Be careful, we're going to talk about color, winter afternoons, walks in the cold and rum grog.
Are you ready ?
The famous gray coat! (GianFranco Ferré shirt)
If you only have a white t-shirt left to wear, the chunky textured knit is very practical for dressing up an outfit.
Why wear light gray in winter?
I don't know about you, but I find winter to be a particularly interesting season for men who love to dress up.
Indeed, the season requires layering several layers of clothing before going out to face the cold. And that's an excellent thing, since your room for inventiveness is considerably expanded. The perfect opportunity to put together stylish outfits, something to brighten up a season that quickly becomes gloomy.
Gone are the days in summer when you could only put on a t-shirt and nothing else. Coat, chunky knit, cardigan, scarf or gloves: the thicker the better!
In winter, stack layers of clothing rather than wearing a few thick clothes. This gives consistency to your style.
Unfortunately, once the cold sets in, and while all the ingredients are there to give free rein to one's abundant imagination, we are systematically disappointed to see that the vast majority of men dress in outfits in depressing colors : black , light black (or rather “black that has aged badly”), with sometimes a little navy blue to lighten everything up…
How sad...
This is what should be avoided.
Obviously, blue remains the reference color in winter for men. A predominantly blue outfit can hardly be missed, that's understood. But precisely, if we want something other than blue, what is left?
And that's where light gray comes in.
This color is THE best alternative to navy blue . When I went to Pitti last winter, I was able to realize the importance of light gray, one of the rare colors capable of brightening up an outfit.
And here's how to create a light gray palette with patterns, by M. Inglese .
Light gray - here we have a greige, a mixture of gray and beige - is the best solution for integrating brown, beige, but also khaki tones.
It's no coincidence that our flannel pants are light gray and not charcoal. It was therefore important for me to extend this color to other emblematic pieces of the BonneGueule Line.
You will see that it is an approach with as few risks as with blue. However, this is a completely different way of combining colors together, as we will explain.
Light gray as both an alternative and friend to blue
Match gray to all other colors. And abuse it to incorporate more daring colors into your outfits.
Think about the amount of blue clothes in your closet: it's time to combine this color with something other than itself.
A colorful scarf goes very well with the light gray coat, worn by Patrice, guest editor with us . (Jean Ralph Lauren)
Let's take an example. You put on your best raw jeans, a casual sky blue shirt and blue sneakers. Wearing another blue item of clothing on top would lack originality . But a light gray cardigan will go very well with all these shades.
The advantage of light gray is that it is an extremely warm color , which goes well with all the others, from the most sober to the most assertive. It highlights all the others in a very particular way.
The advantage of a gray coat is that it particularly highlights the slightest beige vest in a very elegant way.
Men are used to dressing in three main colors: blue, white, brown (black is not a color). This constitutes 80% of the outfits found on the street.
Try dressing without these three colors: in light gray, green and beige for example.
The gray coat and the gray cardigan in detail
At this point of reading, one question must be nagging you: why didn't we release a gray model at the same time as the blue coat last year? The answer is very simple: at that time, this material, with this light gray color, did not exist at Jules Tournier (because I remind you that our wool is 100% French!).
It was seeing the success of the blue color that Jules Tournier decided to develop this gray expressly for us! This is the whole point of considering your suppliers as full partners.
In a desperate situation, the storm blind will always protect your throat!
There are the usual snap buttons that keep the pockets secure when you don't have your hands in them.
The interior zipped pocket is still there.
Horn buttons, as usual !
And here are the main points on the cardigan ( which I dissect here ):
- Each piece weighs almost a kilo of merino wool , and is spun and knitted in Italy (Six & Sept, who developed this cardigan for us, are generous in the quantities of material),
- It is a linked cardigan and not "cut and sewn", that is to say that the different elements of the cardigan (bust, sleeves) are assembled in a much more elegant and durable way,
- The pockets are knitted directly into the cardigan, and firmly held by being knitted into the inside,
- The buttons of the cardigan are also made of horn ,
- Finally, the wool is knitted in "gauge 5" , which provides a real, well-defined texture.
The decreases are very visible, with a row of stitches oblique to the sleeve. This requires more work, but it allows for a much more harmonious joint than “cut and sew”.
And as always, the shawl collar sits nicely with a shirt collar.
It’s a gray specially developed for us by Six & Sept.
Any ideas for wearing light gray?
Don’t hesitate to wear colorful pieces: khaki, mauve chinos, camel or burgundy knit. The outfit will only be warmer.
Here, Florian did not hesitate to wear a strong piece in the form of blue pants with green checks. For this type of clothing, it is best to tone down the rest of the outfit by opting for sober colors, here white and light gray. ( BonneGueule shirt , Zara pants, Adidas sneakers)
But if the idea of tartan scares you, there's nothing stopping you from choosing easier pants! I am wearing a model with a very slightly iridescent effect which adds relief. Besides, if you look closer, you will see that none of the materials used have the same appearance ;). I also chose to wear sneakers, but derbies or ankle boots would have just as easily fit in. (Boggi shirt, Marchand Drapier pants, Lanvin sneakers that I should think about changing)
And obviously, if you wear a gray cardigan, don't wear gray wool pants: the same material and the same color, on two different pieces, doesn't work .
Don't wear two items of clothing of the same color and material: vary.
I think the chunky knit cardigan/casual shirt combination is the most spontaneous. A beautiful material like chambray will highlight the texture of the cardigan, this is really where you have to play:
Also don’t hesitate to place cotton flannel shirts in slightly unusual colors. The cardigan also breaks up the omnipresence of blue in Geoffrey's look, and the sneakers are a reminder. ( BonneGueule Japan Line chambray shirt , Maharishi chinos, BGNS-02 sneakers ).
Even simpler, wear your cardigan with a t-shirt and raw jeans:
If Luca opts for a white tee, a more elaborate model is easily possible. It’s hard to go wrong at this point! (Muji T-shirt, BonneGueule jeans , Le Coq Sportif sneakers).
The double-breasted coat is a pillar of the sartorial wardrobe in winter, so it is normal to try to combine it with pieces in this spirit.
And don’t hesitate to opt for white for the bottom layers of your outfits (shirt/t-shirt). Immediate lighting effect:
Florian opts for a white shirt and a double-breasted vest, an option that I encourage you to exploit because the result is very elegant (here, the coat almost takes the place of the blazer). But rest assured, the coat is designed to leave enough room for a jacket underneath. In this regard, remember to pull the sleeves of your blazer tight when putting on the coat, and to overlap the shoulders well so as not to distort the silhouette. ( BonneGueule shirt , Howard's x BonneGueule cashmere tie , SuitSupply cardigan, BonneGueule gray jeans , Septième Width derby)
You can play with the collar of your coat to flesh out your bust and increase your build. But also on the belt to modulate the bending.
Color-wise, a light gray coat will go with absolutely everything, and you won't risk a monochrome effect with gray jeans, which are generally quite dark.
Finally, the shirt collar is the only part of the top of the outfit that is visible once the coat is closed. Don’t hesitate to add accessories such as a tie or scarf to highlight it!
Luca is on a resolutely streetwear look, to which the coat adds structure. Note the sweatshirt worn Pitti style, with the collar of the white t-shirt sticking out slightly. Be careful, a longer coat does not go well with sneakers (Muji T-shirt, Gap sweatshirt, BonneGueule jeans , Le Coq Sportif sneakers, Persol glasses)
For this look, Geoffrey zips the coat over his light blue chambray shirt. We will appreciate the little interplay of materials between the horn buttons on the coat and the wooden ones on the shirt.
How does the gray coat size?
Unsurprisingly, it fits exactly like our blue coat, namely in a very classic way. Just take your usual size , and you won't have any surprises there! If you are a size 48 for a jacket, take a size 48 for this coat.
All our clothes fit the same; there is nothing very complicated.
And we have taken care to offer sleeves that can easily be altered in length (or even extended by 2 or 3 cm).
And as usual, it is entirely possible to wear our coat with a jacket underneath.
How does the gray cardigan fit?
It obviously fits the same as the beige cardigan: the sizing is super classic.
For example, if you usually wear M in shirts, t-shirts, sweaters, etc., then just stick to your usual size . And that's all !
Coats and cardigans are now available
You can now order the coats:
And the big cardigans:
