By Emilie Hawtin
Developing a personal uniform is a common goal for those that are into clothing, I find. It has the twin benefits of being personal yet easy, distinctive yet versatile.
Where some people want depth and variety in their wardrobe, and dress for mood, others strive for consistency. To my surprise I’ve become one of the uniformists.
It can sound unappealing to those that aspire to, for example, visit every tailor in Naples. But I have to say it gave me great pleasure when I arrived for Pitti Uomo last month to breeze past menswear aficionados struggling with their Rimowas on the cobblestones, with just hand luggage. That feeling, and a head free of decisions, was worth every one of the shirts left behind.
For years I thought uniforms were reserved for iconoclasts like Tom Wolfe, Giorgio Armani, Wes Anderson or Jarvis Cocker. Their refusal to change their clothes was a sophisticated form of art, their self-knowledge an act of rebellion.
That changed when I had a linen suit made a few years ago (jacket pictured above). It’s not what you would think would wear easily, but I found incredibly easy to wear.
In fact, you might feel you’ve seen this before, and you probably have – in the piece I wrote for Permanent Style last year. The suit is the same, but the topic different; which of course just shows what a useful, much-loved uniform it has become.
Developing a uniform is different for everyone, but I start with a perfectly fitting base. For me that’s a suit silhouette that’s loose fitting with a longer jacket, a high back vent (above) and slightly tapered side-tab trousers, here the Clementina suit from J.Mueser.
This ivory linen I wear as a suit, but also rotate in trousers - brown, green and beige. Then in the winter months I swap the linen for wool - charcoal-grey or navy blue - and rotate in tweed or herringbone jackets. Mine, in the same cut, is shown at the top of this article and below.
With that established, you can play with shirts, scarves and pocket squares, socks and shoes. I think these expressive layers can add dimension to every man’s wardrobe, as well as mine.
For daytime I stick to Speciale 324 point-collar shirts in cheerful blue and ivory, which have a very slight silky feel and rounded cuff, or thin-striped shirts in neutrals like brown and beige.
And for a change of pace I might try a cord Western. I prefer soft ivory to stark white, which I think is more elegant and more flattering.
Accessories on top of a base like this are easy, a delight.
I carry an array of patterned neck scarves from Charvet, Drake’s, old YSL, eBay, plus some navy bandanas (above). They change the mood and are featherweight for travel.
I always have extras in my bag (a Chiarastella Cattana olive tote I borrow from my partner David) – on a daily basis. Scarves are a point of visual flair and stand out against a solid suit.
For dressier occasions I wear a Charvet men’s tuxedo shirt, understated cuff links, and more scarves or ribbon neckties to create a particularly Ralph Lauren look (shown above, seated).
I enjoy Bombas men’s dress socks (good weight, stay upright and surprisingly warm) and Speciale 324 silks. I find a classic wool suit paired with boldly colored socks in purple, red or yellow very appealing and attractive on men. But when in doubt, I go with brown.
Shoes are simple: Friulane velvet slippers, a pair of suede loafers from Baudoin & Lange, Belgian loafers, and a pair of opera pumps in black calf that work well with suits, tuxedos or with jeans. These shoes are all comfortable, nuanced, dressy, timeless, and have a certain worldly flair.
Many of these are black editions of otherwise preppy shoes – something I think of as ‘goth prep’. They bring a touch of rebellion to East-Coast traditional style and it works with Belgians, opera pumps, desert boots or penny loafers.
Velvet Fruilane slippers are incredibly utilitarian and stylish. They bring diversity and are made for European cobblestones, beaches, black tie, linen suits, wool trousers, jeans and all four seasons. I can’t say that about any other shoe. It’s fun to collect them from different Italian regions, and I often pick up a pair in Florence.
In Venice, I go to Piedaterre, which makes my favourite style with an elongated toe and last. Brown velvet makes an ongoing appearance and emerald green changes the game. These add an easy feeling to my suits and I find them flattering on all men and women.
Of course, part of the point of writing this is that I think these key pieces and my approach to dressing overall can easily translate to a man’s wardrobe.
That’s largely because they’re sourced from men’s brands and tailors. As a woman, I eschew menswear ‘rules’ and experiment with the classics. But any man can also wear a charcoal grey suit and rotate in western, striped or tuxedo shirts as well as patterned pocket squares.
