Today, we're going to talk about a piece that I missed for a long time. If you only knew how many times I have said to myself:
Damn, but if only I had the prototype on hand!
In fact, it all started with the idea of creating a garment that would be useful on many occasions. A piece that acts as a reinforcement with others, but which can also exist alone, worn as such. A bit like a “middle layer” Swiss army knife .
The Anglo-Saxons have a very telling expression for this: they speak of mid layer . And with this bomber jacket in Power Stretch Pro fabric, our goal is to provide you with the ultimate mid layer to wear in any season.
Yes, even in summer when it's cool in the evening and you only have a simple t-shirt underneath, or you need something very compact to put in your suitcase, even if only to deal with the plane's air conditioning.
Our version of the mid layer, the Power Stretch Pro bomber from Polartec.
The genesis: inspiration where you least expect it...
[Attention, very personal moment, go to the next paragraph if this bothers you.]Episode #1 - Returns to Tours
My thoughts matured by looking at the clothing habits of... my family.
In fact, when I return to Tours, I often see my mother and my little sister at home. They like to wear a "fleece" all year round , indoors or in the garden, in chill mode as the young people say.
What if it was possible to create a piece that was as comfortable and cozy but with a design and a fit that was so much more modern that we could also wear it when going out with friends? It would be so nice that when you come home, you wouldn't even want to take it off!
Episode #2 - The Ardèche hangar
My thoughts further advanced last summer, when I went to Ardèche with my friends Bruno and Valentin . I'll let you imagine, I was in a t-shirt all day.
While going out one evening, we found ourselves at the Saint-Julien-le-Roux neighbors' party. It was under an agricultural shed and there too, as soon as night began to fall, the people around me wrapped themselves in thick, wide fleeces.
If it is to be worn alone as a mid layer, this piece must have a really cozy material on the inside, but with a "contemporary" look on the outside.
Bruno and Valentin, to whom we had already devoted an article for their nomadic entrepreneurial styles .
Episode #3 - The evening in the garden
That same summer, I invited some very close friends to spend an evening in the small garden of my parents' house in Tours. It was hot during the afternoon, close to 30 degrees, but the temperature should go down in the evening.
As a good obsessive of the weather/clothing of the day combination, I thought it would be enough to add a “normal” layer over my shirt during the evening. A denim jacket, in this case.
Except that sitting all evening in the garden, I honestly ended up getting cold . Elodie, a friend present that evening, even borrowed my Canada Goose as her trench coat was no longer enough. I then thought:
All I would have needed was a thin, insulating piece that I could wear under my denim jacket.
So it's true, I could have worn a sweatshirt, but it's not the same warmth. There isn't that cozy feel, especially next to the skin. Not to mention the reduced stylistic possibilities compared to the layering of a mid layer .
All these small events in my personal life only reinforced the need to develop such a piece, which could have been used in all the situations described.
[end of paragraph “life of Benoit”]
This room is therefore dedicated to my mother, my little sister, Bruno, Elodie, and all those who no longer want to see pleasant moments in life disrupted by unexpected cold spells.
Specific requirements
It was therefore on returning to Paris, with a head full of reflections, that the specifications for this mid layer took shape:
- very easy to maintain ,
- stretch , to have a close-fitting silhouette that can easily adapt to several layers,
- with a "bomber" type design , to avoid at all costs the "outdoor/mountain" side and anchor the piece in urban use,
- also in a material with an urban exterior appearance ,
- in a relatively neutral color to integrate it easily,
- and offering absolute comfort in terms of insulation.
While it's easy to find insulating materials, finding one with a pretty hand is another story. And it's even more so if you want it to stretch...
But why is the stretch aspect so important to me?
Why do a mid layer stretch?
Why want stretch when Uniqlo sold tons of down jackets that weren't? If in essence, this type of piece is not stretchy, why want an elastic material? What is the benefit of an urban room?
Firstly, ease and freedom of movement. Since this bomber jacket is much more stretchy than a sweatshirt, it is therefore absolutely comfortable.
And above all, the elasticity of the material allows you to obtain a silhouette close to the body , which is very useful when you have to put on a second layer on top.
We obtain a silhouette close to the body, modern and facilitating the integration of the bomber into layered looks.
