an effort. It can be lovely to do it when you're doing it for someone for an occasion. But in everyday life – so, again, this is all very personal – maybe there are people who are very good inside, for me elegance is discreet and there is no There are no better words than “understated” in English. It's really, we're below. That's the basis of everything.
“La Sprezzatura” is a somewhat famous PG article which was written on the basis of an article by Bruce Boyer, who is in the United States. It is precisely this Italian tradition of this worked nonchalance. It's giving the impression that you weren't prepared and that you took the scarf or tie that was on top of the pile. Obviously, a certain level of elegance is not quite the case. But I think that elegance, yes, there is a risk. There is a risk. But that's normal. So I mean, every time there has been a push on an issue, there have been the extremists of that issue. The only thing that I totally agree with and that I don't agree with is that we overuse a concept like the concept of dandyism. Because the concept of dandyism is an extremely precise concept, which describes something very precise. Today, it has become a sort of catch-all word in which we put anything and everything. So. So yes, I think there is the risk of being overdressed. But the solution and once again the answer to all of this is education.
And do you happen to be dressed very simply?
Hugo Jacomet: I wear jeans quite easily. I wear funny boots quite easily. I can even be quite rock'n'roll quite quickly. It does not matter. It turns out that I have a relationship with clothing which is a relationship... how can I put it, it's not a relationship of constraint. I have the chance to do what I want in life. I have the chance to get up at whatever time I want. More precisely, to go to bed at the time I want. So, basically, I'm not stuck in any clothing constraints, like a guy who works at Defense who has to wear his suit and tie because that's the rule. Ok. So, basically, I do what I want.
It also happens that it's a bit like my field of activity, even downright my field of activity. So, yes, I'm a big fan of nice sports jackets on the weekend, a nice tweed jacket in the winter. Or even a seersucker jacket in the summer. But I can wear a leather jacket. I can wear t-shirts.
Interviewer: T-shirts?
Hugo Jacomet: I can wear t-shirts. Yes of course. But it is rare. How many times did I wear tee-shirt in the last two years? Four times in two years. Well, it's not much. No, but I can go... I'm certainly not obtuse about that, but really not. That is to say, I consider myself only a very beautiful pair of jeans, well coordinated with… Today, I have jeans with vintage patent boots from 1980. I say vintage here since it was at the time . It's a bit special. So. They are even a little rotten at the end. I like. It's my style, a little bit loose. So, I'm really in the field of... how can I put it, it's a media that has become important. But I'm really in the passion business. I'm really in the education business. My real project behind it is… Well, I can tell you. Come on, it's an exclusive for Bonne Gueule. Parisian Gentleman's project in the next two to three years is to produce the first work on a directory of all tailors and bootmakers throughout the world, including even in the most remote countries on the planet because I finds that this is a subject that has been overused. For example, I had contact with people in Ivory Coast who make jackets for 10 euros for the needy, real tailors. I have people in Burma doing amazing things. And I want to rejuvenate all these people. And the idea is that I want to take Timothy Everest, Lorenzo Cifonelli and Mariano Rubinacci and the Carraccis to the depths of Africa to do a masterclass. Because I consider that clothing is a vector of beauty and the way we present ourselves to others. And it can be life-changing. And restoring dignity to people through beauty is also a route that has been completely ignored until now.
I have, for example, a monstrous readership in Africa. Of course, there are the Cameroonian sappers and all the people, etc. But even beyond that, I have a readership that is not the image we have of Africa because the image of Africa, be careful, is changing damn it. Extremely important things are going to happen even in our sector in Africa. So there you have it, my long-term project is to create the first – finally – world directory of tailoring and bootmaking art. And to go and recharge and re-identify all the people. So, double effect for that. First, bring attention back to this profession. Secondly, recreate vocations because we have a real problem in France on the subject. We're going to die from this. We don't have a suit anymore. And while the art of tailoring is like that, it doesn't interest kids. Kids, they want to be sociologists or rock stars, basically. Or possibly a dentist, but that's less and less interesting. Their parents are the problem. It's not the children. For me, it's the parents.
I love artisans. It's awesome. I myself am a consumer of artisans, the bobos… I love artisans. But finally, for my son, I prefer that he do HEC or Maths Sup'. You shouldn't mess around. We have real snobbery in France on this subject. And my project is at the international level. But that's for two years. I don't know if this is interesting for you. Maybe it's not interesting.
I gave myself the mission – as no one gave it to me, I gave it to myself – to work on this art, tailor and bootmaker. But to really go and do the job. And I think, it's going to take me three or four years. We looked, we have already identified people in 87 countries. All this to tell you that in my opinion, style, elegance and quality is not just a matter of money. I have a lot of readers who are incredibly elegant and who don't have half the beginning of the means to go big. And that's what interests me. Beauty interests me. I know, I have an almost philosophical approach, it's beauty that interests me. And it is the vector of beauty, what does it create in man, in general? Well, in women, of course, but also in men in general. And I realize that there is a huge subject that opens our arms to us. Well, we're going to let it take us.
Interviewer: We'll meet in 3 years.
Hugo Jacomet: Come on!
Thanks to Hugo, from the excellent Parisian Gentleman blog.
More articles on the textile industry... or casual style
Time to invest in yourself during the holidays? Or just the desire to explore the subject? Here are other articles you can read:
- What to expect from men's fashion ( part 1 / part 2 )
- Our article on the ready-to-wear circuit
- and to master the basics of casual clothing , the Shopping Memo and the newsletter:
