We wear jackets and blazers very often - every day for some - whether for work or going out.
However, it is not the most comfortable garment, especially in hot weather.
The good alternative is the unstructured jacket , a brilliant invention from our Italian neighbors. We had the opportunity to publish an article on the subject last summer.
In addition to its characteristic lightness, we wanted to bring additional comfort , thanks to a naturally stretchy material .
And for the occasion, we are teaming up with Louis Purple, a brand with a rich history and expertise.
Swallow your last bite of linguini and put on your monks, we're off to Italy!
The unstructured and lightweight BonneGueule x Louis Purple jacket, in cotton jersey, which gives it incredible natural stretch .
Why an unstructured jacket?
What is an unstructured jacket?
A deconstructed jacket, or slack jacket , is distinguished by its construction. It has little or no padding on the shoulders , thus following the natural design of the shoulders of its wearer.
In the case of our collaboration with Louis Purple, we took their lightest jacket construction, with no padding !
The jacket fits all body shapes.
You see here that the shoulder of the jacket is very natural, it follows the curve of Florian's.
Often made of cotton or linen , it is a light piece and particularly pleasant to wear.
The choice of material and its assembly mean that you are completely free to move with an unstructured jacket. You will finally have an airy fall on a jacket.
Here we are on 100% cotton, with a little trick to make it very comfortable but I will come back to this point.
Inspiration taken from Neapolitan jackets
We are increasingly seduced by the Italian style, in particular by the famous sprezzatura, of which the unstructured jacket is an iconic piece.
Historically, Naples is a bastion of Italian sartorial culture. Luca and Long had also dedicated a report to local crafts .
It is a lightweight jacket , which looks good while conveying a certain nonchalance. . From a stylistic point of view, an unstructured jacket is very versatile: like a blazer, you can wear it with chinos, jeans, flannel or formal pants. It also slips easily into the middle of more casual pieces.
In short, this is the ultimate "elegant-but-also-casual" blazer that we wanted to offer you! We are dressed but not stiff, elegant but natural .
Why Louis Purple?
It is a brand that has existed for several years, and we have often received requests about it.
I'll just remind you of a few facts, Luca having already been very thorough in his test of the Louis Purple costumes .
The brand has a boutique in Paris, at 37 avenue des Ternes in the 17th arrondissement.
Louis Purple belongs to a large group, a manufacturer for several brands across the globe. As an anecdote, the entire group produces the incredible figure of 1,000,000 suits per year. The brand draws two great assets from this position:
- It has its own production tools . This is a rare thing in ready-to-wear, allowing it to offer affordable prices, attractive in terms of quality.
- Louis Purple has a great deal of expertise in sleeved pieces - originally, Louis Purple was a half-measure brand only - which it continues to perfect thanks to the group.
At the beginning, half-measures were Louis Purple's core business.
Today, she has chosen to diversify into ready-to-wear, its excellent quality/price/creation ratio giving her a fairly unique position on the market. It would be a bit like the French SuitSupply 🙂
This is a brand that is unfortunately absent on the Internet . Our collaboration therefore marks the first time that their products will be available online.
A new 100% cotton material (and very comfortable)
Convinced of the importance of materials , we are keen to offer you new things , as much for your style as your curiosity. You have to see Alex and Benoît discussing fabric samples!
After the wool mesh blazer last year , Benoît and Alex wanted to explore new avenues, materials never worked before. While knowing that a light fabric was needed to stick to the very function of the jacket...
Louis Purple has found a superb cotton jersey from Maggia, a specialist in knitting suit-weight jersey . Real expertise is required, as jersey is usually a knitting stitch used for t-shirts or sweatshirts!
The advantage of cotton jersey? It's like a t-shirt, there's a super comfortable natural "stretch" . Likewise, the jersey knitting makes it airy and breathable, just like a t-shirt!
