After presenting to you our new linen and merino wool t-shirt , our new chino color and our brand new stretch pants , we continue with the second part of our "active wear" launch!
This week, here is the program:
- today (September 28): I present to you our new organic cotton Ventile jacket ,
- Thursday September 30: I reveal our merino wool sneakers ,
- Friday October 1: I answer all your questions live on our Instagram account , from 6 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
This Saturday, October 2 at 11 a.m., these pieces will arrive on our e-shop and in our stores!
Here is our new lightweight jacket, this piece with a very strong imagination (notably thanks to James Dean in The Fury of Living), which symbolizes adventure, relaxation, and a touch of elegance thanks to its shirt collar.
James Dean is one of the most striking icons wearing this type of light and practical jacket.
We therefore wanted to create this timeless, practical, versatile jacket that will last through the years with ease, in terms of durability and style.
A piece requested by you!
The product managers on this piece are you
Yes, the idea for this piece, basically, did not come from Julien nor from me.
You have regularly asked our stores for a short piece of outerwear (i.e. a jacket), light, with a shirt collar.
This was a recurring feedback from our in-store advisors. Each time, I told them: “but why do our customers ask us for this piece when there is our Jirobi model (which I love) with a hood?”
And they told me “no, you don’t understand, they want a really more urban piece, without a hood!”
With Julien, we got to work. You wanted a part:
- light , therefore very breathable compared to our wool outerwear pieces,
- very versatile , which can be worn with a shirt or a sweatshirt,
- elegant, timeless (“timeless” as the Anglo-Saxons say) and urban
But which fabric to choose? On this type of room, this is an absolutely essential question, because given that the design is refined, it is the fabric that will define the room.
You need a fabric that is not too hot, not too light, and which protects from the rain. And finally, I came across a fabric that I really like: Ventile.
A GOTS organic cotton Ventile
Because it's one of my favorite outerwear fabrics, quite simply.
The more time passes, the more I become a fan of Ventile!
After working with it twice in 2020, my experience with this material has only grown and truly, rare are fabrics that are as breathable and windproof at the same time, with good protection against water .
Wind, rain and I am the happiest! Memories of a wet walk in Quiberon in June 2021 where, as you can see, I continue to test the Ventile as much as possible with our Jirobi jacket! For the more curious, I wear with a Savotta Jaakari size M backpack.
On an urban piece, which must have an elegant and natural appearance, while having real breathability and protection properties against a light shower, Ventile ticks all the boxes.
I have already written a lot about Ventile, here are its main qualities:
🌊 IT’S WATER RESISTANT
This is THE characteristic of Ventile! Its operation is easy to understand: it is a densely woven cotton which prevents water from entering.
🌬️ IT’S BREATHABLE
Ventile claims it is the most breathable waterproof fabric available. I won't go that far, but it's clear that its breathability far exceeds that of any membrane. Quite simply, because air can easily circulate between the cotton fibers, unlike the plastic film of a membrane.
🌪️ IT’S WINDPROOF
The Ventile having a very dense weave, it effectively protects from the wind, and that is why it is appreciated by certain arctic explorers, the challenge for them being to have a very breathable fabric, which allows the vapor of the body while protecting them from the wind.
🤫 IT’S QUIET
A synthetic technical fabric sometimes makes a little "noise" when you move, because of its crunchy hand. On Ventile, this is not the case, and it will make as much noise as if you move with a cotton shirt, which is not much.
🌦️ IT’S SUITABLE FOR ALL CLIMATES
Obviously it is a very useful fabric against the rain, but not only that.
Ventile says it's a fabric you can wear "while going salmon fishing in Scotland, hiking in the Alps, or during a windy golf lesson."
And again, I'm being nice, but know that Ventile jackets were worn in the high mountains to climb Everest, in the Arctic by Ranulph Fiennes or even in the jungle under the recommendation of General MacArthur!
⚒️ IT’S SUSTAINABLE
Not only does Ventile take on a nice patina over time, but it is also a durable fabric. No delamination issues nor blisters that can occur on a frequently used membrane fabric jacket.
This is a point that may seem trivial, but it changes everything: Ventile is a fabric that withstands use over several years much better than a technical membrane.
🖼️ AND IT’S BEAUTIFUL!
Since it is a 100% cotton fabric, we are light years away from a "plastic" rendering of a technical polyester fabric.
