Eugénie Trochu is a Who What Wear editor-in-residence known for her revolutionary work Vogue France together with him Stack newsletterwhere she writes and shares new trends, her no-nonsense approach to fashion and style, and some singing. She is also working on her first book, which explores fashion as a place of memory, speculation, and reinvention.
There are days when being me is a full-time job. You know the kind: smiling under the light of the camera, wearing an Attico dress that cuts across your ribs, walking from opening to opening in 12-inch Zanottis, maintaining an intelligent conversation about the weather with the creative director while knowing full well that your toes are, technically, in an advanced state of decay.
Then there are other days. The real ones. Confidential. The ones that smell like spilled coffee and traffic on the Périphérique. The ones that start at 5:07 am, are triggered by the shouting of a small person whose energy levels would put a New York trader to shame. The ones where your professional calendar says “OFF” but life screams “ERRANDS, DAYCARE, WRITING TO WHOM YOU WEAR A PIECE, DINING AT CAFÉ DE FLORE WITH FRIENDS.” Those when you’re picking out an outfit, or looking at yourself in the mirror for more than three seconds, feel like astronaut-level performance.
On those days, I want only one thing: to be a ghost. A well-dressed, silent spirit walks through the city without leaving a trace. Flawless cut air and fabrics that whisper “I know” rather than yelling “look at me.”
Because here’s the irony: even as a ghost, he still has values. Mine is Uniform. A satirical mathematical formula, the invisible weapon of chic was created somewhere between an Hermès showroom and a Paris nursery. It’s the survival kit for someone who gave all their energy to fashion the day before and now has nothing left but the brains of an oyster.
If you too, sometimes in the morning, dream of mixing in the background while staying true to yourself, here is my secret recipe. The map allows you to move incognito, without looking like a devotee.
Perfect White T-Shirt
Mine is close without being tight – definitely not restrictive. It should go on without thought, slip easily under a serious blazer, a sleeveless waistcoat à la Kate Moss in the early 2000s, or live its best life under a big woolen sweater. The kind of sweater that you’re super hot in after twenty minutes, but you’ll take off anyway without shame, because underneath is that nice t-shirt. The one that allows you to survive in society when you suddenly find yourself, by chance, in a modern restaurant—let’s say Sant Ambroeus, a newcomer to Paris—surrounded by the most well-dressed and most attentive people.
Cou Cou Intimates
Regular Baby Tee
Petit Bateau
SS Crew Neck Cocotte Stitch Tee
The Perfect Shirt
There is no argument here: it is huge. Very likely. We love it when it spills, when it floats, when it raises carefully measured suspense. Worn under a low-cut sweater, it creates that bourgeois undercurrent—”crossing the Seine a little for dinner on the Right Bank”—without being too literal. It gives the impression of a well-ordered life, even if it isn’t really.
POLO RALPH LAUREN
Embroidered Oxford Cotton Shirt
You’re stupid
Large Cotton Shirt
Levi
Teodora Western Shirt
Turtleneck Sweater
A solid solution to a recurring problem: a scarf. The one you lose every five minutes, leave it behind the chair, never to see it again. A good wool turtleneck fulfills that role perfectly. It keeps you warm, it frames your face, it insures you. It is pill-free (a negotiable condition) and, best of all, it is machine washable at 30°C. Because dry cleaning – I hate it. I don’t have time to leave clothes, let alone pick them up. A suitable outfit should survive in real life.
COS
Chunky Cashmere Mock-Neck Sweater
& other stories
Boxy Turtleneck Jumper
Frankie’s Shop
Rhea Wool and Cotton-Blend Turtleneck Sweater
Straight Leg Jeans
High waist, to avoid any unwanted surprises or unnecessary spillover. Literally, because everything else is worrying. Too long, above all. They should fall nicely over boots or squish a little over sneakers, with that little, unintended cream that makes the difference. These are jeans that don’t try to be sexy, but end up being just that—through a bunch of great choices.
AGOLDE
90’s Pinch Waist High Rise Straight Jeans
A revolution
Val 90s Mid Rise Straight Jeans
Sneakers
Yes, but not just any couple. Collaborative, limited edition, reworked classics. It’s a bit sharp without being flashy. Margiela, for example, or Converse features a Comme des Garçons filter. The sneakers say: I know what I’m doing, but I can’t explain why.
MAISON MARGIELA
Replica Leather and Suede Sneakers
COMME des GARCONS PLAY
High Top Canvas Sneakers
New Balance X Miu Miu
530 SL Suede and Mesh Sneakers
Bomber Jacket
A true comfort garment. The one you grab without thinking when you go out. It needs funny details – a fur collar, frivolous patches, something that breaks the feeling of overuse. It’s a piece that makes it look like you don’t take yourself too seriously—even when everything else is tightly controlled.
CECILIE BAHNSEN X ALPHA
MA-1 Laser Cut Bomber
Source Unknown
Fur Collar Down Jacket
MANGO
Faux Leather Jacket with Shearling Collar
Go-Anywhere Boots
A little heel— just enough to stand and be present. They go with everything, save everything, and make it easy to move quickly without looking rushed. Quiet priority.
MANGO
Faux-Croc-Leather Pointed-Toe Ankle Boots
yes
Sofie Leather Ankle Boots
A TOTEM
Mid Heel Leather Chelsea Boots
Long Coat
Dense, dark shadows. Black, charcoal gray, deep navy. Its main advantage: it forgives accidents. A spilled coffee, a mishandled croissant—life, in short. It protects clothes as it protects dignity.
Frankie’s Shop
Gaia Double Breasted Wool-Blend Coat
Róhe
Double Breasted Coat With Faux Fur Collar
Large Carry Bag
The one you put your whole life into. Laptop, notebooks, chargers, glasses, sometimes even extra shoes. Heavy, obvious, but convincing. A bag that: I can disappear for twenty-four hours without warning—I have everything I need.
Lowe
Press Small Chain Collection Leather Composite Bag
Balenciaga
Large Rodeo Handbag in Light Espresso
Jewelry Watch
It is not set for the right time. It’s not the point. It adds an extra layer of style, a slight offset, a sort of deliberate randomness. And besides, checking the time on your phone has gotten worse.
Cartier
Baignoire 18.7mm Mini 18-Karat Gold and Mixed Leather watch
Swarovski
Crystalline Bangle Watch
Jaeger-LeCoultre
The Reverso Classic
