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The Fashionable Man’s Closet Disaster
Octobre Éditions
Your closet holds extra garments than your father ever owned, but you continue to dress such as you’re fixing a puzzle with items from ten completely different packing containers. Each morning brings the identical ritual: rifling by way of hangers of shirts which have misplaced their form, denims that bag on the knees, and a set of use-to-be fashionable items that by some means by no means look proper collectively.
The issue runs deeper than poor purchasing decisions. Quick vogue has educated us to devour clothes like snacks—low cost, frequent, and finally unsatisfying. Plus, we chase micro-trends that expire quicker than milk, resulting in a mass accumulation of clothes which can be “designed” to collapse.
This cycle, of shopping for, sporting a couple of times then discarding (or worse, letting it lay for eternity behind the closet, aka wardrobe purgatory) extracts a psychological toll that builds and builds, till you by no means wish to put on something you personal once more. Making every morning an train in futility: standing earlier than closets filled with garments that refuse to work collectively, so we expertise choice paralysis disguised as abundance. The irony cuts deep.
Once we have a look at earlier generations, they owned far much less but dressed with way more confidence. Your grandfather’s six shirts and two fits supplied ease and readability, the place as we’re discovering immediately’s overflowing wardrobes merely ship dissatisfaction and confusion.
So what’s a man such as you (and us, frankly) meant to do?
Enter Octobre Éditions
Octobre Éditions
In a quiet nook of Paris (we think about that these exist), Octobre Éditions builds wardrobes the way in which French cooks strategy delicacies: fewer components, higher high quality, infinite mixtures. Whereas manufacturers rush to flood shops with weekly drops, Octobre strikes intentionally, creating items designed to work collectively throughout seasons and conditions.
“From the beginning, we have been guided by the desire to create a Parisian-inspired wardrobe, composed of pieces that can be revisited season after season, transcend time and tell a unique story,” explains Arthur, Director of Octobre Éditions. “Our goal: make sustainable creations that respect our planet and its people. Creations that outlive fleeting trends and suit almost every season.”
The strategy feels radical in its simplicity. Each bit feels prefer it undergoes rigorous testing: Can it work with 5 completely different objects already within the assortment? Does it operate throughout a number of seasons? Will it enhance with age relatively than deteriorate? If any reply isn’t any, we are able to solely picture the design will get scrapped.
This ardour for versatility extends to materials choice as effectively. “Our obsession is the constant search for high-quality materials that have a low impact on the environment and stand the test of time, as well as the finest craftsmanship of our pieces at fair prices,” Arthur notes. Portuguese-made denim softens and molds with put on. Natural cotton grows extra snug after every wash. Merino wool regulates temperature whether or not you’re in January conferences or July dinners.
The French Components
Octobre Éditions
French menswear operates on completely different ideas than its counterparts elsewhere. The place Italian vogue celebrates craft and British fashion honors custom, French design perfects the artwork of wanting casually deliberate, making it excellent place to construct a bought foundational wardrobe. We discovered that Octobre distills this philosophy into three core ideas:
Impartial palette: Navy, inexperienced, terracotta, white, beige, black, and so on.. Colours that complement relatively than compete, making certain nothing in your closet turns into out of date when seasons change.
Thought of matches: Lower shut sufficient to look intentional, relaxed sufficient for pure motion. Each bit flatters with out constraining, whether or not you’re commuting or touring.
Supplies that matter: Materials chosen for longevity and environmental affect. Each thread serves the twin function of wanting good now and getting older gracefully over years of normal put on.
The payoff hits you on a Tuesday morning once you’re operating late. You seize a shirt and chinos with out considering, add a sweater, and stroll out the door figuring out you look put collectively. No second-guessing, no outfit nervousness, no standing half-dressed questioning if navy and beige truly work collectively. They do. They at all times do.
Ten Important Items We Selected, Defined
Beneath is the up to date capsule with a brief area observe on every merchandise.
#
Merchandise
Octobre Choose
Value USD*
Discipline Notice
Fast Care
1
White Oxford shirt
Charlie Oxford
$125
The workhorse. Tucks cleanly but seems informal untucked.
