Our new bombers: Living Heritage and renaissance of the wool industry 🐑 🇫🇷

" It was time ! "

These are the first words that come to me for these two bombers.

Indeed, it is a form that we had only explored once in the past .

I am therefore delighted to present to you (finally!) our two bombers to wear for a good part of the year, including during this mild autumn, fitted in two wool sheets woven in France . Yes sir !

While it is a piece that is often an excuse for synthetic materials about which we know nothing, here you will know everything about the wool used and the insulation.

Concentrated on know-how, design, and values, I will proudly wear this piece from fall until spring.

Let's go !

-Benedict

Our two bombers in 30 seconds flat

Why bombers?

Versatile, the bomber can be combined with a large number of styles.

#spoiler: But to get there, you absolutely need a very beautiful natural material, namely wool... and you will see that we used a really very special wool!

And it is a piece that has several advantages:

A beautiful anthracite gray for those who want a first bomber jacket.

Wool tradition and short circuit: two exceptional wool sheets 🇫🇷

Sometimes, you don't have to look far: we make very beautiful wool sheets in France .

And it is not for nothing that since our beginnings in 2015, we have used those of Jules Tournier, a century-old Living Heritage Company, based in Tarn.

On the gray bomber jacket , you will find one of their magnificent wool sheets, spun and woven in Mazamet.

Geoffrey and I, with Lionel Bonneville (Jules Tournier), exploring the Mazamet wool warehouse.

Regarding the beige bomber jacket, it's an even crazier story ... Not only is the wool spun and woven in France, but it also comes from French sheep. This may seem trivial, and yet, just 2 years ago (before the Tricolor project), it was almost impossible to find a woolen cloth in a short supply chain and then make it into clothing!

This is therefore a historic first ! And it was unthinkable for us not to be part of this project.

We are moved to have this privilege , and above all extremely admiring of the men and women who have resurrected this French wool industry.

Why two colors?

Because I couldn't choose between this anthracite gray and this mottled beige with herringbone pattern when we received the first prototypes...

Charcoal grey

It's THE easy color to wear in winter. Its sobriety allows it to be assembled with brighter colors, because they will be “calmed down”.

And to avoid a too “boring” result, we chose a mottled woolen cloth from Jules Tournier.

If we zoom in on the wool, we see the different colored fibers which give the material its personality.

Beige herringbone

I've been a big proponent of light colors in winter for years. Here, we chose a wool normally reserved for coats, for a dressy look.

This is the herringbone pattern. When you hold it in your hand, you can clearly see all the subtlety and the thousand and one nuances of this woolen cloth.

Last incredible element: the chevron pattern is obtained... without any coloring! And it is truly magnificent!!!

Perhaps you have already guessed how this is possible? For those who are curious, I explain all this in the article...

Yes, we are going to talk about black sheep in this article.

Bomber #1: a mottled gray version in Jules Tournier wool 🇫🇷

With a beautiful turtleneck, you have an elegant outfit for everyday life.

It's the ultimate urban piece, the best of casual with this bomber shape. With the added bonus of the timelessness of this Jules Tournier gray wool.

We have been using Jules Tournier wool sheets since 2015 on our gray and blue coats , and obviously on our famous camel coat.

As a reminder, we went to film this integrated spinning mill and its French know-how which absolutely must be preserved:

Regarding the wool of this bomber:

It’s a nice mottled gray that I like!

What to wear our gray bomber jacket with?

In a faded denim outfit + funnel neck sweater

Yes, I’m back in front of the camera! I wanted to wear it very simply, with faded jeans, brown leather sneakers and our funnel neck sweater (very comfortable next to the skin).

I really like the proportions of the funnel neck which blends very well with the collar of the bomber jacket.

Bomber jacket and BonneGueule sweater . Orslow jeans and Buttero sneakers.

In a 100% wool outfit, with pants and a turtleneck

Bomber jacket + turtleneck = great result, without too much effort (plus your throat is well protected against the cold)

So have fun with your knits and your bomber jacket, it will work on its own.

