This morning, I spoke to you about the economic model of the BonneGueule line: a model that allows you to compete on par with high-end brands in terms of quality, but with very much lower prices.
Now it's time to talk in more detail about our chambray shirt .
Why did we produce our own chambray shirt?
We've been looking for the perfect chambray shirt for a while, but haven't been able to find it. Each time we came across subjects without much story, a little too dull . And it's a shame, because this type of shirt with working-class roots should exude authenticity (like with beautiful denim).
Or maybe it was always the same thing: a straight cut, white stitching, and obviously chest pockets. It seems that a simple, fitted shirt, without pockets, and with a beautiful chambray did not inspire brands much!
We recognize the quality of a chambray fabric by its irregular grain, which nevertheless remains very homogeneous , with reflections in which we find the characteristic shade of natural indigo. Nothing to do with the shirts of the big brands.
Up close: “grain” in the material.
Finally, this canvas must be dense enough to fall well, maintain its hold, and thus avoid the “soft collar” effect.
The collar retains its shape well, even on the phone with your mom.
An authentic material, but a modern cut
In terms of styling, a good shirt must be close to the body: it must follow the body shape, without being tight .
But chambray shirts are often cut with an ax too wide: we wanted to avoid this, so that those who want can also wear the BG-1.2 with a blazer, or even a suit (for a professional style that remains casual).
No excess material: it fits as it should. You will have no difficulty adding a blazer on top.
That said, the overall length and narrowness of the collar allow this shirt to be the ideal complement to jeans or canvas pants.
Simply with chinos.
Another important detail: we worked a lot on the cut of the sleeves , and the height of the armpits , to ensure that there was no excess material around the arms or bust, and therefore to outline the wearer well.
A few words on the material and details...
So we set out to find the canvas of our dreams. And it was frustrating to see that Japanese manufacturers, with magnificent fabrics, were far exceeding our budget, focusing more on shirts costing double (thanks customs taxes).
And then miraculously, we finally came across our Holy Grail: a very beautiful chambray from the Albiate workshop, a manufacturer located at the foot of the Italian Alps, north of Milan.
A fabric with a nuanced color, which catches the light nicely.
The Italian chambray we selected is all cotton, heavy but not too heavy (150g/m2), and deeply dyed with indigo pigments, so that the shirt fades according to your use, while retaining its beautiful light blue hue.
The collar is very practical: it attaches with hidden buttons , to stay secure (but you can detach it when you iron the shirt).
Under the collar, at the front, there are actually two buttons to secure it well.
We have also provided reinforcement ribs on the sides of the shirt: it is aesthetic, and it guarantees the solidity of the shirt where the tensions are concentrated.
The reinforcement swallow, and the very clean seams, well placed together. Plus the stopping point to consolidate everything. The very slightly turquoise blue color is clearly visible here.
Finally, we wanted wooden buttons to reinforce the authentic appearance of the canvas . Buttons which have undergone a light matt varnishing, to keep them clear for as long as possible (we find that this is the best color contrast with this canvas).
A specialist shirt workshop, near Porto
The seams are 6 points per cm , which is higher than the usual standards on this type of shirt, all made in our workshop near Porto, in the historic textile basin of Portugal. It is also a workshop that works for many brands that you know quite well if you read us regularly (Givenchy, in particular).
In the end, we only saw Porto at night, from hanging around the workshops. Paying revenge for a little glass of port reporting !
Once cut according to the pattern, the different pieces await assembly.
We overlock certain places to have very clean edges.
Here, the worker stitches the collar of the shirt.
This other tool allows a cutting operation.
Shirt Care
The piece is robust and easy to maintain : at 30°, in cotton program and minimum spin. Take care of it, it will become more beautiful with time, and will thank you (if a shirt could talk). But no dryers please. I'm not kidding, we know where you live.
Our shirt has a very standard size: take S if you usually wear S, M if you usually wear M, in short, you understand 😉
As we are often asked, Benoît (who was very cold that day) wears an M, and Geoffrey an S.
Some outfit ideas...
Wear the shirt... with everything: no real contraindication . But for optimal style, raw materials are ideal: chino canvas, chunky knit cardigan, Japanese canvas jeans, tweed blazer, or even wool flannel suit.
Florian wears the shirt very simply with a wool mesh blazer and gray jeans: an outfit that everyone can do. He then enhances the outfit with accessories: pocket square, tie. But also some small details like bi-material shoes, whose color also recalls the clutch and the jeans. ( BonneGueule blazer , BonneGueule jeans, PochetteSquare clutch and Mark McNairy boots).
In terms of color, it's a piece that will go very well with blue or gray raw jeans. In addition, a khaki coat, or beige or sand colored clothes, will go particularly well with this shirt: take the test.
Chambray goes very well with beige or camel colors. Chambray, denim, leather boots; all the workwear paraphernalia is there. This diversity of materials allows you to add relief to the outfit, like very smooth waxed cotton on rougher chambray. ( Italian chambray shirt and gray BonneGueule jeans , Dr. Martens boots).
Let's move on. Here, the outfit is much simpler in its volumes: everything is fitted.
Benoît opts for a blue-gray blazer, to stay in the tones of his outfit without being too monochrome. The brown belt structures the silhouette by creating contrast. Note the effect brought to a look by jeans that have faded well! ( BonneGueule Japan Line jeans , BGAV ankle boots , Melinda Gloss jacket, WhenIWasSeventeen belt)
I started on a basis close to that of Benoît, but more casual. To do this, I let the shirt hang over my jeans, and I go for a pair of sneakers for their dynamic side. ( BonneGueule heather blazer , BonneGueule jeans , BGNS-02 sneakers )
That said, simplicity is good too . Wear the shirt open over a t-shirt when you're chopping wood for the winter (or summer if you're making furniture), whether with light chinos, or shorts for sunny days.
A casual and effective outfit, which is not complicated! (Muji T-shirt, chinos and Vans sneakers)
And if you have any doubts, we answer everyone in the comments. So you can fully exploit the potential of this shirt.
How does it size?
The cut is deliberately well adjusted, especially at the bust level. To give you an idea, the M corresponds to a 38 for most brands. But don't panic, you will have a measurement table in due time!
In addition, people doing XS will be delighted, because it is a small size that we have worked on (and tested) a lot.
How to get the shirt?
Our BonneGueule chambray shirt is available here.
