For this collaboration, a breath of fresh sea air is blowing over BonneGueule!
We offer you our very first summer sweater, a model from Inis Meáin reworked for BonneGueule with our own cut, and a color exclusively developed for us.
Reminder about Inis Meáin
It's a brand that is already well known to many of you, especially because we already collaborated with it 2 years ago, on a chunky winter knit cardigan .
You made it such a success that it was one of the rare collaborations that we brought back twice to our shop...
At the time, we explained in detail how Tarlach, a Dublin entrepreneur, had revived an entire local craft by giving the inhabitants of the small island of Inis Meáin the opportunity to express their unique know-how in knitwear, thus creating the brand of the same name.
It is truly a brand that enjoys such advanced know-how that the quality of its knitwear simply goes further than what is normally done in luxury. On this point, Inis Meáin can really boast of competing with the big names thanks to the ancestral know-how of the inhabitants of the island.
(And it is no coincidence that the multi-brand e-shops that distribute it are initially dedicated to the most prestigious brands.)
But sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, and we suggest you watch our report on Inis Meáin again to better understand what you are dealing with.
By the way, we will never cease to be amazed by these landscapes which are the source of inspiration for the brand's work...
Why a “summer sweater”?
We can already see you coming, saying to us "But in summer we don't wear sweaters, right?"
This is a bit of an abuse of language, because you are not going to wear it ONLY in summer. It is also a sweater for spring.
Anyway, yes, a sweater for sunny days does indeed have its uses!
You know that whole time of year where it's hot during the day, but pretty cool in the morning and evening?
I don't know about you, but every year when spring arrives I stupidly find myself with a cold even though it's 20° in the afternoon...
Simply because it's too hot to wear a woolen sweater, but too cold in the morning to wear just a t-shirt or shirt.
Hence the interest in a 100% linen sweater, with a very open knit to let air pass through. It will protect you during the cooler moments of the day while being airy for the moments when the sun is stronger.
Like François, you will appreciate the comfort and fluid drape of this sweater!
And in addition to being thermoregulating, linen has the advantage of drying very quickly and wicking away perspiration and moisture very well. And for once, it's really a sweater that you can wear next to your skin, if you go to the beach for example.
It's a real treat because it's very airy, and it won't stay damp for too long if you sweat in it or get splashed by the waves.
In terms of style, the very marked character of linen (and of this very particular knit that I will tell you about below) will give much more relief and character to your outfits than a simple, smooth, light sweatshirt, or your casual shirt worn alone.
We opted for a relaxed cut.
High-level mesh
Obviously, for a brand of Inis Meáin's level, the knitwear is entirely fully fashioned. , and its construction is completely re-meshed .
As with our own knits, this will guarantee a cleaner fall and better comfort.
This light beige shade will be easy to wear with summer colors, whether they are light blues like on our bleach jeans, whites, pastel colors, or even sand tones.
A unique knitting technique
But what is surprising with this sweater is that the apparently "raw" and simple aspect of the knitting hides on the contrary a level of complexity which is quite astonishing.
Let's break down together what's happening...
A beige thread speckled with gray
The base of this sweater is a beautiful beige linen thread, scattered with a beautiful dark gray that appears from time to time on the mesh. Seen from the outside, you would think that it is a simple classic knit similar to an "English rib", a stitch that you find on many sweaters.
But then what creates all these little white reliefs that we see in the mesh? The secret is revealed on the reverse side of the knitting...
Beige linen yarn forms the base of this sweater, which is enhanced by a nuanced gray speckle (the small dark areas you see in the background). Bright white shades are also revealed on the surface, but they hide something quite unexpected on the reverse...
The "floating jacquard", the foam of the island of Inis Meáin
What appeared to be simple white speckling from the outside is actually the result of a "hybrid" knitting technique.
Thanks to a technique called "floating jacquard" , the expert workers of Inis Meáin combine the classic look of the English coast, with this "inner net".
The "floating jacquard" allows to create this "knitting within the knitting", visible on the inside! We can clearly see here the random aspect of the process.
This idea was inspired by the appearance of the sea foam in summer, whose calm contrasts with the terrible storms that can hit the island in winter. It is also an obvious nod to local tradition, recalling the appearance of a fishing net.
The foam of the Inis Meáin sea in summer, which inspired this unique knitting technique!
Another important detail: we have already told you that the brand likes to go to great lengths to constantly innovate in its knitting stitches.
Well you should know that here the program which is responsible for knitting this stitch creates a random inner pattern.
Each sweater will therefore be a little unique, and you will never find exactly the same knit twice!
Thanks to this technique, the white thread delicately nuances the beige, while creating a subtle detail on the reverse side, which will be revealed when you roll up the sleeves of your sweater, for example.
You can bring out the uniqueness of the sweater by rolling up its sleeves, which will reveal the "floating jacquard". Cool, right?
To tell you the truth, it's really the kind of thing that makes us dream: we've never seen it anywhere else, and we feel a certain pleasure in being able to offer you something unique on a piece as classic as a sweater!
Hand-rolled and sewn edges
We told you above that Inis Meáin often went even further than what is usually found in luxury.
Here is a really telling example: the expert hands of their workshops take the time to carry out this manual finish, which brings a certain subtlety to the piece. These finishes are almost no longer done today, because they are considered too superfluous in a logic of industrial profitability.
The reason for this, as you can imagine, is the difficulty of the task, the time needed to complete it, but above all, the lack of qualified workers for this type of operation these days...
The edges of this sweater are rolled and finished by hand. An elegant detail that contributes to the light appearance of this sweater!
The collar also benefits from this, and it really contributes to the character of the piece and its casual side.
The rolling of the collar, also done by hand! Note in passing the gray speckles that we spoke about above, which can be seen better from this distance.
A “Masters Of Linen” linen, traceable to France and Belgium
It is not just a source of French (and French-speaking) pride to have French and Belgian linen.
Because these are the most renowned sources in the world for this material. And the linen from this region of Europe produces the most beautiful fibers, with great robustness, a beautiful light absorption and a pleasant hand.
Imagine that the flax that grows in our region (particularly in Normandy) is prized by the best spinning mills for its quality.
A Norman flax field looks like this!
And for once, we have the Masters Of Linen certification here, a guarantee of excellence in terms of quality, traceability, and ecology.
The linen used for this sweater is certified "Masters Of Linen", the most recognized label for linen traceability and quality.
A few words to finish...
Honestly, you always have to be careful when it comes to talking about "unique" and not overuse superlatives about a product, but here I think we can say without hesitation that we have never seen a sweater like this from another brand.
I really doubt you'll find this anywhere else but Inis Meáin. It's almost a product you could call "experimental".
To be completely frank, this is NOT the indestructible cotton sweatshirt either, it will require a little care.
The knitting stitch is quite loose and open, and care must be taken not to snag it, especially the threads on the inside.
Still, the sweater is made of linen, which is a sturdy material by nature, and the yarn is quite thick and strong. So there should be no durability issues as long as you follow this warning.
Did our “foam” sweater catch your eye?
This summer piece is available on our e-shop and in our boutique in Paris , Bordeaux , and Lyon .