If you want to combine gray turtleneck and gray bomber jacket, you can wear white pants to add light.

White pants which will themselves bring out the very beautiful brown leather of a pair of shoes:

With a good old henley

David chose to make a comfortable outfit, which mixes several influences. The henley is a faded khaki color, and goes easily with the bomber jacket.

Sneakers, for their part, definitely bring the outfit into a casual register.

BonneGueule bomber, RRL henley, Officine Générale pants, Buttero sneakers.

In “vintage sportswear” mode with a hoodie

Jordan had a lot of fun with this outfit, in which he wanted a vintage sportswear/workwear touch. And as usual, khaki goes very well with different tones of gray.

In “Geoffrey” outfit

Chelsea boots, raw jeans that are gradually fading, Geoffrey doesn't need more!

Bomber, sweater and Chelsea Boots BonneGueule, Momotaro jeans.

By diverting tailoring codes with blue joggers

Still using green, this time we're going to put it under the bomber jacket, with our pine green sweater. And below, Jordan is wearing our Chalk Stripe Joggers which fit perfectly into this "casual chic" outfit .

In white t-shirt and faded jeans mode

In this outfit, it's a return to basics for the bomber, worn here in a very casual way: raw jeans that have faded well over time, a white t-shirt and a pair of vintage sneakers.

Here too, we stick to basic colors, but we make sure to have very different textures.

Bomber #2: in beige herringbone wool, 100% French 🇫🇷

One of my big favorites

I'll be honest with you: I love the color of this bomber jacket.

It's a very mottled beige, almost powdery, with a beautiful irregularity. Frankly, if someone had told me that it was a Japanese supplier behind this part, I would not have been surprised.

This wool is simply MAGNIFICENT.

What gives a lot of character to this piece is the very light herringbone pattern, almost tone on tone, as if it had been penciled by hand... Just blended in just right!

And if you get very, very close, you will see the infinite colors of the fibers.

In short, it is a material that masterfully demonstrates French know-how when it comes to making fabrics with soul.

And as I already said, a great source of pride is that this wool comes from French sheep! It seems stupid said like that, but it's anything but a detail...

A color created without dyeing

The most impressive thing about this wool? There is absolutely no coloring .

What you see is just the wool of three more or less dark French breeds of sheep, skillfully mixed by the weaver:

The bizet breed, where we can clearly see this beige/cream colored wool.

One small step for BonneGueule, one big step for wool 🚀

This wool bomber jacket raised in France is a little piece of history being written. Because it has been decades since it existed on an industrial scale!

Why is it new to shear French sheep to make clothes?

To put it simply, French weavers generally have difficulty working with local wools with a very raw finish and low tonnage. It was easier to order merino from Australian or New Zealand breeders.

And for certain breeds, it is true that the quality of the wool, very rough, is not good enough to make a sweater or a coat. .

I remind you that sheep in France are primarily raised to produce milk, cheese, and meat, but not for wool.

Except that these sheep must be sheared! And French sheep breeders didn't know what to do with their wool...

So what do we do with the wool of French sheep?

This was a surprise for me: the wool of French sheep is considered waste .

It barely ends up as insulation for buildings, or exported to China... when it is not destroyed!

It's much simpler and less costly for breeders, who already have a hard job, to burn this wool that no one really wants.

There are some initiatives to promote the wool of certain French sheep, but since everyone does this in their own corner, they are not organized enough to be used by clothing brands.

There is a lack of a real industrial dimension so that brands like BonneGueule can access these very special wool sheets.

But that was before. The growing demand for eco-responsible materials, in short circuits, and a certain attraction for more raw materials, rich in history, have allowed the Tricolor project to restore a relationship between breeders and weavers.

The Tricolor project

Tricolor is a Première Vision project and Made in Town .

As you have understood, their objective is to revive the French wool sectors, to revalorize the annual production of French wool.

Huge respect for this exemplary initiative! Well done... and thank you!

I also applaud with both hands their web series project.