Chilly wash, grasp dry
2
Navy merino sweater
Mike Sweater
$145
Temperature regulating layer; excellent for chilly and shoulder seasons.
Air dry
3
Heavyweight Tee
Kenneth T-shirt
$45
Put on with every little thing.
Wash inside out
4
Slim Match blazer
Elmon Jacket
$435
Structured sufficient so it may be dressed up or down.
Dry clear
5
Darkish straight minimize denims
Wrigley Denims
$140
Made to final a lifetime; they’ll mould to you, not the opposite manner round.
Spot clear, wash much less
6
Tailor-made chinos
Tom Chinos
$130
Dresscode chameleon; works with sneakers or loafers.
Steam, no scorching iron
7
Light-weight Jacket
Devon Jacket
$180
Packs small; affords a worn in classic look with out the moth holes.
Spot clear
8
Crewneck Sweater
Chuck Sweater
$175
Good over and beneath absolutely anything. 100% merino speaks for itself.
Air dry
9
White leather-based sneakers
Harper Sneakers
$220
Low profile = good sufficient for the workplace.
Delicate cleaning soap, comfortable brush
10
Leather-based Boots
Chukka John Boot
$250
A necessity with no fuss.
Cedar timber
*Costs verified July 2025.
Constructing Your Octobre Capsule
Octobre Éditions
Begin with the inspiration trio: white Oxford shirt, navy chinos, and navy merino sweater. These three items create a number of outfits whereas establishing your shade palette. Put on them for a month to know how they combine along with your way of life earlier than increasing.
Month two, add their stripe tee and darkish denims. Now you could have informal and formal bases coated. Month three brings the blazer—immediately your 5 items generate fifteen completely different mixtures. The ultimate additions—Harrington jacket and overcoat—present seasonal protection with out breaking the system.
Audit your current wardrobe first. Maintain items that match Octobre’s impartial palette and high quality stage. Donate something that competes for consideration or requires particular care. The aim is cohesion, not full alternative.
Price Per Put on Actuality Examine
A quick vogue Oxford at $45 lasts roughly 20 wears earlier than the collar warps, the material tablets, or the match adjustments after washing. That works out to $2.25 per put on earlier than you toss it and purchase one other. Octobre’s $125 Oxford would possibly sting your pockets initially, however think about the longevity. Put on it simply as soon as weekly for a yr and also you hit 50 wears at $2.50 every—already aggressive with a budget different.
By yr two, assuming you keep the identical sporting frequency, you’re right down to $1.25 per put on. Yr three drops you to 83 cents. Yr 4? 62 cents. The standard shirt retains performing whereas its price per put on plummets towards negligible.
The actual benefit emerges when you think about wardrobe turnover. Quick vogue calls for fixed alternative as items deteriorate, lose form, or just look drained after just a few wears. You’re perpetually shopping for new shirts to switch worn-out ones, resetting that $2.25 per put on calculation repeatedly. High quality items enhance with age—the cotton softens, the match molds to your physique, the colour develops character. Thus, your price per put on retains dropping whereas your satisfaction retains rising.
Scale this “math” throughout a whole wardrobe and the financial savings compound dramatically. As an alternative of changing 10-15 items yearly, you would possibly substitute 2-3. As an alternative of purchasing each few months, you store each few years. The time saved avoiding shops and web sites has its personal worth. So does the arrogance that comes from figuring out your garments will look nearly as good in month 24 as they did in month one.
Dwelling the System
Octobre Éditions
The true check of any wardrobe is available in every day utility. Summer season warmth requires rolled chino hems and a striped tee as your basis, with the Devon jacket prepared for night temperatures that drop quicker than anticipated. Winter layering turns into intuitive: merino wool beneath the blazer creates office-appropriate heat, whereas the overcoat handles severe chilly with out bulk.
Journey reveals the system’s effectivity. 5 items—Oxford shirt, stripe tee, merino sweater, denims, and Harrington—match comfortably in carry-on baggage but generate sufficient mixtures for every week away. No outfit nervousness, no overpacking, no questioning what works with what.
Actual-world situations exhibit the flexibility. Monday mornings pair the Oxford with a t-shirt and chinos for understated professionalism. Friday night drinks name for the stripe tee beneath the blazer with denims, putting the steadiness between effort and ease. Weekend errands work with the Oxford worn open-collared with denims, projecting informal sophistication with out making an attempt too arduous.
Even formal conditions keep manageable. Winter shopper conferences layer the merino, and blazer beneath the overcoat—a mix that handles each heated convention rooms and freezing sidewalks. The sweetness lies not within the particular mixtures however in figuring out that no matter you select will work.
Yr One Price Per Put on Breakdown
Merchandise
Value
Wears
Price/ Put on
Charlie Oxford
$125
50
$2.50
Mike Sweater
$145
60
$2.42
Kenneth T-shirt
$45
30
$1.50
Elmon Jacket
$435
25
$17.40
Wrigley Denims
$140
80
$1.75
Tom Chinos
$130
40
$3.25
Devon Jacket
$180
35
$5.14
Chuck Sweater
$175
45
$3.89
Harper Sneakers
$220
100
$2.20
Chukka John Boot
$250
35
$7.14
Shopping for high quality as soon as beats shopping for low cost twice. Although these items include a better upfront price, their sturdiness and timeless design imply they’ll earn their preserve. For instance, objects just like the Wrigley Denims and Kenneth T-shirt price lower than $2 per put on inside the first 30–80 makes use of — they usually’re constructed to final far past that. The longer you put on them, the cheaper they turn out to be, proving that considerate funding pays off over time.
Care & Upkeep: The Funding Safety Plan
Octobre Éditions
High quality clothes calls for high quality care, however the routines are less complicated than you would possibly count on. Octobre’s items are designed to age gracefully with correct upkeep, and the model supplies particular steerage for maximizing longevity. Consider it as preventive drugs on your wardrobe.
1. Day by day Habits
The simplest care occurs earlier than issues develop. After sporting leather-based sneakers, allow them to relaxation for no less than two days earlier than the subsequent put on—leather-based wants time to breathe and get well its form. Retailer them in Octobre’s supplied pouches to guard from daylight, which may discolor even premium leather-based over time. Use shoe timber instantly after put on to take care of construction and soak up moisture.
Denim requires the alternative strategy. Octobre’s Portuguese-made denims enhance with put on and may hardly ever see a washer. You possibly can comfortably put on the identical pair a dozen occasions earlier than contemplating a wash. When that day arrives, flip them inside out, use a mild cycle with chilly water, and grasp to dry. By no means use tumble dryers, which can compromise the material’s integrity and fade the fastidiously developed shade.
2. Weekly Upkeep Rituals
Wool items profit from common airing relatively than frequent cleansing. Cling merino sweaters and blazers in well-ventilated areas to launch odors and refresh fibers naturally. Spot clear any stains instantly—most marks may be addressed with a humid fabric and delicate strain relatively than full washing.
For knitwear, pilling is inevitable however manageable. Lay items flat and gently stretch the material, then use a correct knitwear comb to take away tablets with out damaging the underlying construction. Keep away from material shavers, which may be too aggressive for premium wool.
3. Month-to-month Deep Care
Cotton items can deal with common washing however profit from considerate remedy. Wash inside out to protect shade and reduce friction. Use specialised detergents designed for high quality materials—commonplace detergents may be too harsh for natural cotton. By no means use material softeners, which may break down pure fibers over time.
Ironing turns into an artwork with high quality items. Every materials requires completely different temperature settings: low warmth for delicate materials, larger temperatures for cotton and linen. At all times iron clothes inside out to stop shiny marks, and use a humid fabric between the iron and material for defense. For shirts, work methodically: collar and cuffs first, then sleeves, ending with the physique from high to backside.
