Our new clothes to explore the new elegance (collection presentation - chapter 1)

The Scalpay coat in brown boiled wool (Presented by Benoît)

Now for our brand new coat where I had very clear requirements:

• absolute comfort,
• and a piece that stands up well, with structure.

When you put it on, I wanted you to feel like it's a piece you can count on, with a real presence on your shoulders.

In terms of silhouette, I was more inclined towards a classic look, but we’ll get to that…

It all starts with an accident…

For this coat, after much research, we select a material, we wait anxiously for the first piece, and... bang, the prototype arrives with the material assembled in the wrong direction, that is to say that the reverse side of the fabric has been assembled on the outside, and vice versa.

So now we have a coat with fine stripes, which was not planned. Except that when you look closer, you find the result really cool.

And when people in the office walk past the prototype and spontaneously say to us “ah, this piece is cool, when is it coming out?”, we know we’re on the right track!

So we decided to keep this coat as is, and it's true that the visible stripes give it a real charm.

Boiled wool that doesn't look like it

To find this elegant material, we turned to MTT, our Italian supplier renowned for its boiled wool. The boiled wool of our famous Milo overshirt is him!

This is indeed a boiled wool (which gives a slight comfortable mechanical stretch) from the Italian supplier MTT, but it is worked in such a way as to resemble a woolen cloth. This is a very different visual rendering from our Milo overshirt, also in boiled wool.

As for the color, we put "brown" because that's its color on paper, but depending on the associations, this coat appears more gray or brown. Far be it from us to start a national debate on social networks, but we ourselves are in disagreement within the team and no one gives up their position. So don't hesitate to help us decide in the comments of this article!

The cut, the cut, and more cut…

On this coat, I wanted a more classic look because it has to meet an obsession I've had for a while regarding our outerwear range: this coat has to be comfortable with a thick sweater or blazer underneath.

(It sounds silly to say it like that, but it contrasts with outings a few years ago where some of our coats were barely larger than our blazers.)

And thanks to this boiled wool which holds up well, it gives a lot of structure to this coat, with a beautiful drape.

At the shoulder, we chose the best of both worlds with a semi-raglan construction. Seen from the front, you have a classic shoulder with a seam that starts from the armpit and goes up to the shoulder. And seen from the back, the shoulder is raglan, without any seams

It’s truly a very timeless cut, which we wanted to be comfortable to wear today or in ten years.

The finishes

For this winter, I wanted to take the finishing touches up a notch, and embrace my nods to military/outdoor clothing.

So you will find two large mesh pockets inside this coat: you can put gloves in them for example, if your gloves are wet, they will be able to dry quickly thanks to the very airy mesh which allows the humidity to escape quickly. This is a finish that I saw on a fleece from the American army.

You also have a zipped pocket that allows you to secure your small personal effects, with grosgrain as a zip pull, a finish that I would like to generalize because I really like this material.

A final word on this coat

If you've been used to our fitted coats from previous years, I particularly invite you to try this coat (even better if you have a blazer underneath) and I assure you that you will quickly appreciate the comfort and the very special look of a slightly looser coat!

The Lovere cardigan in storm blue merino wool (presented by Michel)

When Julien, our collection manager, does his little market watch, he comes across a gimmick several times that he finds quite good: knitted pieces with different knitting stitches between the sleeves, the front and the back.

The idea has been running through his head for a while, until the design of this collection for which he decides to take action by developing a cardigan. Easier said than done, because it is not a question of simply embellishing random knitting stitches. You have to push the work further so that this cardigan really makes your outfits stand out.

Step 1: Find the right knitting stitches to combine

Mixing knitting stitches blindly would have been like getting dressed with your eyes closed: good luck making it coherent in the end.

The team therefore begins by asking Visconti, our Italian knitter, to do several knitting tests on samples.

It doesn't matter what color it is at this point. The idea is to figure out which knitting stitches work well together. Put them side by side and choose a winning trio. Here it is:

• A rice stitch on the torso and arms
• A small chevron stitch for the collar and just above the ribbing
• A larger chevron knitting stitch on the back

Step 2: Find a differentiating form

There, be careful, there is a divergence.

Julien wants a collar that goes all the way up to the top, to mark the difference of this cardigan.

Benoît wants a shawl collar so as not to be too divisive.

Sometimes there is no wrong answer and you just have to decide. So they settle it in a friendly and professional exchange, more commonly known as a tug of war. And since Benoît lifts weights every other day, your cardigan will have a shawl collar. More classic, but easier to wear on a daily basis.