No excess material, the proportions are clear and fair.
This is the fault of many mid layers: thickness. Thanks to stretch, we avoid this pitfall on the bomber jacket. You will not feel any discomfort when putting another piece on top.
Why a “bulge” shape?
As I said, we needed an urban piece above all, not hiking clothing.
For me, the bomber was the type of jacket best suited to the use of this material: you can wear it open or closed, with a shirt, a sweatshirt or a t-shirt. There were only advantages to working on this form.
It has two zipped pockets to keep your belongings safe .
No risk of your belongings getting lost.
As for the color, it was developed especially for us . The goal was to have a neutral gray that would highlight the t-shirt or shirt worn underneath... but also the piece you will wear above! It is made in Bulgaria, because Eastern European countries are developing increasingly sophisticated know-how in making clothes using elastic materials.
An easy-to-wear gray that will blend nicely with the other shades of your looks.
The material: Power Stretch Pro from Polartec
A widely acclaimed material
The choice of material was really key for this piece.
Through intensive research, I gradually discovered the Power Stretch Pro from the well-known manufacturer Polartec. It is also very far from only making polar fleeces and is leading an intensive R&D policy (latest coup: the Polartec Alpha ordered by the American army).
I often saw very cutting-edge outdoor brands using this curious material that I didn't know: and even Dui , a diving brand! So I had to dig a little deeper into the subject...
This is how Polartec presents the advantages of this fabric:
Polartec's "official" documentation on this fabric, from the presentation sheet.
Obviously, I didn't stop there and I also looked for other testimonies, in order to cross-reference sources and ensure that I would make the right choice. My apologies, the relevant reviews were only in English
For example, in a climbing forum , a user raved about the qualities of Power Stretch and its durability :
Elsewhere, another user described the Power Strech as “almost miraculous” and praised its technical properties given its weight. What interested me was that he pointed out the Power Stretch / lightweight waterproof jacket combo as the winning combination:
On a Canadian forum, another user was delighted with his purchase. Here too, he underlined the lifespan of the fabric and highlighted the “cozy” side of the material :
Here, another test of a Power Stretch Pro garment , where it scores 9/10 thanks to the material!
As for the Rab brand, it's the same enthusiasm for this material that they use for many clothes (but unfortunately each time with a totally hiking look, whether in the cuts or the colors):
Moreover, the Gear Exposure site (the BonneGueule of mountain clothing) has outright qualified Power Stretch Pro as the best material for mid layer in 2016 .
Now do you understand why I was enthusiastic about choosing this subject?
But how does the Power Stretch Pro work?
It's very simple: the part in contact with the skin, inside the bomber jacket, absorbs moisture from the body and causes it to rise outside over a large surface area . This is where it can dry quickly.
This is why we say that this material is breathable.
The functioning of matter in simplified form, with a diagram provided by Polartec.
A more realistic drawing, where we can clearly see the role of each side of the Power Stretch.
A few reminders about what we mean by “breathable”…
Please note, when Polartec claims that its fabric is very breathable, that does not mean that it is refreshing or cooling . In fact, we are referring to its ability to wick away perspiration , to prevent body moisture from accumulating inside your garment. To fight against the oven effect!
This is a particularly crucial point for outdoor activities: while sweating is not dangerous when the body is hot and moving, it becomes dangerous as soon as you stop moving. You would be terribly cold: it's like leaving the house with a wet t-shirt and it was windy!
It's also worth remembering that this is not a magic wand, in the sense that it won't make the sweat disappear from your body. If you're in the basement of an overheated bar and you're sweating in your oxford shirt (worn with nothing on top) so that it soaks your back and armpits, it's not not by adding a layer of clothing on top that it will dry like magic!
In the case of Power Stretch Pro, this means that as soon as perspiration arrives inside, it will be absorbed by capillary action and then released outside. In other words: it is a fabric that dries very quickly , unlike a cotton jacket which takes three weeks.
The reverse side of the fabric means that you can wear it next to the skin without any problem. No “cold” lining when you are in a t-shirt for example. Some outdoor brands even make pants in this material, which says a lot about the comfort of Power Stretch next to the skin.
Indeed, theoretically, you could absolutely wear this piece topless (I said theoretically)! The back of the garment is very soft. Polartec explains that they wanted to make a fabric that could be used as a first layer, as a light layer, or as an outer layer following physical activity.
