Developing Personal Style with @eddiemczee

You may remember Styleforum member @eddiemczee from a recent post on white denim, but as usual, there’s more to his story. Today, this CM member tells us how he first decided to upgrade his wardrobe, describes the pitfalls he experienced along the way, and reveals his secret to developing personal style.

My descent down the menswear rabbit hole begins with an umbrella.
In 2009, I received my first-ever Christmas bonus. It was also raining a ton and I needed a new umbrella. So instead of saving the money for a figurative rainy day, I decided to go all out on an actual one. I Googled “best umbrella” and after reading a few articles, settled on a Brigg. I knew nothing about the brand other that they had been around for a long time, so I hoped for the best.
When I received it, I discovered that “best” was an understatement. This umbrella became the nicest thing I owned. Made from a continuous piece of maple wood, the umbrella was both stylish and durable. Most important, it felt good to hold.
After that umbrella, the rest of my wardrobe paled in comparison. My closet consisted of cheap dress shirts, ill fitting pants, and squared toe shoes. I wanted to upgrade all my clothes.
I started to follow a lot of menswear blogs where I learned more about fit and construction. I discovered new brands and stores that I had never known about. Soon after, I found Styleforum.
My first Styleforum experience wasn’t on the forum. It was the 10th anniversary party in San Francisco.  At the event, I met Fok and a lot of the affiliate vendors like Epaulet and The Hanger Project. I also made quite a few friends. Afterwards, I made an account and kicked off my forum career with this brilliant thread:
developing personal style styleforum eddiemczee

I actually got helpful advice.

For a long time, I only posted in the Epaulet affiliate thread. I loved the brand and would get excited to see what Mike and Adele were up to next. It also helped that everyone who posted there was super friendly.
As I developed my style, I made some great decisions, but plenty of terrible ones too. My biggest mistake was not focusing on the fundamentals first. I tended to buy things that I thought looked interesting and were on sale. I had a small collection of loud, plaid sport coats but no navy blazer. Without a solid foundation, I created an incohesive closet that made it hard to get dressed.
developing personal style styleforum eddiemczee

When a #menswear closet throws up on you.

After spending way too much on clothes, I stopped buying things for a while and looked through my closet.  Out of all the many, scattered purchases, there were quite a few gems. Items that evoked the same feeling of excitement I had felt when I first bought my Brigg umbrella.
I started to sell a ton of things. As I went through my closet, I used my umbrella as my litmus test. Did this item feel as good as my umbrella did? I was performing the Konmari method before there was a Konmari method. (On a side note: it looks like I missed an opportunity to write a book on this).
developing personal style styleforum eddiemczee

Umbrella still going strong, eight years later.

By 2015, my closet was shrinking more that it was growing. Getting rid of clothes actually helped me hone my style more than any thread I could read. I was able to distill my unwieldy collection of clothes into curated wardrobe of items I loved. Things like a loden tweed sports coat, pebble grain dress boots, and of course, my Brigg umbrella.
The interesting thing was that all these pieces that I kept looked great when worn together. Turns out that I had figured out my personal style – I only had to get rid of the noise that was obscuring it. On the weekdays, I like to wear tailored clothing with sports coats to work. I spend my weekends in workwear and leather jackets. Sometimes I’ll even wear jeans with a sport coat!
Photo 4:
developing personal style styleforum eddiemczee

Current style.

I still browse online stores and read menswear blogs. When I buy clothes now though, I try to only buy things that fill in gaps or upgrade something I already have. I’m much more excited to wear what I already have and develop beautiful patinas.
Styleforum is a great place for a person in any stage of their menswear journey to come and hang out. I’ve since ventured out of my favorite affiliate threads and have even posted some WAYWT pics. I’ve made some good friends through the board and even in real life. A big shout out to Gus for planning all the San Francisco meetups.
Currently, I’ve been taking a ton of inspiration from posters in the WAYWT threads. My current favorite posters include Mossrocks, FrankCowperwood, StanleyVanBuren, and Gerry Nelson. Not only do they all have great style, but also their posts aren’t an endless parade of new items they bought. Instead, I’ll see them all re-wear their favorite garments over and over as we all should.
It’s fun (and expensive) to buy new clothes. But for me, I’m trying to enjoy what I have now versus what I want to get next.

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Going Bespoke in Palermo, Sicily

There are a million and one places in the world to visit, each with its own unique beauty. But I keep finding myself going back to Sicily.

Perhaps it’s because it reminds me so much of my home state of California: a semi-arid terrain with an incredibly varied landscape full of jaw-dropping natural beauty across the spectrum. Within Sicily’s borders are craggy mountains, some reaching over 10,000 feet with snowy ski slopes, and sandy beaches with crystal blue coves and serene waves lapping at the shore. Sure, it has its share of problems – the plumbing in the old part of centuries-old cities often sucks, work can be scarce, lame graffiti is commonplace, and the many of the tunnels need lights. Sicily is not perfect, but really, what place is? Things may take a little longer to accomplish, but that’s not always a bad thing. On the contrary, many, including myself, find opportunity to appreciate the hidden gems that the region has to offer.

One of these gems is classic men’s tailoring. A dying art all over the world, only a handful of tailoring houses still remain, with prices that preclude most from enjoying it firsthand. Nonetheless, viable options can still be found in Sicily, with a few sartorias offering a bespoke suit well within the means of most. The last time I was in Sicily, I visited and commissioned pieces from two small tailoring houses in Messina and Catania. This time, on the recommendation of a dear Italian friend in Marsala, I visited a sartoria called I Sarti Italiani. Their main factory is in Montelepre, with two showrooms in the center of Palermo and Marsala.


going bespoke in palermo, sicily styleforum  bespoke palermo

Up to this point, my experience with bespoke has been with small shops, with one guy doing everything – taking measurements, cutting, fitting, and finishing, with the help of one or two family members. I Sarti Italiani is a much bigger operation, employing a group of tailors, each devoted to doing one or two specific steps of the bespoke process. I first went to their main factory to meet up with Salvo, who manages the place and also serves as one of the main fitters. He was kind enough to meet up after working hours, where he walked me around the first floor factory of numerous workstations, peppered with padded desks, ironing boards, steamers, and sewing machines of various types. Everything is made in-house, with a combination of machine-stitch and hand-stitched parts.

Salvo himself is a young man with a renaissance flair and a vast knowledge of tailoring. Whereas most younger Italians only subscribe to the mega-slim cut that has been en vogue for the past 20 years, Salvo knows and appreciates time-honored styles and proportions. When I tried to explain in my limited caveman Italian that I’m going for Gianni Agnelli, with slightly extended shoulders and a lower-than-current notch lapel gorge, he immediately nodded his head and smiled in recognition. “Capisco perfettamente,” he responded, “Lo stile classico.” The fabric being corduroy, he asked which way I’d like the fabric to run. This is because when you rub corduroy in the direction it falls, it stays dark; rub it the opposite way and you’ll feel a little resistance and see the color brighten a bit as the light hits it differently. Small, but important details – you don’t want the top and bottom to run different ways on a corduroy suit, or it’ll look off, and not in a good way. I chose the fabric to run down, so that when I or others rub it (as they often do with corduroy) it’ll feel softer.

