258: The very bearable lightness of single-rack dressing
And Jeroen van de Gruiter suits himself.
Welcome to Magasin Menswear. In a dedicated monthly send, Louis Cheslaw surfaces choice products worth your consideration, explores larger conversations shoppers are—or should be—having, and taps a smart dresser to share how he wears it.
First up…
Last week, I realized I didn’t really like any of my polo shirts—all either too tight, or too branded—so I donated a bunch. Then, I ended up finding my platonic ideal at a new location for me: the GANT store. Specifically, their Sunfaded Pique Polo, which was—and still is—on sale. I got three, and a fashion designer friend has already complimented the wash. 😎
As I recently told Em, if you’re looking for an affordable cap to beat up over time, don’t sleep on the Minor League Baseball official online store. I’m two years into my Brooklyn Cyclones guy, but this fun one has a lucky clover on the back, and this one is so nice and brown.
Seeing Role Model consistently chilling in an old blue one (and Beabadobee wearing a green one early in the ‘Ever Seen’ video) has reminded me of my long background quest to find a trusty, comfy zip-up hoodie. I’m almost definitely going to go navy, and vintage GAP, like this one.
My friend Angus was wearing this calming horse cut-out necklace the other day. $76 feels a fair price! I like the pig a lot too.
I’m also still thinking about the deeply satisfying adjustment mechanism on MAN-TLE’s caps. Specifically, a button is threaded onto seatbelt tape, and you just slide it along your head until it’s sufficiently snug! The deep cut shape (for bigger heads) is stocked at Departamento, and the shallow depth is available here. I want.
Cologne corner… The mini Malin+Goetz Leather perfume oil is really good. The scent is subtle but sticks around all day, the bottle fits into literally any pocket, and again, $36. (I’d love to one day own Dries Van Noten’s Rock the Myrrh, and Mister Green’s Hippie Shit sooner than that, but don’t need either right now.)
The very bearable lightness of single-rack dressing
I really like how my friend John dresses. I ask him where his clothes are from all the time, and we talk about style often. And yet, when I asked him recently how many clothes he had, his eventual response was striking. “Two pairs of jeans. One pair of trousers. Two suits. Three shirts. Six sweaters. Four shorts. One pair of shoes. Two pairs of sneakers.”
The Venn diagram between great dressers and restrained wardrobes has a pretty giant overlap, in my experience. I read recently that Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, our generation’s “ghost influencer,” owned just 30-40 pieces of clothing. One of my most enduring style memories is visiting my friend Kate in L.A., while I was still in college in the U.K. Close since our teens, Kate had always been one of my best-dressed friends, and I expected to encounter a vast collection. Instead, the entirety of her wardrobe was on a single hanging rail (with the exception of shoes by the door, and tees and tanks folded nearby.)
I had immediate ambitions to copy her, but then I got a job at Condé Nast, and after that, one as a shopping writer at The Strategist. This meant that for the best part of a decade, random free clothes would constantly show up at my desk and my apartment. My shelves were eternally bulging, and rather than taking back any kind of control, for years I would typically step out each morning in something I’d just taken out of shipping plastic. It never felt great.
A year ago, I moved back to London, going freelance in the process. Instantly, those packages stopped coming, and I had the time to give away 70% of my wardrobe. Ever since then, even as I’ve continued, obviously, to enjoy shopping, I’ve done so with the end goal of getting down to my own (hypothetical) single-rack by the end of 2024. The more I talk to guys about their style, the more I’m convinced it’s the most helpful guardrail to give myself. Here are some of the reasons why:
Your clothes look better the more worn they are. Fading, even stains within reason, signal a life well lived, and communicate that you’re a consistent person. A good thing!
Getting dressed on vacation is always way more fun, because carry-on limits have forced you to bring along only your best, most versatile pieces. Why shouldn’t every day feel that way?
The less you buy, the better you can afford.
The most obvious, but most important: Buying clothes you don’t need is terrible for the planet. Underconsumption feels good—and is trending—for a reason.
Still, this is all easier said than done. I know I’m still holding on to plenty of barely worn items for dreamed-up future situations that will never arrive. So to help me reach my goal for real this time, I asked a couple of friends who have already got there for their tips. Beyond the old advice they knew was familiar—hone in on colors that match, and simplify your look to what you actually feel best in—they had some fun bonus tips.