As for the stretch, it is impressive, a bit in the same order as our Schoeller pants for the lucky owners. It's a real 4-way stretch, and quite honestly, you will be more limited by your flexibility than by the bomber jacket itself!
You have plenty to do!
What is the difference between “normal” Power Stretch and Power Stretch Pro?
It's the composition that changes, since "normal" Power Stretch only contains polyester and elastane. The pro version certainly has these two materials but also 33% nylon.
It is precisely he who will bring more resistance to the piece . Thus, it will be much less subject to pilling, for example. Maintenance will only be easier because it is a material that is absolutely not afraid of machine washing, unlike a classic bomber jacket where you don't always know how it will come out of the drum...
Still thanks to nylon, we obtain a "smoother" appearance on the outside, therefore facilitating the "slip" of the garment that you put on over the bomber jacket. Yes, yes, it was really designed for that. In short, it’s a material intended for layering!
Finally, nylon increases the "resilience" of the stretch: in the long term, it does not relax irreversibly. We call this “shape memory”.
A bomber jacket suitable for mid-season summer temperatures?
I was able to test the piece extensively, and it is clear that it is very versatile .
Let's say that it can easily replace a sweatshirt and a piece of outerwear when the weather permits (from 15°C). Otherwise, I wore it indoors at the office, with just a t-shirt underneath: this posed no problem for me. I have also already worn the prototype with a shirt and a sweatshirt around 10°C very easily.
At the moment, with temperatures in Paris between 10 and 20°C, it's an ideal piece that I wear almost every day. In fact, t-shirt / shirt + bomber = winning combination .
For a more advanced summer season - just to give you an idea of when to wear this piece - the bomber jacket is essential as soon as you have a little cold while simply wearing a tee or shirt
I'm glad to see that it will also be very useful for fall or winter. It's clearly a wearable piece all year round, with or without clothing on top.
How to choose your size ?
The sizing is completely classic, just take your usual size .
If you make an M on a shirt or a tee, take this bomber jacket in M too.
How to wear a bomber jacket?
Spontaneously, you can pair your bomber with raw jeans. This is a very safe combination, you have no chance of making a mistake! In the middle of relatively cold shades, the burgundy t-shirt brings warmth and warms up the whole. If Luca opts for ankle boots, sneakers would have been just as possible. ( BonneGueule jeans - Kurabo , top secret t-shirt, Meermin boots)
A bomber jacket can easily take on sportswear accents. Playing on this rope, Luca combines it with sweatpants. Only one condition with this type of pants: ensure that the cut is impeccable, so that the look remains urban. Moreover, he finishes his outfit with a small pair of sneakers which fit perfectly with these influences (and whose inserts are reminiscent of the tee). Don't hesitate to explore the path of colorful sneakers: they are a good way to add a touch of fantasy, without it being too polarizing. (Uniqlo sweatpants, Piola sneakers)
A bomber jacket can obviously be worn with a shirt. For now, opt for a casual model, at the risk of obtaining a contrast that is too marked otherwise. Nothing too complicated here: the shirt and chinos are simple colors, and it's the red Nikes that bring a touch of the unexpected, which the rolled-up ankle pants highlight. This look is interesting in its approach to colors, which mixes red and ocher, among others. However, the whole remains harmonious: it is the magic of gray, soothing the stronger nuances. (Outlier shirt, Maharishi chinos)
For more relief, the top of the outfit is constructed in monochrome with several shades of gray. Also look at how the two collars are naturally placed in relation to each other.
I had more fun with this outfit, with Y-3s on my feet (these pumps are so comfortable), Maharishi cargo from the upcycled range whose cut I love; with a 1K Corp belt and a Silent t-shirt (the more affordable range from Damir Doma). And I'm happy to see that the bomber finds its place even in stronger outfits.
The detail of the crepe collar, whose very soft color blends with the gray.
As usual, I never part with my Thomas V. and Catherine Michiels bracelets. The strap comes from the Cobra buckle belt from 1k Corp.
How to get the BonneGueule technical bomber jacket?
The technical Bomber is available on our Eshop
You can also find the pieces in our stores in Paris
And for the others, register without further delay
