Song credit: Dead Man's Bones - Werewolf Heart
Let's start with a little trip back in time...
Let's go back a few years to when I had to wear a suit, shirt and tie every day. Like all my colleagues.
That time when I wore the suit every day...
You can imagine that I was very observant of my peers' outfits, especially their shirts . The observation was invariably the same: no one wore anything other than poplin, the simple cotton fabric that you see absolutely everywhere.
There was blue, white obviously, and sometimes very pale pink. But it was hopelessly bland .
Always this same perfectly plain poplin, very consensual, and this ordinary collar...
After several customer meetings at La Défense, my observation remained the same, if not worse: we were also in the process of standardizing colors and textures . Even more so when it came to the shirts: none stood out, not even a little.
Nothing catastrophic. Just way too many sad shirts (and no, it's not the dresscode 's fault).
It's hard to believe, but this dark place (in the photo) fueled my thinking about the BGH-01 shirt. The light shone in the darkness and the darkness did not stop it (it's a bit of the BonneGueule gospel).
Without going as far as the flamboyance of an Ozwlad Boateng (difficult to wear in a professional context, let's be honest), I told myself that it was possible to have a shirt that would add something extra, without overdoing it, and that we would still enjoy wearing it on the weekend.
Although this charming taco print shirt was born from a very relevant thought , you can't wear it to go to the office. We had to find something else.
It is with these memories in mind that we met the creators of Hast , a brand of accessible and friendly shirts (these are three young entrepreneurs behind the brand). I was quickly seduced by the excellent quality/price ratio of their shirts , their cut (I will detail this point, don't worry), and above all, by this collar with Italian influences, very worked, and which stands very good with or without a tie.
Besides, I wasn't the only one: the brand quickly made a name for itself on blogs, in fashion forums (and even among Canal+ TV presenters).
Why did you choose Hast?
As I said, Hast is a brand that offers one of the best quality/price ratios on quality shirts . And above all, the designs are tasteful: there are no unnecessary flourishes.
And then it's a brand with which we share certain values, such as education around the product, proximity, and the desire to be part of a simple relationship with clothing .
Thomas, Samy and Emmanuel, the founding team of Hast.
The Oxford shirt we wanted
Our goal: to design a shirt with a collar that fits perfectly with or without a tie.
All in a material that can be worn just as well with a suit as with a casual outfit , without overdoing it. In short, create a shirt that could be worn in all circumstances, avoiding the poplin that you all know by heart.
This kind of ensemble I saw on The Threef .
I was delighted to see that the Italians observed at Pitti were going in the same direction: shirts in easy colors, but in textures, materials, and with original collar shapes , which have nothing to do with shirts that I saw on a daily basis during my “corporate” years.
“A journey of a thousand miles always begins with a first step”
said Lao-Tzu.
So we had to start by finding a good material .
An oxford weave imported from Japan
Why did you choose an Oxford fabric? Because it is a fabric that offers a lot of possibilities: you can make dressy outfits, but also much more casual combinations .
It is a fabric that can be worn with a tie, or rolled up chinos. Or even with both together.
The famous Japanese oxford from the BonneGueule x Hast collaboration!
In addition, the Oxford has an interesting weave and grain: there is a real texture . It's much richer than poplin.
There are other textured fabrics for formal shirts, like twill, but they don't fit into casual outfits at all, which I think is a shame.
The Oxford therefore appeared to me to be the ideal compromise.
But is it oxford or chambray? What is the difference ?
The million euro question! Rather than talking about differences, let's rather talk about the common point between these two fabrics: in both cases, we have a white (or ecru) thread which crosses a colored thread .
If the chambray remains in this simple configuration, for the oxford there are many variations of textures by playing on the width or the quantity of threads which intersect . For example, the so-called “basket” Oxford has a very marked texture due to an extensive weave (the weave being the way in which the threads intertwine).
But there are so many possibilities that we find oxfords that can easily be confused with chambray and vice versa . Trying to absolutely differentiate between the two will lead you to a strange headache. Especially since there is also a fabric called... oxford chambray!
The Italian chambray of our first shirt (left) VS the Japanese oxford of this collaboration with Hast (right).
Even Laurent from the Milanese Special Selection blog, who is very knowledgeable about the technique, also admits half-heartedly that the distinction between these two fabrics is far from obvious .
