The old comes back to conquer American style

10 years, exactly 10 years since I arrived at BonneGueule.

Being nostalgic by nature (I still watch reruns of The Price is Right), it couldn't have been the best time to do this collab.

This shared adventure is not just a love story for clothing. It is also (for me) what built me ​​and allowed me to become what I am today.

I'll tell you a little about all this, but I promise I won't be long.

In 2013, I was still in business school and president of a fashion association, in which I organized a competition for young designers.

Top of my class and already a reader of BonneGueule , I invited Benoît and Geoffrey in the hope that they would come and chair the jury at my event.

Benoît was for me the guy who helped me choose my first white shirt that would get me into a club, I was still quite impressed.

Spoiler alert: I didn't get in but I had a nice Italian poplin shirt.

Then I asked them for an internship because they were looking for someone in marketing. At the time there were 4 of us…

I can tell you that I have some really incredible memories of a group of friends between the ages of 23 and 26 who loved talking about clothes, writing articles, making videos and spending lots of time together.

In short, BonneGueule is like a first professional family , which gave me a foot in the door, and which has largely contributed to doing what I do today, that is to say talking about my passion, with the tone that I like.

So thanks to Ben and Geoff for that!

After this emotional sequence (I hope you cried), I will explain to you the reason for the collaboration.

Since I left in 2017, I have always kept in touch with Ben.

We've both been through a lot, we talk to each other a lot, whether it's recreationally or more "Johnny Deep", as the other would say.

We have really different approaches to clothing.

Ben will contradict me if I say something stupid, but his approach is very precise, almost “geeky”, to find THE right material , the little detail that will make all the difference on a garment for its wearer, while the rest of the world does not see it.
He has a crazy knowledge of technology.

For me, it's the complete opposite.

I like the approximation in clothing , that is to say not paying attention to all the details, not paying attention to whether a pair of pants falls perfectly and my clothes have totally different sizes.

I like this lack of precision which adds a touch of nonchalance to the garment.

My priority is that a garment must be comfortable, easy to wear and above all must be forgotten by its wearer (the less thought a garment requires, the more logical it will be to wear in my opinion).

So we said to ourselves, why not combine my comfortable, versatile and practical side with Ben and BonneGueule's technique more generally for our collaboration.

And for that BonneGueule gave me carte blanche on the theme…

I have always loved the United States , its pop culture and the clothes that emerge from it since I was little.

So I decided to treat myself with some iconic American clothes, revisited. Between practicality and technicality.

We really hope you like them.

Fatigue pants, or “fatigue pants”, are basically military pants (like many other items of clothing) which have enjoyed considerable success in recent years.

It's simple, we see it everywhere.

Originally from the United States, it was created in 1952 for the American army.

So originally, fatigue pants are work pants intended for maintenance and logistics operations. Not the sexiest, but they are practical!

It is made of a thick and durable cotton fabric, which offers great freedom of movement , and that is what interests us.

Its special feature is its two large pockets which allowed soldiers to store their tools and equipment.

During the Vietnam War, fatigue pants became a staple of the G.I.'s uniform. They were worn on the front lines, but also in the rear bases. The pants were also adopted by hippies. Those who smoked illegal stuff, but were happy.

After the Vietnam War, like many military garments, fatigues left the ranks to land on the legs of civilians for very simple reasons: their practicality.

And since they are mostly found in cotton, I thought it would be cool to revisit it in soft wool to keep you warm , while being practical .

You will see that there is no lack of details, but that is what Ben will tell you about.

The material: a very beautiful recycled wool from Manteco (by Benoît)

To find this wool, we turned to the Italian supplier who made me love recycled wool: Manteco.

Manteco has put a lot of effort into creating this range of recycled fabrics in the most respectful way possible . This is the "MWool" range, the aim of which is to create very high quality recycled wool fabrics, far from the "cheap" image that we have of recycled fabrics.

Indeed, MWool has a carbon footprint of 0.9 kg CO2 eq./kg , while virgin wool fibres have an impact of 10.4 kg CO2 eq./kg in the best case, 75.8 kg CO2 eq./kg in the reference scenario, and 103 kg CO2 eq./kg in the worst case. Such a variation in scenarios is explained by the methodology used, but the orders of magnitude are very revealing!

You can find the study behind these findings here .

There would still be a lot, a lot to say about the MWool range, and the presentation page is very complete.

Remember that:

• thanks to the very rigorous selection of wool to be recycled,
• thanks to their color obtained without chemical dyeing
• thanks to Manteco's industrial excellence,

They produce some of the finest recycled wool in the world . Yes, you read that right, I haven't seen this quality of recycled wool anywhere else often.

And of course, in 100% wool, there are the usual qualities of this wonderful fiber: soft, warm, thermoregulating, resistant to odors and wrinkles, quick drying, etc.

Please note that these quality criteria are the same as for non-recycled wool at Manteco, because they absolutely want their recycled wool to have an equivalent quality.

If we go into detail, it is a 280g/m2 wool , therefore a weight that is pleasant to wear from autumn to spring, including the coldest temperatures of winter.