After a few days I met up with Salvo at the showroom in Marsala, where Marco Bono manages and oversees the fitting. Outfitted in a perfectly proportioned double-breasted navy suit, semi-spread collar and plain navy tie, one can easily see that Marco recognizes how menswear should fit. “Most suits are too tight,” he lamented, “but everyone looks better in a classic suit.”

When Salvo arrived with the basted suit, we talked about the shape of the patch pockets (come una melanzana), and after ripping off the sleeve and opening the suit to check out the innards, he explained all of the components (horsehair, canvassing) and how they’re attached (sewn, not glued). Since the fabric was a dark brown corduroy, I opted for horsehair canvas to go about 3/4 of the way down, giving shape where necessary in the chest and torso while keeping the overall weight and silhouette soft.

The jacket was to have a 3-roll-2 closure with straight 11cm lapels, shoulders were to have minimal padding, the sleeves manica a camicia, two sleeve buttons spaced apart, and pick stitching a little away from the edge in the same color as the fabric. Pants were to sit just below my navel, with one pleat, slightly fuller thighs, no belt loops, side tabs, buttons for braces, an extended front closure, and 5cm cuffs. He chalked several marks on the back and sides, another to turn the right sleeve to accommodate my lower shoulder, and we made plans to see each other again.


going bespoke in palermo, sicily styleforum bespoke palermo

The day before my departure, I met up with Salvo at the Palermo showroom for the second fitting. That way, if anything needed to be tweaked, he could have it done before I left. However, after putting it on, nothing needed to be done. After his colleague brought an espresso over from the cafe next door, Salvo pulled out the suit for me to try on, and any doubts I had immediately vanished.

The jacket sits just past my shoulders, the sleeves have minimal pleating, and the arms fall almost straight down, with no divots. The notch lapel is a little closer to the classic height, the back of the jacket covers my rear, and the pants sit so that the back of the leg falls straight down – “a piombo.” It stops at the middle of the shoe in the back with a very slight break in the front. Everything fits perfectly, all details and requests were followed exactly as requested, and I got a personalized wax-sealed guarantee covering any future alterations, in case of over-indulgence of pasta and gelato.

going bespoke in palermo, sicily styleforum bespoke palermo

In mainland Italy and abroad, you’d pay anywhere from $1500-$4000 – or even more – for the work involved in the bespoke process. At I Sarti Italiani, I paid full price at less than 500 Euro, excluding fabric. Needless to say, I left the showroom on such a high I wondered if there wasn’t something else in the espresso.

San Francisco is my home, and despite the grime of the Tenderloin, the crazies on Market Street, and the tent encampments strewn about, I still think it’s the best city there is. It’s not perfect, but there’s so much to love that I love it anyway, warts and all. Sicily may not be perfect either, but if I could choose a place to retire, I’m placing my money there, where I can enjoy my golden years with views of the Mediterranean, a short walk away from a sandy beach and an amaro and a short drive away from a bustling city and a tailor.


Just to be clear, I paid full price for the suit, and no plans are being made for “reimbursement” by the sartoria later.

How to Style a Corduroy Sportcoat with @thefoxtooth

How to Style a Corduroy Sportcoat styleforum

 

Ok, so maybe you don’t have the hair. Or the mustache. Or the musical skill. Or the cat. However, don’t let that stop you from dressing like you do. This week, @thefoxtooth offers up some fantastic autumn inspiration while showing us how to style a corduroy sportcoat, and also gives us a good reason to consider joining the Streetwear and Denim Wes Anderson Challenge.

Corduroy, like flannel, is a fantastic autumn fabric, and earth tones and neutrals make it easy to work into your wardrobe in both tailored and casual contexts. Here, thefoxtooth is wearing his corduroy sport coat with a pair of washed jeans, although the same jacket could certainly be worn with trousers – perhaps a sage green. Similarly, I can imagine the shoes being traded out for a pair of boots – western in style to go with the guitar, or even a country brogue for a slightly different take on the same outfit.

Anyway, the whole thing is awesome, and I really like that thefoxtooth is using corduroy in a way that doesn’t connote ivy-covered brick buildings. I’m sure we’ll start seeing more corduroy as the weather continues to change, so keep this in the back of your mind when you’re working your pieces into regular rotation.

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Review: Holden and Green Shoes

New shoe companies seem to be popping up all the time these days. The market today for Goodyear or Blake-welted shoes in the $200-400 price point makes the days of hunting for decent-looking Allen Edmonds Seconds seem like ages ago. Into this mix has entered a new UK-based company, Holden & Green. I received a complimentary pair of their shoes to review for Styleforum’s Journal, and commenced wearing them regularly for a month to get a feel for their quality, fit and value.

First, let me get something out of the way: while the shoes were given me for free, the opinions below are my honest thoughts.


Initial Impressions

My initial impression of the shoes was very positive. It is evident from the first that the construction quality is very good, with a fit and finish that shows very close attention to detail—no stray or crooked stitching hastily trimmed off, no varied discoloration. The construction strikes me as akin to some “mid-tier” bench grade shoes I’ve owned and handled—something along the lines of Crockett & Jones or Alfred Sargent.

The leather of course looked great out of the box, but even the cheapest shoes out there look great brand new, so a month of wear would help in determining its quality. The last shape is an attractive, elongated, European silhouette. And the soles feature a beveled waist and red-painted channel-stitched sole.


Some Background on the Brand

H&G is so new that you can scarcely find anything about them on the Internet. I reached out to the owner and founder of the brand, Frank Clune, to get some information on the company and the product they make.

“I’ve been fortunate enough to work in the West End shoe world for the last five years and to meet some of the legendary charactersgenuine one-offs who seem to be disappearing from the world of work, who thrive in this business,” he says. He has no shoemaking training himself, but worked at legendary London bespoke shoemaker Foster and Son, where he met Terry Moore and worked with John Spencer, Emiko Matsuda, Emma Lakin and Lucy Smith. Frank owns the brand, taking guidance and advice from some of the people in the business he met during his time there.

Before starting Holden & Green, he started an eBay business selling overstock from UK retailers. The experience there taught him which styles and colors sell well (black outsells brown, for instance). Once he launched H&G, the aim for the brand was to make “quality at a good price, which means European-tanned leathers and excellent making,” he says. But to hit the price point he wanted to hit (below £300, or about $400USD), “it also means that we need to use non-European makers. This has been the most interesting and challenging part of the process to-date.” The shoes are made in two workshops: one in the Far East (not China, he says), and the other in North Africa. “We cannot speak highly enough of their attention to detail and their responsiveness,” he says.

holden green shoes review styleforum

The shoes I was given to try are definitely outside the typical business wardrobe of most non-menswear-enthusiasts. If the split toe and elongated last don’t catch your eye, the red painted sole and beveled waist just might. However, the rest of their models, which fall under what they call the “City collection,” are a bit more conventional for a conservative business dress environment (albeit with contemporary, European silhouettes). That conservative design bent, alongside the lessons learned from his prior overstock business, may mean the average antique museum calf-obsessed Styleforum member won’t find much to get his heart racing. But from Frank’s perspective, “getting City-Boys out of their curly-toed abominations feels like the right thing to do morally; for every City gent in his Henry Poole suit and Edward Green’s, there are two dozen others who need more than a little help.” All told, the niche he’s aiming for “is a retail price point beneath £300, using European leathers and tanneries, and getting the right maker to work with the best lasts we can find.”


Impressions After One Month

I kept a running mental checklist of how I felt about the shoes, typing occasional notes, over the course of a month, wearing them 2-3 times per week. At the end of that time, I treated them sparingly using Saphir Renovauteur, and a polish. I personally do not like the shiny fresh-out-of-the-box look of shoes, preferring instead a nicely broken-in and freshly polished look. I wanted to see how the leather reacted to a polish.

First, I was pleased to find the initial new-shoe stiffness disappeared very quickly—within the first two weeks. They still aren’t completely broken in, but that uncomfortable period of new leather shoes is gone.

Second, the leather’s appearance maintained its attractiveness. The factory-new shiny finish didn’t completely go away by the end of the month, but it had dissipated somewhat. I can’t speak to how well these will age over years of wear, but my experience in the time I’ve had them is positive.

Third, the completely subjective matter of fit: these are the best-fitting leather-bottom shoes I’ve ever owned, and are far more comfortable than any other leather shoe I’ve owned. Around the same time I received them, I purchased some Crockett & Jones-made Peal & Co. shoes from Brooks Brothers—they are much more to my liking stylistically, but fit-wise they don’t hold a candle to these.

Fourth, the other completely subjective matter, which is of style and design: I personally find these ugly. Their “City collection” designs are better, more along the lines of something I’d wear. The red sole and beveled waist are a nice, but a purely aesthetic touch, and aesthetic appeal is of course in the eye of the beholder.

Speaking of the differences in design between the channel-stitched, beveled-waist shoes I received and the more prevalent City collection (with neither of those aesthetic features), Frank says they are both of the same quality of make: “We’d say that they’re very good benchgrade shoes.”

All said, I’d say they are a good value for the money. They come in slightly higher than mainline Meermin, which I own and think are an excellent value. But for that extra $100 or so, you get considerably better construction, and noticeably better leather quality. Compared to more-expensive Crockett & Jones or Alfred Sargent, you get comparable quality at a much more attractive price—assuming H&G makes a style you like. They currently sell five styles, with ten more slated to be released in time for the holiday season.


This is not sponsored content. To read Styleforum’s review policy, please click here.

Holden & Green shoes are for sale on their website www.holdenandgreen.co.uk.

Gus’ Guide to Casual Autumn Style

I always look forward to the change in wardrobe that comes with cooler weather and the colors of autumn. Fall is the time to enjoy plush corduroy, cavalry twill, moleskin, rich tweeds, heavy flannels and deep-colored suedes and leathers. Whether your personal style is modern or classic, great fall menswear allows you mix and match fabrics, neutrals and earth tones with very little effort required to put together great seasonal looks. The following are some of my seasonal favorites to combine with year-round staples for comfort and casual autumn style.

Quilted Vest

Casual Autumn Style styleforum

Worn with any shirt or sweater and paired with jeans or corduroys, a quilted vest projects an air of warm nonchalance. This isn’t the tailored vest look of your three-piece suit. Instead, the quilted vest has a country pedigree that is ideal for travel, football games or a visit to your favorite café on a chilly morning. It is an ideal transitional garment from cool to cold weather – so when winter arrives, it also becomes a practical layering piece worn under your favorite coat. A few of my favorites are the green Barbour Waxed Cotton Vest at Sierra Trading Post ($179), Parisian label Kitsune’s quilted grey herringbone tweed vest ($399) and Paul Stuart’s quilted, down filled, dark brown leather vest with a wool lining($1,487). And my favorite? These exclusive Monitaly quilted vests, shown above, $365 at No Man Walks Alone. Perfect with cords, jeans and a chambray shirt for your next craft beer tasting event. Any of these will serve you well for years to come.

Donegal and Fair Isle Socks

Casual Autumn Style styleforum

Paired with your favorite boots, moccasins, or LL Bean Hunting boots, thick wool and alpaca or mohair-blend socks are guaranteed to keep you warm. Donegal flecks or Fair Isle patterns add autumnal color to your wardrobe, and no one will confuse these with your typical dress socks. My favorites for many years have been from the British mill Scott-Nichol where they know a thing or two about avoiding chilly feet. An excellent source is O’Connell’s in Buffalo, NY, which carries several brands including Scott- Nichol ($28-$35). Paul Stuart also offers Donegal socks and a heavy wool mohair blend in rich fall colors ($42.50).

Brown Rubber-Soled Shoes

Casual Autumn Style styleforum
For casual comfort and classic fall style it’s hard to beat a pair of dark brown chukkas or derbies with a substantial rubber sole. My favorites have Dainite, Ridgeway or similar style rubber soles originally intended for field use but are equally practical in urban settings especially in rain and snow. You can dress them up with a tweed jacket or corduroy suit, and they will always look great with your favorite leather jacket. I take a pair on fall and winter trips to battle the cobblestoned streets of London or Paris, and with silicon waterproofing, suede is as weatherproof as anything out there. Take a look at the Paraboot Chambord Tex Gringo ($511) at Unionmade and Heschung Ebene Leather Derby ($485) at Mr. Porter. Or, for an altogether lighter look and modern aesthetic, check out Bontoni’s brown leather sneaker ($595) at Wilkes Bashford.

Scarf

Casual Autumn Style styleforum

A scarf isn’t only practical for warmth; it also offers an opportunity to add an accent of color or texture. A few of my favorites for fall are simple herringbone patterns or multicolored prints in burgundy, purple or a muted “paprika” color. But it’s also nice to have at least one colorful mixed print. For casual style avoid shiny silks and reserve those for formal business attire. My favorite expressive scarves seem to come from the Italian brand Etro ($270), which is available at Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus. There are also more whimsical options such as the Drakes London animal print scarves($470) at Barneys or 19 Andrea’s 47 colorful prints (GBP295) from Exquisite Trimmings.

Fair Isle Sweater 

Casual Autumn Style styleforum
You probably already have plenty of solid navy and grey in your wardrobe so why not add some pattern? Popularized by the Duke of Windsor, Fair Isle sweaters originated on the tiny Shetland Islands and are a cold weather favorite. My wife grew up on the Islands and has fond memories of local women hand knitting these colorful sweaters, gloves and hats. Their distinctive rows of multi-colored geometric patterns add punch to Fall’s typical, muted solids. There are many copies, but to be a true Fair Isle it must be knit on the Shetland Islands, as is this one by Jamieson’s ($195), available from No Man Walks Alone.

Knit Ribbed Hat 

Casual Autumn Style styleforum

A classic fisherman’s knit ribbed hat seems to make any guy look bit more manly. I especially like the look of this Donegal tweed example in navy wool and cashmere by Inis Meain ($100) at No Man Walks Alone. For those who like cotton, try the black indigo dyed watch cap from RRL ($85).


This article was originally published on Styleforum.net in 2015

Dressing Well When You’re Tall

CM regular and well-dressed dude @Chocsosa is 6’8, which you may remember from his member focusWe asked him to share some of his tips for dressing well when you’re tall, and he obliged with both personal insights and some good rules to follow.


Starting out trying to build a functioning wardrobe of your dreams is not for the faint of heart. That is one of the first things I came to realize when I started this journey 15 years ago. Of course, things were very different for me then. Information was not as free flowing as it is now in relation to the nexus of style and quality.