I think they should also be encouraged to wear a suit in the first place. If you feel overdressed that’s a good sign. (Although maybe save any pinstripes for later.)
I find uniform dressing particularly personal as, almost by definition, it’s something that reflects the wearer more than anything else. Often the wearer will have cycled through countless other genres over the years, before settling on something that feels like them - that feels like home.
Ease is the gift of uniform dressing. Although we all admire the sophisticated layers worn by Italian tailors and Japanese buyers at Pitti, it’s often their sense of ease that is most appealing – and transcends any trends.
Uniform dressing is for those who know what they like, can admit what they don’t, and have the confidence to wear a variation of the same thing every day. With self-knowledge and discipline, you arrive at a world of fewer, finer things. You require less and yet communicate so much more.
Emilie Hawtin is an editorial director and style commentator, based in New York.
To me it looks like you cracked the code, its perfect.
Great to see Speciale get a mention, George is a groovy dude and does good work considering how much is self taught!
An elegant woman and a nice article but I must confess I don’t see a “uniform” there; rather, a sort of “expanded capsule” wardrobe designed for maximum versatility.
Thanks – you mean because it’s not literally the same thing worn every day, as per Lagerfeld?
I think if you wear just one suit every day for the whole of summer (or winter) and just swap the trousers or shoes now and again, that’s pretty much as close to uniform dressing as most actual people will get?
‘Uniform’ does not exist?… one of my chaps years ago and clearly with too much time on his hands, did a calculation of how many variations of uniform was allowed whilst staying within ‘dress of the day’ and he came out with well over 2000 small differences. Its still a uniform even with differences.
No, I didn’t say or mean it doesn’t exist Gary. Merely that something this restrained is the equivalent of a uniform for most people
That was my point; that uniform exists in many forms and is not restricted to exactly the same items for all each and every day
OK, thanks Gary
You mean jacket rather than suit presumably if you are switching trousers?
Like so many things, it’s a spectrum not just black and white. Certainly others are not as far as Largerfield/Jobs but are more consistent with a daily navy suit, black shoes, spread collar shirt in only plain white or blue etc. Probably would have more called it a strong personal style than a uniform nor merely a capsule wardrobe but its semantics and somewhat misses the point of the article.
Is this the first female contributor to Permanent Style?
It’s a suit where the jacket is also worn separately with trousers.
Implicit in the style of a personal uniform is that it’s personal – not something everyone else is wearing – so a navy suit, black shoes and white/blue shirt is not really what’s meant. Hence Emilie’s description at the beginning of personal and distinctive.
This is all one suit silhouette, made in different fabrics and interchanged.
Very chic.
A timely article as I am starting to travel for business again and travelling with hand luggage makes life so much easier.
The temptation is always to take a mini capsule ,possibly too casual, whereas Emilie demonstrates, going smarter is easier and takes out the ‘what I am wearing and who am I meeting ‘ stressors. I actually own almost all of the colours demonstrated.
I just need discipline(and more elegant footwear).
My first boss was Swedish. He traveled globally with one suit, 2 shirts, jeans and a sweater. All fit nicely into a carryon. And always looked great.
The Blue and white striped Oxford is your best friend here.
I am very interested in simplicity and the idea of a uniform. Emilie has cracked the code as others here have said…and I think with a particularly stylish and feminine look despite using elements of men’s clothing, like jackets. Harder for a woman to develop a uniform, I think, so particularly impressive. As a man, I struggle a little with dressing in the summer. Easier I think for a woman to wear a 100% linen jacket to work in many offices, I am guessing.
Dear Emilie
The last sentence of your wholly excellent article sums up your approach succinctly and accurately.
As you eluded elsewhere in the article a ‘uniform’ approach to dressing, makes decisions (and by implication lessening distractions) far easier and allows one to focus on other things whilst feeling comfortable and confident in oneself.
Nicely done.
Thank you.
Great article – I love Emilie’s style so much. I think I try to dress like the S/S examples here – creams/earthy tones, using accessories for colour.
I think I’m about to pull the trigger on an ivory/cream linen suit, to be worn as separates as Emilie does, but one thing that’s always concerned me is being able to pair the jacket with linen trousers. It looks like Emilie’s brown and green trousers are are linen (I could be wrong on this)? Do you have any tips/advice for pairing a linen jacket with linen trousers? Maybe it’s just all in my head that it’d look a bit strange.
