Where did the idea of a colour for each day come from?
Some professional encounters reach beyond the bounds of work. Mine with Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr goes back to 2015, the year I opened the boutique on avenue Hoche.
He walked in with that very Parisian presence, at once elegant and warm. Nothing ostentatious, yet everything was right: the cut, the cloth, the detail. We talked cloth, silhouettes, a taste for beautiful things. Then, almost in confidence, he said something I have never forgotten.
“You know, I never choose my colours at random. Each day has its own energy. So I dress accordingly.”
He was not talking about fashion. He was talking about intuition, rhythm, astrology. With a mischievous smile, he explained that he liked to match his clothes to the planet of the day. Not out of superstition, but as a personal ritual, a way of stepping into the day with intent.
Who was Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr?
Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr was an auctioneer in Paris, at the head of the auction house that bears his name. He helped open French salerooms to fields that were then little regarded: photography, design, comic art, contemporary art.
On the rostrum, he turned an auction into a performance. The voice, the rhythm, the way he raised the hammer: it all came close to theatre. That a man who spent his life bringing works of art into the light should think in shades and atmospheres is, in the end, hardly surprising. I like to imagine that he composed his weeks like a palette.
Why link the days of the week to the planets?
Because our days still bear the planets' names. In French, five of the seven take their names, through Latin, from a heavenly body: the Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter and Venus name the days from Monday to Friday. French gave Saturday and Sunday religious names, but English has kept the trace of the last two: Saturday for Saturn, Sunday for the Sun.
To each of these heavenly bodies, astrological tradition lends a character, and with it a set of colours. It was from this tradition that Pierre Cornette de Saint Cyr drew his ritual. Here is how it can be translated into a wardrobe.
Which colour should you wear on each day of the week?
Monday, the Moon: gentleness and attentiveness
White, ivory, pearl grey. Monday calls for calm and preparation. A white shirt, a cream knit, natural linen in season. The effect to aim for: clarity, an openness to others.
Tuesday, Mars: action and daring
Red, burgundy, terracotta. The day for decisions and hard-fought negotiations. There is no need to wear much of it: a burgundy tie, a pocket square, a pair of socks are enough to assert your presence.
Wednesday, Mercury: exchange and quickness
Soft greens, mint, sage. The day of meetings and of ideas that travel. An odd jacket in a muted green, or a sage-green knitted tie, brings freshness while keeping faith with a grey suit.
Thursday, Jupiter: radiance and ambition
Yellow, gold, royal blue. Jupiter is the planet of expansion. A clear royal blue on a silk tie, a pocket square with glints of gold: enough to carry an important presentation, or a dinner where one means to be seen.
Friday, Venus: charm and elegance
Powder pink, pastels, emerald. Venus presides over beauty and the bonds between people. It is the most “Cornette” day of the week: a celebration of art and of life. A pale pink shirt under a navy suit, an emerald-green tie, materials soft to the touch such as cashmere or silk.
Saturday, Saturn: structure and depth
Black, charcoal grey, navy. Saturn is the planet of rigour and of patient, in-depth work. Clean lines, dark tones, flannel in winter. The effect: stability, concentration.
Sunday, the Sun: joy and vitality
Orange, gold, warm yellow. The day of light and simple pleasures. A saffron jumper, a mustard scarf, a tweed jacket with russet glints: warm colours for a wardrobe at leisure.
How do you bring colour into a bespoke wardrobe?
You need not believe in the stars to take the lesson to heart. Colour is worked in small touches, on a sober base.
- Begin with the shirt.Sky blue, pale pink, fine stripes: it is the piece that comes closest to the face, and so the one that most changes your complexion. See our bespoke shirts and their cloths.
- Play with accessories.Tie, pocket square, socks: they let you change colour every day without changing your suit.
- Be bold with the lining.It shows only when the jacket opens, which allows a stronger colour: a burgundy, a bottle green, a golden yellow.
- Choose an odd jacket.A muted green, a brown, a brighter blue: the simplest way to bring colour into a wardrobe built around navy and grey.
In the salon, we look at the cloths in daylight, held against your face, before deciding. A colour is judged on you, not in a swatch book. For a sense of the shades, browse the house's cloth ranges.
What I learned from him
That day, I did not simply meet a celebrated auctioneer. I met someone who taught me that dressing can be a symbolic gesture. Not to be seen: to be in tune with one's day.
I often think back to his words: “Each day has its own energy. One may as well go with it.” And what if choosing a colour in the morning were already choosing the tone of the day?
If you would like to compose a week of colours that is entirely your own, book a private consultation, at the atelier or by video call. We will begin with what you already wear.