Since PFW is coming to an end, I thought that I would reminiscence about collections of the 90s. I'm a nineties child, and I am honestly very glad about it, especially when I see young children nowadays. But that is beyond the point. Not only did I love growing up in the 90s, I also love how simple menswear used to be in those days. From Gucci to Calvin Klein and Dolce & Gabbana. Now we see plenty statement pieces, and even though I do enjoy the creative liberty of each designer, and applaud it even, I do miss the more simple days of fashion. I am in no way a fashion expert, and this is of course just my personal opinion on the matter.
I had a period when I was very into the so called goth side of fashion. We're talking Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Ann Demeulemeester, and others. I still like their collections a lot, it's just that I'm much more of a simple person. Yes, I know that most of these designers are very minimalistic, yet I am talking about a simple t-shirt and a good ol' pair of skinny jeans. That's where my heart lies at the end of the day. There will come days when I will feel the need to dress up though, not to impress anyone but just because I need that little pick me up that a well put together outfit can get you. But most days I just keep it very simple.
"You don’t need to be [shopping at fast-fashion stores], especially young people. They are beautiful naturally, because they are young. So they should even wear simple jeans and a T-shirt. It’s enough. Don’t be too much fashionable.…The brand advertising is making you crazy. You don’t need to be too sexy. You are sexy enough." - Yohji Yamamoto
Don't get me wrong, I enjoy fashion a lot, and even more so I enjoy buying myself new clothing items that I could then combine with other pieces in my wardrobe. It's just that perhaps I don't have the courage to wear really bold pieces, or perhaps this is just the way I am, perhaps very simple is just my own personal style. What do you think on the matter? Is simple a style or just shows that one doesn't care about the clothes he wears? I personally think it is a style, and perhaps some may disagree but I actually enjoy seeing a simple outfit. And I'm not talking about sweatpants because I still believe those are more of a relaxing at home clothes, or going to the gym, and you won't caught me dead wearing them in broad daylight. But I think that the true simplicity is slowly vanishing in the fashion world. Even major high street retailers are expanding into much more bold pieces, and the basic department is left untouched.
The basics are probably not a challenge to make to a fashion designer. I know that. I guess I'm just feeling a little bit fashion nostalgic. I suppose it's time to watch some vintage (is 90s considered vintage already?) runway shows, and give a good browse through some 90s editorials. And perhaps after a while I will grow some balls and buy myself a statement piece, a designer statement piece from the current era. Or I'll just go back into the safe corner of vintage stores.
What is your opinion on modern fashion? What are some of your favourite collections?
I'm not the guy who would wear a lot of accessories, and instead I stick with those bare essentials, at least for me. We're currently having some sun again, after a shorter period of rain, and therefore my sunglasses are returning back to their staple position, and I'm not complaining. It feels good to have some sunshine again, and it makes walking around the city a lot more fun. After all, who likes carrying an umbrella with them everywhere they go, right? I know I don't, and even though an umbrella is definitely an essential in those typical autumn/winter days when you don't know when it's going to start raining, I prefer the sunny days essentials. However, there will also be a more colder days essentials post coming up very soon, or as soon as the weather gets colder here.
First up we have this gorgeous ZARA MAN WALLET (£19.99) that i stumbled across on one of the many trips to Zara, and it's just such a simple classic faux leather wallet that I couldn't resist it. Mind you I'm one of those guys that walk around with money in their pockets (so classy, right) but this beautiful thing definitely changed my mind about that, and turned me into a firm believer that every man should have a classic leather (or faux, in my case) wallet in their back pocket. It's just such a lovely feeling pulling this one out and grabbing your card or money to pay for the next beautiful thing you stumble across. The wallet has quite a few card slots, as well as a coin department, although I still prefer a separate coin wallet, as it can make the wallet feel quite bulkier. Next one up on my wish list is a divine bag that, mind you, I also saw at Zara. Damn, they do have their accessories on point, to be honest.
And then we have the shades, the sunglasses. These Aviator ones are from
POLAROID EYEWEAR (£55.00), and they were such a bargain because I luckily found them in an outlet shop in Italy. They are your simple classic Aviator type of sunglasses, and I find these fit my head perfectly, although I'm still lusting over a more classical pair of Ray-Bans. The only thing that I was put off by when I bought them was that they came in a little bag instead of a more sturdy case. Apart from that they're great. It says on the site that they're 100% UV protected, as well as they offer glare free vision, clear contrast and reduced eye fatigue. What I can say on the matter is that they protect my eyes from sunlight and I can see perfectly well with them.
What are some of your essential accessories?
I am one of those people who love to spend money, and most of the time I spend it on items that I like at the moment, even though I know the love isn't strong enough to last me at least a few seasons. And I know that it has to stop, and it has to stop now! Anyone else feels my pain on this one? I think it's very easy to get a bit lost when you enter a shop and you are hit with so many beautiful items, that you end up buying something even though you don't really need it, and won't wear it as much as you would like.
With 5 pieces french wardrobe posts floating on every corner of the Blogosphere, I finally decided to keep reminding myself to save up money for pieces that will get as much wear time as possible, even if it means going a few months without buying new things. Buying designer clothes on a student budget isn't exactly the easiest thing, and it may last me up to 6 months to save up for any of the items above, but as luck would have it, many high street shops are straight up copying more high end designers, so it became very easy to find an alternative piece that will just have to do for the time being, until you graduate and get a job that will allow such expenses every now and then.
Can we just for a few minutes appreciate how extremely beautiful and sweet the Carven "Le Petit Prince" sweatshirt looks? As a kid I always loved Le Petit Prince, and I think even up to date it's one of my favourite stories. I think that if I had to pick just one item out of this list it would have to be the Le Petit Prince printed sweatshirt, no doubt about that. If anyone knows of a good dupe for this, please send recommendations my way, thank you! Personally I'm in love with all of the items on the list above, and I think they're all very easy to style up or down, and they're very versatile, which an essential piece should be, right?
You can check up the prices of the items by clicking the links below the image. None of the links are affiliated.
What are some of your favourite essential autumn pieces? What is your favourite item in your wardrobe right now?
It's almost the end of January and here we're slowly starting to realise that winter has finally arrived. A few days ago there were first traces of snow, and even though I ran back to my hometown by the sea for a week to escape it and warm up a little, I know that in just a short week I will be back in the city and bundled up beneath hundreds of layers. And when winter first showed its sharp teeth, I came to the conclusion that I'm in a serious need of some winter essentials (or perhaps some not so essential items, as well). One thing lead to another and before I knew what was happening, I found myself visiting online shops in the search for a new winter wardrobe — or more precisely wishing for a new winter wardrobe. After a few (or ten) pages in, it hit me that I might as well put together a wish list to share with you on my blog, and here we are.
Let the dreams about the perfect winter wardrobe commence.
COS COATED PRINT SWEATSHIRT (€59) Essentially I'm not that into ombre when it comes to my clothing, yet there is something very strangely appealing about this top and the more I looked at it, the more I knew how much I wanted needed it.
COS WOOL MIX JUMPER (€69) For those who know me this might come as a bit of a surprise, since I can count on my right hand fingers how many times they saw me in anything other but black clothing. Actually I feel like this winter I find myself appealed to grey quite a bit and this jumper looks perfectly cosy and perfect for combining with a pair of black skinnies, an oversize beanie and a simple coat.
POCKET2-D2 RED PANDA TEE (€18.19) When Pocket2-D2 followed me on twitter, I could not help myself but to check out their online shop and I was pleasantly surprised with their offer. And I might have squealed a little when I saw this red panda t-shirt in black! Red panda's are insanely adorable and just look how many there are on that pocket! This tee would be perfect for layering under a shirt or two, for one of those less freezing days.
And perhaps a little something that as a student I can't really afford:
BURBERRY LONDON COTTON-GABARDINE TRENCH COAT (€1313.86) Everyone needs at least one Burberry trench coat in their wardrobe, right? This one in beige has that typical classy Burberry feel to it, and I think this just might be the perfect way for me to add the tiniest amount of colour into my style, and not instantly hate it once I put it on. It would be great for either special occasions or just one of those days when you feel so awful that perhaps looking like a thousand bucks would help.
SAINT LAURENT SL/08H SPIKE HIGH TOP (€795) I'm not really a sneaker kind of guy but these Saint Laurent high tops have me hooked, and they would go so well with my new denim jacket with faux leather sleeves. Again this is something for those less cold winter days when a few layers of tops and a jacket are enough to keep you warm.
MCQ ALEXANDER MCQUEEN BLACK CROC-EMBOSSED ACCENT BACKPACK (€362.32) Where do I even begin? The story with me and the McQueen croc-embossed accent backpack is that it was love at first sight. I'm very picky when it comes to bags and backpacks, especially backpacks since I just find most of them either dull or too messy. This one on the other hand is just the perfect combination and I love the carry handle at the top as that means I could easily switch it up and just wear it in my hand as opposed to it being a simple backpack. It's perfect!
POCKET2-D2 DROWN BACKPACK IN BROWN (€27.89) I already said I'm picky when it comes to backpacks, and while this one might not suit my standards per se, there is something about it that instantly caught my eye. The brown colour fits it perfectly, and it's a great shade as well, it also has two side pockets and apparently some internal ones as well, so it is indeed very practical. I guess the practicality and that gorgeous shade of brown were the key factors of my interest in this particular item.
ROKIT BLACK LEATHER DOUBLE HANDLE BRIEFCASE (€20.62) A classic vintage leather briefcase is something that I just can't resist, no matter how hard I try. I was fascinated by them since I was little and every older male figure in my life had at least one. Also it's vintage, and I'm just the tiniest bit obsessed with vintage shops (by tiniest bit I mean a lot). First thing I checked though is if it can hold my laptop, and since luck would have it mine is a 13" screen one, it would definitely fit!
SAINT LAURENT ZIP FASTENING WALLET (€395) First of all, did anyone else notice how extremely difficult it is to find a good looking wallet with a coin department, at least online? And usually the only ones I find are lacking in the good looks department. Well not this Saint Laurent one, this one looks absolutely amazing and the gold details just add that extra spark. And who said men can't have stunning looking wallets, huh? I can't hear you over the sound of my own drool dripping down the floor while I stare at this for another ten hours.
SAINT LAURENT LAPTOP CASE (€1190) While the vintage briefcase could easily hold my laptop and is way more affordable, I just couldn't help myself and had to stick with the whole Saint Laurent love theme I have going on lately. And don't worry, I would never go out with this laptop case AND the Saint Laurent wallet at the same time, I do have some boundaries after all. It is a very classy laptop case though, is it not?
P&Co FINGERLESS GLOVES IN BLACK (€9.69) Whenever I would stumble upon fingerless wool gloves they would usually appear of very poor quality, while these P&Co ones look surprisingly well made and the wool seems thick enough to warm up your hands to some extent at least, after all we don't expect fingerless gloves to keep our hands completely cosy and prevent freezing, right? All in all, I want to give these ones a shot, perhaps they might convince me that not all fingerless gloves are a piece of garbage?
P&Co EMBROIDERED BEANIE — HEATHER GREY (€21.84) Typically I would not even considered a beanie that costs above €15, let alone one that is above 20 but since half of the beanies in my collection don't keep my head as warm as I would want them to, I told myself that perhaps I could try something a little over my designated price range, and this one caught my interest, so maybe one day soon I'll give it a go and report whether it was worth it or not.
POCKET2-D2 DROWN BEANIE IN HEATHER GREY (€10.91) I told you grey was my go to colour this winter, did I not? And apparently if we're being more specific it's heather grey. This beanie is more in my typical price range, and the brand does promise premium quality and softness, after all who doesn't like their beanies to be incredibly soft? It looks quite thick, so this just might provide some warmth for my head, and if you haven't noticed I find myself very curious about this brand and their products.
COS WOOL AND COTTON SCARF (€39) The only reason a scarf in this price range found its way on my wish list is because experiencing snow for the first time in my life, I came to the conclusion that scarves that provide warmth for your exposed neck are essential! And a wool and cotton combination sounds promising, right? Also it's a classic and simple black scarf, which believe it or not is not that easy to find lately in my experience.
COS CASHMERE WOOL SOCKS (€19) When you're sitting outside in a bar having your morning coffee for at least two hours, you may or may not end up not feeling your feet. Literally. One time I had three pairs of socks on and my vintage combat boots, and yet I could not feel my feet at the end of it. Perhaps a pair of cashmere wool socks for 19 euros might do the trick? A guy can always hope, can he not?
And this right here is the end of my January's wish list. There are some items that I will probably not be able to afford this winter, and some that I have high hopes of throwing into my online shopping basket sometime soon. Or perhaps I will just be my usual stupid self and instead of buying a few essential winter items from this list I will save enough to buy myself that stunning Saint Laurent wallet. A friend of mine once said that if I'm not the smartest, I should at least invest into my looks, and that wallet would fit me perfectly.
What found its way onto your own winter wish lists? Any particular (expensive) item you find yourself lusting after? Hope you're nothing like me and will rather buy more essential items rather than just one more expensive one instead.
Au revoir, Narcissists.