It’s certainly worth being aware of the danger, but often the linens are slightly different in weight or weave and it works OK. If in doubt try and do that – eg if your jacket is a lighter weight, European linen, have some trousers in a slightly heavier Irish one. The textures will look fairly different
Lovely how a neckerchief sets off the whole outfit, especially against a chambray or candy striped shirt.
Refreshing piece – fully agree with everything stated here. Certainly aspire to dress like this. Nice work, Emilie. And indeed neck scarves are perfect (and actually functional) when done right. Bravo.
Fantastic article and very useful perspective.
Very interesting. Recently, I completed a total purge of my wardrobe and rebooted it. My goal was to simplify it and I have leaned hard into the idea of a uniform.
I typically have 2-3 dark trousers of different fabrics, a few shirts in block colors, and complimentary jackets, macs, and tweed. My only colors are black, navy, white, gray and beige.
Shirts are custom made as are the odd jackets. Jeans and outerwear are off the rack. No logos. No prints. My entire wardrobe is < 25 pieces.
Days, I tend to throw on a Parisian uniform … dark wash jeans, an oxford shirt or Henley, and a French Chore jacket. Evenings, I swap out the chore jacket for a tailored blazer, change accessories and you’re ready to go. Easy, easy, easy.
I was chatting with one of my students yesterday who shared that she was from Paris (no accent so I had no idea). She said, “I really like how you dress. You have really good style.”
Who knew? I wear the same basic outfit daily and simply change the fabrics based on the temperature and/or formality of the event. Getting dressed takes minutes and managing the wardrobe is nothing more than replacing what is worn or swapping a piece for another.
I’m a big fan. Great post.
One of the great advantages of a classic menswear wardrobe (or in Emilie’s case, menswear-inspired) is how its components work like interchangeable building blocks. The result is that packing, even for week-long trips, rarely takes me more than 30 minutes.
A wise approach. My travel uniform is a blue and white striped oxford, tweed jacket, knit or wool tie, and flannels or nice khakis, depending on the season. For shoes, something like some monks or Alden split toes. A newsboy cap. The jacket holds all kinds of stuff, the tie rolls up and is easily stashed in a pocket or luggage. Old school–maybe the male flight attendant is the only other guy on the plane wearing a tie–but it all works for me.
This idea of uniform dressing is a variation on the theme of simplicity and Emilie illustrates and discusses it particularly well. I’ll reread and ponder her article several times because there’s a lot to think about. This is one of the best guest articles that I’ve read in a long time.
Very interesting read, especially the well-considered specifics concerning suit silhouette and practical but elegant footwear.
But, Emilie, don’t you ever get cold (feet)?? What do you wear in the dead of winter, or in the pouring rain? Between April and October I find it much easier to dress according to my own ideas of a simple, elegant and personal ‘uniform’ than during the colder, wetter months, when I’m mostly just trying to shield myself from the elements, with boots, beanies and a down-filled parka. 🙁
Thanks Maurice. That’s what the herringbone overcoat and socks are for!
I have a similar approach to dressing to Emilie’s uniform (although she has cracked it better than I have). My uniform / personal dress code has summer and winter variants of everything, in similar formality levels and colours. In summer I mostly wear hopsack or linen jackets and loafers, in winter tweed jackets and Chelsea boots (they feel like the closest inclement weather counterpart to loafers), with a raincoat or overcoat as required. It means I effectively wear the same outfits year round, just adapted to each season,
Reminds me of my national service when getting dressed was very very easy. True, as an exercise that approach can be good. However, it can also be executed in such a systematic way that it exudes a certain monotony, as I find shown here. If that is what you want, it is certainly comfortable, yes.
Does anyone know what the bag is in the “full bag” photo? It looks navy blue with leather accents.
It looks like a Filson to me, but I can ask if you’d like me to
Thanks for the quick response. Sure, I’d be curious to know the details. Also about the herringbone coat in that photo as well.
Will do. The coat is from J Mueser – part of the Clementina range Emilie is developing with him
It’s Filson 🙂
Good article. Great how you take classic pieces, don’t necessarily see them as an ensemble and mix-and-match them with something different. I don’t know many men, no one really, which includes me, but many women who do that, though not at your level of sophistication.
I’m not sure I would go as far as saying I dress in a uniform but have to say as the corporate setting gets more casual and more working from home (and maybe because of getting older) that my casual wardrobe is also getting smarter at the same time. The result appears to be a series of similar garments within a tight range of formalities based on materials/colours/patterns.
I aspire to a wardrobe like Emily’s where everything works together – it isn’t easy! Often I fall into the trap of becoming enamored with a brand and ending up looking like a mannequin in one of their shops, rather than developing my own style.
Sorry that should be Emilie!
Nice to see Jarvis Cocker cited in a PS article. Have always thought he looks very cool but a world away from the sort of menswear icons who are more routinely name-dropped.
Also, this article has made me want to buy more black shoes including black versions of all the “staple” casual shoes I already own in brown like chukkas, loafers, tennis shoes etc. I guess this is a point of fashion rather than style though, as I’ve definitely noticed a trend towards black or white dressing from people who, a year or so previously, would generally be singing the virtues of navy, browns, olives etc over all else.
Simon, every time I read an article from you or one of your contributors I feel like you all are speaking directly to my soul. For so long I’ve thought about developing a personal uniform for simplicity and because I know what I like, but struggled to take the plunge out of fear that I’d appear too predictable. I finally took the leap and began building that uniform over the last few months and then I came across this article. It confirmed my intuition and has given me even more confidence in moving forward with my plan.
That’s lovely to hear Christopher. Do let us know what you end up with
A lady of consummate good taste.
I agree completely with her ethos and am and forever have been a ‘uniform’ type of guy.
For me this code of dressing personifies real style and I am permanently on the lookout for things that fit my way of dressing rather than something that makes me look like somebody else.
She is so right when she says that the decision not to change your way of dressing is, in itself a type of rebellion. For me the ultimate arbitrators of this way of being are the likes of Jarvis Cocker, Bill Nighy and Bryan Ferry.
This way of being is so much more rewarding than surfing the latest trend.
Emilie writes about a “uniform” purely in terms of what it means to her – apparel, footwear, and accessories. I find this to come off as an article of “let me share with you the nice things I wear”. She neglects to mention the absolute most critical requisite to properly pull one off – personality and authenticity. I’ve come across Ms Hawtin personally in menswear circles for over a decade and my sense is that her notion of a uniform is merely, how to consistently dress in a nice looking costume.
Apologies Simon for voicing my cynicism in what I otherwise find to be your exquisite forum.
Hi Justin,
No problem, though please try to refrain from comments on people’s character or personality.
In other respects though, I think your description of the uniform here is exactly what readers are looking for – consistently dressing in nice-looking clothes. If the term costume is meant derogatively, I would say that for me that never feels like the case here.
I tend to agree with Justin’s critique. All the pieces are nice in and of themselves. They cohere because of the wearer’s decision to combine them. The fact that the author is working with J. Mueser to develop the range of suits/jackets that she casually mentions without noting that she is being paid to consult functionally renders this article an advertisement.
Emilie is in the process of trying to establish her own line, yes, and happy to mention that here or in future if you think it adds clarity. But the suit is a pretty tiny piece of the article – and even then it’s about materials and versatility that could apply to any cream linen or charcoal grey suit.
I’m glad there are others who enjoy wearing a white linen jacket. I can rarely bring myself to wear my white linen suit as such, but I quite often wear the jacket and trousers separately from spring through mid-autumn. It’s interesting to discover how many things they work with, especially when I set aside preconceptions and pull things out of the closet with less premeditation.
The uniform concept doesn’t resonate with me in general because my desired range of expression covers a lot of territory. However, travel is a critical exception. It’s easier than I expected to cover a range of formality with a small handful of garments and still look different every day. Having to carry them where transportation is limited or inconvenient is great motivation to keep that handful small.
Nice point Alex – it’s often travel that makes us refine things down into something along these lines.
There was a piece by me on wearing a white linen jacket different ways, by the way – here, in case you are interested and hadn’t seen it.
Ms. Hawtin seems like quite the Dandizette.
Thanks for the tip on Velvet Fruilane slippers, they look great!
Morning.
I think this is a really lovely insight into Emilie’s approach to dressing, but wonder if uniform properly describes this. Isn’t a uniform something that ties together a group of people involved in the same enterprise or activity?
I would refer to it as a convention, or style, as it actually outlines the basic underpinnings of they way she structures her dressing.
Semantics perhaps, and it doesn’t detract from the interest in the article itself.
Since my time in the military I have tried to avoid uniforms. I do not mind travelling with a nice Rimowa.
It’s interesting, isn’t it, how a uniform means something completely different in that sense. A personal uniform in fashion means something you wear all the time, but is unique to you. A uniform in most other contexts means something that is the same as everyone else
Yes.
I imagine that those who work within the industry are rather elastic in their uniform boundaries- as it is their usp – whilst those outside, strangely, might have a stronger sense of ‘self’ in their own personal uniform.
Comment not criticism .
Bravo Emilie…!!
This, in my view, is one of the most practical articles on PS.
It made so much sense and provided some lovely insight.
Very interesting to see these photos and to understand her style and point of view. I think major style points are given to the way that the blazer fits and the ease and comfort which she appears while wearing them. I have seen women discussing men’s blazers that they found in various places. Well, not impressed because they don’t fit them. Usually they are too long and oversized on them. Men do not wear a suit jacket with odd trousers. I am lucky because I no longer need to own a suit. I can therefore have various styles and colors of blazers, and with a variety of trouser styles, fabrics and colors.
Always wanted to get an ivory linen suit to wear casually (with band collar shirt or tee shirt under) but potential neck sweat stains have been keeping me back from taking the plunge.
I think if you’re wearing a collared shirt underneath you’d be fine – more of a risk with a T-shirt
Lovely style. I thinks she has truly cracked the code! For those interested, we are having a “Flaneur Walk” in May over at the Chap magazine. Don your finest attire and come join us!
https://mailchi.mp/thechap.co.uk/december-newsletter-280988-oju3g1jf2n-281020
Hi Emilie,
Thanks for this inspiring post. I find the first outfit very nice even within menswear. But I don’t remember having seen a single woman wearing anything similar in the recent years.
As to the notion of uniform, isn’t it a kind of capsule wardrobe essentially made of highly versatile items? And if so, would such a capsule still be qualified as a uniform since its composition remains personal?
By the way, and out of sheer curiosity, do you happen to wear in A/W a regular blazer or jacket (as the one featured in the first pic) with knee-lengh skirt and knee-length boots à la Bottega or Ferragamo and a shirt such as the ones displayed here?
Eventually, now I also believe that it will be crucial for PS readership to benefit from women’s perspective on menswear. It already happens on a nearly daily basis. So why not take the matter more seriously?
John
Hey John,
As noted in some other comments, the notion of a ‘personal uniform’ means one that you wear all the time, and becomes associated with you, but is not worn by others. It is a uniform in the sense that you are always the same, not that you’re the same as anyone else. See the examples Emilie gives in the article – Wolfe, Armani, Anderson etc
Ok! Thanks for this clarification. The kind of wardrobe Emilie is hinting at reminds me of one that was harbored by one of my professors. Main items of its content:
https://angloitalian.com/collections/accessories-1/products/cashmere-scarf-charcoal-glen-sky-blue-overcheck
For the sake of terminological clarity, why wouldn’t we call such style, say, “the monk’s style”? While presuming of course that within such a style, there are and would be sub-categories.
John
Wonderful John. I like how the berets add some character at the end, to what could otherwise be a little humdrum?
Frankly I agree with everything but the part that it cannot be worn by others.
Once I zone in on what is “me” I don’t care if others wear it too.
I wear X and Y because they define me, whereas other people might just happen to pick X and Y on a given day.
Two linked observations:
Great points Winot.
Adding accents suggestions:
– Bandanas or silk scarves, but more masculine (eg here)
– Scarves (even just plain ones, adds another colour and texture)
– More interesting or coloured or patterned shirts (eg larger stripes)
– Belts (see here)
– Accessories like hats and sunglasses in summer
– Jewellery
Great article, as always! Love the idea of a ‘uniform’ and owning fewer, better pieces that you can love and invest in. I usually see uniform dressing/capsule wardrobes start off with a base of a suit or other tailored items. Any tips on building a small, versatile wardrobe while living in a more casual lifestyle? I live in the Pacific Northwest, USA where style is *very* casual. Would love to somehow incorporate aspects of menswear and tailoring as it’s a passion of mine in my more casual environment.
