Our “modernized vintage” pieces: suede jacket and white jeans

Today, we present to you a duo of vintage-inspired pieces: off-white jeans and a cognac suede jacket.

But what vintage exactly? The atmosphere we wanted was something that brought the inspirations of the golden age of Hollywood up to date.

Take inspiration from the era when great American actors defined classics of men's style for decades to come: Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Steve McQueen...

Typically, photos like this:

For once it's not Steve McQueen who interests us in this photo from the filming of The Great Escape, but his friend on the right (a reader tells us it's Bud Ekins, thank you!). Do you see the silhouette and the style, the assembly of colors? Well, these are typically the kind of images that inspired the pieces we are presenting to you today.

And for us it looks like this:

You don't have to be on a motorcycle to wear this look. It works on horseback too!

Beyond the shape of the pieces (which I will detail below), it is really a bright set of colors that we associate with the idea of ​​a daring vintage style , and at the same time always very accurate.

Personally, I never tire of these combinations of bright brown and white. Here, with a shirt and boots that we will present to you this week!

Without further ado, I present to you our jacket, inspired by the historic “A-2 Flight Jacket” model.

Our suede jacket inspired by the “A-2” jacket

Unlike the bomber jacket which has a more "youthful" connotation today, the A-2 jacket is the most timeless leather for men. This is the jacket that you could pass on to your grandson... And that you would have liked your grandfather to pass on to you.

Certainly my favorite look: the jacket worn with our jeans, our brogues , Royalties Paris socks, a Boinet belt, an Oliver Spencer vest, and a “top secret” shirt.

The A-2 jacket, cool through the decades

Like many of the most iconic men's clothing, this model was historically of military use. It is part of this long line of American army aviation jackets: A-1 jacket, then A-2, G-1, B-1, B-3... As needs evolve pilots and technologies, the models of these "Flight Jackets" have slowly transformed. (Here's an excellent article by Heddels on their variations, for those curious.)

American pilots in A-2 Flight Jackets.

But the model that has remained the most emblematic is undoubtedly the A-2, with its shirt collar and large buttoned pockets.

The A-2 jacket was in service for American pilots during the period 1931-1943, but it retained an aura of "cool" for decades to come .

For example, Steve McQueen himself chose to wear one to play in The Great Escape in 1960.

The "McQueen Point": a theory that the longer you talk about the history of men's clothing, the more likely McQueen is to come up in the conversation.
Note also the wearing of white pants with this A-2...

I would even say that it is a bit like “the heroes’ jacket” in the collective imagination. Because well after the 60s, we still saw Harrison Ford wearing it like that, in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom :

“And there, right there, you see, I would put my A-2 jacket away to avoid it getting dirty.”

The right twist for today

The problem with the A-2 jacket is that its timeless side sometimes works against it.

I am sure that many of you, like me, have the image of a dad or an uncle who, in the 80s and 90s, came to pick you up from school with a big jacket. A-2 frumpy: the leather completely worn out, the faded ribbed edges, the very loose cut....

Or maybe even that dad was you! And that today, you don't particularly want to find this look.

And even if I completely understand those who have a weakness for these second-hand pieces, with their undeniable character, I think that more of us need a piece that is a little more compromise.

In short, a model that preserves the heroic heritage of this jacket, while giving it a more contemporary appearance.

A jacket for today!

To do this, we reviewed a few key points. Benoît gives you a video summary:

A suede leather, for a “softer” appearance...

And break the rough look that we associate with "dad's" A-2 jacket, which is often made in very sturdy smooth cowhide leathers, but not necessarily subtle.

The choice of color is not trivial either. This cognac brown also helps create a “vintage-inspired” piece.

A beautiful velvet lamb

Obviously when we talk about leather, we can't just talk about style. A word about quality, then...

As with our first suede bombers , the skin always comes from Italy : it's Tuscan lamb in addition (which is like THE leather region in Italy)!

The skin is then tanned in Romania in a family tannery which works with artisanal or luxury brands and which is REACH certified, like all European tanneries.

For manufacturing, this tannery then joins forces with a neighboring workshop, also Romanian, specialized in the assembly of leather parts, with which it works in close collaboration.

As for the choice of this velvet lamb, it is justified by a fine grain and a supple, refined touch . A real high-end feeling, both to the sight and to the touch.

At the same price range, lamb is considered a more “noble” leather than goat suede, precisely for its suppleness, softness and grain.

The cut, for a modern fit...

...which flatters your figure, and more particularly the build. The arm line is fitted, the shoulder is clean, the waist falls well... Benoît tells me he is particularly proud of the work we have done on this cut.

Here is a beautiful, well-cut back.

Suede cuffs and jacket cuffs...

Rather than fabric ribbing. This gives a slightly more elegant and refined look to the jacket, with the impression that it is made "in one piece".

These buttoned cuffs cut directly from the leather are also called “shirt cuffs”. ( Thick speckled BonneGueule shirt )

Horn buttons rather than a zip

The choice may seem unconventional, and even anachronistic in the eyes of experts... since the buttons were normally found on the A-1 model, and not on the A-2.

But we found that they better reflected the vintage spirit that we wanted to infuse into this jacket, while giving it a touch of refinement and distinguishing it from the bomber, which has taken on a truly very contemporary status.

Here is the jacket, closed, buttoned, and ready for action! Here with our Bleach Ozone jeans .

