Our “modernized vintage” pieces: suede jacket and white jeans

Today, we present to you a duo of vintage-inspired pieces: off-white jeans and a cognac suede jacket.

But what vintage exactly? The atmosphere we wanted was something that would bring up to date the inspirations of the golden age of Hollywood.

Taking inspiration from the era when great American actors defined classics of masculine style for decades to come: Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen...

Typically, photos like this:

For once, it's not Steve McQueen who interests us in this photo from the filming of The Great Escape, but his sidekick on the right (a reader tells us it's Bud Ekins, thanks!). Do you see the silhouette and the style, the combination of colors? Well, this is typically the kind of image that inspired the pieces we're presenting to you today.

And for us it looks like this:

You don't have to be on a motorcycle to pull off this look. It works on horseback too!

Beyond the shape of the pieces (which I will detail below), it is truly a luminous set of colors that we associate with the idea of ​​a bold vintage style , and at the same time always very accurate.

Personally, I never get tired of these combinations of bright brown and white. Here, with a shirt and boots that we will present to you this week!

So, without further delay, I present to you our jacket, inspired by the historic “A-2 Flight Jacket” model.

Our suede jacket inspired by the "A-2" jacket

Unlike the bomber jacket, which has a more "young" connotation today, the A-2 jacket is the most timeless leather for men. It's the jacket you could pass on to your grandson... And that you would have liked your grandfather to leave you.

Definitely my favorite look: the jacket worn with our jeans, our brogues , Royalties Paris socks, a Boinet belt, an Oliver Spencer vest, and a "top secret" shirt.

The A-2 jacket, cool through the decades

Like many of the most iconic men's garments, this model was historically used in the military. It is part of a long line of US Army flight jackets: the A-1, then the A-2, G-1, B-1, B-3... As pilots' needs and technologies evolved, the models of these "Flight Jackets" slowly transformed. (Here is an excellent article by Heddels on their variations, for those who are curious.)

American pilots in A-2 Flight Jackets.

But the model that has remained the most iconic is undoubtedly the A-2, with its shirt collar and large buttoned pockets.

The A-2 jacket was in service with American pilots during the period 1931-1943, but it retained an aura of "cool" for decades to come .

For example, Steve McQueen himself chose to wear one to star in The Great Escape in 1960.

The "McQueen Point": A theory that the longer you talk about the history of men's clothing, the more likely McQueen is to come up in conversation.
Note also the wearing of white pants with this A-2...

I would even say that it is a bit of a "hero's jacket" in the collective imagination. Because well after the 60s, we still saw Harrison Ford wearing it like that, in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom :

"And right there, you see, I'd like to put my A-2 jacket away to keep it from getting dirty."

 

The right twist for today

The problem with the A-2 jacket is that its timelessness sometimes works against it.

I'm sure that many of you, like me, have the image of a dad or an uncle who, in the 80s and 90s, came to pick you up from school with a big, badly put together A-2 jacket: the leather completely worn, the ribbed edges faded, the cut very loose....

Or maybe that dad was you! And today, you don't particularly want to go back to that look.

And while I totally understand those who have a weakness for these thrifted pieces, with their undeniable character, I think that more of us need a piece that is a little more of a compromise.

In short, a model that preserves the heroic heritage of this jacket, while giving it a more contemporary look.

A jacket for today!

To do this, we reviewed some key points. Benoît gives you a summary in video:

A suede leather, for a “softer” look...

And break the rough-hewn side that we associate with the "dad" A-2 jacket, which is often made in very sturdy, but not necessarily subtle, smooth cowhide leathers.

The choice of color is not insignificant either. This cognac brown also contributes to creating a "vintage-inspired" piece.

A beautiful velvet lamb

Obviously when we talk about leather, we can't just talk about style. A word about quality, then...

As with our first suede bombers , the leather still comes from Italy : it's a Tuscan lamb, to boot (which is a bit like THE leather region in Italy)!

The skin is then tanned in Romania in a family tannery that works with artisanal or luxury brands and which is REACH certified, like all European tanneries.

For the production, this tannery then joins forces with a neighboring workshop, also Romanian, specialized in the assembly of leather parts, with which it works in close collaboration.

As for the choice of this lamb velvet, it is justified by a fine grain and a supple, refined touch . A real high-end feeling, both to the sight and to the touch.

At the same price range, lambskin is considered a more "noble" leather than goat suede, precisely for its suppleness, softness and grain.

The cut, for a modern fit...

...which flatters your figure, and more particularly your build. The arm line is fitted, the shoulder is clean, the waist falls well... Benoît tells me he is particularly proud of the work we did on this cut.

Now that's a nice, well-cut back.

Suede sleeve and jacket cuffs...

Rather than fabric ribbing. It gives a slightly more elegant and refined look to the jacket, with the impression that it is made "in one piece".

These buttoned cuffs cut directly from the leather are also called "shirt cuffs". ( BonneGueule thick speckled shirt )

Horn buttons instead of a zip

The choice may seem unconventional, and even anachronistic to experts... since the buttons were normally found on the A-1 model, and not on the A-2.

But we found that they better translated the vintage spirit that we wanted to instill in this jacket, while giving it a touch of refinement and distinguishing it from the bomber, which has taken on a very contemporary status.

Here's the jacket, zipped up, buttoned up, and ready for action! Here with our Bleach Ozone jeans .

A blue chambray interior...