My favourite look there is something I usually refer to as casual chic. Have a look at that piece and have a search more generally?
awesome, thanks!
Good morning Simon.
After a weekend planning and styling clothes for imminent business trips ,I have ideas fleshed out to incorporate ideas. Our palette works well for me based on green, brown and cream(plus black for evenings – creative industry!).
Could I ask if you found your tobacco linen jacket a worthwhile addition and do you still use it? I would mainly use it for initial contact with new students/clients and in an initially smart environment .
I don’t want a suit,but recall you paired it with cream trousers.
I did like it and still wear it, yes. It could be a little bold, but that’s for you to think about in your environment etc
That’s what I want. Classic, but expressive.
Thanks very much.
Great article! Just a detail on the socks you linked.. Am I the only one who just dont like cotton socks? My feet gets so warm and they looks bad when they are worn. Wool socks looks great until the last day.
Wool certainly lasts very well D, but most people would find them hotter than cotton?
An excellent article, and something I’ve been wrestling with recently as I go about updating my wardrobe. I find it difficult for two reasons:
Firstly, I have to admit it – I am not a morning person. I do really value the simplicity of a uniform or capsule, which takes the hassle out of deciding what to wear before coffee has stirred me into consciousness. But at the same time, I like clothes! And there is fun in pairing different items, colours, textures etc. I also enjoy different styles of tailoring and the subtlety of different cuts.
Perhaps more significantly, post-pandemic, I’m not working in the same place every day. Whereas before it could be a charcoal or navy suit every day, I now have a much greater range of formalities to cover throughout the week. How to create a consistent thread (no pun intended) to a wardrobe, whilst ensuring I remain appropriate for everything from working at home, client meetings in town, and a nice dinner out with friends? I haven’t cracked it yet, have others found the same?
It’s certainly much more of a challenge, Ben. Two quick suggestions:
– Work out the evening before what you’re going to wear the next day. It’s a pleasant exercise, and you’ll feel relaxed in the morning.
– Try to split your week into the smallest number of ‘uniforms’ possible. Eg I have three styles I wear in my week, as discussed here.
I think the cold color capsule article could be useful for ways to find a common theme even though you face a wide variation of degrees of formality during the day. I find it helps me quite a bit: almost everything I wear regularly goes in tones of brown, grey and off-white. It makes it quite easy to combine; I can wear a grey cashmere knit over a white t-shirt with ecru jeans for a casual look, but wear the same knit over a OCBD with tailored trousers for a slightly dressier one (and throw on a brown tweed or linnen jacket to take it into the slightly formal).
Keeping your casual and more formal pieces based on one style, like ivy or Italian (there’s an article about that too, I believe – 5 approaches to casual style or something) can also make it easier.
Of course, don’t follow this slavishly if you like clothes, but rather use it as a baseline for those days when you don’t have the time or energy to innovate. Then, when you feel you have time to try something different, maybe throw on a Sextonesque jacket over an ivy outfit, wear a colourful scarf with your office tailoring, or a Monty duffle coat over something Italian. But having a baseline means if it turns out your experiment doesn’t work, you can go back to your standard quickly.
Very well written and good points. Thank you! I myself would always vote against red socks with a standard suit. Too much negative connotations for me.
Dear Simon, i wanted to ask you this a long time ago and now reading this article it came back to me. Can you please name a few online stores for women in EU or UK which are equivalent to shops we buy from like Berg, Drakes, Jondral…..stores with good tailoring and knitwear and shirts and all that. When i search for a nice blazer or something for my wife i can never find it. Thank you and best regards.
Hi Mathieu,
I don’t really know any I’m afraid. It’s not my area of expertise, but also there is very little like that for women – it’s more fashion driven, and much more split into very cheap or very expensive
Mathieu
My wife likes Toteme ,but it can be
highly priced. Wool coats are very nice. It’s very scandi minimalist.
For a modern take on Ivy,try the Dutch brand Unrecorded. Knitwear is good and the designs are classic.
Thank you Peter, i will check them.
A couple of suggestions from my wife.