Cotton will age and patina beautifully. It is common for heritage/vintage/high-end workwear brands to use Ventile for trenches, parkas, jackets and even safari jackets.
BonneGueule t -shirt .
Regarding the organic cotton Ventile used for this jacket:
- it is the same as our navy blue Jirobi jacket,
- weight: 200 g/m2, it is a thickness that has proven itself in terms of versatility and protection,
- GOTS organic cotton,
- PFC free : there is no C6 or C8 on this fabric,
- spinning and weaving in Egypt, because due to Covid, the Swiss weaver with whom Ventile worked had to close. They had to find another partner with great expertise to achieve the very compact weaving of Ventile,
- the finishing, this step which gives a beautiful hand to the fabric, and the dyeing are well carried out in Switzerland.
It's a recurring question that comes from those who wear Ventile for the first time: does it protect against water as well as a Gore-Tex jacket for example?
It is clear that Gore-Tex or any other membrane remains on top when it comes to waterproofing. Clearly, if you have to walk an entire afternoon in pouring rain, with a backpack and its straps pressing on your shoulders – outdoor conditions for which Gore-Tex was designed – it is undeniable that a material like Gore-Tex is essential.
But I remind you that as breathable as it is, it remains a membrane and therefore a plastic film which wraps your torso. And unfortunately, as soon as the temperatures rise, you often get too hot.
For example, in temperatures between 15°C and 20°C, even the slightest brisk walk wearing Gore-Tex can make you sweat a little.
It's very well explained in this article from the military brand UF Pro (which sells Gore-Tex and Ventile jackets).
Especially in an urban environment where we go from cool to hot constantly (metro, street, store, etc.).
As a result - and from my experience - Ventile is much more comfortable on a daily basis, because like any other cotton fabric, air circulates with great ease through the weave, and this is incomparable to Gore -Tex.
The same goes for a summer climate: in an urban environment, the Ventile is very pleasant.
Last point not to be overlooked: Ventile can be worn next to the skin , unlike a membrane where the "plastic against the skin" appearance is quickly unpleasant . If you are wearing a polo shirt, a t-shirt, or even a short-sleeved shirt, Ventile is infinitely more suitable than a membrane.
We have seen it: when the material becomes wet, the water causes the cotton fibers to swell, and since the weave is very tight, this prevents the water from passing through.
This is how the material becomes “waterproof”.
It sounds simple like that, but to have a very compact weave, you need extrafine fibers from Supima cotton, grown in the United States, which represents barely 2% of global cotton production.
It is therefore this alloy of very fine fibers and a very dense weave which gives all the properties to Ventile.
This is Ventile in very close-up. On the right, when the fabric is wet, the fibers swell and prevent water from passing through.
The cotton is spun in Germany and the threads then go to Switzerland to be woven into a finished product.
THE VENTILE: a fabric with very demanding production 📦
If this material is so fabulous, one might wonder why it hasn't become even more mainstream in men's fashion.
We must already mention the difficulties of having constant quality. I invite you to read the timeline on the Ventile website , where we realize that dyeing such a compact fabric gave Stotz, the Swiss company which bought the Ventile brand, a lot of trouble.
They therefore had to develop a very specific dyeing process themselves to avoid streaks or irregularities in the color at the end of production.
And as we have seen, Ventile requires impeccable quality cotton, therefore one of the most expensive on the market. Add to this the need to have a very dense weave, a resulting price, and this is enough to dampen the enthusiasm of some men's fashion brands...
Outdoor brands preferred to turn to Gore-Tex, with well-established marketing and more easily accessible.
Today, Ventile's main customers are air forces who understand the value of this fabric and are willing to pay the price.
This is why with this piece, I am very proud to participate in the democratization of this fabric.
How did we make this jacket very practical for everyday use?
With zip!
A double zip for comfort
It’s a finish that seems simple but is really practical:
- it allows ventilation to be adjusted very finely by keeping the top of the jacket closed,
- and when you are leaning forward, sitting somewhere or cycling, this allows you to have better comfort and let the jacket follow the position of your body.
The zip is a YKK from Excella, the top of the range from this famous zip supplier. It's a very nice metal zip, with a nice glide!
A flap under the central zip
Still on the subject of the zip, this strip of fabric prevents the wind from rushing inside when the jacket is closed.
All pockets are zippered
Whether the exterior pockets or the interior pockets, they are zippered to keep your personal belongings safe.
How to get our new parts?
Visit our e-shop or in our stores.
