A year after my first test article - El Ganso which, for several years, has been getting a lot of attention in France.
And also on BonneGueule.fr because I know that many of you have asked us for an opinion on El Ganso . I therefore fulfilled this mission with professionalism and self-sacrifice. So that you know everything and can make your choices with discernment and pleasure. So grab a glass of sangria, fasten your seat belts, we're off to Madrid.
The El Ganso brand, a Spanish entrepreneurial success story
Let's start this article with a small linguistic remark: readers who do not master the language of Cervantes may not have noticed it, but know that "El Ganso" means the Goose in Castilian. You won't be surprised to discover that the brand's logo is a goose:
From the outset, the “branding” bias is strong because, as the popular adage says, “ No one is supposed to ignore the Goose” .
The story of L'Oie officially begins in 2006 with the opening of a first store, in the heart of Madrid, by the Cebrian brothers: Alvaro and Clemente. However, it is interesting to know what happened before 2006 to fully understand the approach of the two entrepreneurs.
Los hermanos Cebrián, founders of El Ganso. #bilingual
If they didn't phrase it in these terms, we could easily describe the El Ganso brand as Spanish preppy . But in reality, it is more accurate to speak of a “ British ” Spanish-style preppy because the unofficial genesis of the brand dates back to the early 2000s.
Indeed, during their university studies, the two brothers Alvaro and Clemente spent several summers in London working as waiters in cafes, with the aim of learning English. There they discovered a London style radically different from what existed in Spain, which they described as “ pijillo tirado ”.
Alvaro and Clémente finish their studies and begin their careers working in large companies. However, the idea of creating a brand in Spain had already germinated in their entrepreneurial minds and, in 2004, they began the El Ganso adventure with the objective of democratizing the London style among tapas eaters.
“The perfect shirt for enjoying tapas with elegance and casualness”.
What must be understood here is that the approach of the Cebrian brothers is a purely entrepreneurial approach. As Clemente confesses,
My brother Alvaro and I had ideas but we knew little about the textile industry .
This gap makes the beginnings difficult. Despite opening their first store in 2006, they make mistakes but learn quickly. Even more, they provoke their "luck"... While Clemente walks the streets of Budapest with his wife - like a romantic seducer from Madrid - he comes across by chance, in a store, a tennis model who immediately jumps at him. eyes.
The saleswoman explains to him that these tennis shoes are designed by a local designer (Jeremy Stanford), based on the model of shoes used by the Czech army during the Second World War. Through daring and persuasion, Clemente manages to arrange a meeting with the designer and ends up convincing him to collaborate together on the creation of an El Ganso tennis shoe.
They return to Madrid with 900 pairs. Success is immediate.
A current model of El Ganso tennis
“ People started coming to our store just for these tennis shoes,” says Clemente .
Realizing the potential, the two brothers then strategically placed the tennis shoes at the end of the store, opposite the exit, so that customers were “forced” to pass in front of the other clothing offered by the brand. The importance of merchandising my friends!
Very quickly, the character and personality of the brand's pieces, with very recognizable colors and patterns , spread to the streets of Madrid and then Barcelona. And for several years, from Europe, via significant retail development. The rest is history.
Today, El Ganso is present in 10 countries including France, Portugal, Belgium, England, Chile, Mexico, the Netherlands, Italy and Germany, for just over 150 points of sale. In 2015, El Ganso achieved a turnover of 70 million euros...! OKLM guys.
El Ganso, a “Made In Europe” brand
From the beginning, the Cebrian brothers' ambition was to offer " original and elegant" clothing for non-conformist people . With this in mind, control of the distribution chain is as important in the eyes of the founders as that of each of the stages of production.
Thus, El Ganso designs and makes each collection 100% in Europe , from local raw materials, and is based on three pillars: design, quality (which I will judge later!) and innovation.
The fabric for the shirts is sourced from a factory in Italy, near Bergamo , while the fabric for the pants and some of the jackets is purchased west of Milan .
#TextilePorn
Then, the shirts are made in Spain, near Madrid.
The pants are also made in Spain, in a factory 100 km south of Madrid. The jackets, coats, shirts and shoes are made in Portugal, near Porto.
El Ganso thus benefits from geographical proximity to material sourcing and manufacturing workshops , allowing the brand to control all of its production. Let's see if this affects the quality: it's time to test.
A reader informed us in a comment that the brand no longer made 100% of its production in Europe (thanks to him!)
I had the opportunity to check in the store and I actually saw polo shirts made in Bangladesh.
The El Ganso brand test: the “pijillo tirado” brand
Being a fan , I wanted to test a complete outfit from El Ganso: chinos, shirt, blazer and a little quilted hunter-style jacket in Bouchonnois, to add a touch of eccentricity to this test.
Luckily, my tennis shoes were also El Ganso, so we didn't need to ask for them (#tip). In short, I hope that this article will help you see more clearly about the brand. Obviously, it is not exhaustive, El Ganso offers a much wider range of clothing.
El ganso chinos, blazer and open shirt. (Jimmy Fairly Glasses, Head & Shoulders Shampoo)
With my friend Jason, we shot in a botanical garden to create a preppy-bucolic atmosphere. Let's start by looking at chinos. Just for your information, I'm 1m85 tall.