Generally speaking (with exceptions), chambray has a finer weave, while Oxford has a more assertive texture .
In the case of the oxford that we chose, it is different from a chambray, because instead of having a white thread crossing a blue thread, it is a group of two blue threads crossing a white thread . This helps bring out the color of the fabric better.
This very beautiful diagram made in Wikipedia presents a plain weave, where two threads intersect in the simplest configuration. Chambray is woven in exactly the same way.
On this diagram (made in Benoit with an iPad) which shows the oxford we chose, the blue threads intertwine with the white thread in groups of two, that's the difference with chambray!
The philosophy of Japanese weavers
You got a glimpse of it with our Japanese fleece sweatshirt in collaboration with Benjamin Jezequel : the Japanese are renowned for their very beautiful materials.
Lovers of raw and authentic materials, they seek to bring out the uniqueness of the materials they work . They respect the character of things, rejecting altogether textile treatments which sanitize and standardize materials. We are in praise of natural, and therefore imperfect, beauty: the famous wabi-sabi doctrine .
This is an approach completely opposed to the large Italian spinning mills which produce extremely united and homogeneous fabrics. This is very noticeable if you compare an Italian chambray and a Japanese chambray. Italian chambray will be more consistent and fine, while Japanese chambray will have a more raw, authentic, grainy appearance .
BonneGueule approves of the Japanese taste for printed wave patterns...
On the Japanese oxford we used for the shirt, you will see that every square inch is different. It's the complete opposite of an Italian oxford, much smoother and more invariable.
But at a time of standardization and high output of textile production tools, designed to produce the most uniform fabric possible, how can we bring out each grain of a fabric?
This is the know-how of the Japanese: some work on old machines that weave slowly but surely, others actually dye the denim fibers by hand and with natural indigo.
In the case of our Japanese oxford, the secret of their know-how is (unfortunately) well guarded by the workshop, even if I strongly assume the use of old and slow machines .
We also see that the thread used shows a charming irregularity, which gives grain. But I have no idea of the specifics of the cotton thread worked: it's the kind of very confidential detail that the workshop does not divulge, unless you know how to negotiate in Japanese.
The Japanese Oxford we chose
We opted for a light blue color to really bring out the richness of the fabric while keeping the color very versatile.
The blue shade of the thread can be described as sky blue. Others see it as a Mayan blue or an azure blue, it's up to you to make up your own mind!
The unique, well-pronounced grain of our Japanese oxford. Very different from an Italian oxford.
Yes, there is the reinforcement swallow!
For the record, the workshop located in Hyogo prefecture in Japan, had been left abandoned after its requisition for the war effort in 1940. It was in 1950 that it was refurbished and RELAUNCH.
The Japanese spinning mill in operation for almost 65 years!
A few words about finishes
The brand's finishes are well above what we usually see for this price range.
In my review of the Hast shirt written at the beginning of the year, I suspected Hast's Baltic workshop of working for prestigious brands. Samy, one of the founders of the brand, confirmed it to me: the workshop makes shirts sold for more than €150 from other brands of equal quality.
The result is very clean buttonholes and impeccable seams. The basics are very well mastered.
The buttons are also Japanese. They're made from a synthetic material, and it's quite funny to see that even the buttons are all slightly different from each other.
And in the middle of the darkness... a beautiful buttonhole emerges!
The collar of Hast shirts
This is one of the strong points of Hast shirts: a timeless collar , not too large, faithful to Italian influences (that is to say slightly flared to follow the curve of the shoulder).
The interest of this collar allows you to have a beautiful outfit with a tie. Whether the shirt is open or closed, the slightly flared points sit perfectly under the lapels of the jacket .
The collar worn open with Nicolas' Samson costume .
The famous collar worn with a tie (and hair) by Florian.
The collar iron-on has also been the subject of a lot of attention so that it does not "blister" after washing (there is always some in shirt collars, unlike the interlining of high-end jackets) .
How to keep collars neat on your shirts?
Little personal tip: don't hesitate to use metal ribs , like the Striiiipes . I discovered this accessory completely by chance, and it quickly became indispensable to me.
If you are a stickler for holding your shirt collar, the metal stays allow you to "weight down" the collar so that it stays in place (no point that sticks out or is placed over the jacket, I I hate it).
