(Some) Things Have Changed

How I perceived well-dressed five years ago vs. how I see things today

This October marks five years since I started posting on my IG account The Soft Armour. A lot has happened since then. Some things are roughly the same, some things have changed. Hence, I thought it would be a fun exercise to reflect upon how I perceived well-dressed back then versus how I see it now.

Back in 2019 I was still working in consultancy. I wore mostly suits or suit trousers and knitwear and this was also the look I favoured for other settings, for instance going out for dinner. However, I was starting to wear separate jackets and trousers a bit. But it is fair to say that I dressed more formal back then compared to now. This was also reflected in what I wore, when I wanted to appear well-dressed: A dark navy worsted suit (Canali), white dress shirt, tie and pocket square (typically Drake’s) and black calf oxfords (Church’s).

I remember thinking that wearing a dark navy suit was super versatile, because it would work anywhere. I don’t know if that has ever been true, but at the time the navy suit worked for me - sometimes with a merino roll neck (Smedley) instead of a shirt.

I would have no problems wearing a dark navy worsted suit with a tie today, but I wouldn’t feel as comfortable in it as five years ago. It wouldn’t feel like me. The context had to be right.

This is probably an effect of the general casualisation in what people wear, but I and my life have also changed over the past five years: We went from one to two children, I work in a different sector (and a lot less) and simply my preferences have changed as I have learned more and more about how to dress. Oh, and - which is evident from the pictures - the hair and beard are more gray now.

Fast forward to 2024, my notion of being well-dressed have both changed as well as broadened. Back in 2019, I rarely wore jeans and even less considered jeans to be a central part of a well-curated wardrobe. Currently jeans are central in the way I dress.

The look above is what I feel well-dressed in today: A wool jacket (Drake’s), knitwear underneath (Rubato), selvedge jeans (also Rubato) and a pair of brown loafers (Crockett & Jones). A lot of what I wear is build around this blueprint. Throw in the trusted Barbour jacket, a scarf and a cap and everything is in its right place.

To the outside observer, there might not be that big of a differences between five years ago and now: There is almost always a jacket involved and dress(ier) shoes. Not a lot of trainers (except in summer) and not a lot of sweats (except when at home). But to me there is some major differences: Rougher fabrics, a lot more denim and a lot less distance between on- and off-duty wear. In some ways a lot has changed, in some way some things are - almost - the same.