Single-racker Nicolás Lazaro (who I met when he was at Grailed, but is now editorial manager at Buck Mason) has a strict “one in, one out” policy, which immediately impedes any impulse purchases he might be about to make. He also thinks about his wardrobe in three tiers of formality—good, better, best—and streamlines within them. John, meanwhile, says that as soon as he realizes he hasn’t worn something for six months, “It’s gone.”
The best part is, neither of these guys say that their approach has dulled their love for fashion. “I’m always open to buying something new, and still get [Japanese magazine] Popeye entirely for brand discovery,” John says. “Just because I have a limited wardrobe, it doesn’t mean I’m disinterested in looking at everything out there.” If anything, it’s more that giving yourself limits automatically sets up a fun contest, forcing you to question—and therefore enjoy really thinking about—the merits of a potential new addition even more.
How Jeroen van de Gruiter wears it
Speaking of wearing what you feel best in—and making sure the pieces in your wardrobe are talking to each other—it’s a great time to bring in Jeroen van de Gruiter. The Rotterdam-based product designer, who works with clients like Prada, Hermes, and FLOS, has held my attention for years, mainly because few people look as relaxed in a suit as he does. This is probably because he wears one almost daily. It was a pleasure to call him up, get some recs, and learn about his approach.
Just quickly, given your work, what non-fashion designers should we know about?
Buro Belen's lush, rich, nuanced blankets. And Aldo Bakker's tableware. He creates mostly pouring vessels, to be used with olive oil and different kinds of fluids. He's a really big talent.
Back to clothes: Do you ever feel out of place in your suits?
Well, we work with quite a lot of fashion clients, most recently Jil Sander. When I had meetings with Luke and Lucy in Milan, and I was sitting there as the most conservatively dressed person, I became really aware of my taste. But on the other hand, it doesn't say anything about the vision you have for the world at large. When you dress conservatively, it doesn’t mean that you think conservatively. Maybe the suit at some point was a way to fit in, but now it seems the opposite.
Where do you go for yours?
A lot of my wardrobe is Besnard, and I have a couple Atelier Munro suits, but the main one for me is definitely Anglo Italian. If I could, I would have a full wardrobe just of Anglo. You can’t find muted fabrics like theirs anywhere else. [Editor’s note: van de Gruiter has been such a loyal customer for so long, he now sometimes models for Anglo-Italian also.]
So what decisions do you have to make each weekday morning?
Just the weight of the suit’s fabric, based on the weather.
And what do you mix in with them?
Sometimes denim: always vintage 501s that I buy one size up so they sit higher on the waist. My T-shirts are The Real McCoy’s loopwheel ones, because they have this vintage fit that pairs well with higher-waisted trousers. I wear them quite tight, and I think there's something a bit more sophisticated about their colors. And then polos, which I only get from John Smedley or Gran Sasso, this Italian brand, because I'm quite sensitive to the shape of a polo collar. I like it when it's properly knitted, and a bit more ‘70-inspired.
What's the oldest piece that you have?
These cotton twill shorts from Lacoste, that I've had for over 15 years. I wear them to the beach with my swimming trunks underneath, and they’re all I wear on my holidays if my girlfriend isn’t wearing them. They’re completely discolored, but whenever I see the fade on them, I'm immediately into that context, if that makes sense. I know I’ll wear them for at least another five years easily.
What do you wear the most?
I think I have eight pairs of suede loafers, mostly from Crockett and Jones. They go with anything.
I remember years ago you posted your suede loafers after they got drenched in a rainstorm. I loved that you seemed delighted by it.
I remember! That was in Milan. We got soaked that evening. But these loafers can handle it, that's why they're expensive. It's fine. Plus I like them a bit beaten up. I take my work seriously, but myself, and my clothing, not so much.
Anything you want to wear more of soon?
Well, I love single monks. But I just feel like an asshole when I wear them. They're so nice with old denim, and so elegant, but I’m not sure what the right moment would be. I have the same “feeling like an asshole” problem with chalk stripe suits, as much as I love them.
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Loved this read! Less really can be more!
Yes yes yes to single rack dressing. The only way to go, in my humble opinion. (Ok fine it was forced upon me by my tiny ass Brooklyn closet, but now I can’t turn back!)