Don’t forget Margaret Howell -although she has moved away from tailoring recently
or buying fabric from Abraham Moon(they sell to the public) and going bespoke. Sadly Moon have moved away from rtw recently .
waiting for a flight to Portugal for a three day work trip. I thought it would be of interest to show my working capsule. No tailoring as no new clients,but, usually ,I take a tweed jacket
Grey knee length wool coat. Brown ventile harrington, Ecru cotton work shirt.
A white, a pink and two blue striped oxfords
Grey long sleeve knittedl polo
Black roll neck
Green wool roundneck sweater
Grey wool v neck
Cream trousers
Dark Grey cord trousers
Black jeans.
Ecru jeans
Brown suede desert boots
Mid brown suede loafers
Black leather loafers
Black espredrilles
Green wool scarf
Pink and grey scarf
Brown beanie and leather gloves
Socks,vests and underpants
Too bad Bomas dont ship abroad. Any recommendations on nice over the calf socks with good quality and reasonable price? Only interested in charcoal.
Mes Chaussettes Rouges? Most classic retailers do a over the calf sock too I think still
Wonderful to have breakfast and read this article. Am in Australia.
Bravo Emilie! So chic. Wish this sensibility could filter through to Lycraland!
Well information and lovely dress style
I like Emilie’s look very much. I think she raises a few points…
A) a neck often looks better with a neck scarf/ cravat… I think we can pretend this isn’t the case- however, it is a simple matter of fact.
B) She is very good at mixing colours and fabrics…
C) I don’t think the linen trousers work with the linen jacket. I accept Simon’s comment- I just think that generally they don’t work together. The subject is at least contentious. I wld like to see Emilie try something different- what it is, Idk. Perhaps this is an area to try something less formal/ more sporty, ie, the high-low that you discuss elsewhere.
D)
E) there is a definition of charisma as being an integration of male and female characteristics- when we think of the most charismatic people of times, we may think this is true- Elvis, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Jeremy Brett ( I know he was much less well known, but wasn’t he marvellous!?!). I feel Emilie does enough with her jacket, shirt and necktie. I don’t think she needs the trousers as well.
The jacket is a big hit. Wld be good to hear how she takes care of it…
Thank you Jon. I’m sure your comments are all well meant, but I have removed (D) as it was only about Emilie’s looks, and I don’t think that’s really the point here. How pretty or handsome someone is, or is not, doesn’t really ever come up when we talk about men’s style.
If you’d rather the whole comment not be published, rather than having it cut down, just let me know and I’ll delete it. Thanks
She dresses well, and I like her style. However, when you travel, you need tp consider where you are going. I just got from Brazil. Noone really dresses up, especially in Rio de Janeiro where it is all t-shirts and shorts for men and lightweight dresses and shorts for women. Also, dressing too well, in my opinion, will make you a target for a mugging in some places like Rio and Sao Paulo. Also, leave the Rolex or expensive watch at home.
Emilie, I can’t enumerate all the ways you get so much right! I understand the idea of a uniform way of dressing. I am old enough to remember the days of corporate outings where every single guy, and they were all guys in those days, would be wearing a navy blue blazer (of varying degrees of fit quality), Dockers khaki pants, a blue button down oxford cloth shirt and Bass Weejun penny loafers. This was East Coast of the US, not NYC, and manufacturing, not a law firm or bank. And of course, if asked, every one of those guys would declare his rugged independence and free thinking ways, but that is a different discussion. Yet even within that narrow universe, some folks looked better than others. Care in the cut of the blazer. Actual tailored pants. Maybe even tassel loafers. A pocket square for the brave, and maybe even a striped or tattersall shirt. and something other than black socks. And those same brave folks would make everything look better. Their suits fit (yes, we only wore suits in the office), the shirts had some panache, the shoes had some style. And after a while, it was a personal style. That is simply what this guy would wear because it looked effortlessly good.
I am now 71 years old and long out of corporate life, but still actively working as a consultant. My clients know what they expect me to wear, and not in any derogatory sense. Even at this age, I can go for a week out of a carry on and not look like I just washed up on a beach when I arrive. I am not as accomplished at dressing as you, but I certainly aspire to the concepts. Dress up, dress down, but always try to look good without anyone else even realizing that you’re doing it. Very fine article.
Where in Florence do you find Velvet Fruilane Slippers, Simon? I love the idea of using them on multi surfaces.