Dressing becomes interesting when we leave behind the mandatory and begin to curate our personal style. The three extremes of menswear are dull. First you have the man who dresses in a business suit for work, only because he has to. Then you have the man who pays no attention to his dress, and looks a mess as a consequence. Finally, you have the man who cares way too much about his appearance, to the point where he looks contrived and overly self-aware.
The ideal is not to dress because we have to, but because we want to. Not because of how others perceive us, but because we are interested. And finally we can take pleasure from fashion and look elegant, without overthinking it.
One classic menswear brand that has found a nice balance in this aesthetic paradox is The Anthology. Everyone is looking for perfect modern tailoring, and the Hong Kong based bespoke tailoring brand, has found a great direction. Without using modern gimmicks, they use technique, fabric and pattern making to update traditional tailoring and classically inspired leisurewear. Here are three of their inspiring looks for fall, and let's see which principles we can learn from the talented tailors.
LAYERING
For fall, the most important thing is to have layers, so you can be comfortable inside and out. Here a country jacket is paired with a scarf, a turtle neck and a base layer, allowing a casual but timelessly elegant look. You can also notice how using muted colours in every layer can highlight the beauty of materials and textures, like this lovely herringbone.
OUTERWEAR
The colder season is all about jackets and coats. There is something very special about a heavy fabric that feels more like true tailoring than light summer fabrics. The weight of a good coat sitting perfectly on the shoulder can remind us of how tailoring used to be, where garments were made to last a lifetime.
There are so many options of outerwear, like this navy coat or beige field jacket, each made for either the city or the countryside, but each equally elegant. This is also the time where you can take out your boots, polish them up and take on the cold season in style.
QUALITY
If there is one thing we should learn from the world of bespoke, it is that quality matters. When you buy a key piece to add to your wardrobe, it makes sense to invest in quality, not only because you can keep the garment longer and it will look better, but because you will enjoy wearing it more. Keep in mind the principles of fit, materials, craftsmanship and design, and your wardrobe will be smaller, luxurious and something to be proud of.
Here, The Anthology have made a great blouson that has an updated classic cut and a material that is interesting, without being flashy. This key garment is well made, and would look great with jeans and your favourite pair of shoes. Every part of the look is