Suit Geek n.21 - Mr. Wang Yuteng - A Man of Many Voices & Blazers
“Suit Geek” is PRINCIPLE M's original feature column where each month we reach out to one of our loyal customers & friends and ask him to share his clothing, life, and his unique point of view on gentlemen‘s style.
In the 21st edition of Suit Geek, we invited our old friend and client, Mr. Wang Yuteng, a 'voice specialist' who has a deep fondness for blazers. In this interview, Yuteng generously showcased some of his many voices as a voice actor. When it came to discussing his sartorial inspiration, being a film enthusiast, he had prepared a folder filled with movie screenshots. He meticulously explained to us the sources of his sartorial inspiration found in films, ranging from men's suits to trench coats and even the composition and color schemes of the shots...
"Hello, everyone. My name is Wang Yuteng, and I am a voice actor. I have been in this profession for about 13 years. I usually do voiceovers for documentaries and dubbing for films and TV dramas”
Wang Yuteng at PRINCIPLE M's 2021 Christmas Party
On His Very First Suit
"I got my first suit very early, probably when I was around fifteen or sixteen years old. At that time, I was studying Italian opera (I was a baritone), and I needed to perform on stage. To my father's generation, a suit was considered appropriate attire for formal occasions, whether for children or adults. So, my family prepared a cream-colored suit for me. I don't quite remember if it was custom-made or ready-to-wear, but I still have photos of that stage performance (laughs).”
"After I entered college, I stopped singing opera, but I still loved music. There was a jazz band at my school, and they invited me to join. At some performances, I would wear that cream-colored suit on stage to sing jazz songs. Every time, I sang Autumn Leaves, and it remains deeply ingrained in my memory.
On Stage, 2008
HIS TAILORING JOURNEY
- Tell Us About Your First Custom Experience At PRINCIPLE M
"The first time I came to PRINCIPLE M was to buy a shirt, the one I'm wearing now (referring to the Tokyo denim shirt). That was about four or five years ago. I remember that I was searching the entire internet for a perfect denim shirt because denim is an essential part of my wardrobe. I have many pairs of jeans, and I often wear denim shirts as well. At that time, I had a denim shirt that I really liked. It fit my body perfectly for ready-to-wear standards, but it still had some small issues. For example, I wanted the collar to be slightly stiffer and the cuffs a little smaller. So, I thought about having a custom-made shirt, and I stumbled upon PRINCIPLE M by chance."
Wang Yuteng in Bespoke Alfred Brown Blazer & Tailored Tokyo Denim Shirt by PRINCIPLE M
"I still remember it vividly. I communicated with your customer service at that time, and the shirt cost was 780 yuan. Our customer service kindly told me that I could add 100 yuan to customize it according to my measurements. So, I came to the store and went through a simple and pleasant process to customize my first garment at PRINCIPLE M.
I have been wearing this shirt for over four years. I’ve loved its original color from the very beginning and even now as it naturally fades. I like this light shade of denim blue that doesn't require months of multiple washes to achieve the tone I wanted, and I don't have to worry about it staining my white pants."
HIS PERSONAL STYLE
-What's Your Favorite Piece Of Clothing?
"My favorite piece would be a blazer. I have comissioned more than one blazer (laughs), but the one I am most satisfied with is the Bespoke Loro Piana blazer I had made last year at PRINCIPLE M, using silver buttons I found."
"I believe a blazer, as many suit enthusiasts would say, is truly versatile and can be paired with almost any color of pants, whether it's brown, white, khaki, or gray. Wearing it also suits the modern urban atmosphere of city life. I think modern cities seem to favor this deep blue tone, both in terms of architectural form and the commonly used color palette.
If I don't know what to wear, I'll just grab my blazer from the closet, and I am very satisfied with the cut of this particular one.”
- As A Voice Actor, How Did You Come To Master So Many Different Voices? What's Your Usual Working Process?
"When it comes to why I got into voice acting, it's actually quite interesting. When I was a child, my voice was quite high-pitched. However, as soon as I hit puberty, it suddenly dropped lower and lower, as if my vocal cord was descending in a submarine, and it never returned.
Because my voice was so deep and sounded lazy, I often became the target of my classmates' imitations. It was probably from that time on that I started actively controlling my voice to communicate with others in a slightly higher pitch than my natural tone. In 2010, I began studying voice acting and mastered a few vocal techniques. Now I can speak like this (high-pitched), I can speak like this (hoarse), I can speak like this (lively)...