And above all, unlike a plastic rib, a metal rib remains perfectly straight, which “tightens” the collar wonderfully: it does not round.
Zoom on Nicolas's well-plated collar.
See how the point of the collar sits very precisely under the lapel of the jacket. I'm wearing the BGH-01 shirt, hair in the wind, an eclectic Cordura tuxedo jacket that I love (look at that natural shoulder! It's a so-called "spalla di camicia" shoulder), a When I Was 17 belt and BGFT-01 jeans .
The cut of the Hast shirt
If you have purchased from Hast before, you will not be disappointed. In fact, we didn't touch their usual cut, because we really liked it: fitted, but never uncomfortable.
Thomas told me that developing this cut took a year of testing, prototyping and research. BonneGueule having also developed a shirt, that doesn't surprise me!
The back of Nicolas, who wears a size 35, which is equivalent to XS for other brands.
If you have already ordered from Hast, take the exact same size as your previous orders.
To give you an idea, here's what the team members are wearing:
- Hast size 35: Nicolas takes this size and is usually XS
- Hast size 36: Florian wears this size, he who usually wears S
- Hast size 37: this is the size I wear and I wear M everywhere else
- for other sizes, pay attention to the measurement table!
And if you are unsure, you can ask us as usual.
Finally, here are the measurements of the shirt:
How to use the size guide?
It's very simple, lay your shirt that suits you best flat , and take the same measurements as you see in the diagram, it's extremely important!
For example, be careful with sleeve length , which is measured at the base of the collar and not at the shoulder. Then compare your measurements with those of the BGH-01.
This is how I was able to choose the size that fit me perfectly for my Hast test a few months ago, even though I had never tried their shirts.
About shirt length
Let's be clear: this shirt was designed to be worn elegantly , that is to say inside jeans, chinos, or suit pants.
It is intended to be worn with both a suit and chinos (and not just as a casual shirt that can occasionally be worn formally).
Why this choice ?
- because when you wear short shirts with a suit, it's downright annoying to have to tuck them into your pants after sitting down. Here, the length of the shirt allows it to be kept in the pants even while sitting . This is really the main reason why we kept the usual length of Hast shirts.
- because doing casual with a shirt tucked into your pants is possible : the Italians do it very well...
- because it structures a silhouette : it's both elegant and relaxed.
Alessandro Squarzi wears a very casual outfit, but with a shirt tucked into his light chinos. There is nothing insurmountable 😉
That said, the BGH-01 is not a nightgown either! If I thought that the length only reserved it for use tucked into pants, ultimately the result is very satisfactory when worn out of chinos:
Perfect shirt length out of pants! The fact that it is a less formal material than poplin has a lot to do with this impression. I wear size 37 from Hast, which therefore corresponds to an M. Shoulders, bending, everything is ok! Ursul, Atamé and Catherine Michiels bracelets and Marchand Drapier chinos.
That said, it all depends on your figure and your tastes: Nicolas, Alexandre and I wear this shirt outside of the pants. But Tom, Florian and Kevin prefer to bring it in.
And Geoffrey seems to hesitate...
A few words about price and quantities
You're starting to know me, I'm not in the habit of revealing the price of our collaborations in advance , although we always get the best quality/price ratio possible. But this time, this collaboration deserves a few words on the subject.
From a mid-range designer that we usually talk about on BonneGueule, this shirt, with such a material from Japan, would cost between €120 and €150. For a more classic, well-known and established brand, we would place ourselves at around €200.
For us, we will be below €100 , thanks to the choice of an excellent workshop located in the Baltic countries, and to Hast's reduced margin structure (we will be slightly above the usual price at Hast, given the material imported from Japan).
There are 400 shirts available . If you think it's a comfortable quantity, its very affordable price will make it go away quickly , so don't hang around too long (or subscribe to the newsletter)...
Make no mistake, a stock of 400 collab pieces lasts about two days.
Released this Sunday, August 24 at 2:00 p.m. (and a little ahead of the newsletter).
Possible restocking of shirts
Following the enormous success of these shirts ( sold out in 5 hours), you can vote on the orders page for a restocking, and you will be informed by email as a priority of a possible return of the BGH-01 shirts.
The orders page will be the same as before: HERE .
