#063 ✰ Nailing down your style
SoaO: Gilles' painting • the real you • free from FOMO • Tommy Shelby
Hey there 👋 I’m Mathilde. We are Objet. We explore the intersection of consumerism, myth, satisfaction, desire, taste, joy, meaning and pride. Not specifically in that order. To brag at your next dinner, Objet is the french word for 'object' and should be pronounced 'OB-JEH'.
Hello hello! If you’re new here, welcome 👋
In today’s Objet journal:
Our mission 👉 Wait, what are they onto again?
Soul of an Objet 👉 Gilles’ painting
What’s up on the app 👉 Bounties? Yes, and way more social!
Cool reads 👉 Cause you know, it’s always cool to read cool stuff
Our mission
The relationship we, humans, have with shopping - and our objects as a whole - is broken: we want to bring back joy and pride.
Objet is a safe space to explore your desires and know yourself better.
Soul of an Objet | Gilles Grosjean Nash
Sublime possessions have soul and meaning. Meet Gilles’s Finn Pedersen painting.
Gilles’s Objet profile | Helping brands reach their full potential with Curious
Hi Gilles! So what's the backstory of this object?
I love the story behind this painting. It's the work of Danish Neo-Cobra painter Finn Pedersen. I had discovered his work a few years prior to buying this artwork, as I had the chance to buy a small drawing of his while visiting Copenhagen.
As I wanted to discover more works from the artist, I started to browse his hashtag on Instagram and saw other pieces of Pedersen's art, including the painting that now hangs on my wall. I was instantly drawn to its bold brushstrokes and vibrant colours, and I quickly gave it a "like". Months passed, and I couldn't stop thinking about the painting, so months later, I decided to leave a comment simply saying that it was one of the nicest works from the artist I had ever seen. To my surprise, the owner of the painting replied, telling me that it was for sale if I was interested. We negotiated a price quickly and arranged for the painting to be shipped to me as a birthday present in November 2015. The only challenge was that the painting was somewhere in northern Denmark and was too large to fly, so we had to find a way to transport it by road.
Despite these hurdles, everything worked out perfectly in the end. The seller agreed to build a crate for the painting, and it arrived safely in Brussels. Now, every time I look at the artwork on my wall, I'm reminded of the incredible journey it took to get here and how much I enjoy Pedersen's art.
What object’s been your best investment?
If you had asked me this question two weeks ago, I probably would have said my MacBook Pro that lasted over 10 years. However, since I had to purchase a new one last week, I have to give credit to my Barbour jacket that has been a reliable partner for about 25 years now. Despite the fit being less trendy nowadays, I couldn't care less and continue to love its durability and classic style.
Is there any other type of things you truly like to dig into?
I’m particularly interested in wine, especially those from Burgundy, as well as vintage watches, modern and contemporary art, and interior design, especially mid-century design. Sometimes, I find myself frustrated that I'm not more knowledgeable about these topics, but I remind myself that I'm only in my mid-40s ;)
What's the next purchase you're currently contemplating?
I tend to take my time when it comes to purchasing things, so I could give you a list of possible future buys. For example, there's a pair of shoes that I've been considering for a few years now, which drives my wife crazy because she doesn't understand my decision-making process. I suppose I believe that taking my time is the best way to make sure I'm truly happy with the purchase in the long run.
Thank you!
👀 Did you know? Once you onboard on the app, you can respond to and engage with cool people like Gilles in one click.
What’s up in the app
🌸🛼 A bounty, you said?
Post a bounty on the app to get recommendations on your next purchase. You can now tag people 🙋🏼 in comments and share bounties to the outside world 🌎
[NEW bounties] 👇
simonbeckerman is looking for a sideboard for the entrance of his house
nabibu is looking for containers for a small herbs garden
vir is looking for a birthday present for his mom
sari is looking for a chic gift for a lady who loves to cook
Think you can help?
Try us:
… and if you're not on iOS - it happens to cool people - feel free to reply in the comments!
Cool reads
Finding one’s own style builds up confidence. True in fashion, true in probably everything else in life.
What is style in the first place? Below’s quite a definition:
I’d sum it up in: what suits you (aesthetic) AND what you feel great about (attitude). It probably takes years of practice, and failing multiple times. Above all, it is a very personal journey.
Why do we care? To those skeptical, I’d love to remind you about status, and this little gem in the introduction of La Révolution Matérielle:
🇫🇷 “(…) l’habit impose à celui même qui le porte ; il veut en etre digne, et s’efforce d’y répondre par sa tenue morale.” Le Peuple, Michelet, 1846
🇬🇧 [my own translation] “ (…) clothes urge those wearing them ; they want to be worthy of them, and will do their best to act with their moral behaviour” Le Peuple, Michelet, 1846
Why finding one’s own style could actually be a cool thing to do?
Become hermetic to noise (and trends)
The most sustainable idea in fashion is personal style. Amen.
(…) personal style, not fashion, holds the greatest reward: it allows you to invest in yourself, rather than in a bunch of ideas about who you could or should want to be.
(…)
We’ve taught ourselves that our clothing can only bring a sense of joy the first time we wear it. But there are ways to train yourself to love something every time you put it on. The real test for me is: can I put it on, forget about it for most of the day, remember I’m wearing it at 4 pm, and grin?
Alec Leach in The World Is On Fire But We’re Still Buying Shoes:
Paying much less attention to marketing, and much more to clothes. Slowly but surely assembling a collection of things that we truly love. Hunting down that perfect piece, cherishing it for years to come, embracing the flaws it picks up along the way. It’s a win-win situation. Better for the planet, but better for us too.
On that trend, a couple wise words from Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology Of Money:
Having no FOMO might be the most important investing skill.
Focus your spending on things you love
“Frugality, quite simply, is about choosing the things you love enough to spend extravagantly on—and then cutting costs mercilessly on the things you don’t love.” There is no guide on what will make you happy – you have to try a million different things and figure out what fits your personality.
Enrich your identity with stories
Learn where to get your things from. Possibly, fall in love with stories.
“Clothing is so deeply tied to identity, taste, emotion, and lifestyle; no wardrobe will work for everyone. Such lists always send people down the wrong path, as they encourage them to buy things they don’t need.”
So now, onto developing good taste. Your taste.
Fashion, or style, if you prefer, is fundamentally about stories. We know this because the word “text” comes from the Latin term textus (“a tissue”), the past participle of the verb texere (“to weave”). Stories and clothing are interlinked even on the etymological level.
Your individuality.
Fashion can help you build your identity, your mystique, your confidence. But to give yourself over to it completely—and to the impulsive churn that says something is suddenly uncool—is to forgo your individuality. You must exert control over your clothing if you want to use it to define yourself.
Look up. An attitude.
If the thing is really great—and I promise you this—people don’t think, “I can’t believe he’s wearing that jacket again.” They think about how cool it looks on you—and about how envious they are that you have a signature, that you dress like you really know yourself.
Derek, on how to develop good taste:
Start With An Aesthetic
Think Of Fashion As Language
Develop Your Vocabulary
Think Of The Whole Package
Rely On People And Stores
Buy And Experiment
Oh, and
Relax
No one is thinking about you as much as you are.
***
Found your own style? Create your ‘capsule wardrobe’ collection in the app and share it in the comments below. Here’s mine 💋
If you got all the way here and have been seeking a better way to experience shopping & enjoy your possessions, alongside enthusiastic, not-so-serious souls, try Objet:
… share Objet journal with a soulmate 👯
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Til next time,
Mathilde