The Nevada overshirt and the Poetto pants
BonneGueule overshirt, shirt and pants . Lemaire shoes.
A fabric that works
Nothing like an overshirt or white pants to brighten up an outfit. And the advantage of choosing them in a workwear material, casual in essence, is that it doesn't give us the impression of doing too much. We love this type of piece for that, and for their authentic side.
Most of these materials are regular cotton gabardine or moleskin. We love it too, but our product team wanted to find a less common fabric. A texture that would add something extra.
Here is their find:
It is also a cotton gabardine, except that its typical diagonals have been highlighted during weaving. It gives a more material texture, which intrigues the eye as much as the hand. It stands out from the ordinary while remaining discreet, since the material is united. And that's precisely what we like to find when digging through our sample catalogs.
Gabardine, twill: what’s the difference?
Beginner level: a fabric is an interweaving of what we call weft threads and warp threads. The first form the weft of the fabric, the second form the warp.
Intermediate level: there are three main ways to interweave these threads. We are talking about three weaves, which are canvas (each warp thread passes under, then over a weft thread), satin (often, each warp thread passes under one, then over several weft threads) and the twill (under one, then over three).
Expert level: gabardine is actually a type of twill, denser than normal because its weave is tighter. A gabardine is therefore necessarily a twill, but a twill is not necessarily a gabardine. It was popularized in the 1870s by Thomas Burberry and notably used for his famous trench coats.
Welcome to the connoisseurs’ club!
The other particularity is hidden in its color: not a simple Pantone 000C white but the natural ecru of the cotton which has been preserved here. It has not undergone dyeing, but desizing, a common practice which consists of applying starch to stiffen the threads and limit their breakage during weaving, followed by a bleaching treatment to standardize the color. Uniformity which does not prevent this discreet speckling from appealing to the most curious.
But when I came to poke around in the prototypes at the office, it was especially his hand that caught my attention: while most workwear fabrics are rather rigid, this one is surprisingly flexible. When I tried it on, I found that the feeling when worn was closer to the jersey of a sweatshirt than the twill of a work jacket. It's quite pleasant and at the same time, that doesn't prevent it from having hold because it is thick: 390 g/m². A layer to wear all year round, except from 25 degrees in summer for the overshirt of course (the straight cut of the pants will let air circulate).
The talent of our regions
This time, our product team didn't look far to find this texture: Ménil, a French commune in the Vosges where the Kohler family opened a weaving factory in 1840.
Six generations later, it is still a member of the family who runs the business, divided between its historic site and a second 15km away, opened in the mid-20th century.
This subsidiary, named Telatex, is Oeko-Tex certified (guaranteeing the absence of harmful substances) and has woven and then bleached our fabric in France, with threads from two Spanish and Portuguese partners.
An overshirt that changes
Overshirts are everywhere today, in all colors and materials but rarely in ecru. If you're looking for one to break up the style routine when the warm weather arrives, we think this is a color to consider. Our product team chose it for this.
To breathe freely in it, she also chose a straight cut but not loose. The idea was to keep a consistent volume for an overshirt, so you can wear it under a mac when it's raining or under a coat when it's cold.
For consistent proportions, and because we find that the sum of details makes the difference in an outfit, our team has developed a generous 8cm shirt collar. We find that it matches the width of the throat and pockets.
It’s clearly a professional fix but what I was most happy with when we worked on it with the team was how well the pocket flaps sat thanks to the flexibility of the fabric.”
Pants that fit well
Some people watch satisfying videos on Instagram to ease their mind. Our modern drug is admiring the volume of pants when they fit perfectly. Whether it's on the lookbooks of brands we love or while trying on a successful prototype at the office.
And this is not the time to be modest: we are very happy with the result for this one.
BonneGueule shirt available soon.
It's a wide cut, with 23 cm leg opening for a size 48. Yes, it's generous. Yes, this is a new victory for our union of straight pants defenders and yes, you will be able to take the stairs two at a time when you are in a hurry. But above all it is there to create an interesting volume on your outfit. And if she draws it correctly, it's because its material has strength thanks to its thickness, even though it is very flexible.
This overshirt and these pants are now available on our e-shop and in stores. They are part of our new collection “Le Temps Retrouvé”.
Kamikoshi jackets and pants
A material that combines utility with beauty
Here are the three most reassuring things in a man's life (subjective and unofficial ranking):
- Feeling his keys in his pocket when he reaches over them.
- Check a second time that the gas is properly closed.
- Knowing that he can count on the robustness of his canvas jacket.
This is also why we like to dig into the work wardrobe: its materials are initially designed to be resistant and practical. You can wear them without paying too much attention and abuse them as you want, they will only become more beautiful as they skate along the areas of friction.
The example par excellence is canvas, this famous canvas with a dense and tenacious weave, historically worn by workers, farmers or sailors. Many workwear jackets have its typical grain but as with gabardines, it is often the same. Hence the satisfaction of our product team when they came across this canvas with a particular texture:
As we approach the eye, we can see small irregular streaks which bring originality without distorting the personality of the canvas. And what's interesting is that they are not the work of a specific weaving technique. In fact, these are the natural imperfections of recycled cotton fibers, mastered by one of the first Italian weavers to embark on this practice.
Transform constraint into creativity
In the second half of the 1940s, Italy was badly damaged by the war and its textile industry suffered from a shortage of raw materials. Enzo Anacleto Mantellassi has a solution in mind: he restarts an old spinning mill, buys blankets and military clothing at auction, shreds them, then brings the clumps together by color to make new threads.
Today, the company named Manteco is still run by the same family. It carries out all its steps in a short circuit so as not to consume too many resources. We would like all weavers of recycled fabrics to be as sincere and authentic in their approach.
Manteco therefore made 70% of the threads for this canvas from fabric scraps recovered from the factory. The remaining 30% is organic cotton, with longer fibers to guarantee the resistance of the fabric. Everything is spun, then dyed and then woven in Italy.
Two jackets you can count on
As for workers, these jackets are there to make your life easier:
- a straight cut so that you are comfortable in it, and because it's the kind of volume we like to see on a workwear jacket,
- four patch pockets at the front to have everything you need at hand,
- two zipped pockets inside so you don't have to check that you have your keys (see classification above).
And a little something new: our product team had brass buttons made in Italy, signed with our logo. We thought it was a nice way to differentiate it.
To change from work overalls or indigo while remaining in their spirit, the team developed the first jacket in storm blue. Important point for us: the color is more faded than bright, to blend into your outfits more naturally. This shade is also reminiscent of a navy blue jacket that has faded over the years. We are therefore well into the theme of workwear.
The color of the second jacket and the pants is the current passion of our co-founder Benoît, who will be able to tell you about it better than anyone.
Why do I love the color coyote so much?
Comments from Benoît, co-founder
“As you have noticed, BonneGueule has been working with coyote color in small touches for several years.
To describe it, I would say that it is a sandy beige, but with tones that can tend towards honey or yellow.
It's just as versatile as a camel for example, but with a shade that is closer to what you can find in nature.
It is precisely this point that makes it a color that mixes well with any other color in nature.
Concretely, this shade will be very comfortable with the blues, grays and greens (from khaki to olive) in your wardrobe.
The coyote is also a discreet nod to the outdoor world, but without the first degree aspect of a green for example. This is why it is so present among Japanese brands.
In short, coyote is one of my favorite colors that I consider to be a secret weapon in terms of style, and I had wanted to work with it for a long time on a high + low ensemble, with a well-textured fabric.”
Trousers with great originality
Most of the clothes we wear went through the same pattern before reaching us: created to meet a specific need or constraint, popularized for their practicality, then made iconic for their style.
This is true for work clothes, denim, tweed and of course, the military wardrobe which we often take pleasure in transforming into workwear outfits.
And if there's one piece that we don't have enough fun with, it's these British WW2 pants (preferably read with a forced accent).
From the 1900s to the 1930s, the British Army uniform changed very little. The need to develop it was felt with the mechanization of war: tanks, new weapons, etc. The British War Office then began testing several uniforms, including pants which would demonstrate very good effectiveness during the Second World War, with its two asymmetrical pockets. The dimensions of the left front pocket will allow soldiers to have their map at hand, while the right side pocket will make their first aid equipment accessible at all times.
Today we have Google Maps and the chance to limit our armed combat to games of Call of Duty. But that doesn't stop us from taking the aesthetic of these pants that we love, modernizing them and making them an asset to our outfits.
To do this, our product team tested different belt and waist heights. The first prototypes were close to the original model, with a high waist and a two-button belt.
On paper, the idea was cool but with the pleats and patch pockets, it was a lot to wear. These pants really deserved a waist that stops at the hips and a single-breasted belt. It’s more modern and at the same time, the personality of the pants is still there.”
The team also tested several pocket placements to find the most consistent.
Among our tests, there was a prototype with the right patch pocket placed in the extension of the clip. It didn't look the way we wanted, so we shifted it to the right. A configuration closer to the original model ultimately. And that's good !"
A set of pockets in keeping with its heritage, while the straight cut, natural waist and single buttoning make these pants more modern for your daily outfits.
When trying on the latest prototype, the team was unanimous: these pants are well and truly equipped to wage war against stylistic monotony!
It is now available on our e-shop and in store. The same goes for our jackets made from the same material.
And if you have a question or need advice, we are waiting for you in the comments area at the bottom!