I made a lot of mistakes early on trying to figure out what worked for me. To be honest, I’m glad I made those mistakes, because it was a journey I needed to take to figure out who I wanted to be. I know that it sounds very cliché but it’s interesting right now that I look and certain looks and think to myself: “You know, that looks good, but that’s not for me. It’s not something I would want to wear for myself.”

It takes time to get there. However, when you do get there, to me it’s sartorial nirvana. You are comfortable in whatever you are in because it works for who you are – and in the process, you save yourself money. For me, it was a relief to figure out what worked for me and dress down my height as much as possible. I know, tall people problems. However, this is something I struggled with for a very long time.


Measurements

it’s hard for tall people. I would trade my height in right now for something shorter if I could, because it’s more of a deterrent than a help. Cars are never big enough, long flights are always a pain, stares can be annoying, and clothing can be a lesson in futility if you don’t know what you are doing.

First thing I suggest is really know your body in terms of measurements. My brother in law will run purchases by me from time to time. He does not know the intricacies of online shopping, so he will see a blazer in his supposed ‘size’ and he will purchase it. The said blazer arrives and it is either too tight or too big all over. He is learning that every label has their interpretation of varied sizes and the only way to navigate that craziness is to really know your measurements and check the listed measurements being sold online (whether on Ebay or an online site for a label). If a seller does not put measurements then I ain’t buying. That mantra has saved me money the last couple of years.


The Financial Investment 

Saving money is a wonderful thing, but understand that with height come certain financial realities. I love a deal when I get my hands on one, but I also understand that most of those deals are not for people of my size. It kills me to scour Ebay to see something in my size and then look at the measurements and see that the inseam is nowhere near what I need it to be to work.

Never compromise on this. I promise you that you will regret it. With that out of the way, you must understand (if you are really tall, like over 6’3), a lot of the time you are going to have to pay the price on a NWT item. I have a 38-inch inseam and I love me some cuffs on my pants. This means I must find a pair of pants with an inseam of 44 inches. Do you know how hard that is? I will rarely get that with a pre-owned item. That’s why I thank my lucky stars for Ebay. I may not buy a lot of pre-owned items, but I am able to get a high end RTW item at a huge discount versus going into a store and trying to purchase them. When I do find a pre-owned item that’s within the parameters of an acceptable fit, then I have my tailor work on it to make it work for me.


Tailors and Tailoring

Knowing what you want out of tailoring and having an awesome tailor is key. My size presents a whole host of issues when it comes to tailoring and tailors in general. I’m 6’8. I have broad shoulders and a somewhat barrel chest. I have a 9 inch drop and long limbs.

When I was searching for potential tailors it was tough, because I had tailors trying to force their view on how something should fit on me which would go against what I saw for myself. You have to stand your ground and tell them that they can either help you achieve what you are looking for (as long as it’s do-able and in somewhat good taste) or that you’ll keep looking. However, you also have to understand the boundaries of tailoring for your height. My tailor always says it’s better to take in than to let out. What this means is I have been able to re-cut a suit from a size or two up down to my size, but it’s virtually impossible to take a suit from a smaller size to make it a size bigger.


Silhouette

Silhouette has also played a huge role in what I look for in clothing. The silhouette that I go for differs between what kind of clothing I am looking at, but each article of clothing I pick has to look the way I want it to look for myself. Suits/sports coats are usually a mixture for me. For the most part I am partial to a structured look (strong shoulders, built up chest and nipped waist) but, when it comes to sports coats, that can differ. Soft or structured does not matter as long as it works for my body.

When I am looking at outerwear pieces, then that’s pretty simple. I like a higher armhole and a slim profile. The main problem I run into is sleeve length, and that’s where patience becomes a virtue in the search for something that fits. A short jacket does no favors for a tall guy, but a long jacket can make a fit look a little less contemporary. So I always try to find the middle ground when it comes to jacket length. I also favor a slightly lower button stance. I think with a somewhat longer jacket it can do wonders for a tall frame.

It really comes down to how you want to build your wardrobe. Your mental image of the tall person you’re trying to bring to life should encompass your personality, your emotions, and how you see yourself. You have to keep in mind, however, that it’s a journey, and you are going to make some costly mistakes along the way. If you are committed you will eventually get where you want to be with your wardrobe. That’s been true for me, and I am still learning something new all the time.

Autumn Style: Odd Flannel Trousers with @Heldentenor

odd flannel trousers

A pair of odd flannel trousers is one of Styleforum’s universal recommendations, and in addition to featuring heavily in WAYWT, flannel is a staff favorite. It’s not hard to see why: it’s soft, warm, and adds lovely visual texture to any outfit, especially if you choose a fabric – as @Heldentor has – that has enough character to stand up to patterns.

Even so, my favorite part of this outfit is the fit of the sport coat. It’s not often (or ever) I see a combination that I think could be simultaneously referred to as “sharp” and “soft,” but I believe this qualifies. “Rumpled elegance” is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in discussions of menswear, and when referring to tailored clothing it often seems to be used as an excuse for poor fit. In this case, however, I think it’s an apt descriptor largely due to the weight of the fabric (of both jacket and trousers) and the moderately built-up chest and shoulders of the jacket.

Note how comfortable @Heldentenor appears when seated, and how well the fabric hangs. Not only are the proportions impeccable, but the outfit is wonderfully evocative. Of course, that’s partly due to the quality of the photograph and the setting, but everything – from the crisp blue shirt to the patch pockets to the knit tie and lack of pocket square  – suggests comfort, confidence, and an absence of pretension.

This is a great example of how classics and standbys can be styled in a way that’s far from boring, and a wonderful appetizer for the fun of seasonal dress. Hats of to @Heldentenor, and to the rest us – now we now what to aim for.

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7 Member Tips for Developing Your Style

Styleforum’s members have built a reputation for offering fantastic, if highly opinionated, tips for great men’s style. They range from simple suggestions to take to your tailor, to complete philosophies encompassing life, the universe, and everything.

Are you looking for rules? Guidelines? Confirmation that your own way is the best way? Here, some of Styleforum’s best-regarded members give their take on developing your style


“Instead of spending so much time and energy learning about clothing and style, I spend more and more time taking good care of my health (physically and biopsychosocially) as Mr. Armani alluded to with exercising, eating, drinking, and sleeping well. I am also more choosy about who’s ideas I take to be of value (his “friends”).

As much as “what’s stylish?” is on my brain and pursuits, so is “whats physically, mentally, and socially healthy?”

In short, less collecting and more selecting, while maintaining a healthy overall balance.”

– @mmkn

 

“Why do we really needs such extensive rules??????????

Surely good sense and style are entirely unwritten things – rules are for those of little discernment.”

– GBR

 

“Style often has to do with strategically breaking the rules. Certain stylistic tendencies can be a product of upbringing or social class and almost impossible to articulate. Mostly, it’s a matter of what one — and others — finds aesthetically pleasing, and this depends more than anything on innate sensibilities. It’s not amenable to lists of rules, and going by the pronouncements of various fashion magazine idiota pushing some hidden agenda is bound to confuse the issue.”

– Nantucket Red

 

“I hesitate, in the context of “modern” dressing, to ever use the words “should”, “never” and “always”. I think that it is much more accurate to use the phrases “For most men, and especially for those who are becoming interested in clothing and style for the first time, the following guidelines will usually prevent them from looking ridiculous”, “On most men, XYZ usually does not look good for the following reasons ABC”, and “In general, I have found that”.

If you adhere to a prescribed, archaic style, then determining a set of rules is relatively easy, because that style has come and gone, and thus, static in history. However, “modern” conventions are extremely fluid, and what may be acceptable in 2007 may be ridiculous, or at least quite dated, by in 2010 (if the style is directional) or in 2015 (if the style is quite conservative.)”

– LA Guy

 

“Keep in shape – the single most important thing you can do. Then deal with the clothes…”

– Gutman

 

 

“When working from home a jacket and tie is simply self serving. It would be like wearing a football helmet to watch the Sunday game. However nothing says you can’t look good no matter where you are. What is a person to do when an unexpected guest comes over? Magically insert oneself into stylish clothes? No, always be able to answer looking respectable enough to confidently greet a colleague.

In Canada, where the weather is colder, it is perfectly acceptable to wear a dress shirt with a sweater around the house. Comfortable trousers and house shoes might be a good bet also. If you want to be even more casual you can still wear a t shirt but make it a v neck in some interesting colors with chinos and house shoes. During warmer weather I will sometimes wear something similar so that if I need to go out I can slip on some shoes and a flat cap and be on my way.”

– Caustic Man

 

“The best advice I think any of us can give you is peruse the WAYWRN threads…see what our poster boys wear and then take what you like to make your own style.”

– KPO89

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The Yoox Friends and Family Sale Ends Today!

The Yoox Friends and Family sale is ending today, which means that if you’re willing to roll the dice (or are certain of your size across various brands), you can still find some fantastic deals on both established lines or on pieces you may not have dared to buy at retail. Although I buy much less from Yoox than I used to, it’s still one of my favorite retailers for this exact reason: it’s like digging through the huge, rambling closet of a person with incredibly eccentric tastes.

My tip for Yoox shopping is to essentially ignore how the garment fits on the model – if there is a model. It’s hard, I know, but since everything is (still!) squeezed onto people far too large for the clothing, Yoox has the magical ability to make any piece of clothing look terrible (see: Ann Demeulemeester bombers paired with washed DSquared jeans).

Take note when you’re adding items to your cart, as many of them are final sale. Selection isn’t massive, but if you’re willing to sort through the pages, this is a good opportunity to find old-season products and excellent basics.

One further tip is that not all designers with items included in the sale show up in the dropdown. Searching for a name within the dropdown search (not on the top of the page) will yield more participating brands, but you have to search for them specifically. Try these: Tricker’s, Zanone, Lemaire, Blue Blue Japan, Ts(S), etc.

Here’s the link to the sale, and here’s a selection of some interesting pieces:

Happy hunting!

An Interview with Déborah Neuberg of De Bonne Facture

I’ve been a fan of Déborah Neuberg’s De Bonne Facture since the first time I saw it at Pitti Uomo. I’ve been lucky enough to see her collections (or éditions) numerous times since, and she’s not only a talented designer but a thoughtful, intelligent person.

I reached out to ask if she’d be willing to talk about “The brand, fashion, and style in general,” which I admit is an impressively vague request. What followed was a discussion not just of De Bonne Facture, but of style, gender, and the importance of discovering your own style.


Jasper Lipton: Let’s start from the ground up, and talk about the name of your brand. Not just what it means literally, but what it means to you, and what it means to your ethos and who you are as a company.

Déborah Neuberg: I had a really hard time finding a name. I didn’t want it to be a brand, at the beginning – I still don’t really want it to be a brand, in the sense of a traditional brand. As in, the word brand comes from the brand you’d put on cattle. It’s the mark you put on something to identify it, which is quite the contrary of what I’m trying to do with De Bonne Facture – which is to not have any visible signs of what it is, such as a logo. That is also the way a lot of consumer goods are marketed to the public: ‘We sell milk, but we want our milk to be identified, so we’ll put whatever – Jasper milk – on it.”interview Deborah Neuberg De Bonne Facture Styleforum

JL: I’m sure there’s a market for that.

DN: It’s huge, dude. You should tap into that. No, I’m just saying that the idea of a brand that visibly identifies a product – if that’s all that a brand is, I’m not a brand. I wanted to make well-made and brandless – as in this sense of a brand – products, and I wanted to communicate that it’s well made.

I had a friend who had a really old-fashioned way of speaking French, and he would say expressions like “Ah, this is de bonne facture,” but say it tongue in cheek, because de bonne facture means ‘Of good make.’ I was sitting with my cousin and my ex-boyfriend, and talking to a writer friend, and I kept saying “I just want it to be de bonne facture,” thinking of this old friend who always said that, and the writer said, “Well, why don’t you call it that?”

It’s not a very pretty name, I mean, I didn’t think it was pretty at all, or evocative – it was just kind of funny. You know, that’s what it is – you get what you get. It’s de bonne facture. It has to be good because it’s well made.

JL: Does that tie in to the reason you choose to disclose all your manufacturers? Most brands want to do the opposite.

DN: Yeah. If they’re working with subcontractors – which is hugely the case in the textile industry – they totally keep that a secret, and they will never say that so-and-so made their scarves. When I was working with Hermès, we would work with beautiful ateliers and subcontractors and we would just say “Made in Italy,” “Made in Nepal,” “Made in India.”

I always thought it was kind of a shame because we were working with those manufacturers because they specifically had the know-how and craftsmanship that came from their history and location. They all have really interesting backgrounds, and I was excited as a product manager to be working with those people. I thought it was a loss of information that it wasn’t mentioned, and I didn’t see why it was better not to disclose them. I don’t get it.

Maybe it’s the story I’m telling myself, but the fact that you’re not acknowledging the people you’re working with totally enables you to shed responsibility if you’re making another manufacturing choice. It’s just product. It’s not about where it’s made, it’s not about your subcontractors, it’s not about your supply chain, your economic entity is about the brand you’re going to put on your garment.

interview deborah neuberg de bonne facture styleforum

 

DN (cont): I feel it’s pretty dangerous, and there’s been a lot of stuff about what happens in the textile industry with all this opacity. You’ll make another [manufacturing] choice and it’ll be “Oh, it’s cheaper to go there and I don’t have to tell my consumer, I can just write on a tiny label that it’s made in somewhere else.”

I don’t believe in that way of creating brands and immaterial value, while dishonoring the material steps that go into the product. It’s not anchored in reality, or in the industry. I really wanted to honor the industry and the craftsmanship – wherever it is.

Making it part of our label is a way to be responsible, or a guideline you can’t really go away from. Because once you decide to do it, you’re like OK, this what I’m doing, I need to be proud of what I’m doing.

JL: Was the decision to be so heavily invested in the manufacturing and textile industries made at the same time as you conceived of your label, or did that come later?

DN: No, it was part of what was driving me to create the label. Initially, I didn’t even want to create a collection. I had this fantasy that by going to all of these local manufacturers with specific talents I would be able to put together a very essential men’s wardrobe – a white poplin shirt, or flannel trousers, or knitted ties, or a Breton sweater – I was just imagining that by going to these ateliers they would all have their own factory brand, and that it would be very well tailored to whatever I thought was cool.