To make a difference and enhance your outfits, the team has therefore focused on the cut: a slightly oversized volume with dropped shoulders.

It takes it far from the classic casual chic cardigan. And you can wear it with an oxford shirt as well as in a looser and more streetwear outfit, with a t-shirt and running shoes.

It weighs 750g for a size M. A beautiful beast, but not too massive either.

Step 3: Find an original color

Like the play of knitting stitches and the cut, we wanted it to stand out without being too obvious. Something that remains versatile. And when we think versatile, in the men's wardrobe, we think blue. A trail that we follow along the catalogs of our spinners until we put our finger on this storm blue thread:

It's a change from navy blue without being difficult to wear, with a very bright shade, worked by our Italian spinner Tollegno.

All the ingredients are there to build a prototype and as you can see, everyone agreed on it. Even Benoît and Julien.

Moena polo sweater in combed greige wool

Remember: you gave our Arezzo cotton cashmere sweater a warm welcome.

Like me, you appreciated the relaxed polo neck style mixed with luxurious material.

Well we continued down this path with the Moena, which is 100% wool from the prestigious Italian supplier Zegna Baruffa.

Compared to the Arezzo, we have shortened the throat, that “V” just below the collar.

Wear it with a blazer, an overshirt, next to your skin or with a t-shirt underneath! It's the perfect piece for a casual and elegant wardrobe.

The finishes

• 100% merino wool from the prestigious Italian supplier Zegna Baruffa
• raglan sleeves
• gauge 8 (vs gauge 7 for our Arezzo sweater), for a tighter knitting stitch, with a finer thread.
• 570 g for a size M, so it's a medium weight knit, which is not a fine sweater, but not a chunky knit either...
• It's our usual Milano knitting stitch that gives it this pretty texture!
• re-meshed assembly, for a high-end, clean and neat construction.

The Asiago henley in grey worsted wool

How do we adapt our henley for winter? By replacing cotton with wool!

I wanted to make this piece a solid alternative to our merino wool t-shirts, another base layer cut for fall and winter, to wear under just about all your other pieces! Overshirt, cardigan, workwear jacket, denim shirt, sweater: treat yourself!

With this 100% wool base layer, you have the added qualities of wool against your skin:

• faster drying than cotton,
• thermoregulatory properties specific to wool
• and finally, wool does not absorb odors!

Finishing side:

• 100% merino wool from the prestigious Italian supplier Zegna Baruffa
• weight for a size M: 250g, so it is a fine knit
• gauge 14, which goes hand in hand with the weight of the sweater
• re-meshed assembly, for a high-end, clean and neat construction
• corozzo button, with an ascolite finish for a very good hold

The Ravello jacket in rust cotton moleskin

After the jungle jacket that we released 2 years ago, I had wanted to reuse this shape for a long time, which was both very functional, elegant, and timeless.

The goal was to have a jacket perfectly tailored for the mid-season, with numerous layering possibilities.

It is really a very practical piece when traveling, because its numerous pockets allow you to organize and compartmentalize your personal effects.

And its timeless design, with a collar that goes very well with shirts, also allows it to fit easily into an outfit to go to a nice restaurant, unlike a blazer that I'm always a little reluctant to take on a trip.

It is therefore a real Swiss army knife piece, to be worn on multiple occasions and in multiple outfits.

And precisely, to have a piece to take everywhere, which patinas nicely over time, we needed a fabric that has largely proven itself in workwear: moleskin.

A moleskin woven in Italy

The most attentive will have noticed that this is not the first time that we have used moleskin. This was the case for the Spencer jacket two years ago.

Why moleskin?

First of all, a few words on the etymology of moleskine. It's very simple: its downy appearance is reminiscent of the skin of a mole. “Mole skin” which becomes moleskine! No need to look any further sometimes?

Moleskin is a fabric that has been used for a very long time in work clothing thanks to its undeniable qualities:

• its fluffy appearance provides a little extra thermal insulation compared to a classic cotton canvas… and a very pleasant feel,
• the density of its weave gives it good windproof power,
• It is a fabric that is easy to maintain, a very practical aspect for manual crafts,
• Unlike cotton canvases which can be quite stiff, moleskin is a soft and comfortable fabric,
• and above all, it was, at the time, a durable fabric, an obviously essential characteristic for work clothing!

This highly versatile and hard-wearing fabric has therefore been used for many purposes: from workwear in France (and for a variety of very different trades), to a test for military uniforms in Germany, to British hunting clothing.