A blue chambray interior...

…and zipped pockets for personal belongings that are always safe.

A pretty chambray in cotton-modal, which breathes.

Two bonus looks

Even if wearing this jacket with our white jeans remains in my opinion the most beautiful option, it is not limited to that.

Mid-season layering

Jordan offers a calmer outfit in color, focusing on gray to complement the cognac, and brown moccasins to reinforce the elegance of the jacket. (BonneGueule shirt , Maison Cornichon t-shirt, Archiduchesse socks, Orban's moccasins)

Mixing registers

Renaud, for his part, opts for the combination of registers by taking advantage of suit pants and a chambray shirt (BonneGueule), as well as a pair of German Army Trainers that we found at Brut Clothing (the ultimate vintage sneaker).

Off-white selvedge jeans in Japanese denim

Now let's move on to the jeans.

White jeans are a great asset for a wardrobe with a slightly more pronounced style. And for it to be credible, it's even better when it takes on a vintage look. Because wearing white jeans is not new...

White jeans lend themselves well to all pieces with a certain “vintage” connotation, like the Hemen Biarritz henley here and the Maison Boinet belt.

A symbol of nonchalance in the golden age of Hollywood

Here too, as with the A-2, it is always the fault of our style heroes of yesteryear! You saw McQueen and Charles Bronson do it above, see how Paul Newman does it:

Paul Newman, on the set of “And Sometimes I Have a Big Idea”. I think he too is a fan, like us, of the combination of brown suede and white denim.

The truth is that this article gave me the opportunity to do some research. And the more time you spend looking at men's style icons around the world, the more white jeans and pants you see. Especially among those who were considered daring.

Ah, but perhaps you thought that this only concerned Americans? Oh no, it's also a favorite of the "Riviera" style as Alain Delon showed us at the time, this time with navy blue and moccasins.

And even today, white jeans are the favorite of daring Jedi masters of style like Yasuto Kamoshita or Alessandro Squarzi. It's an easy way to spice up your outfits.

But then, how can we improve a piece whose essence is already so simple and at the same time so perfect?

We know that many of you don't want to sacrifice style or comfort. Especially when it comes to jeans, which we wear every day, and in which we want to feel good. Well, it is mainly through comfort that we modernized this vintage piece. So we need to talk to you about the web...

The character of a Japanese canvas

If you have been reading us for some time, you are no stranger to the charms of Japanese denim, renowned for its authentic character and grain. (Besides, for those who want to know everything about the underside of selvedge, it’s here .)

They are known for being conservative in their methods... and at the same time very creative in the result.

The red selvedge edging, on white, in all simplicity.

And this time, no name of the manufacturer: it is indeed quality Japanese denim, but we want to keep to ourselves the name of this confidential supplier that we discovered on our own.

Not quite white, but not yet ecru either: a bright off-white shade, and the typical roughness of Japanese denim. This in a few words is what characterizes this painting!

His particuliarity ? The small impurities of cotton , present in its natural state, have not been removed. They form a sort of speckling , and give a raw, natural appearance to the canvas.

Authentic, not impractical

I talked about comfort a little earlier. We're coming!

Should having white jeans that carry the audacity of vintage and the cachet of a Japanese canvas condemn you to discomfort? No ! At least, not in our opinion.

This is why we chose a canvas with 3% stretch . The freedom of movement and McQueen's stunts are yours. (But wear a helmet, anyway!)

And then, without the stretch, Renaud would have been much less comfortable on horseback.

For the cut , we took note of your latest feedback and slightly increased the comfort in the thigh.

Safety weight: 15 oz

Yes, we knew very well what might scare you with white jeans: that they were too transparent. And for that, there is no secret, you need a thicker canvas. We therefore opted for 15 oz denim, a rather heavy weight even for selvedge. The 3% stretch precisely compensates for this thickness.

Reassuringly thick jeans. You normally won't have to worry about the color of the boxers you're wearing underneath! Note the presence of the semi-lined pockets, to prevent premature wear if you ever leave your keys there.

Oh well, but I'm told in the headset that there is a third room, one more than expected...

Surprise ! A gray version for our Berto stretch canvas jeans

A new addition to the BonneGueule jeans family.

It was the little bonus of the day. Because while we're making jeans, we took the opportunity to release a gray version of the Berto blue stretch jeans in Italian canvas. It's the same (still with our usual finishes and Portuguese manufacturing), but in a faded medium gray.

This is what this denim looks like up close! The medium gray shade is quite bright and fits easily into any casual outfit.

To return to our gray Berto jeans, here are some looks for your viewing pleasure and for inspiration.

Stylish winter layering

Based on neutral colors. This look demonstrates gray's ability to fit into any outfit without stealing the spotlight from other colors.

With a Maison Cornichon tee, a vintage cardigan, our Alpaca-Merino cardigan , and our brogues .

Double shades

On the contrary, here, gray is used as a central element: the outfit revolves around a shades of beige (mac, scarf, Chelsea boots), and gray (sweater and jeans).

“SuperYak” sweater , Mac , BonneGueule jeans and boots, scarf found in thrift stores.

Simply, in the vegetable garden

And finally, gray jeans play their role here as an unwavering basic for your most simple and spontaneous outfits: sneakers, jeans, casual shirt. It also works in urban areas, not just with vegetables.

BonneGueule embossed indigo shirt, German Army Trainers sneakers from Brut Clothing .