To tell you the truth, when we were thinking about taking our cameras to film, and when we saw the quality of these videos, we said to ourselves that the job had already been superbly done...

I particularly invite you to watch episodes 3 and 4 , where we see the Filature du Parc and the Passe-Trame in action, they are the ones behind this beautiful beige wool. And friend Lionel Bonneville, director of Jules Tournier, even makes a cameo!

That was my emotional moment! Time for looks...

What to wear this beige bomber jacket with?

Still with a turtleneck, you can add wool cargo pants , still in this vein of having a casual outfit but which remains elegant and "mature".

The result ? A beautiful all-wool outfit.

Small variation here where we replaced the turtleneck with our white funnel neck sweater. The two collars overlap very well!

The advantage of white is that it also brings out the really successful color of the brown ribbing.

A very beautiful mix of textures and patterns.

In an outfit in beige and white tones

We can also make a very beautiful shades of white and beige, where it is our cotton/linen shirt which subtly makes the transition between the color of the bomber and that of the pants:

A photo that I really like: light chevrons next to fine stripes…

In a pastel toned outfit

With beige wool as well as beige, as soon as you mix the grays and the cream/ivory tones, it gives a magnificent result:

BonneGueule bomber jacket, sweater and pants , Hircus scarf, Tricker's shoes.

With velvet pants (yes yes!)

Here, we play on texture contrast. The velvet contrasts the "matte" appearance of this wool bomber jacket, and its rustic side.

And what about animal welfare? 🐑

I am very happy if the subject interests you: whether it is gray wool or beige wool, these two wool sheets are guaranteed mulesing-free.

Lightweight Polartec® ALPHA inside these bombers

That's not all !

Yes, like our Jules Tournier wool jackets, it is once again this wonderful Polartec® ALPHA which serves as padding.

If you don't know this material at all, click here (be careful, it's long, and it's geeky):

Polartec® ALPHA padding

In 2017, we were one of the only (and first) French brands to use Polartec® ALPHA as part of urban clothing. So much so that our Polartec® ALPHA parts now accompany the French Polartec team in its professional trade shows.

Two years later, I still remain satisfied with this insulation of the future.

It's not angora rabbit, but Polartec® ALPHA. On our piece, it is completely invisible, since it is located between the lining and outer wool.

For those who are not yet familiar with this fantastic insulator, here is what I wrote at the time:

The lifesaving reminder about Polartec® ALPHA

The importance of padding

This is the other great characteristic of this jacket: its hidden technicality.

I am frustrated to see that this element, although key to comfort, is too often treated lightly.

At an average brand, this is how the choice of insulation for a quilted garment is decided:

George-Michael, chief designer:

“Let’s go ask Jean-Mich from production where we’ll find the cheapest cotton wadding!”

(I'm barely exaggerating)

Most often, brands see it as the component that must be as inexpensive as possible .

They then simply specify that there is "padding", without ever indicating its origin or its properties.

It’s all the more unfortunate as clothing insulation continues to improve. So, as soon as I started to be interested in this type of material, it was clear that this aspect of our Jules Tournier wool jacket would be taken care of. My techwear side has spoken!

And very quickly, it was the Polartec® ALPHA that caught my attention...

Polartec, insulation for US Special Forces

Basically, the Polartec® ALPHA is an order from the Special Forces of the American army.

In cold regions , soldiers often alternate moments of intense physical activity, where they sweat, and much more static moments, where their body temperature can drop quickly .

“Snow fights between colleagues are fun, but what clothes should I wear? And how can I not be cold when it’s over?” This is where the Polartec Alpha® comes in! (Reuters credit)

Until now, Special Forces had a system of layers of clothing to remove or wear depending on the situation. Good old layering, in short.

It was painful, especially when the perspiration did not have time to evacuate and the soldier had to remain motionless: perfect conditions for shivering...

