I found myself a style - Carte blanche to Yann

On my first day at BonneGueule, I went there with a little knot in my stomach. Hired as a trainee editor, I was going to assist an editorial department, with only very well dressed people in it. I had dressed well (without overdoing it), but I was afraid of being light years away from my future colleagues. After a few minutes and a handshake, Christophe reassured me, I didn't have to come in sartorial to work. Phew.

A few days later, I noticed that everyone had their own style. A series of questions came to me: do I have a style? A particular style? Should I question everything? Why do I find Jordan or David so beautiful? (oh no that's not it).

In the midst of introspection, I assessed myself. Retrospective.

Creative, but just a little

I like to be comfortable in my clothes, to have a nice outfit, clothes that I like, but I have never worked on my style.

I remember my choices at the time. I lived in Reims, and everyone from Champagne knows that it can rain at any time! As I wasn't the last one hanging out outside, I equipped myself accordingly:

From that time on, I loved the “cool” side of the K-Way . It has no shape, fits everywhere. No matter the season, I didn't go out without my raincoat. I put it in a ball on the ground to make a football post, I hid my candy and my first cigarettes there (smoking is bad, I see), it was my essential.

The rest of my starter pack is justified differently: it was fashion. I didn't focus on the intrinsic quality of the clothing, but above all on the fact that I went unnoticed in the school courtyard. For example, I wasn't particularly a fan of Converse (my opinion has since evolved, when I discovered that Converse were century-old sneakers ) but I still pestered my poor mother for this pair. Amazing.

Same for the V-neck. Personally, I always found it a little ugly, but it was so widespread that the social side took over the aesthetic aspect.

Taking a step back, I noticed something: a lot of the clothes chosen were very standardized, very basic. And yet, by putting on a slightly flashy K-way, I twisted my outfit. I wasn't particularly looking to stand out, but I enjoyed putting on an unexpected item of clothing. Something that surprises.

A few years later, here's where I was:

Not yet an adult, I walked the streets of the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris (the Reims period is over) in this slightly geeky style. As with my college look, I wore extremely common clothes (like the Nike Blazer, the plaid shirt , etc.) with a surprising favorite piece . Once again, it was at the level of the jacket that I was trying to innovate: so I had set my sights on a magnificent jacket from the English brand Ben Sherman. A perfectly cut, simple bomber jacket, with this recognizable internal lining. I loved wearing this jacket.

The rest of my wardrobe from those years was very simple: I was still succumbing to fashion, and I wasn't specifically looking to have a particular style. I have always preferred simple, well-cut clothes. I first looked for the clothing to fit me well, for me to be comfortable in it.

Already at 17, I wasn't a fan of logos or patterned clothing, my favorite brand was Uniqlo . Simple, not too expensive, a minimum of quality, I really valued this brand (I have since met Benoît,who opened my eyes to the case of Uniqlo ). The sobriety of their products suited me perfectly.

And now ?

“ Having a style is an assumed choice. Style tells others what you don't want to verbalize, ” Emilie from the product department whispers to me. Here I am of age, vaccinated, (almost) emancipated, and the question remains: what does my style say about me?

Today, I think I have a casual style, halfway between workwear and “ sport-chic ” (more sporty than chic):

• I've developed a cult following for shirts (or anything with a collar stand). It's a garment that reassures me, that I wear in several ways.
• I continue to find bombers super stylish , right halfway between sport and workwear.
• I threw away my skinny pants , which change the silhouette. Depending on the context, I opt for straight jeans, or more tapered dress pants. I have quite long legs, these are the pieces best suited to my size.
• Few formal shoes on my feet, I alternate between leather or canvas sneakers, depending on the outfit. My favorite pair? For sentimental reasons, it's an old pair of black Van's with holes. They have seen everything, known everything.
• I still don't buy colorful designer clothes , which I find unsightly.
• I now consider the sock a real plus . I haven't invested heavily in it yet, but I plan to one day.
• I expanded my color palette , I finally got tired of black!

My casual style that goes everywhere defines me well: I like to remain discreet, not to make noise. I like to cultivate the elegance of discretion, which surely makes me someone terribly boring.

However, I like the unexpected, the surprise. Over time, I fell in love with many clothes that I thought would not suit me , would make me look disguised. I haven't yet taken the step of " strong pieces ". Here is a small list of clothes that I would love to wear but whose appearance leaves me skeptical:

For what ? Because that's not my style! Little confession: I'm one of the shy ones. I am most comfortable in society with a shirt (or t-shirt) tucked into my pants. Inexplicable but true.

Under the influence

When I arrived at BonneGueule, I devoured the media content. Already out of intellectual honesty, but above all because I am curious. As I increased my knowledge about clothing, I noticed something: among all these stories, it was that of workwear that spoke to me the most.

When a reserved item of clothing to manual workers becomes more democratic, it becomes steeped in history. It’s a heritage that speaks to me. My parents always instilled in me the value of work: a good and virtuous man is a man who gets his hands dirty. It is the worker who satisfies the general interest. It is the very nature of this style that is so seductive.

Comparing my wardrobe with that of the basic workwear wearer , I noticed some similarities: more denim jackets and jackets than blazers, lots of simple, straight cuts, few light, bright colors, jeans, shirts, pockets everywhere. Without knowing it, I was already under the influence of workwear !

I'm not going to buy overalls or military fatigues, but their existence in the fashion landscape reassures me. Clothing trends are good reflections of society , and today more than ever, the society we live in needs hard workers.

We are in the age of image and logo and I really have a hard time listening to the story of at least 80% of the clothes that are currently coming out. If in the remaining 20%, the clothes say “I have tough skin, I am made for those who sweat”, my choice is quickly made.

In the end, all it took was a little education! By speaking daily with Benoît, Quentin, David, Christophe, Nawal, Jérôme and so many other colleagues (nay, comrades!) from BonneGueule, it allowed me to verbalize what I loved about clothing. : it tells a story . My story, she tucks her shirt into her pants, and gets her hands dirty.