During dubbing for films and TV shows, I choose different tones depending on the needs of the characters. For example, when dubbing for animated films and documentaries, my vocal choices are certainly distinct."
-What's Your Style At Work?
"Being a voice actor is a relatively casual profession when it comes to dress codes. Sometimes you can even see colleagues wearing tank tops and flip-flops in the recording studio. However, for me, this is an era that advocates dressing freely, with the freedom to dress down as well as dress up.
I remember watching a documentary a couple of years ago about Michael Jordan called "The Last Dance." In it, we could see that even in the 1990s, they had to wear suits to enter the sports arena and then change into their jerseys for the actual game. But a few days ago, I saw an NBA player on TV being interviewed shirtless.
So, I feel that nowadays people are dressing more casually, and that's the trend of the times. Perhaps my dress style may also be seen as a bit rebellious for this era.”
Michael Jordan in Suits, 1990s
Where do you get your inspiration from?
"I believe the era we live in is great. We can see countless experienced individuals sharing their dressing styles, color combinations, fabrics, tailoring, and fashion trends from both China and around the world on social media platforms.
There are also many style enthusiasts who explore and share more niche and vintage styles from the 1950s, 1960s, or even a century ago.”
Wang Yuteng's Casual Style
"I also really enjoy watching movies. I draw a lot of inspiration for clothing from movies. Interestingly, although we make a lot of clothes, one would expect to wear them for various social activities like going to a bar, having drinks with friends, or watching movies, etc.
However, outside of work, I tend to be alone with my computer or iPad, watching movies or TV series. It's part of my work, I just continue to enjoy watching these visual works in my free time. I can learn acting techniques, and at the same time, discover new style inspirations. I think it's great, and I find pleasure in it.
I think the term "inspiration" is quite fitting because sometimes you can be attracted by a fashion blogger's outfit, but you don't necessarily have to buy clothes with exactly the same material or color to match. You can learn from them but create your own style.”
What’s your favorite film?
"Speaking of the influence of movies on clothing, I may not have a 'most' favorite movie, but there are some movies that I revisit every few years, such as The Great Beauty (Italian title: La Grande Bellezza).
This film left a profound impression on me with its strong Neapolitan tailoring style suits. Previously, I thought that red suits had to be in dark shades, but the protagonist's bright red sports jacket in the movie was quite eye-catching."
Toni Servillo as Jep Gambardella in The Great Beauty (2013
"The inspiration for a garment I recently made at PM also came from a cinematic experience. Several months ago, I watched a documentary about designer Dieter Rams, and I was immediately captivated by his outfits featured in the film. Despite having only a few ensembles showcased, each one had a particularly comfortable and appealing combination.
For instance, there was a set in the office, where he was interviewed in a caramel-colored blazer paired with velvet-textured off-white trousers. Even though it's quite formal, it didn't feel uptight. The overall impression was very cozy and warm, just like he's sitting at home. I guess it's the same impression I was looking for in clothing.”
Dieter Rams in Rams (2018)
After watching the documentary, I started looking for a blazer like the one in the film. Eventually, I found a vintage Scabal cashmere fabric at PM, which I used to make this very comfortable bespoke winter jacket.
Wang Yuteng in Bespoke Vintage Scabal Cashmere Jacket by PRINCIPLE M
Daniel Craig as James Bond in
Quantum of Solace(2020)
"I often rewatch the 'Bourne' series and the James Bond films. Speaking of Bond, there is also a piece of clothing that I bought because of him. In the 2020 film, he wears a navy shawl collar wool cardigan at sea, which greatly attracted me. Previously, my impression of wool sweaters was mainly round or V-neck styles, but this type of cardigan with a shawl collar had a more outerwear-like feel to it. Later, I purchased a similar brown wool knit sweater at PM, and I wear it a lot."
"Sometimes, while watching these movies, I feel the fleeting passage of time. When I first watched these films as a teenager, observing James Bond on screen, he seemed like an elder to me. However, now when I watch them, he appears to be roughly my age.
This is particularly evident in the first "Bourne" film, where Jason Bourne is younger than I am now, almost like my younger brother. It's an interesting realization that the same movie can be viewed at different times and ages."
