It all started in winter 2014.
We had taken out our first blue double-breasted coat . Luca then came to see me and said: “Benoît, he’s good, but I want a camel coat.” . And then he confided in me: “Every winter, it’s the same thing. Impossible to find the camel coat.”
I almost fell out of my chair: “But Luca, there are camel coats everywhere!”
And then, it was Luca who stood up and pointed at me: “That’s wrong, Benoît! You’re talking nonsense! You don’t know anything about it! Every time, it’s a break in stock! Everywhere! And when I say I can't find one, no one believes me! At Pitti, they all have one!
And he left, leaving me in my thoughts and completely unsettled. “Luca is an impetuous young man, this camel coat thing will get through to him,” I thought. What a mistake on my part!
In the fall of 2015, when we were taking out our gray wool coat a year later, Luca came back to me: “Benoît, I want a camel coat!”
Having prepared the parade in my head, I hastened to tell him that there was no camel coat , but that instead, a very beautiful heather gray wool coat from Jules Tournier had arrived.
But nothing helped... He looked at me and, carried away by his sadness, said to me: " But why didn't you listen to me? Why? I told you that he wasn't It's not possible to find a nice camel coat because, last winter, they were all out of stock. I told you! And this winter, it's the same! has changed, no one believes me! No one understands my sadness."
And there, with a vague feeling in his soul, he turned on his heels to go film an episode of Bon Look.
It's going to be okay, Luca...
His sadness made me think... I decided to go see Alex in the greatest secrecy, exposing to him all of Luca's despair. He was extremely sensitive and reassured me with simple but effective words: “ Benoît, we will get there .” Except that I was still marked by Luca's harsh words: " But Alex, we won't make it! Camel coats are everywhere at all prices! It will never be enough for Luca! "
“We’ll never make it Alex!”
Alex remained silent for a few moments, his gaze kind, and simply repeated to me these words that I will never forget:
Benoît, we’re going to get there.
A few months later, in October 2016, Luca - more sprezzatrated than ever - came to see me.
Except this time, proud and prepared, I knew what to answer him:
“Benoit, I need a camel coat.
- Luca, let me show you something..."
So I want to dedicate this camel coat to Luca (who really complained about not finding one!). I would also like to thank Alex for working for the good of Luca, by putting up with my little quirks as usual when I design a new piece in my head.
This camel coat is for them, it’s for you. Let me start his story...
A particular color: a mottled camel
The difficulty of finding the right shade
Choosing the "right" camel - or rather the one you prefer - is the most difficult, as the debates can be endless between the different shades of beige that you can see.
Alexandre showed me a plethora of camels, but it still didn't work: we didn't want to make a camel just for the sake of making them, simply because we needed them. We wanted to bring something different, but which clearly did not exist in Alexandre's selections
Alexandre and I were aligned on one point: what we saw was too "flat", too "uniform", too "bland"... Something was missing.
That, in my opinion, is too dark a camel, which lacks "light" (and a little too demure for my taste, between the lapels seen and seen again and the three buttons). We were able to advance our thoughts thanks to this image.
This is where Alexandre suggested that we turn to Jules Tournier. After all, they had developed an exclusive gray for our coat and our sheepskin collar jacket. Perhaps they held the key to presenting us with a beautiful camel, different from all the ones we had seen?
Alex therefore called Lionel, who creates wool blends at Jules Tournier, telling him:
Benoît wants a camel, but with a little extra something that you don't see elsewhere.
I wondered how he was going to get by with these specifications but Lionel is a man of taste, there was reason to be optimistic about the final result.
Obviously, when we received the envelope containing the material sample, I was impatient... And there, we discovered a very slightly mottled material. That was the key: putting a well-balanced bargain on this camel .
A French woolen cloth from Jules Tournier
Camel with a little bit of white, the winning (and unique) combination!
“A camel camel! It’s a very good idea, we should have thought of it sooner!” This is how you recognize a very good partner: they understand your needs well and are able to make you relevant proposals, by mixing their DNA.
All the credit goes to Lionel by Jules Tournier, you won't find him anywhere else. It is therefore a 100% wool woolen sheet.
A weight adapted to the camel coat
Its weight is 410 gr/m2. Why this choice, and not a heavier sheet like on our double-breasted coat?
Our previous coat was designed in a “pea coat” style, so quite thick. But on a camel coat, more elegant and designed to be worn with a blazer underneath, we had to offer a lighter weight:
- We obtain greater fluidity ,
- And it’s also more comfortable!
Don't worry, we're still very thick: most other coats on the market are between 360 and 400g.
We can clearly see the micro-shades of beige!
Water-repellent wool
Lionel's last suggestion: adding a surface treatment to make the wool water-repellent . This is a primer, applied to the material, which prevents water from penetrating.
Let's be clear: this is not a totally waterproof piece of techwear, with taped seams and a hood. However, in the event of a light shower, the water will simply "bounce" off the wool.
Thanks to the water-repellent finish, water has difficulty penetrating the material.
Once the material was chosen, our journey of the ideal camel coat was far from over. We had to look at the design...
Elegant design
Italian influences
My personal vision was as follows: I did not want to wear a three-button camel coat with small “sport” notched lapels.
The first thing we decided was to wear sharp notched lapels (= pointed). Luca, with his seasoned sprezzatura eye, familiar with Pitti outfits, suggested that we pull them up slightly in order to visually elongate the silhouette.
We listened to Luca, and we did it. And Luca is happy.
Sharp notched lapels rising slightly, all'italiana!
Smart down to his pockets
Then, no straight pockets. We preferred them slightly inclined, with a double pocket on the right side. Here too, I find that it gives more dynamism to the overall design, and it is more elegant .
To be honest, I was very struck by this photo of a simply imperial Gary Oldman, which then became cult.
It’s impossible not to want to wear slanted pockets!
Those slanted pockets and lapels... That's a terribly elegant coat. I wanted to find this spirit in our camel coat.
I find that the slanted pockets rejuvenate the camel coat. In passing, note the cut of the sleeve, adjusted as needed.
In fact, you will notice the benefit of putting a chest pocket, because you can have fun with it. At Pitti, men use it to put on glasses, a pair of gloves or simply a clutch.
Lino puts gloves in his chest pocket, but some put on a pouch or their sunglasses, very practical during the low sun of autumn.
We took this nod to our transalpine friends further, giving it a slightly rounded shape. It is therefore a chest pocket called a "barchetta ", as we sometimes see on Neapolitan style blazers.
There she is, this “barchetta”!
I only thought about it afterwards, while wearing the prototype: I, who have only worn a double-breasted coat until now, must admit that the straight coat is very easy to (un)button since, like on a jacket, only close the top button.
It's more practical than the two or three buttons on a double-breasted coat, especially when wearing gloves.
A back equipped with a martingale
A real gentleman’s back!
With the front covered, we now had to tackle the back. And you understood, given the stronger direction we wanted to take, we added a martingale:
- She draws the back ,
- And curves it very slightly , marking the waist .
With this coat, we want presence !
We see here that the martingale slightly hollows out the lower back to highlight the silhouette!
There is a slot at the back, but closed. In fact, it is by a folding game that we give ease to this slot . And the fact that it is closed prevents drafts.
In this photo, we can clearly see the usefulness of having a closed rear slit: it blocks drafts at the bottom of the coat!
Fleece-lined pockets
This is one of the first characteristics that I asked Alexandre: I was tired of having pockets lined with viscose in winter, which "catch" the cold (in any case, do not retain the cold at all). heat).
So I absolutely wanted fleece-lined pockets. Yes, good old fleece, which will keep your hands nice and warm.
A cozy little khaki fleece awaits your hands for the winter.
The only problem with fleece pockets is that as soon as you switch back to the "classic" pockets of another winter piece, the return is difficult...
The usual horn buttons
As usual, you will find horn buttons, mounted on tails and on counter-buttons , in order to provide solidity over time.
The horn button on the front...
... Its counter-button at the back.
How to choose your size ?
The sizing is very classic, just take your usual size !
For example, if you are a size 48 with us in a blazer, also take a size 48 here. You can wear your blazer underneath without any problem.
How to wear a camel coat?
We start with a fairly formal look, where Luca wears the coat with a suit. In winter, the turtleneck is a good alternative to the shirt: without losing elegance, you will stay warm. Being on a neutral color palette, incorporating colorful socks is an easy way to add some fun without going overboard. Finally, note the Pitti-style twist: slip your gloves into the chest pocket, as if it were a clutch. (Six & Sept turtleneck, navy BonneGueule suit, Mazarin socks, Crockett & Jones moccasins, Merola gloves from Beige Habilleur
Here, the coat is completed with a chambray shirt and a donegal blazer. We obtain an assembly rich in textures, no piece has the same hand. The jeans tie the different elements of the outfit together, while the ankle boots add character. And it’s more practical for walking on rocks! That said, derbies or brogues would also be possible. (Louis Purple chambray shirt, BonneGueule donegal blazer , BonneGueule jeans - Japan Line, Meermin boots)
A camel coat also fits perfectly into your casual looks! For this time, Luca opts for a denim shirt and bleached jeans. The white t-shirt - you know his taste for this piece - serves to create light on an otherwise slightly dark top of the outfit, and echoes the sneakers of the same color. (Faraday Project shirt, MUJI t-shirt, Hèdus jeans, National Standard sneakers, Moscot glasses)
Thanks to the Italian lapels of the coat, close to the proportions of a blazer, the collar of the shirt slides naturally under that of the camel coat.
Flannel shirt and camel coat: the combo to spend the winter warm. The shirt is based on blue, red and gray tones, without clashing with the coat. This shows how camel is a versatile color! We find small white sneakers for comfort, which could be replaced by boots for a more pronounced workwear dimension. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Eric, our reader / Breton top model, for his availability during this shoot! (Naked and Famous shirt, BonneGueule jeans, Converse sneakers - Jack Purcell)
Chunky knit cardigan, wool hat, raw jeans in thick canvas and grained leather ankle boots: speaking of workwear, we're right in it. The layered construction accentuates the raw influences of the outfit, while giving Luca some bulk. Besides, there's really nothing complicated: these are the type of looks that you can very easily master! (Muji T-shirt, BonneGueule x Inis Meáin cardigan, BonneGueule jeans - Japan Line, Meermin boots, Six & Sept hat)
In case of gust of wind, a gray scarf will slip into all your looks, without color problem... (BonneGueule Scarf)
Just like a burgundy scarf, an easy and effective way to warm up an outfit. (BonneGueule Scarf)
Luca having forced me to adopt double buckles, I chose mine from De Lauré, a brand of shoes with an unbeatable quality/price ratio (shoes made in France, with a personalized brush patina, for less than €400! To contrast with the coat and shoes, I brought out my trusty Kurabo jeans which are starting to fade well. And I'm wearing an Office Artist oxford shirt.
How to get the BonneGueule camel coat?
You can now find our camel coat on the eshop and in store.