It wasn’t the case at all. They just didn’t have that. At the beginning I saw it more like a federation of makers that I would put together. It was much more coming from the craft, and the regions, and the makers. My naive idea was that I would find what I was looking for already there.

interview deborah neuberg de bonne facture styleforum

I had a huge impostor syndrome about being a designer, because that’s not what I studied, and the system in France is very rigid. When I went to people with my project they’d say “You went to business school, you’re not a designer.” And I was like…yeah, yeah, I’m not a designer. So they’d say “You need to find a designer.” I was uncomfortable with it, but I was like yeah, you’re right, I don’t know what I want.

That syndrome is widespread in women – to lose confidence very easily when you’re trying to do your own venture and everyone seems like they know better than you. So I was really confused – I knew what I wanted, but it was like ‘either you’re going to be a platform for factory products, or some kind of brand but then you won’t be a designer.’ That was the feedback I got when I was looking for advice.

In the end I was like, fuck everyone, I don’t care who you are, I don’t care about you, I know what I want, I want to do this project in the way I wanted. But it took me a long time to own my idea, because everyone was telling me, no one does that. They didn’t get it.

JL: Let’s talk about that moment of knowing what, exactly, you wanted. The poplin shirt, or the flannel trouser. How did you go from the idea of a collection of makers to the idea of a collection?

DN: It was just being so frustrated. What actually made me own it was having that idea but not really being able to take the space to put it out there, because I was too dependent on other people’s opinions, or I was afraid to disappoint or be judged by people in the fashion industry because I was working at Hermès before – which is like, the epitome of luxury and taste and creation – and I thought, “Oh my god, what if the art director at Hermès saw I was starting something and thought it was so horrible?” I would make psychological barriers for myself.

She actually started following my brand [on Instagram] – I say brand because it’s like, whatever – about two years ago. I don’t even know if she knows it’s me, but it wasn’t a big deal. At the time, that was a huge deal! Am I going to be approved of? Fear of being approved of was a big barrier.

I think that what made me actually take that step was that first of all, I spent money – because I trusted people who told me I needed a designer – working with a designer. It was a catastrophe. I explained the concept – very simple, understated garments; French modern classics made by all of these factories that we’re going to be co-branding with.

The guy told me he needed magazines to get inspired, so we went to this fashion magazine shop and I bought 100 Euros worth of magazines for him. And I was really trusting this whole thing, because so many people told me I couldn’t be a designer! So I thought he would have the answer to whatever I was looking for.

Then he started cutting out these various, random inspirations that had nothing to do with my original concept – and just came up with this collection. He said “OK, it’s going to be inspired by this really beautiful series I saw about cosmonaut suits, and I think that’s really inspiring and interesting so we could take these details from that.” And I was like, ok, is this a joke?

JL: You mean you don’t reach for your cosmonaut suit every morning?

DN: Yeah, it’s a modern classic! It was so absurd, but he was so serious about it. This guy was creating a collection from thin air, it had nothing to do with whatever. He thought being a designer was just doing whatever is commonly thought of as being creative. As in out there, eccentric, which was for me totally disconnected – it was just producing, kind of like a hamster rolling in one of those hamster things. Yeah! Let’s make product! Let’s have ideas! Oh, a cosmonaut! Let’s make something like that!

I was so scared and anxious, because I really thought he was going to help me – because I had been told that he was so talented. And so at one point I was actually paying this guy – not a lot, but I was paying him…I realized I’d gone through one year of trying to set up my idea, and paying people, and it just became unbearable to be wasting time and money on something that was clearly not what I wanted.

At that time, I was also paying to go to the ‘incubator’ of my business school. It was not in tune at all with my ideas. It was super start-up culture – raise a lot of money, very technology oriented, very innovation oriented, maybe 1 in 15 of those companies will make it and the others will die and that’s the game. It was like Hunger Games.

I didn’t think that’s what creating a company was about. I was super old school about it, and wanted to be working with all these factories that are still linked to regional culture, and work with them to make garments. The response was, “What is the innovation in your business?” And I said, “Uh, co-branding and re-enchanting that culture of craftsmanship that is being lost, making a collection that honors that craftsmanship, that is durable and lasts a long time and is sustainable – and that’s what’s innovative, because the industry is very driven by fashion.”

And they were like “No, there’s nothing. That’s not an innovation. There’s nothing interesting about your project.”

In French, there’s a saying: conseilleur n’est pas payeur – the person who gives you advice is not the person who pays. It’s easy to give advice. So, shut up, I heard your advice, very interesting, thank you, bye.

I was too frustrated with having wasted all that. And then I decided to go to all the factories, do all the documentaries myself with a photographer, and decided to work with a pattern maker. I had a little experience with the technical files. I had shopped for these vintage pieces, gone to Première Vision [the French fabric fair], and looking in the hundreds of booths for these fabrics eventually I found my way. I said okay, I’m going to make one pair of flannel trousers, and this one poplin shirt I’m imagining, and I’m going to make the Breton sweaters with this really cool factory that I found. I told myself I was just going to make a few garments and see where it took me.

interview Deborah Neuberg De Bonne Facture Styleforum

JL: The last time I saw you, you said that someone had asked you when you were going to make a women’s line. And you said “I am making a women’s line.” So, why menswear? Is it menswear?

DN: The first answer is that I’ve always liked craftsmanship. I’ve always liked concrete product. In 2010 or 2011, all of the interesting brands or companies that were highlighting tailoring and craftsmanship were menswear companies. All of the women’s companies were more style-oriented, or fashion-oriented in my perception at the time.

That’s a reason, but it’s also because I always thought it was really cool to dress in menswear. Classic menswear always really appealed to me. I always liked to steal my brother’s clothes, or my father’s clothes. When I look deeper into it, the men’s wardrobe – the way traditional genders are constructed – what is associated with the men’s wardrobe is more powerful in mainstream culture than what is associated with the women’s wardrobe. At least, that’s the way I perceived it.

I didn’t want to be associated with doing women’s clothes in the way the fashion industry does them – “Oh, that dress is so wonderful! Why don’t we just talk about dresses, and being pretty for parties!” – I didn’t want to be associated with that part of what being a woman can be. It’s not my style.

It was helpful for me to appropriate the codes of masculine garments to express myself, in the way that was the most empowering. It might not be empowering, in the end. I don’t know if it is. I felt it was something that gave me more confidence. It seemed like there was more freedom and power associated with being a guy, and I think it would be hard to argue against that, although it could be said that being imprisoned in those binary genders is keeping men from expressing a part of their personalities.

JL: Would you ever design a dress? Or is that antithetical to your entire conception of clothing?

DN: Hmm. Today, I have no desire to design a dress. None. That might evolve. I don’t know. I follow a lot of non-binary, trans, and gender-fluid people. Sometimes they’re biologically male and dress super feminine – traditionally feminine – or be one day like this and the next like that, and I think it’s interesting how we’re trapped in these worlds.

We think we choose our style, but it’s also very much determined for us by what we think it should be. Style says a lot about who we are – what age we are, what social class we’re from – sometimes it’s not even conscious. Sometimes we think we’re doing a great job, and something escapes that’s a tell of who we are.  I’m interested in the way that people – bravely – break that trap, or that binary, of ‘men should dress this way, and women are like this, and so they should dress this way.’

