From the Côte d'Azur to the Armorican coastlines, from the beaches of the North Sea to the Basque Country, from the banks of Isère to the quays of the Seine... I imagine you are reading to me with your feet in the water.
So, the team has put together a small selection that smells like summer and sunscreen, to add a little more sunshine to your vacation... or your mid-week.
For this sixth episode of the brand review, I invite you to discover the nuggets that we have selected for you:
- Céline : you have surely encountered her near the Lyon boutique, and you will very soon be able to see her in the Paris one,
- Jason : our in-house artistic director, always good advice,
- Rafik : no need to introduce our super editor-in-chief whose works you read week after week,
- Simon : who said you couldn't be a geek and love fashion?
We set off on a new journey to the heart of the style jungle, which promises to be very "Sea, six and sun"...
Summary of the Brand Review
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- Céline gets into trouble
- Comfort or elegance? Jason doesn't choose
- Rafik, tarmac gladiator
- Simon: singing in the rain
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- Céline nudes...
- Jason power 20
- Hats and skate dreams for Raf
- Simon the good tips
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- Céline saves the furniture
- Jason and his Eldorado
- Raf caught red handed
- Simon: cushy workwear
On the radar of...
You know the principle: our fantastic four talk to you here about pieces that they fell for, without taking out their wallets .
Favorites and crushes will inevitably be present in this section: enough to fill your eyes...
Céline gets into trouble
I recently spotted some bed linen from the LAB brand, and I've thought about it often since...
It is a creative brand of linen which has the particularity of being washed with exclusive colors to give them the softness of cotton while keeping this raw appearance. In addition, thread dyeing preserves the full depth of the colors, for an impeccable and long-lasting result.
Honestly, I like all the colors but I think I'll start with this one if I take the plunge in the coming days. Plus, it's French made...
On Céline's radar, this indigo linen bed linen.
Comfort or elegance? Jason doesn't choose
Personally, I'm looking more and more intensely at these Paolo pants from the Harmony brand . Both elegant and comfortable, it combines business with pleasure at the heart of an atypical design that I particularly appreciate.
The cut is that of city pants but the elastic waistband brings the piece back into the casual fold, which gives a really pleasant confusing result.
These Harmony pants have been catching Jason's eye for a few days...
In terms of material, this wool crepe woven in Italy has a beautiful texture and allows you to wear these pants in summer and winter.
Very versatile, count on it to accommodate your most elegant shirts as well as your simplest t-shirts.
Raf, tarmac gladiator
Creepers, combat boots, tassel loafers with maxi soles: I spend the year in big leather shoes. So, every summer, it's the same dilemma: style or comfort?
So I find myself choosing substitutes just for summer, often black espadrilles. It passes, nothing more... I always have the impression of sacrificing part of my DNA. A bit as if, in comparison, these shoes were too “mature”.
Espadrilles vs. creepers: do you understand my frustration?
This year, I decided to tackle the problem head on. I've been scouring the "shoes" section of many eshops for a while now... and I think I've finally reached my goal.
Dr Martens offers a rather well-crafted hybrid, halfway between a sandal and a boot. Enough to surprise more than one, I grant you, but I find the result balanced.
Geraldo model, €165 at Dr Martens.
The toes and heel are covered, where large openings bare the rest of the foot. Aesthetically, I really like this shape with its gladiator side. It’s the kind of weird influence that speaks to me;
I will wear them with jeans rolled up at the ankle and a t-shirt with an oversized cut. Raf: 1 - Summer: 0.
Simon: singing in the rain
It's summer. The weather is nice and... no. Clearly not.
We're in Paris, we were treated to our 2 weeks of annual sunshine and now it's over: return of the rain and days that look like nights. The end of recess has come.
So, no swimming shorts or glasses; for me, it will be a K-way, a parka or any waterproof hooded piece allowing you to face Mother Nature with your fist raised, the raincoat screwed on your shoulders and the Breton flag proudly raised in the wind.
