We took advantage of a hike in Zion National Park (lost between Las Vegas and Salt Lake City) to test the Balibaris chinos.
And Fabrice, a reader who loves loyal jeans , has tested Balibaris selvedge jeans: does this Japanese fabric for less than €100 really keep its promises?
Balibaris: what is it? and who is it ?
Balibaris was created in 2010 by 2 friends: Corentin and Paul. We tested Balibaris ties, very aesthetic and adopted in particular by Yann Barthès.
Fans of the presenter of the encrypted channel (just like Maxime de Modissimo )
will not have missed the good taste of the master of the house.
After an initial success with ties, the brand diversified its offering:
- New clothes ( here ): chambray or basic shirts, well-made t-shirts, cashmere made in Scotland ... Note that the range will be further expanded for winter 2012/2013, depending on the Corentin’s confession 😉
- The concept store ( here ) , which allows you to find other consistent items in the brand's universe. We feel that the two founders have carefully examined the brands that could appear in this space: Timex, Opening Ceremony, Sanders, or even Han Kjobenhavn (it's never too early to snag the sunglasses that will make your summer shine - pickup line copyrights). Everything fits seamlessly into the brand's usual looks.
Finally, Corentin answers you on the BonneGueule forum . It's important to get feedback, and the forum is a good medium for that.
We retain several pieces:
The formal shirt is well cut.
There are also more casual models, like this one with Vichy patterns.
Still try to wear it in a more casual way:
visible t-shirt underneath, more unbuttoned collar, etc...
The Tee is very nice in rendering and has a very pleasant material.
The pocket gives it a little more detail.
(Note: The collar is less tight in reality)
The buttoned hoodie, original with its cardigan side.
A royal blue cardigan, a good layering base.
The denim bag is a very good option for its value for money.
Most of these items can be found on the brand's eshop .
Look and test of the Balibaris chinos by Benoît
With his desire to tackle the men's wardrobe, it was natural for Balibaris to offer chinos. So what is it?
Finishes
As usual, for this type of piece, the truth is found by turning the chinos inside out. The observation quickly becomes apparent: it is neat and clean. Thus, the seams are bound with a worked fabric. The same goes for pockets. Everything is clean and without burrs.
The cup
This is the nice surprise of the piece, it is extremely well cut . In fact, it has a relatively fitted cut (which has nothing to do with a straight cut of a K1 chino from Dockers), but it still remains very comfortable, with just enough volume to be able to walk the hot streets of Las Vegas or the steep trails of Zion. The thighs, without being adjusted like jeans, are close to the body.
Important: it relaxes as you wear it, so take it barely tight . If this is not the case and you notice that it is a little loose, it does not matter , it gives a looser silhouette.
Note: the thighs appear larger than in real life, because there was a lot of wind behind me that day which "inflated" the thighs artificially.
It's definitely excellent value for money , you can go there with your eyes closed. I am pleasantly surprised by the quality of the fit, which is surprising for a brand that has only just launched. Balibaris is definitely more than just a tie brand...
You can find Balibaris chinos for €85 in their eshop .
Fabrice's opinion on the Balibaris selvedge jeans
Since last year, Balibaris has launched into the selvedge market with precisely chosen partners. The fabrics come this season from Kuroki, and if the cut follows, we could get a very good opportunity in terms of value for money. In fact, Balibaris enters the market at an attractive price of €95 for the new cut of the season, the Slim Red Selvedge.
That is to say a notch below the psychological €100/130 bracket in which APC or Edwin officiate among others. Two colors are available - black and raw blue - and sizes range from 29 to 36. We have heard from a reliable source that next year will see sizes 27 and 28 appear for the most slender.
The jeans come in a pretty nice protective pouch.
So, what awaits us there?
Quality of selvedge canvas and manufacturing
The first impression is very positive: the canvas is very beautiful, neither thin nor thick, with a deep color. The seams are regular, and rivets stamped with the brand name adorn the jeans on the outside. The internal ones are made of copper, a guarantee of quality.
Note the reflections of the canvas and the regularity of the seams.
The selvedge is very present. It is not red as indicated on the label attached to the jeans, those who check will be warned. On the other hand, a defect was present on the selvedge seam of my product: nothing bad, but it is mentioned. The internal seams are in several colors: this shows attention to detail in the manufacturing.
No chain stitch, but two quality indices are present in this photo.
Will you be able to find them?
Small inconsequential defect inside the seam of the jeans.
To summarize, the construction is very honest for raw selvedge jeans at this price. Now let's see what the fit looks like.
Update on the cut of the jeans
We might as well not hide it any further, the cut is really very good. The slim fit oscillates between traditional slim and semi-slim, and we feel that real work has been done in this direction. For the picky, the opening at the ankle is a little under 18 cm.
We play it precisely at BonneGueule: .
Judging by the photos, between a gray Naked & Famous Weird Guy in 30, and the Balibaris Red Selvage raw size 31 (the site indicates, prefer a size larger than your usual size).
We see that the cut is very similar.
Only the ankles show a slimmer side.
To conclude, I am really satisfied with these new jeans: well cut, with quality fabric and versatile enough, a reliable basic!
Thanks from the team: a big thank you to Fabrice for his help with the test, and to Corentin for the parts.