De Bonne Facture is a lot about me being a woman, and designing this men’s wardrobe and wearing it myself and wanting women to appropriate it and play with it, precisely because it’s associated with masculinity. It can be kind of like a charm, a talisman – I can be who I want.

JL: It seems very quiet, though. What do you make of a brand like Rick Owens or Rad Hourani?

DN: I think it’s great. Obviously, what I’m making is way more conservative, but it’s also because I was socialized as a woman that I find this magical, powerful quality and designing men’s clothes, you know? As a man like Rick Owens or Marc Jacobs, designing dresses or skirts and wearing it themselves or putting them on their male models, I think there’s something that must feel so transgressive and so empowering and make them feel like they’re breaking barriers. Femininity is so devalued.

JL: It’s much more of a taboo for a man to go outside in a dress than for a woman to go outside in a suit.

DN: Exactly. The whole of the structure relies on the inferiorization of women, and the fact that if you take on those codes that are attributed to women – style of dress, speak, voice – you’re going to be effeminate, and that’s the worst that can happen to traditional masculinity. Rick Owens, Marc Jacobs, all of these trans activists that I’m following, they’re very brave and courageous – they’re reclaiming their own power in feeling themselves in this kind of dress.

Very personally, I find those clothes disempowering. I want to maybe have the choice to wear a dress and heels – very rarely, like never – but I want to not be harassed. One time recently I was wearing something moderately feminine and I followed in the streets for 15 minutes by this guy, and he asked for my number and told me he’d been following me.

100% of women have been harassed in a public space in their lives, and when I’m dressed in De Bonne Facture I feel more protected. Which is fake! I just read about an exhibition on “What Were You Wearing When You Were Raped?” and it was everything from dresses to baseball tees to trousers – it can be anything. It has nothing to do with clothing – but symbolically, in my head it does.

JL: “She was dressed like she was asking for it.”

DN: Yeah, exactly.

JL: In addition to the ‘fakeness’ of that feeling, is there a ‘hiding-ness’ to it?

DN: Oh, yeah. Women’s bodies are so sexualized. It’s so problematic – what you are covering and what you’re not. Hiding has to do with what we were brought up to find “sexy.” There’s this cultural battle where people are always trying to see your body.

JL: There are so many men who think this same way, just on a different tack. You know, who think that men should look as though they don’t care. You get up in the morning and you look in your closet and you think “OK, I could wear that, but I don’t really want anyone to notice it or talk to me about it. I just want to look like nothing.”

DN: Neutral.

JL: Completely neutral. For example, last week I met a stranger who told me that he – he was telling me about how expensive his jeans were – was so into clothing that he was ‘verging on f****ry.’ There’s always been this idea of clothing as armor, in these different ways.

DN: Wow. Yes, but I also think there are women’s lines – like Olivier Rousteing at Balmain – his woman is very much a conqueror, an Amazon, wearing very sexy dresses with an armor-like quality to them. I think this idea of what can be armor is very personal. I’m expressing mine in my way, that is very connected to my story. It’s what I’m comfortable in and what I aspire to make.

But if I were to wear an Olivier Rousteing dress in the street…I don’t want that experience. I admire women who do it, I admire activists who fight against all of those stereotypes. What this guy told you is that an interest in fashion makes you feminine, which makes you inferior.

[Laughs]

He’s a victim of the system too. High heels were invented for men, in the court of France – men were like peacocks.

 

JL: So that was never a question for you – menswear vs. womenswear.

DN: No, it was very natural. If I was every dressing up for a carnival or a party, I loved to dress up as a man.

JL: What does that mean? At this point, as a grown woman with successful business, do you get up in the morning and say “Today, I’m dressing like a man?”

DN: No, I meant as a teenager for Halloween and things. Instead of being a nurse, or a prostitute, or these social archetypes. I would dress as a man and paint on a mustache and wear flannel trousers. Right now, I’m dressed in De Bonne Facture trousers and a Paris tourist t-shirt. I bought it from a guy on the street and I really enjoy it.

JL: What was it about these essential pieces that you decided to make for De Bonne Facture that made them ‘French’ to you?

DN: That’s a really difficult question, because I think that what is commonly associated with France is a very narrow-minded vision.

There’s something about being born and brought up in Paris that makes you value clothes that are understated, simple, effortless, but still studied. When I was in Shanghai, people didn’t dress that way. It was much less understated. I think [French] brings to mind something quiet, refined, and subtle, and it’s what I associate with Frenchness.

But it can be so many things – when I was Beijing, I found the same understated quality in some of the people I encountered. Old people walking in the park with very simple camel or black coats that I would never see in Shanghai. And I would think ‘Whoa, these people remind me of Parisians!’ so it’s not only French, but there’s an element of Parisian style in that aesthetic that’s French.

Kind of like Boston, also. When I was living in new York I went to Boston and everyone was in navy and white and it was so quiet and serene.

JL: Boston is still kind of a bastion of East Coast prep style, and it’s interesting to hear your admiration for it as someone whose life outlook is so far from conservative.

DN: I see in certain types of aesthetic conservatism a minimalism, or quiet – stillness, maybe – which can be bad, too, but I find beauty in it. I also love the idea of dressing conservatively and being very anti-conformist, in personality or culturally. I’m interested in that imbalance between exterior minimalism and interior fantasy. I like serenity. Using the navies and whites and camels is so appeasing aesthetically.

In Boston, everything was white – it was covered in snow – and all these silhouettes in camel and navy were out walking. I had this very calm experience of it.

JL: I think that classic is very different from quiet – does that idea of an interior fantasy help bring to life an idea that might otherwise be dull?

 

DN: Maybe. I like the idea of having this very still picture of the white, WASP-y persona – or the French equivalent, such as my style is born out of – but have it appropriated by me, and Asian people, and African people, and the diversity of the American people. It’s like, anyone can walk in your shoes, dude. I can wear your costume. It’s kind of like vogueing. You have a costume of power, and I’m going to wear it.

There’s something subversive about putting out that aesthetic, but having it worn by a diversity of models and people. That’s where I want to go moving forward. It’s kind of why I finally asked my [Japanese] friend Jumpei to model the brand, instead of a white guy who would seem ‘French.’

JL: Is there a healthy way to develop a style, then? I think you could point to 23 out of 24 little boys in America, and they probably all learned to dress from their fathers. How do you balance the desire to imitate with the desire to branch out without knowing what you’re doing?

DN: I started this project called Patina – it’s on the website, but not linked to the products -that’s about pieces and garments that you own and have acquired patina with use; have acquired your character, and telling stories about how clothes are linked to identity or memory. They can be frivolous, but they can also be part of who you are. You’re wearing your dad’s shirt, and you’re connecting to your memory and your history.

JL: You’re not scared of talking about other brands.

DN: It’s very stifling to think that your brand is some kind of tyrannical system.There are certain guidelines in my brand that I will respect, to warranty some kind of cohesiveness, but I’m not afraid to talk about other companies. Being a brand doesn’t have to be about “Oh, you’re not wearing the latest Dries trousers! This is last season!” It’s so fucking stupid, and so disconnected from reality. And very anxiety-inducing. People can get very petty, and in the end it’s really very sad, because it becomes about making people buy stuff out of fear. It’s not building confidence in people. I don’t like making decisions out of fear.

