The belt over the cardigan. Wearing a sweater inside the trousers could be a little eccentric, but is not a folly: in the early 1900s our great-grandfathers used to do it. A century has passed by from this shot by Lartigue, but look at how modern are the subjects. The final result of the look I suggest to you will give a old-fashioned effect and, so, why don’t  emphasize the vintage taste? The – single breasted – jacket if in plain colour has to be made of a rough fabric like the wool-crepe, otherwise of a printed fabric like Glencheck or vichy; the shirt has to have a little collar and light tone on tone stripes, the tie will be perfect if knitted. The cardigan, the protagonist, has to be thin, made of wool or cashmere. The belt? Matching the outfit and with a little buckle, not to attract too much attention on the waist. And, finally, the trousers: with pleats. Picture by James Henry Lartigue from the book Chic, le Sport! (Actes Sud/Hermès)

The man and the sea. The marinière was born in 1858, when it was included in the official uniform of the French Navy. It has also another name: “breton”, related to Brittany, where it was worn for the first time by fishermen. And the fishermen of Deauville, Normandy, gave Coco Chanel the idea of her striped sweater with the boat neck: but this is certainly a men’s garment. The marinière refers to a maritime atmosphere and it’s usually reintroduced in s/s collections but, if the knitting is thick, it could also work for the f/w season. From the 50s on, the breton has gone round the world: from Sartre to James Dean, to Cary Grant (in To Catch a Thief), and in the 80s appeared on the catwalk thanks to Jean Paul Gaultier, that Pierre et Gilles portrayed with imaginative irony. Jean Paul Gaultier in a famous picture by Pierre et Giles (1990).

Original cuts. “Traditions have to be maintained so they can be passed on to future generations. In troubled times like ours, we must maintain these traditions which are our luxury and the flower of our civilisation”. It has been said, written indeed, by Monsieur Christian Dior; and Kris Van Assche, the current creative director of Dior Homme, used the original sentence and handwriting of Maitre Dior, as the leit-motif of menswear collection, as a pattern printed on outerwear. The idea of “maintaining these traditions in troubled times because they’re the flower of our civilisation”, injects a sense of pride. So that’s why we mustn’t forget that in any field  – from art to fashion and literature – nothing existing today would have been possible without an origin, a past. Christian Dior on the Times’ cover in 1957

The top of style. Sporty and classy: in the mountains with style. The technological development of the fashion industry has often favoured comfort at the expense of appearance. Bright down jacket with a reflective effect, stuffed trousers, absurd boots, which are waterproof but also horrific. Luckily there’s a U-turn from this season on: waterproof garments and accessories that are also warm, comfortable and windproof, now become more fashionable and, above all, more appealing. Store your synthetic fluo jackets in mothballs and opt for neutral colors and wool fabric. Store your down mittens and buy a pair of gloves made of waterproof leather; wear a turtleneck instead of the sweatshirt and velvet trousers. Finally, free yourself of those old laced boots and try to imagine the coolness of a pair of leather shoes with non-slip sole and snowproof upper.

Pure extravagance. Irreverent, eccentric, determined, special, different, self-referential. The man of this week neglects the conventional codes, breaks the bon-ton rules and aims for transgression. A man, but also a woman, like in the reference picture: she’s the model Georgie Hobday portrayed by Rankin. Yes, she could be a woman because I chose unisex outfits…Or even, menswear outfits that can be worn by women too. Sure, it takes the proper attitude for a kind of fashion that has nothing to do with the classic/formal and I “invented” on purpose for this column, matching blazers with printed shirts. I imagined an odd character, I drew on my photographic archive of hundreds of celebrities that I clothed in odd way and I had fun.