Attached to my freedom of movement, I almost never wear a classic wool blazer - and even then, I say "almost" for the sake of form -. However, here, it's night and day as we have this "stretchy" side. I did the splits in the technical pants , I do the bridge in this jacket. Even better than Jane Fonda's aerobics videos.
You will be as surprised as I was by this unexpected ease 😉
A sought-after texture
Herringbone jersey...
Herringbones are usually found on twill weaves (characterized by diagonal lines), so it was a challenge to work them on a jersey base!
Ultimately, the pattern takes the light very well and remains completely suited to casual influences. In Benoît's words:
At the time, only jackets worn in the countryside had a visible pattern. In a sense, the unstructured herringbone jacket is sort of the brogue of the jacket. Except that here, given the size of the herringbone, we have a much more modern rendering than with the herringbone of a classic tweed.
...carried by two colors
A chevron is even more interesting when it is based on two distinct colors, thus highlighting its construction. We finally decided on the combination of navy blue and a very bright light gray , which gives a mottled effect from afar.
You know Benoît's penchant for subtle patterns, and our jacket is no exception:
The material reveals itself when you get close and takes on a more neutral appearance when you move a few steps away, it's an aspect that I particularly like!
It is by using two distinct colors that the chevrons are most highlighted.
A special interlining
As you know, we are in favor of semi-canvassed. In this type of construction, the jacket has a heat-sealed base and tailor's canvas is used on the upper part. This gives it structure, a beautiful drape and above all a magnificent rolling (with the famous drop!).
Watch the presentation video carefully, Rudy from Louis Purple shows it in pictures 🙂
The tailor's canvas is added to the cartridge, a sort of skeleton of the jacket.
The white part corresponds to the cartridge, a bit like the skeleton of the jacket. On a canvas jacket, the cartridge and the horsehair canvas are assembled using a machine called a "strobel".
We had to take a different approach on this collab for a very simple reason: it is impossible to assemble an unstructured jacket in semi-canvas .
The piece would have too much structure, depriving it of its characteristic drape and lightness (in fact, the tailor's canvas added to the cartridge would not allow the expected fluidity to be achieved).
A jacket with Neapolitan influences falls very naturally, particularly soft. It follows you when you move thanks to the elasticity of the jersey.
So I'll summarize the construction: very light heat-sealing (we're not cheating, it's visible inside the jacket, behind the facing) + cartridge = absolute comfort!
The thermo-bonded fabric used is among the lightest in the world . The best thermo-bonded fabrics are very easy to maintain and do not warp after several trips to the dry cleaners.
You will never have the impression of rigidity, nor crushed lapels. And you will see, your lapels will form a very beautiful rolling!
A fitted cut that highlights the bust
Determining the cut of an unstructured jacket is a delicate exercise: you need a line that is "relaxed" enough to match the relaxed spirit of the piece, while adding some shaping to emphasize the elegance of the silhouette. Louis Purple shows us all his know-how here...
The jacket falls well in the back and the waist remains emphasized.
As you can see, the jacket has two panels: this is much more comfortable, in keeping with the influences of the piece. It also prevents the back of the jacket from "opening" for those with wider than average hips.
The armhole is intentionally high for more comfort as well.
Luca's note: The jacket follows your movements thanks to the jersey, you are truly free to move in it. Putting your hands in the pockets is therefore possible, without any risk of deformation.
Sartorial finishes
No lining, no burr
With Louis Purple, we chose not to use any lining. This is a more expensive finish since it requires a clean and neat construction ; the lining often acts as a cover-up.
There is no lining on the jacket, so the construction of the jacket must be impeccable.
Still inside the jacket, we opted for a wide facing . This is a more advanced finish but also more expensive, since it requires the use of additional material. The armpits are reinforced by inserts called "salières" , practical in case of unexpected sweating.
The famous salt shakers and the wider than usual facing, with the grain of the jersey clearly visible!
Horn buttons
All buttons used are made of horn .
You will find the kissing buttons on the sleeves , we left the buttonholes closed to make alterations easier .
The "kissing buttons", 100% horn.
Strong pockets
A small detail that will delight purists: the interior pockets are cut directly into the material (in the facing to be exact) and reinforced with half-moons to prevent tears.
The half-moons reinforce the highly stressed areas of the garment, delaying their wear.
In total, the jacket has five pockets : one outside and one inside, on each side of the piece, plus the chest pocket for the clutch.
How to maintain an unstructured jacket?
Just like any other jacket!
Drop it off at the dry cleaners once a season and that will be more than enough.
Hang it on a hanger, taking care to unbutton it first.
How to choose your size?
Nothing could be simpler, just take your usual size!
If you already own a BonneGueule blazer, you should obviously go for the same size , our sizing being identical to that of Louis Purple.
Our system is in numbers:
- XS corresponds to 44,
- S corresponds to 46,
- M corresponds to 48,
- L corresponds to 50,
- XL corresponds to 52,
- XXL corresponds to 54.
How to wear an unstructured jacket?
Florian draws inspiration from the Italian DNA of the deconstructed jacket : monk, high-lapel flannel pants, cutaway collar... Wearing blue for the shirt and gray for the pants is an easy option to integrate the jacket; we take up the colors. In the middle of such soft tones, a brightly colored tie is highlighted and wakes up the look. He stays in similar shades for the rest of his accessories, maintaining the coherence of his outfit. (Hast shirt - exclusive to BonneGueule boutique, Sozzi Calze tie, MAISON F pocket square, BonneGueule pants , Léon Flam bag, Septième Largeur shoes)
A herringbone jacket will complement textured or knitted ties.
More simply, Luca accompanies his jacket with a chambray shirt and beige chinos. His outfit is harmonious, there is no particular difficulty. The casual dimension of the look is supported through the chambray and the desert boots, and by the fluid line of the jacket. ( BonneGueule chambray shirt , Louis Purple chinos, Comme un Caméléon belt, Bobbies desert boots)
Finally, he adds a wine-colored pouch, a color that always goes with gray and blue: hold on to the tip! (Hast Pouch)
We find Florian in a more elegant look. The unstructured jacket lends itself well to chinos, both sharing this "casual elegance" side. The herringbones give an interesting mottled effect, giving relief to the whole. ( BonneGueule shirt , Gant Rugger pocket square, BonneGueule flannel chinos, Septième Largeur derby)
A rich mix of contrasts!
Even Benoît succumbs to the sirens of sprezzatura, look at the way his tie is tied: the two sides are slightly offset and stick out to accentuate the nonchalance, the same for his pocket square worn in "winged points". In addition, an unstructured jacket obviously goes well with jeans , the result being all the more interesting if they are already well faded. Enough to give Benoît a look full of determination. ( Jean BonneGueule Kurabo , Office Artist shirt, Cadot tie and pocket square)
A great classic of Italian style, it is no surprise that the jacket matches the white pants / navy sweatshirt combo. Like Luca, you can wear a t-shirt underneath to match the pants. Navy blue sneakers are a safe bet with this type of look, to wear with invisible socks. On the way to the Marina (Muji T-shirt, Zapa sweatshirt, DeFursac pants, Garçonne & Chérubin sneakers)
Blue and gray being the pivotal colors of our wardrobe, the jacket will easily fit into your looks. Otherwise and given its origins, it is a piece that highlights and is highlighted by accessories. Ties, pocket squares, scarves, como si desidera! (Cinable collar pin)
How to get the BonneGueule x Louis Purple deconstructed jacket?
The official launch is scheduled for this Sunday, April 10 at 2 p.m. (and the day before for members of the BonneGueule Program).
As usual, newsletter subscribers will receive the product page link a little earlier.
In any case, if you are in Paris, you can already come and try them out from this Saturday, April 9, in our Marais boutique .
For the people of Lyon, you can also get it from Saturday, in our pop-up store at 43, rue Auguste Comte in Lyon.
And for the others, register without further delay:
