Cardigans, jackets, t-shirts and joggers: the prodigious camel wool in the spotlight 🐫

Behind this exceptional yarn, a 135-year-old Italian spinner located in Florence.

Its expertise: working with precious and fine fibers, which requires rigor and precision to obtain the best.

And to meet our requirements, Filati Naturali developed this beautiful navy and dark camel just for us.

He's also the one behind our superyak cardigan.

Its initiatives in the face of social and environmental issues since 2009 are summarized here 🍃

At BonneGueule, the knitted pieces are entirely re-knitted:

1️⃣The yokes are directly knitted into their final shape, with finished edges.

2️⃣The sides are carefully connected by a reinforced stitching. 

3️⃣The collar is linked by intertwining loops.

• A clean and aesthetic assembly.
• A soft and comfortable knit in every way.
• Without risk of fraying.

Want a tie? The shawl collar will frame it perfectly. This gentleman shows you how to do it:

Photo credits: Tomoyoshi Takada

Another layering desire? So do like this gentleman: insert a denim jacket.

1️⃣ Patch pockets and contrasting mesh gauges, for aesthetics.

2️⃣ Horn fish eye buttons made by the German Schaeffer and mounted on a tail for durability.

3️⃣ Rollable and adjustable cuffs as you wish.

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

1. 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...

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. 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!

5. 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.

6. Because I hide nothing 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.

7. 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."

8. Your testimony about the 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!

In 1919, in the Italian province of Brescia, it was originally a small sock manufacturer.

Since then, the company has gradually grown to eventually acquire a key economic role in its region.

It was during the post-war period that the spinner specialized in cotton twisting. First, for its own products, then as a yarn supplier.

Today, the company also works with fiber blends like that of our t-shirt, with impressive results.

In addition to GOTS labels and Oeko-Tex , you will find all of Ferrari Cotonificio’s CSR certifications here 🍃

Since 1903 in Biella, the weaver Fratelli Tallia Di Delfino has taken advantage of the purity of the water of the Alps to create materials of excellence.

Its main strength: combining traditional know-how and modern techniques thanks to its research and development department.

Regarding this beautiful flannel that our supplier made:

• It is of average thickness, i.e. 230g/square meter.
• The simple wire comes from a factory of the same group, located in the Czech Republic.
• The twisted wire comes from Italy.

As always, nothing is left to chance in our usual workshop in Romania:

1️⃣ Cord from the Japanese manufacturer Shindo, 50% wool, 50% cotton.

2️⃣ The tips, for their part, come from the German company Jadberg and are made in Hong Kong, in nickel-free brass.

3️⃣ Horn buttons made in Germany, at Schaeffer, and sewn on tail.

4️⃣ Cotton pocket lining from Ugtex, in Romania.