Jan Adamski
An Engineer Who Taught Poles Elegance
A mechanical engineer who transformed the face of men’s style in Poland, author of one of the most popular fashion blogs, and designer of suit collections – today, his work is followed by thousands, and his influence on clothing culture is undeniable.
Can you start a career in fashion after turning sixty? Can a graduate of the Warsaw University of Technology become an icon of classic elegance?
The story of Jan Adamski shows that passion has no age, and inspiration can arrive when you least expect it.
Here is a story Jan Adamski tells himself:
“During almost every interview I give or television appearance I take part in, there’s always a moment of surprise. It happens when people find out that I’m an engineer by education—specifically, a mechanical engineer. How can that be? A suit designer, an expert in classic men’s elegance, an influencer and fashion blogger with a reach of hundreds of thousands—an engineer?”
That’s true, but the information becomes less surprising when you realize that I graduated from the Warsaw University of Technology in 1976 and became a fashion blogger almost 40 years later – so there was plenty of time to change direction. But then comes another surprise, because blogging or being active on social media is usually seen as the domain of the young, whereas I started in this field at the age of 61. What’s worth noting, however, is that my readers and followers are mostly young people. For example, among the 63,000 people following my Instagram account, more than half are under 35, and about 30% fall into the 35–44 age range.
When my blog on classic men’s elegance, fashion, and style was launched 11 years ago, blogs on various topics were at the height of their popularity. The most-read ones were culinary, travel, or lifestyle blogs. So-called “wardrobe blogs” were also very popular, in which young and beautiful women showed off trendy clothes and stylish gadgets. Men’s fashion, in all of this, was a tiny niche – yet at one point, my blog reached an astonishing 400,000 views per month. Today – when blog popularity has dropped significantly – my 150,000 monthly views is still a very strong result, and one I’m proud of.
For someone who has never encountered blogging and isn’t particularly interested in fashion or style, it may be hard to imagine what my blog posts are actually about. The easiest way to explain is through examples. Roughly 1/5 of the posts are instructional articles, in which I offer advice on various aspects of classic elegance. Good examples include: “The Groom. How to Dress for a Wedding?” or “The Perfect Suit: What’s the Secret?”.
Another group includes posts that explore specific issues related to fashion and style, such as: “The Trench Coat: From Trenches to High Fashion”, “Boat Shoes”, or “Panama Hat: The Most Stylish Summer Headwear”.
I also take on topics at the intersection of fashion and pop culture, for example in the posts: “The Most Iconic Movie Hats of All Time” or “Shoelove – A Passion for Footwear”. Sometimes, there are posts mocking various fashion and style mishaps, like: “The 10 Most Common Mistakes Men Make in Elegant Outfits”.
The largest group of entries consists of posts in which I showcase various elegant outfits. Here are 3 examples out of many: “My Favorite Suits”, “Summer Jackets – The Tropical Tuxedo”, and “Camel Ulster”.
Running the blog is just one aspect of my activity in the field of classic men’s elegance. My social media profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and Threads reach a wide audience. They require not only constantly publishing new content but also responding to comments and questions from my followers. I estimate that I respond to several hundred comments each day, and even if some replies are just an emoji or a simple “thank you” (in Polish, English, Spanish, Portuguese, or Italian), it still takes a lot of time. Of course, there are also comments that require more than a short reply—sometimes several sentences or even paragraphs. From time to time, I publish posts on the blog in which I share dozens of selected reader questions and my responses: “Fashion and Style: Questions and Answers”.
The popularity of my blog and social media channels also leads to occasional invitations to various TV programs, most often morning shows. There are also articles about my work featured on different websites and in print magazines (my photo has even appeared on the cover twice). Over more than a decade of my activity, quite a bit has accumulated; I’ll mention, for example, a video produced for Fakt or an interview on Dzień Dobry TVN. The latter is particularly interesting because I appear in it together with my wife Małgorzata, who plays an important role in my blogging journey, as she is the author of nearly all the photos.
To complete the picture of my involvement in the world of men’s fashion, I should also mention clothing design. Years ago, I co-created two collections of elegant clothing for one of the leading brands at the time – Próchnik. For the past four years, I’ve been working with a local brand from Pomerania – Bonus MG. The suit collection I designed is called JAN ADAMSKI and enjoys great popularity (several thousand suits sold annually). Of course, the suits I’ve designed often appear on my blog, for example in the post: New Items in My Collection.