I think this happens in style as well – you’re afraid of being judged, or you’re afraid of what will happen to you. But fashion – not wearing the latest – is not a matter of life and death. I don’t really like that aspect of fashion. I’d rather see experimenting with costumes, and who you can be, and various aspects of identity and gender.

As a designer, I will never say “Yes, this is style. This is how people should dress. Follow me, I’m a guru.” I hate that. People should feel comfortable. Today I was dressed 100% in De Bonne Facture, but under my sweater I had on this souvenir t-shirt, and it made me feel more comfortable and more myself.

Building a healthy style has to do with educating yourself with what style can be for you; understanding the politics of style can be interesting too. Style is very political – it connects to class, gender, race, culture, age – if you’re a poor, black, inner-city kid, vogueing as a rich white prep student, it says something. You can experiment with so many parts of you through dressing up, but it does take experimentation. Being fearless, and confident, and not caring about judgement. I would say that’s what a healthy sense of style is.

JL: You have real economic concerns weighing on you a lot of the time. How do you balance this love of weird things, or your love of vintage things, with the need to keep creating new product?

DN: It’s complicated. When I was starting this project I was measuring my desire to get on with it with my desire to ponder the necessity of another label. Do we need new products? I try to be conscious about the ecological impact of the clothing industry. The fashion industry is so polluting, in all ways – from cultivation of cotton that causes desertification, to pesticides used on the crops, to all of the chemicals used in fabric creation or dyeing, the manufacturing, the usage, the water usage, the fact that you’re renewing your wardrobe all the time…I believe that there is a way that we can connect with clothing that is cultural, that is not some unhealthy, neurotic way of over-consuming stuff. I do believe there is a cultural need for a clothing scene. It’s kind of like an arts scene, or a food scene. It’s a cultural object. That is ‘fashion,’ in the good sense. Clothes are cultural artifacts.

My love for old things makes me conscious of the need to make things that are nice when they are old. I’m studying ways to make our clothes more ecologically-friendly, but I’m trying to balance that with durability and other concerns about development. In the meantime, we have to make collections to make a living, so that our suppliers can also make a living. It’s a long process – there’s a rhythm you have to respect.

I think my love of old things also has to do with how appalled I am with how quickly we consume things. So I’m trying to find a way to make things that is respectful to all the people who make our clothes, and to the person who is buying and wearing them, and the earth, and honoring the craft that needs to be kept alive to manufacture things.

JL: You mentioned that you find the idea of sharing your ateliers romantic. Over the last few years, there has been a focus in menswear on the nitty-gritty, on the details. How do you keep romance alive in what you do?

DN: What comes to mind is streetstyle. I find a lot of romance in watching people in life. Sometimes when I’m walking I see someone with an interesting detail, or observe the way they’re carrying themselves. Whatever is expressed I find romantic or interesting – watching people making style real. I mean, I do also find runways and presentations romantic, but I find people romantic in their diversity. Recently we were choosing fabrics, and one reminded me of an old professor – and I know you have met someone in your life who exuded that geography professor aesthetic or character. Anything can be an inspiration, and that’s where I see the romance.

JL: Once, I texted you a photo of LeBron James wearing one of your sweaters, and you got a kick out of that. What are your thoughts on celebrity style?

DN: I was so mad. I made this really nasty Instagram post and everyone told me to delete it. I got tagged in this random celebrity Instagram post, and realized LeBron James was wearing our turtleneck. I was in the office, and I said “LeBron James is super famous, right?” And it gave me an up, like an endorphin, so I posted about it on Facebook, and it was probably my most-liked post ever.

And then I started getting super bitter about it. “Oh, you need an NBA player to think my stuff is nice?” Everyone on the internet was commenting about how beautiful and wonderful my work was, and I thought, is this what you need to see that I’m doing great work? So I made this post on my personal account about celebrity culture, and how dispiriting it felt that people only thought that what I was doing was good when this NBA star wore it. I was so pissed. And then my friends talked me down and told me to delete it, which I did.

There are people interested in our fabric, in our manufacturing, in what we make – and there are others who are like “Oh yeah, you got LeBron!” Yeah, cool, you like my brand. Thanks. I was happy, and then I hated it when I realized it was the only reason people were interested.

Photos: Sports Illustrated


JL: If you could strip your collection down to its four most essential pieces, which would they be?

D: Definitely the jockey jacket – the bomber – and I like the flannel carrot trousers. I wouldn’t wear those together, though. I would wear the trousers with my souvenir t-shirt, I would wear the bomber with some really run-down jeans and trainers. The oxford shirt – the button down, with the American placket, now it’s in Japanese brush oxford, which is an oxford fabric but flannel-ized, so it’s kind of confusing because it looks like a normal shirt but when you get closer it has this vintage-y, wabi-sabi aspect. And I’m thinking of the bathrobe, that I really like – that you inspired….

[Laughs]

I’m kidding –

JL: I hope you know that’s on record now, and I’m claiming credit for it.

DN: Probably the piqué sweater, the crewneck with the enlarged polo knit.

JL: I think I’ve only ever seen you wearing one thing, which is a striped essential shirt and navy trousers.

DN: Yep.

JL: Is there such thing as authenticity in fashion? Is there anything wrong with never settling?

DN: No! Maybe there are four essential pieces of De Bonne Facture, but I would never wear them together. I think authenticity is being in tune with yourself, with whatever choices you’re making. Being authentic is being honest and sincere, finding your voice through experimentation. It’s not an equation. There’s no solution to style. That’s a good way to sell magazines, to have people be fearful instead of carrying on with their lives.

I think a lot of the media surrounding style perpetuates the fear of not being up-to-date, that’s feeding into the nasty part of the fashion system. Do you remember when we were making fun of the minimalism trend ?

JL: In Paris last year, yeah

DN: Yeah. “Be a minimalist, buy my magazine, I’m gonna teach you how to be minimalist, and the way to be minimalist is to throw out everything you own and buy a minimalist wardrobe.” It’s cool to be evolving. There’s this culture of the rules of style in menswear –

JL: You don’t say.

DN: Yeah, and it kind of drives me crazy.

JL: One criticism I’ve read – on websites that will not be named – is that De Bonne Facture looks like just another minimal French brand.

DN: Yeah, like APC or whatever.

JL: How do you prevent that? How do you –

DN: I really don’t care. I don’t give a fuuuuck. I care about what my customers think about it – if their coat is not well cut, if the fabric isn’t warm enough, then I care. But I’m trying to speak with my voice. I’m not trying to be out there so that I’m making the point that I’m different, like everything I make is orange because I’m so original and it’s unlike any other French brand you’ve ever seen.

Buyers at big department stores have told us “Oh, we’ve already got the minimal French whatever, we don’t want you.” I think “Well, you have a brand that’s made in Portugal, and uses plastic buttons, and the fabric they use costs 2EUR a meter, and oh, this other brand’s shirts are made in Bangladesh for 8$ and they’re selling them for 160EUR.”

They’re selling to customers that don’t care about those details, and don’t care about our ethos that I admit is kind of invisible. It’s subtle. It’s all the choices we’ve made. It has soul. We hope to sell our clothes to people who care about that.


This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Lookbook photos via De Bonne Facture.

Photos of Déborah by Eric Hanson for Styleforum.