Their specifications were therefore as clear as they were complicated to implement. To protect them from the cold, they needed something that:

• keeps you warm (the base),

• facilitates mobility, therefore quite compact ,

• resists compression well , especially if you roll the garment in a bag or if you wear a backpack on top,

• breathe when there is movement: excess heat must be evacuated ,

• does not fear humidity and dries quickly.

And that’s how Polartec® ALPHA was born! Moreover, Polartec's marketing director will say that its technology " makes it unnecessary to remove or add layers during major activities. "

A post shared by Polartec (@polartecfabric) on August 1, 2017 at 6:38 a.m. PDT

The bubbly Brendan Leonard humorously paints a portrait of the Polartec® ALPHA, comparing it with the snow owl. This animal maintains its body at 38-40°, even when it is -50° outside.

I was also reassured to see the list of brands using Polartec® ALPHA. Let us cite in particular:

• Arct'eryx Veilance ,

• who used it "in a sandwich" with Schoeller and merino on a vest (more than 400 dollars per piece, on the other hand),

• Sea to Sky ,

• Triple Aught Design , a techwear brand halfway between explorer clothing and an urban spirit,

• Kitsbow , a very nice brand of cycling clothing,

• Millet , Black Yak and Rab , which I can safely say are among the best outdoor brands in the world . Here too, that such demanding brands use Polartec® ALPHA is a very good sign for me.

But why does it regulate heat and humidity so well?

Usually, synthetic insulation resembles wadding, like cotton used in a pharmacy. Long cottony filaments form a more or less thick material. Problem: the wadding can sag, distribute poorly, be too bulky, etc.

Polartec therefore started from scratch, looking for another path .

Here, the filaments are replaced by a very resistant and stable mesh in the garment . There are tiny “hairs” on each side: these are what trap air and keep heat.

And it's the mesh structure that allows perspiration to circulate easily. It is important that Polartec® ALPHA dries quickly, because dry air is a much better insulator than humid air.

Since the whole thing is much more compact than wadding, this allows insulating clothing relatively close to the body can be created.

Polartec made a video of which they have the secret , and which explains in a very visual way how the Alpha® works.

Turn up the volume for epic music, and you'll want to save the world.

Quilting that doesn't sag

The Polartec® ALPHA has another advantage, quite simple for outdoor use but very important on more urban clothing...

Remember, other insulation comes in the form of wadding or feathers. If we place them as is as padding, these insulators sag . We therefore need to compartmentalize them: this is the "quilting in rooms", these small spaces that you see on any down jacket.

But we don't have this problem at all with the Polartec® ALPHA! Since it is a very stable mesh, it can be layered very simply - almost like a suit jacket interfacing - without needing to compartmentalize it.

In terms of the exterior appearance, on a “fashion” piece, it changes everything. We have an exterior that looks like a classic jacket, without the down jacket look!

So, what's it like to wear Polartec® ALPHA?

That was the big question when I received the first prototype. Indeed, although Polartec is very breathable, on this jacket, it is still mounted under a good old Jules Tournier woolen sheet. So what interested me was compactness.

Well, for the moment, it's a jacket that fulfills its role perfectly . It's nice not to feel too hot as soon as you start walking a little quickly or inside a store, while being protected from the cold when you're sitting outside for example.

A year later, having worn Polartec® ALPHA several times, I still remain satisfied with this material which gives a "cozy" side to this piece. Those who have worn our sleeveless vest know what I mean, even though it's difficult to describe: it's an enveloping and comforting warmth.

When you combine Jules Tournier wool with Polartec® ALPHA, you also have a great windproof result.

Because I'm not hiding anything from you: the limits of this room

Not the warmest insulation, but the most versatile

First of all, it doesn't replace a huge down jacket for very cold weather, like Canada Goose .

Quite simply because down is the most insulating thing. But at least there were — with certainty — no mistreated geese in the design of this piece.

Moreover, Polartec® ALPHA is not intended to be the warmest insulation possible, but rather the one that has the best bulk/warmth/breathability ratio.

And that was exactly what I wanted in this urban piece, which has to go from a hot subway corridor, to a cold street, and then back into a very overheated department store.

Polartec is also very transparent on this subject:

Is Alpha “warmer” than down or synthetic insulation, pound for pound?

Nate Simmons, marketing director of Polartec: " It's not warmer than synthetic insulation, for the same weight. We didn't try to invent a warmer insulation. We tried to invent a more breathable, more breathable insulation. active, and which stores more air .

In the same way that synthetic insulation is not warmer than natural down, but serves other functions.

This versatility allows the Alpha to be suitable for a wider range of activities and weather conditions. This is what makes it good padding under a windproof material, where other padded jackets do not wick away moisture well."

For city use, where you constantly go from hot to cold - while wanting to keep a fitted silhouette - this is precisely what interested me.

In summary...

Outdoor Magic , a great site on outdoor clothing, ends its review of Polartec® ALPHA with a rather reassuring conclusion... This is what reassured me in the choice of this technology!

Outdoor Magic: " Hmmm, it's ultimately a somewhat magical insulator. Not too hot when you move, not too cold or damp when you stop. This padding is the one we've seen the most this winter, and this is not going to change in the near future.

Is it an insulator? Is it a thermo-regulator? Is it a thermo-regulating insulation? Or mutant stuffing? Or a platypus material that combines all these properties?

You know what ? I don't know anything about it and I don't really care. What really matters is that it works. And it works admirably."

Your testimony about Polartec® ALPHA

Because you are even better placed than us to talk about its warmth, we wanted to make a little space for a customer comment on its performance!

Thank you Jonathan for this detailed feedback!

 

The Polartec® ALPHA, hidden under this cozy lining, is making a comeback.

High-end finishes

A wool and acrylic ribbing made in France

A beautiful ribbing with nuance.

This is one of my favorite details on these bombers: the ribbed edges are in a blend of wool and acrylic.

Usually, brands prefer to only use 100% synthetic for cost reasons.

But not at BonneGueule, where the addition of wool gives a very beautiful mottled effect – impossible to have with 100% polyester/acrylic – which goes very well with the colors of the two wools of our bombers.

Here is its composition: 46.5% acrylic, 41.9% wool, 10.5% polyamide, 1.1% elastane.

Wool is hidden in this photo, can you find it?

Some people will think that we are bothering for nothing, and that it is a detail that will go unnoticed by 99% of the people who see this piece, and they will be right. But I know it. And it’s a lot of fun for me to do a finish appreciated by only 1% of our customers…

And for the record, it is another French company which supplies these ribs . More precisely, they are made in Inchy, in Hauts-de-France.

Fleece-lined pockets

This is THE detail that we are systematically asked for.

When you put your hands in our pockets — whether they are outside or inside — if a gentle warmth envelops your fingers, it is quite simply thanks to the fleece fabric, completely invisible from the outside, which lines the pocket .

Although as I said, it is a piece that is suitable for both winter and fall.

Interior zipped pockets

To keep your personal belongings perfectly safe, the two interior pockets of these bombers are zipped.

It seems simple, but it's a detail that I really like and which, to my great surprise, is far from being systematic with other high-end brands. I've already seen outerwear for several hundred euros with a single interior pocket, only buttoned...

Rather than putting on a boring lining, we couldn't help but put on a pretty cotton lining.

A very soft lining

It is the Italian Cervotessile which provides this lining in pure brushed cotton, very soft. Personally, the inside of this jacket reminds me of a comforting duvet...

On the sleeves, it is a classic 100% viscose lining .

This is quite simply for a practical reason: if we do not put a viscose lining in this area the jacket would become difficult to put on, because there would be too much friction between the sleeves of your garment and the sleeves of the jacket.

Finally, as with our coats, these two bombers are made in Romania, in our specialized workshop. Moreover, today we manufacture all our clothes in the European Union. ! 🇪🇺

The essential size guide

It's okay, are you still here?

Well now that you know everything, it's up to you! 🔥

Benedict

How to get these bombers, turtleneck sweaters and cargo?

Visit our stores. , or on our e-shop.