How does this fabric behave in the rain?

I've been asked this question before, so I'll answer it. It's not Ventile, it's not a fabric with a membrane or water repellent treatment (so yes, it's a PFC free fabric :).

So it is not waterproof to rain, but its tight and fluffy weave still gives it a little more water repellency than a cotton canvas for example.

And if this fabric is really wet, there is a very complex process to dry it: leave it in the open air (I'm joking).

A clarification fraught with pitfalls...

But the development of this jacket was not easy, because the thickness of the fabric posed some problems for the visual of the pockets. We therefore tried several closure systems, in particular with buttons:

But the thickness of the fabrics was complicated to manage, the volumes of the pockets did not look good, and above all it was not very practical to use.

So we went back to press studs.

5 pockets to manage your personal belongings

This jacket has 5 pockets:

- 4 pockets on the front, with flaps and snap buttons. As on any self-respecting jungle jacket, the 2 upper pockets are slightly inclined

- 1 pocket inside, on the right side when wearing, to store a phone or card holder

Why this rust color?

The BonneGueule winter wardrobe is already quite complete in beige, earth, olive and blue tones, I wanted to have a more original and warmer color, while remaining in autumnal tones.

So we started in the tradition of terracotta/terracotta shades used in summer, but adapted it for autumn, with a colour that I hope will evoke the warm, shimmering hues of autumn leaves falling slowly to the ground, like delicate seasonal watercolours.

It is also a color that goes very easily with the main colors of a man's wardrobe: blue, beige, olive and gray.

In short, the best gift you can give me is to wear this jacket without asking too many questions!

The Narita shirt in raw carded cotton

Halfway between a polo shirt and a shirt, I wanted a piece that could do several things. So we chose a popover shape, which is put on over the head, and with a 4-button placket.

It's a very beautiful 100% cotton, specially developed for us by a Portuguese weaver. But there was no question of having a simple fabric. I wanted to use a shirt in a winter color that I really like: greige.

It’s a shade that we’ve worked with a lot in outerwear, knitwear, and pants, and this shirt is part of that continuity.

And to add even more soul to this fabric, we chose a very subtle micro herringbone fabric.

The fabric is slightly fluffy, almost like a flannel, so it is very comfortable to wear.

Precisely, for the wearing possibilities, it obviously fits very well in casual outfits thanks to its polo shape and its patch pocket, but also give it a chance in more formal outfits: with a blazer, a beautiful wool overshirt, or even a very thick cardigan.

In terms of finishing, we find our usual mother-of-pearl buttons as well as our famous hidden button-down collar, for a beautiful outfit in all circumstances.

Paris pants in beige wool and cotton

Last year you absolutely loved our Bergame pants, thanks to this cut halfway between fitted and straight cut.

For many of you, this fit was an opportunity to go further in your wardrobe and try different volumes.

So I was eager to try this fit in another fabric.

I wanted pants with a hold, a bit of a vintage hand that held up well.

And as usual, it all starts with the fabric…

A beautiful Italian blend of wool and cotton

The fabric is made of 62% wool, 38% cotton and comes from Duemilagori, an Italian supplier who spins and weaves in Italy.

Its special feature is that it is primarily an outerwear fabric for trench coats and overcoats.

But when we tested it on a pair of pants, we found that the final result was exactly what we needed, with a nice texture to this twill.

This wool and cotton blend is perfect for pants:

• wool brings that luxurious hand and beautiful drape
• while cotton provides next-to-skin comfort and softness.

This allows for a fabric with a very beautiful flowing drape, which perfectly dresses the cut of the Bergame pants. For me, it is perfectly at the crossroads between a wool dress pant and a more casual cotton chino.

Finally, we're doing a little experiment: there's an internal tightening system to adjust the pants to your size if you have some weight variations. It's a system inspired by military pants, and that Matthias, our community manager, has also tested on his firefighter pants.

A cut you already love

Let's go into a little more detail!

The leg opening is 20.6 cm for a size 48 , which is a great compromise between a classic, timeless silhouette and a volume that is easy to appropriate.

As for the crotch, it is 43cm at the back and 32cm at the front (including the waist height), always for a size 48, for those who like a higher waist.

I invite you to read Jordan's high waist guide for those who want to compare and dig deeper into the subject!

How to get our new collection?

You can find it now on our e-shop and in stores.

We will also present it to you live the same day at 6 p.m. on our Instagram account. You will be able to ask us all your questions live.

In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts and questions in the comments below!