A duo of Pike Brothers Henleys
Why this brand?
We must give back to Caesar what is Caesar's, and thank almost everyone around me for the discovery of Pike Brothers: between the fact of having seen them at Pitti Uomo this winter, the various feedback that I have read on the forums, the fact that some readers already favor it... All that was missing was for me to meet Antony, now advisor to our boutique on rue Madame, and for him to warmly recommend it to me so that I would say "well come on , I'll get something from them."
The “oatmeal” color, literally “oats” in French, which is basically a sort of mottled ecru.
I am told that the entire brand and its very workwear wardrobe are highly praised: checkered shirts, overshirts, vests, big boots and sturdy pants... Don't hesitate to take a look.
Small clarification because it's a bit confusing when you look at their site: the brand is of London origin (founded in 1930 apparently), but is now a German company. The production seems mainly European, more precisely in Portugal for these Henleys.
Why this room?
I intend to gradually fill my wardrobe with beautiful henleys and those from Pike Brothers seemed perfectly suited to me.
I have some pretty specific criteria for a henley. And it turns out that these henleys answer it.
The indigo color, also mottled (otherwise we'll get bored!), has pretty dark brown buttons. Probably coconut at first glance.
- A snug fit. It's a piece on which I can't stand any looseness, which I wear in a way that highlights the body. So no gaping sleeves.
- The lengths that suit me. I'm 1m71 tall, and as brands often make it "a little longer" to serve as many customers as possible, I've had to return a Henley on many occasions because of that. These henleys seem quite short, and that's perfect for me.
- A paw not too clumsy. The design of the button placket is an important point. I like it not too thick, but not too thin either so that it still looks like a henley more than a "button-up tee". Note that the brand's other colors have more contrasting tabs, and this contrast is not always successful in my opinion.
- Not a boring subject . Most Henleys are designed like plain T-shirts, made from smooth cotton jersey. And as much as I find that certain colors like khaki are enough in themselves to give a charm to the room, on blue or white I need at least a little mottled effect, in the absence of a knitting stitch particular.
I already have an olive green henley, so I naturally went for an ecru and an indigo. I have more difficulty with the slightly strong colors on this piece, I find that they poorly reflect the "heritage" spirit of the henley. To find out how to wear it, I suggest you reread this article by Jordan.
Saharan Bastong
Really cool, and I can already see lots of outfit possibilities. The safari jacket fits well into several registers.
Why this brand?
Bastong is a Korean brand that I discovered in 2015, when I started working at BonneGueule. At the time, we distributed it as a multi-brand in the very first BonneGueule store. They do lots of beautiful things, but it's their outerwear that always shines without its flair: it's always eye-catching and yet never ostentatious.
It's classic inspired by military and workwear, with an exquisite sense of detail and Japanese materials.
It ranges from the workwear jacket to the safari jacket, including the trench and the pea coat. They also work very well with waxed cottons, so if like me you have always hesitated to buy a Barbour, put off by the somewhat "old" side of the brand and the overall look of the pieces, then Bastong can be a good choice. very interesting track.
But why don't we talk about it more often? Well the problem is that it's EXPENSIVE: around €450 for mid-season outerwear when you do the conversion. And to get delivered to France, it seems to be an obstacle course.
The most successful thing about this piece for me is quite simply the proportions: collar, belt, chest pockets, lower pockets... Everything is perfectly coherent.
Why this room?
The elbow panels and the color break up the somewhat “precious” side that a belted safari jacket can have.
The shape, size and inclination of the pockets are perfect. I find it harmonious.
The choice of material: this tone-on-tone chevron in olive green perfectly illustrates the spirit of the brand: on one side, it is a chevron which creates a vertical stripe, which gives the "elegant" side associated with the classic wardrobe.
On the other hand, it also brings a texture, a grain which combined with this military olive green gives a slightly more “adventurous” side. I wasn't surprised to read that it was a Japanese subject, obviously.
And finally the manufacturing quality. Having already seen Bastong a few times in real life, it's extremely well finished: perfect seams, interiors lined with beautiful materials, small chambrays in the pockets, zips and refined metalwork... Their Korean workshop works really well!
The brand has an eye for detail, to say the least.
To be frank, the potential customs fees will deter me from purchasing it, so this piece is selected more for viewing pleasure than anything else.
