Wardrobe is a French word: garde (to keep, preserve) and robe (clothing, wardrobe). It keeps not only our clothing garments, but our secrets, mysteries, and continuous games as well.Good wardrobe, i.e. a number of clothing garments and fashion details which can be combined together, is created at the same moment when a desired vision of one´s appearance and style is precisely depicted. From that moment on, the image has to be directed in a way that each and every new acquisition contains a precise connection with the complete style, as we would say for a piece of art in a collection, that it has only one function – function that will do more than indulging a whim. A desired clothing garment has to be put into the context with the rest of the garments that have you already obtained.
Good wardrobe, as good library, is finally starting to get a shape well formed, and only after a number of years it may be considered defined. Only at this point, in carefully chosen wardrobe cabinets, the clothing garments are starting to get older and better. Time is the only judge who can evaluate clothes, outside a certain moment´s pointless trends. So, fabric has to be made of natural materials: wool, flax, silk or cotton. To wrap it up – let´s remind ourselves that a philosophical a collector´s point of view can be put into use very successfully, even on those who do not own more than three suits and twenty cravats. It isn´t necessary to be a multimillionaire to know how to dress well, however, taking care of your wardrobe is of great importance, for the clothes make a necessary item that travels with us along the way, all along the journey of life.
When one chooses a cravat to wear that day, one also has to pay attention to the material. There are certain rules that should be followed to make the choice easier. For example, because it is not possible to be hot and cold at the same time, there is no reason why one should wear a woollen cravat with a flax suit and vice versa. One should pay attention to the texture and weave harmony. Try not to wear a satin or silk cravat with a rough wool or cotton suit. A good rule is that a cravat should determine the weave of the suit or the shirt. A rep cravat goes well with a twill suit because they are finely woven. A woollen cravat goes with a tweed jacket. Finally, cravat material should be appropriate to the occasion. A rich silk weave is more suitable for an evening attire than for a day in an office.
Matching a cravat and a suit or a shirt can be tricky. The first rule is that elements should not be too similar or too different so as not to exclude one another. Combining stripes with stripes can be successful as long as there is a difference in the stripes’ width. Motifs can clash when it comes to shape or size. Matching thick asymmetric stripes can present a problem, but there is no rule on matching polka-dot and striped pattern, as long as their size goes well together. The safest way is to test whether the cravat’s dots fit between the shirt’s stripes. The more similar the size of motifs is between a shirt, a cravat and a jacket, the better the impression.
Motifs can also clash because of their theme. For example, a cravat with a hunting motif clashes with a classic striped suit; a classic modern polka-dot silk cravat looks ridiculous with a tweed suit.
From A small cravat book by Francoise Chaille. Flammarion (1999)
Psychology and clinic psychology have studied the cravat as a unique fashion phenomenon. Here are some interesting insights.
If a person wears only one cravat type:
- striped patterns reveal a powerful will and power aspirations
- conservative people wear green cravats
- people who want to please everybody wear polka-dot patterns
- eccentric people wear flashy cravats
- introverted people usually wear black cravats.
Here is some advice from Count Della Galda’s book (1827) “The art of knotting cravats in usual and unusual ways in sixteen lessons”. Here are some guidelines on which cravats to take on a journey. A man should never travel without a small suitcase in which he will put his cravat collection. The suitcase should contain:
1. a dozen of plain white cravats.
2. a dozen of white cravats with a chequered, polka-dot or striped pattern.
3. a dozen of coloured cravats.
4. at least three dozens of shirt collars.
5. two fake collars.
6. two black silk cravats.
7. a small iron.
A cravat is an important accessory and it should match our attire in material, pattern and colour. If one does not have many cravats, it is sufficient to have two plain cravats which can be worn on several occasions. When a plain cravat is worn with a patterned shirt or suit, one should make sure that the colours match.
For example, a yellow, green or brown cravat does not match a blue or grey suit, but you can wear a green or brown cravat with a brown suit. A patterned cravat can be worn with a plain suit and shirt if it matches with the colour and the pattern of the suit. Too colourful cravats should not be worn with an elegant suit.
It is important to know that the cravat should not be the same colour as the shirt or the suit. A smart dresser will know how to refresh their apparel by simply changing the cravat; a grey suit with a plain shirt will look completely different with a red cravat one put on in the morning and a blue one in the afternoon.
Etiquette