Well, to be honest, I am neither Breton nor a k-way fan. For what ? Because my full facial hair turns any parka into a ham steamer...
So, I set out to find rain gear that was both breathable and waterproof. And once again, Uniqlo caught my eye with its BlockTech parka .
Simon is eyeing a light khaki-colored parka.
At a reasonable price, I haven't found a single parka with equivalent properties: it cuts the wind, stops the rain and is breathable enough so that I don't sweat in it like a frying onion.
Some even say it stops world hunger and saves baby bears, but if you ask me that's possibly fake news.
Team purchases
The title is relatively self-explanatory, right?
Here, I take you into the intimacy of the BonneGueule team locker room... so follow the guide!
Céline nudes...
I confess: I recently fell for a pair of sneakers that I had been dreaming of for a while. The lucky ones? Common Project in Nude , whose design and color totally won me over.
Yes, yes, yes: if I could be dressed in nude every day of the week, I would!
Céline's new toys...
When I saw them, I said to myself that they had definitely been designed for me and that I couldn't miss it... They are discreet, simple and elegant . In a word ? Perfect.
Jason power 20
Recently, I made a somewhat unusual purchase: I purchased a set of 20 white Stanley/Stella t-shirts .
You know if you've been following the blog for more than 20 minutes: the white tee is the ultimate basic in a men's wardrobe. Elegant worn alone, effective in layering and relevant even under a blazer, it's an essential.
The problem is that it is very complicated to find ones that meet all the essential criteria
I found what I was looking for at Stanley/Stella and so I bought this pack in order to have a sufficient reserve for the summers to come.
Jason took out the checkbook to get 20 copies of this tee..
It's a vintage model with a round neck, worked in combed ring-spun organic cotton jersey. It is quite thick (155 g/m²) but remains light, ideal in summer.
If you don't want to buy your clothes in packs of 20, which I easily understand, you can get your hands on a first piece: you won't be disappointed.
Hats and skate dreams for Raf
I'm going to tell you a secret.
I'm obsessed with accessories. Jewelry , bags , headwear ... Every day, a new obsession. Lately, it's the caps that catch my eye.
It all started a few months ago, when Luca gave me a Deus Ex Machina model that I love. I swear, people might suspect me of being bald because I wear it so much.
Combining several influences, Deus Ex Machina offers a wide range of caps and hats.
So, I thought a little diversity would be welcome. I give you the brief:
- black for color,
- a “5-piece” construction, more authentic than the baseball shape
,
- in "snapback" format, that is to say with an adjustable tab at the back.
It was finally at Carhartt that I found what I was looking for, sold for €20.49 on Asos .
Small detail that I appreciate: the presence of ventilation eyelets on the side. We often find this type of finish in brands with a workwear heritage.
The work done on the rear tab convinced me, simple but well thought out.
She checks off all the points on my checklist and we have already started to get to know each other, my skull and her. All joking aside, I wear it with any outfit: it always adds spontaneity, a form of nonchalance. And if you want to know, as far as I'm concerned, it's backwards!
Simon the good tips
Personally, I haven't splurged on my latest purchases. After a year at BonneGueule, I understand and appreciate the value of an exceptional Japanese fabric, but I still have compulsive reflexes and above all I buy clothes that I like without necessarily thinking about their lifespan. .
So, my last purchase was this blue chambray shirt from Monoprix .
Simon checked out with this Monoprix shirt!
I took it for 3 reasons:
- I wanted a chambray in a fairly dark blue. It almost looks like a denim shirt, but it's still very light. After 5-6 washes, the color holds really well. I am pleasantly surprised for a 30 euro model.
- She fell well on me. I am relatively enveloped
and it turns out that the regular cuts from Monoprix are always well suited to my build.
- It has a front pocket and, regardless of the crowd's ire, I like front pockets. I like being able to put my bic pens away to fully establish my status as a guy who does stuff on computers. Or more realistically to store my card holder in the evening.
No, it's not Simon in the photo! Photo credits: Monoprix.fr
For 30 euros, on the other hand, don't expect a miracle: no reinforcement ribs, plastic buttons and excess material everywhere, not to mention the fact that it probably won't last 10 years. That said, if we compare it to its price, I am very happy with it.
The grain of madness
Fashion is a fantastic world that sometimes requires abandoning your reason in the wardrobe to let your heart speak. The difficulty ? The reality of the bank account.
In this part, we free ourselves from this constraint and allow ourselves a stylistic frenzy with an unlimited budget . Let's see what happens right away...
Céline saves the furniture
For my bit of madness, I leave the world of fashion (although?) and turn to that of art-deco.
I love this teak sideboard made by the designer A Younger Ltd. I particularly like furniture from the 50s/60s and this piece of furniture is simply sublime! Plus, it would go perfectly in my new Parisian apartment...
Functional and subtly crafted: this is Céline's stroke of madness.
Jason and his Eldorado
No hesitation for my crazy move: a pair of Yuketen Blucher.
I've been dreaming of them for months, if not years, and they really are shoes that I'm an absolute fan of. The Blucher is an iconic model from the American brand and I love the Native American inspirations , which are particularly prominent on this pair.
The pair of Yuketen who disturb Jason's sleep.
Made from suede leather and assembled by hand in the United States, I find that they exude incredible charm and that the details are truly magnificent.
The brown leather laces subtly contrast with the tan leather of the shoe.
Raf caught red handed
I don't like carrying a big bag and am quickly bothered by the strap of a shoulder strap. The same goes for backpacks. So, among all the types, it’s the pouches that are my favorite.
I often look at designer brands, where real stylistic choices are offered. My latest discovery? The Perrin brand, which stands out for its work on fasteners. Although it is for women, this model clearly caught my eye.
Look at this level of finish, with perfectly integrated leather inserts ("at this price, it's better", you might say). In this regard, note the play of materials, mixing smooth leather and pony-style leather.
Concretely, I don't know if I will be able to store my lighter there after having put my cigarettes, my wallet and my keys. That said, I am not at all rational as I write to you. I find the design splendid, that’s enough for me. A favorite like we don't have anymore...
Simon: cushy workwear
By meeting fashion enthusiasts on a daily basis, I discovered a marked interest in workwear.
As a result, I start looking at clothes that I didn't even know existed a year ago: vests, overalls, blouses and the like.
Recently, my eye stopped on these striped jeans from the Lybro range , which we owe to Nigel Cabourn. It is, I quote, "a range of hardwearing vintage inspired work wear clothes, which are manufactured using the best British and Japanese fabrics and trims."
High-end workwear for Simon.
For non-English speakers, the gentleman says that it is workwear clothing combining English and Japanese materials and know-how ... which is a rather good sign. That said, we have never tested the products in question so it is difficult to tell you about the real quality of the part.
Furthermore, the prices are quite high excluding sales... but you can afford anything in this section.
There is plenty of room for Simon's PC in this back pocket.
So why these pants? Quite simply because it’s clearly the style I’m leaning towards.
Workwear is THE trend that attracts me the most in terms of men's fashion
- Long says it's very good, and he has my full confidence.
- The materials look good and the Japan/England combo has already proven itself in the past.
- It is distributed by trusted shops
so this once again limits my/our concern.
- On sale at -50%, as is currently the case, it's rather interesting.
But to be honest, the real reason is that I want to please the #whitepants team who are actively lobbying internally.
The final word...
A little workwear, a few accessories, quite a few shoes and even some furniture: we come to the end of a rather rich brand review, as usual.
For this 6th episode as for the previous ones, I'm counting on you to tell me about your respective purchases, the pieces you're eyeing and your craziest stylistic trips .
See you just below in the comments... and see you next time!
