After the merino wool cardigan (thanks to the Australian sheep), the white cotton shirt from Albini (thanks to Egyptian cotton), it's my turn to present the BonneGueule wool pants .
Music Credit: Drake - Hold On, We're Going Home ft. Majid Jordan
There was a lot of excitement on the forum around this famous "wool piece", some had even guessed it in advance... I also met readers in bars who thought they could extract money from me. info! A lot of speculation then, but you know better than me, Benoît is keen on his cult of secrecy... We have never given up the slightest information ( except Geoffrey, but I don't support anyone ).
No more waiting! Here are concrete details of THE BonneGueule wool pants.
Here are these famous pants!
It is worn with the BG 2.3 cardigan and the BG 2.2 white shirt.
Why wool pants?
It is an essential basic in the men's wardrobe , and yet we had difficulty finding what we were looking for in what brands offer today.
As for the chunky knit, either the pants are too expensive (you can easily go above 220 euros), or the materials are cheap (low-end wool flannels which no longer look like anything after two seasons and many washes). , and which overall are not very moving), either a mix of synthetic that sticks to the thighs... or all three (and there's the pom-pom!).
So when we had the first meeting to determine the collection plan, we unanimously agreed to develop our wool pants, with the main objective of tearing each other apart on the quality/price ratio.
The holy trinity of clothing from the BG line, with three very different textures.
In compliance with the BonneGueule triptych
And of course, we wanted to offer more than just a boring basic.
For those who (still) don't know, our triptych at BonneGueule when we develop a piece is the following: a beautiful material, beautiful finishes, and a good cut .
That’s how these pants were born. Quite simply. Or almost...
A Vitale Barberis Canonico (VBC) wool flannel
For the material, as usual, Benoît flooded me with visuals/photos from his favorite films and clips.
Note from Benoît: this is the photo with which it all started. I thought this color and texture with these Crockett and Jones ankle boots was beautiful. Although I never managed to find the brand of these pants, the French representative of Vitale assured me that it was a fabric from them, recognizable by this very particular "velvety". We needed the same thing!
The instructions were clear: Benoît wanted a light gray flannel in a heavier weight than what is usually found on the market .
We had many meetings with representatives of material manufacturers, and Benoît found his favorite at the prestigious Italian house Vitale Barberis Canonico (this man has taste and loves beauty, you know that :) ).
The leg opening allows you to wear these pants with low sneakers (here Lanvin which are starting to have a bit of experience). Note that light gray goes perfectly with beige. Hahaha.
A three-century-old spinning mill
Vitale Barberis Canonico is quite simply the oldest fabric spinning mill in the world still in operation (see the excellent article by Parisian Gentleman on the subject).
Created in 1663 and established in Biella, it is a company which has remained family, and above all, which is 100% vertically integrated! In other words, VBC has its own flocks of sheep in Australia, its own spinning mill, and its own looms.
This allows it to have total control and control over the quality of the products (particularly respect for the animal). VBC receives its wool fibers in its warehouses, takes care of the spinning and dyeing in the warehouse next door, and weaves in the warehouse next door (yes, they kept the layout simple). 'factory).
Arrived at Turin airport. A private driver commissioned by Vitale Barberis Canonico is waiting to take us to the Biella factory.
Today, it is a company that combines ancestral know-how and new technologies. VBC produces around 8 million meters of fabric per year and the collections range up to 4000 references !
A team of stylists works full time on the development of the collections but VBC can also count on an archivist. The latter goes hunting all over the world to buy large books of fabric archives (some of these books date back to the 1800s). This archive collection is worth several million euros!
The wool wad has been soaked in a vat of dyes and then begins its spinning process.
Wool at different stages of the spinning process.
Before weaving, we prepare the warp threads (the weft threads will then be injected by the weaving machine).
All woven fabrics are inspected by the factory's quality department.
Their factory in Biella (near Turin) is impressive: the spinning and dyeing warehouses are fully automated and require very little human intervention. Their weaving machines are much quieter than normal thanks to a machine insulation process that VBC has specially developed to improve employee comfort (well, wearing earplugs is still highly recommended).
A big thank you to Simone for showing us around the Vitale Barberis Canonico factory!
For the record, VBC wanted to make this soundproofing technology available to its competitors free of charge, but the latter were discouraged by the scale of the task.
I love the texture and look of wool flannel...
But why a light gray flannel?
As I told you, Benoît wanted a pretty light gray. The material from VBC corresponded exactly to his expectations. We have a deep color, with a lot of relief. Concerning the weight, we chose a much heavier weight than what you usually find on the market (340 grams/m² when many brands use weights less than 300 grams).
This gives the material an unparalleled drape when you wear the pants.
Note from Benoît: tired of the anthracite grays that we see everywhere, I wanted a lighter gray, because it was brighter and more elegant . I also wanted a thicker than average flannel, because it's more insulating, and the fabric has more "roundness" in its drape .
Finally, what makes a wool flannel good is what we call its “edginess”. Take the pants in your hand, crumple them, and you will see that the material will react and return itself to its initial position. We are talking here about the “fabric hand”.
And obviously, with the quality of VBC, you will not be disappointed by doing this little test.
Sartorial finishes (only high-end, no amalgamation)
Concerning the finishes, we wanted to go further than what is usually found.
You will therefore have half-moon seams at the ends of the rear welt pockets.
It is a purely sartorial finish. Concretely, this does not bring much (the immediate benefit for the customer is low). But it’s a bit of proof that the piece was designed with the greatest care. This will speak to lovers of beautiful products, those who love “beautiful”.
The little half-moon, easy to spot!
Other sartorial finishes: the belt with loop , which is also an open loop. To put it simply, the Anglaise is the yoke that is mounted on the belt. This is a basic finish for suit pants. On the other hand, you will rarely find belts with an open strap.
The benefit is clear: after a good raclette with friends (it's coming soon), you will no longer need to pop the first button. The open english allows your belly to flourish in complete peace. In addition, it provides more flexibility to the waistband of the pants. Quiet.
This reinforcement point is there to reinforce the open strap at the back. In the background, we can see the label of Vitale Barberis Canonico 😉
The clearly marked stopping points at the ends of the pockets reinforce the piece where the tension is the greatest.
This reinforcement point is also present at the top of the pocket to consolidate tension points.
For the buttons, we favored horn (we are allergic to synthetic materials, excluding technical materials and Japanese acetates with a thousand reflections).
For the zip, we chose the Japanese brand YKK . It is a guarantee of reliability and robustness. You can "zip" and "unzip" infinitely (and even beyond).
Last, oh-so-important finish: the seat panty (also called panty seat) which will allow your privacy to settle in calmly when you have put on your pants. Peace .
Some very functional details
We absolutely wanted these pants to be functional.
First notable point: the pocket bags are attached . This prevents you from having the bottom of your pockets popping out to say “hello” as soon as you put your hand in or take your hand out of your pocket.
The pocket bag fabric dips under the fly fabric as it is sewn to it. This helps prevent the pocket from coming out of the pants.
Second appreciable finish: a closure with a single hook and an interior button . Now, no more hassle when opening and closing your pants in the bathroom.
I have a lot of respect for Neapolitan tailors who place six or more buttons to close the pants properly, but we wanted something much simpler and quicker to open and close.
Pants that fit all styles
Tom, with his huge legs, likes to wear his pants very short. Please note: these pants will be delivered to you without a sewn hem, so there is no risk of having pants that are too short or too long.
By playing on the elegant texture of wool flannel and the patina of Grenson shoes, we obtain a very interesting contrast.
Finally, we wanted pants that could be worn in both a formal outfit (to go to work), and a more casual outfit. The light gray color is really an opportunity to build new silhouettes and bring out all your basics from your closet!
Demonstration with Benoît and Florian wearing the 3 garments from the second BonneGueule line:
It is a very versatile semi-slim cut (19cm leg opening on average). Don't worry, with autumn coming, Benoît will soon be forced to take off his inseparable sunglasses!
Put on a colorful scarf (here Monoprix Homme simply) and more fanciful shoes, give precise instructions to your hairdresser, and you may have Florian's legendary look.
It is possible to wear the pants with leather shoes, desert boots but also with sneakers . That's the magic of a good basic.
Fancier shoes like these Mark McNairys will look great with more sober gray pants.
No matter their style, everyone is able to make the piece their own, and give soul to the clothes ( note from Benoît: lyrical flight, beware of literary excess confidence, Alexandre ).
So I can put on my Air Force 1s easily.
Note from Benoît: you can imagine that with Alex, I had no say in the fact of wearing Air Force with these pants...
A few words about the interview
Don't play superhero and go to Google Map to find the dry cleaner closest to you: choose dry cleaning .
Or the soapy water in your sink. But once again, pure wool is a material that does not absorb odors and gets dirty little: it requires 4 or 5 times less maintenance than cotton chinos.
How to choose your size ?
The pants fit in a very classic way: just take your usual size , and you won't have any surprises there!
Oh yes, and then there is of course extra material in the pants so that a tailor can make them one size larger !
And there's enough leg length that everyone can tailor it to their size perfectly with a simple hem .
The wool flannel pants (and blazer) are now available
You can now order:
- wool flannel pants (alone)
- the wool flannel jacket (alone)