It is a beautiful chocolate brown, because Luca really likes this color in winter, to wear it with sand-colored shoes, fir green or even a classic navy blue.

A timeless straight cut (by Benoît)

With an opening of 20.5 cm for a size 48 , we have a straight cut without excess, and very easy to wear, even when you like it fitted.

Luca absolutely insisted on a high waist to pay homage to the vintage cuts of yesteryear , and I can only encourage you to wear these pants with your shirts and t-shirts tucked in, in order to really show off this cut!

My first memory of this garment is when I was watching Laurel and Hardy, Zorro or even westerns with my grandparents, drinking herbal tea in the evening.

The first traces of the henley date back to the 19th century, in England. I know, it's not very American.

At the time, it was a men's underwear , made of cotton or wool. It was worn under the shirt, to provide warmth and absorption.

It’s also a garment that we don’t wash too much, but we’ll spare you the details.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the henley began to be worn as sportswear.

It is particularly adopted by rowers, who find it comfortable and practical . I am of the same opinion.

During World War II, the henley was adopted by the US Army (and that's when it became American). It was worn by soldiers as underwear, but also as workwear.

In the 1960s, the henley became a symbol of counterculture . It was adopted by the hippies, again.

It is a piece that is very easy to wear, which should be considered like a T-shirt .

The goal here was to give it texture so that in the morning you'd say, "Okay, should I wear a white T-shirt or a Henley under my overshirt?"

I hope you choose the henley.

Speaking of texture, Ben has a few words to tell you about this garment.

A cotton with a touch of yak (by Benoît)

What gives this henley its distinctive greige color?

Answer: there is no dye, it is the yak fibers used that give this richness in the color with this subtle heather . So in terms of composition, we have:

• 95% GOTS certified organic cotton
• 5% yak

This knit is knitted in Portugal. With 300 g/m2, it is a henley with a well-marked waffle texture, which has the advantage of trapping much more air than a classic t-shirt, and therefore having much better insulating properties than a classic t-shirt .

For washing, we recommend that you do it by hand or on a delicate cycle. But Alan from our product team tested it for a good month and a 30 degree wash was also very good. Like many textured knits, it moves over the washes. Sometimes it will relax a little and sometimes it will tighten a little. This is completely normal and part of the charm of natural and precious materials like yak! Knowing that it is rather worn straight to have ease.

The N-1 deck jacket is a military jacket (also) that has enjoyed considerable success among vintage collectors.

If you want, more vulgarly, either you find overpriced nuggets on the market, or you find really low-end jackets that tear every time you put an arm through them.

Originally from the United States, it was created in 1943 for the United States Navy. The Navy, therefore.

The N-1 deck jacket was originally designed to protect sailors from the elements, with its thick, dense cotton and padding.

The cotton was waxed to prevent it from turning into a sponge and of course provided easy protection from the wind.

The deck also had a fur lining, which provided formidable thermal insulation.

It is said to be one of the favorite jackets of the American army because it was so comfortable.

They also greatly appreciated him for his casual style, which contrasts with the traditional military uniform.

During World War II, it was also adopted by Allied forces, including the British, Canadians and French.

After the war, the N-1 deck jacket continued to be worn by American sailors, but especially civilians who would not miss out on its practicality and comfort. I would have done the same in their place, no but oh!

For ours, the “masterpiece” of this capsule I want to say, we wanted to go all out and therefore offer you a jacket that will last you (we hope) a lifetime.

We have made sure to produce the most durable , comfortable and practical jacket possible so that it will develop a patina over time and provide you with good service.

How did we do that?

Ben will tell you.

A cotton woven in Japan (by Benoît)

Yes, it is 100% cotton on this winter jacket, but not just any cotton. Indeed, the deck jacket was created to be used in cold weather.

This is why the fabric is a very densely woven cotton , which makes it very durable and windproof … as well as having a beautiful texture !

This beautiful fabric comes straight from Japan , from Kawagoshi Masa to be exact. He is a weaver with over 70 years of experience, who has mastered the creation of textured fabric with a vintage look, as the Japanese know so well how to do.

With a thickness of 444g/m2, you will therefore have a very durable jacket!

Our usual Climashield insulation to keep you warm (by Benoît)

You know my love for this high-end synthetic insulation made in the United States used by prestigious outdoor brands!

And quite honestly, I think it's the only deck jacket in the world with Climashield , for optimal thermal performance.

This is a 100gsm thickness , a common thickness we use for its balance between warmth and breathability in an urban context.

I love this combination of vintage design and very modern insulation, where we combine the old with the new!

A very soft collar (by Benoît)

Yes, I don't mince my words, because I am very proud of this little strip of fleece placed on the collar . Usually, it is often made of synthetic, but we wanted to take the detail even further, with a luxurious and atypical composition:

• 55% alpaca
• 25% virgin wool
• 20% silk

As you can see, 0% polyester here! This is clearly a very high-end fleece, but since the surface area used is ultimately minimal, we were able to afford this little luxury.

If you ever turn the collar up, you will have a really soft material against the skin.

And a little extra detail: the inside of the pockets is also lined with the same alpaca, wool and silk fleece. It's a real pleasure to slip your hands into them in cold weather.