Stain Administration Technique
Act instantly on contemporary stains utilizing solely heat water and delicate strain. For white cotton items, create a paste utilizing three tablespoons of sodium percarbonate in scorching water (between 40-70°C) and let the garment soak in a single day earlier than washing usually.
Bloodstains require chilly water solely—scorching water will set the protein completely. For older, set-in stains, combine family cleaning soap (Octobre reccomends Savon de Marseille) with bicarbonate of soda and water, soaking for a number of hours earlier than rinsing. Keep away from business stain removers when attainable, as they’ll injury high-quality fibers even whereas eradicating stains.
Seasonal Overhauls
Skilled care turns into essential for outerwear and structured items. Coats and blazers profit from annual dry cleansing to take away accrued oils and refresh their form. Finances roughly $110 yearly for skilled companies—we think about this a modest insurance coverage on a wardrobe funding approaching $2,000.
For first-time jean washes, observe Octobre’s color-preservation method: fill a bucket with chilly water, add 4 tablespoons of white vinegar, and soak for a number of hours earlier than machine washing. This units the dye and prevents future fading.
How Correct Care Pays you Again
Octobre Éditions
Correct care transforms upkeep from chore into funding technique. A well-maintained Octobre piece will look almost similar in yr three because it did on buy day, whereas poorly cared clothes present put on inside months. The time invested in correct care pays dividends in each look and longevity, making certain your capsule wardrobe capabilities reliably for years relatively than seasons.
Past Sustainability: A Blueprint for Accountable Vogue
Octobre’s environmental credentials prolong far past business commonplace gestures. Whereas most manufacturers tout imprecise commitments, Octobre publishes detailed metrics that reveal real systemic change.
The numbers inform a compelling story. Seventy-nine % of their items are manufactured in Europe, dramatically lowering transportation emissions. Sixty % of supplies now qualify as eco-friendly—natural cotton with GOTS certification, RWS wool, and Oeko-Tex licensed silk all bear third-party verification. The model has decreased carbon emissions per piece by 22% in a single yr.
The dedication extends to missed particulars as effectively. Delivery packing containers use recycled cardboard from sustainably managed forests. Boutiques run solely on renewable vitality. Their restore program restored 2000 items final yr relatively than discarding them.
The Actuality Examine
Octobre Éditions
Octobre fits males preferring refinement over trend-chasing. The aesthetic skews traditional and European—clear strains, muted colours, tailor-made matches. In case your fashion runs towards streetwear or outsized silhouettes, this strategy could really feel restrictive.
The value level displays the standard. These items price extra upfront than quick vogue however lower than luxurious manufacturers providing related development. When each piece works with each different piece, purchasing turns into strategic relatively than impulsive.
Local weather issues too. The gathering excels in temperate environments the place layering is smart. When you reside someplace demanding shorts year-round or heavy winter gear, you might want specialised dietary supplements.
The Lengthy Recreation
Constructing a capsule wardrobe requires persistence. High quality reveals itself over time—after two years, you perceive why investing in fewer, higher items makes monetary sense.
The actual profit extends past clothes. When your wardrobe capabilities reliably, you spend much less psychological vitality on look and extra on every little thing else. Your closet transforms from supply of stress into quiet confidence.
Octobre Éditions proves that minimalism serves maximalism of a distinct kind. Personal much less, however personal higher. Fewer decisions, however extra certainty. Much less purchasing, however extra satisfaction with what you put on. In a world obsessive about extra, typically the neatest transfer is just figuring out when you could have sufficient.
The editorial workforce at Fashion is your trusted companion in redefining fashionable males’s fashion. Established in 2007, Fashion has advanced into a number one authority in males’s vogue, with hundreds of thousands of readers searching for sensible recommendation, professional insights, and real-world inspiration for curating their wardrobe and way of life.Our editorial workforce combines over 50 years of collective expertise in vogue journalism, styling, and retail. Every editor brings specialised experience—from luxurious vogue and sustainable fashion to the most recent grooming expertise and perfume science. With backgrounds starting from GQ and Esquire to non-public styling for celebrities, our workforce ensures each advice comes from a spot of deep business information.