…and zipped pockets to keep personal belongings safe.

A pretty cotton-modal chambray that breathes.

Two bonus looks

Although wearing this jacket with our white jeans remains, in my opinion, the most beautiful option, it is not limited to that.

Mid-season layering

Jordan offers a calmer outfit in colors, focusing on gray to complement the cognac, and brown loafers to reinforce the elegance of the jacket. (BonneGueule shirt , Maison Cornichon t-shirt, Archiduchesse socks, Orban's loafers)

Mixing registers

Renaud, for his part, opts for a marriage of registers by taking advantage of a pair of suit pants and a chambray shirt (BonneGueule), as well as a pair of German Army Trainers that we found at Brut Clothing (the vintage sneaker par excellence).

Off-white selvedge jeans in Japanese denim

Now let's move on to jeans.

White jeans are a great asset for a wardrobe with a more distinctive style. And to make it look credible, it's even better when it has a vintage look. Because wearing white jeans is not new...

White jeans lend themselves well to any piece with a certain "vintage" connotation, like the Hemen Biarritz henley here and the Maison Boinet belt.

A symbol of nonchalance in the golden age of Hollywood

Here too, as with the A-2, it's always the fault of our style heroes of yesteryear! You've seen McQueen and Charles Bronson do it above, see how Paul Newman does it:

Paul Newman, on the set of "And Sometimes I Have a Big Idea." I think he's a fan, like us, of the combination of brown suede and white denim.

The truth is, this article gave me the opportunity to do some research. And the more time you spend looking at male style icons around the world, the more white jeans and pants you see. Especially among those who were considered daring.

Oh, but you thought maybe it only concerned Americans? No, it's also a favorite of the "Riviera" style as shown to us by Alain Delon at the time, this time with navy blue and loafers.

And even today, white jeans are the darling of daring style Jedi masters like Yasuto Kamoshita or Alessandro Squarzi. They're an easy way to spice up your outfits.

But then, how can we improve a piece whose essence is already so simple and at the same time so perfect?

We know that many of you don't want to sacrifice style or comfort. Especially when it comes to jeans, which we wear every day and want to feel good in. Well, it's mainly through comfort that we've modernized this vintage piece. So we have to tell you about the canvas...

The stamp of a Japanese canvas

If you've been reading us for a while, you're no stranger to the charms of Japanese denim, renowned for its authentic character and grain. (By the way, for those who want to know everything about the ins and outs of selvedge, it's here .)

They are known for being conservative in their methods...and at the same time very creative in the result.

The red selvedge border, on white, in all simplicity.

And this time, no name of the manufacturer: it is indeed quality Japanese denim, but we want to keep to ourselves the name of this confidential supplier that we found by our own means.

Not quite white, but not yet ecru either: a luminous off-white shade, and the typical roughness of Japanese denims. That, in a few words, is what characterizes this canvas!

Its special feature? The small impurities in the cotton , present in its natural state, have not been removed. They form a sort of speckle , and give a raw, natural appearance to the canvas.

Authentic, not impractical

I talked about comfort a little earlier. We're getting there!

Should having a pair of white jeans that carry the audacity of vintage and the cachet of a Japanese canvas condemn you to discomfort? No! At least, not in our opinion.

That's why we chose a fabric with 3% stretch . Freedom of movement and McQueen stunts are yours. (But wear a helmet, anyway!)

And then, without the stretch, Renaud would have been much less comfortable on horseback.

For the cut , we have taken note of your latest feedback and slightly increased the ease at the thigh.

Safety Weight: 15 oz

Yes, we knew very well what might scare you with white jeans: that they are too transparent. And for that, there is no secret, you need a thicker fabric. So we opted for 15 oz denim, a rather heavy weight even for a selvedge. The 3% stretch compensates for this thickness.

A pair of jeans with a reassuring thickness. You won't normally have to worry about the color of the boxers you're wearing underneath! Note the presence of semi-lined pockets, to avoid premature wear if you ever leave your keys in them.

Oh, but I'm told in my earpiece that there is a third room, one more than expected...

Surprise! A grey version for our Berto stretch canvas jeans

A newcomer to the BonneGueule jeans family.

This was the little bonus of the day. Because while we were making jeans, we took the opportunity to bring you a gray version of the Berto stretch blue jeans in Italian canvas. It's the same (still with our usual finishes and its Portuguese manufacturing), but in a faded medium gray.

This is what this denim looks like up close! The medium grey shade is quite bright and fits easily into any casual outfit.

Coming back to our grey Berto jeans, here are a few looks for your viewing pleasure, and for inspiration.

Elegant Winter Layering

Based on neutral colors. This look demonstrates gray's ability to fit into any outfit without stealing the spotlight from other colors.

With a Maison Cornichon tee, a vintage vest, our Alpaca-Merino cardigan , and our brogues .

Double cameo

On the contrary, here, gray is used as a central element: the outfit revolves around a range of beige (mac, scarf, Chelsea boots), and gray (sweater and jeans).

“SuperYak” sweater , Mac , BonneGueule jeans and boots, scarf found in a thrift store.

In all simplicity, in the vegetable garden

And finally, gray jeans play their role as an unwavering basic for your simplest and most spontaneous outfits: sneakers, jeans, casual shirt. This also works in an urban setting, not just with vegetables.

BonneGueule embossed indigo shirt, German Army Trainers sneakers from Brut Clothing .