Khaki green chinos (€85)
So let's not beat around the bush, the khaki green pants are my favorite from the test! In fact, I often have a problem finding pants in my size, which flatter my figure, because I have long legs and quite strong thighs (due to a past as a womanizer). And I was truly won over by the work on the cut of these pants.
A cut that will delight fairly muscular thighs.
I tried to post-rationalize why I felt so good in those chinos. I came to the conclusion that it worked well with my body shape because it fits just right at the thighs and tapers elegantly at the ankles. A sort of cut between semi-slim and straight cut.
Second cool thing about chinos is that behind the simplicity of the product (a very classic khaki green chino), we find lots of interesting twists which have made the success of the brand, at the level of the buttons or pockets:
The kind of little detail that hits the mark among textile lovers.
The two-tone pockets are a gimmick of the brand that can also be found on shorts and Bermuda shorts. And the little “branded” wooden button that makes the difference.
Finally, another important point, the material is very pleasant to the touch. We are halfway between classic chinos and corduroy pants, in terms of sensation. Personally, I am a big fan of the color of this model. This khaki is sober enough to combine with all colors and all materials, with taupe notes.
Note the stopping points on the pockets, for added strength.
The chinos are 100% cotton, made in Portugal, for an in-store sale price of €85.
I think the price is fair compared to what's on the market, if only for the cut and the little twists that make the difference compared to brands that sell ultra-classic, well-cut chinos. , well finished but lacking originality and a certain "soul". Beyond the notion of basic, it is also the “je ne sais quoi” that we look for in a piece.
In short, I highly recommend for tall and slender physiques.
The Albini cotton shirt (€65)
Ok, quick tapas break of 30 seconds and we'll move on to the shirt if you like. I opted for a 100% cotton polka dot shirt, made in Portugal from an Italian Albini fabric .
First of all, I apologize for the quality of the visual below, the shirt got wrinkled quickly and I forgot to take my steam iron with me.
Since this visual shows little value to the shirt due to a glaring absence of ironing, let's move directly to the material zooms.
The color is really cool, but the buttons and the material are a bit fragile . There is one element that I am not a fan of aesthetically, and that is the addition of the logo.
They put a logo on a shirt. Guys are clueless.
Note that not all El Ganso shirts have the logo written on them. Some have it at the bottom right, some do not and others have it at the top right, in the classic location of a logo (like Lacoste, Ralph Lauren or Sergio Tacchini).
Color wise, I really like this royal blue/gray (the color takes on the light better than in the photos). And this polka dot pattern goes very well with a plain blazer.
In terms of style, I recommend wearing this type of shirt (which is halfway between formal and casual) tucked into your pants. The shirt is sold for €65 in stores during normal periods.
I'm less excited about the material and the cut than I am about the chino pants. I'm particularly afraid that the material will crease very easily (and that that will be the cause of this part of the failed shoot), but it's still OK for the price, especially since we're using an Albini fabric!
The Sondrio navy pique blazer (€195)
The blazer is obviously a key piece of El Ganso's offering, they have dozens of different models. This one is made in Portugal with an Italian Sondrio fabric . This blazer is normally sold for €195 in stores. So let's see what he has in his stomach:
I tried to play the character of an insufferable Harvard student as best I could. It works pretty well!
This pique blazer has a beautiful fit and some interesting twists in terms of shape.
The blazer is equipped with cleaning tapes, so no threads get dragged around, it's clean and well finished. Some brands sometimes allow themselves to double down on everything to hide the misery, they don't do that, they are good Samaritans.
Likewise, we can see large facings, synonymous with solidity which reinforce the interior seams. In terms of details, they fell in love, as the other would say.
And always the small sleeve buttons with very characteristic two-tone stitching.
The contrasting buttonhole stands out against the textured fabric. Such treatment of the material, on a sober piece, will easily add relief to your looks.
A little elegance parenthesis: above is the only practical and cool way to store your sunglasses in your blazer.
The blazer has a nice drape and its beautiful blue color takes the light well. So, you will tell me: but how is it possible to obtain a well-cut, well-finished blazer, with braids and textured fabric for the modest sum of €195?
Well, the answer lies in the composition: we have 100% cotton for the exterior and a 55% acetate/45% viscose mix for the sleeve lining. At this price, there's no miracle, we're obviously not on the safe side. This explains that.
That's when I was a bit late after a pigeon soiled my vintage 2CV. #come
Navy blue quilted jacket (€195)
Last but not least , the navy blue quilted jacket. So, a piece that's a little trickier to wear and even master, as you'll see.
When I study the flora and fauna, I don't forget my mosquito jacket.
A Limousin hunter's jacket to make Frédéric Nihous jealous.
We enter the technical side of the test, since this part is not a basic one and remains complex to consider. In terms of style, I wear it closed like a blazer here and I regret it: we are looking at a piece with a strong texture. Above, wearing it closed creates too many lines ; In hindsight, I think it looks nicer open scope like below:
My sneakers are El Ganso too. The offer for small summer shoes is relevant. I've had them for less than a month and I'm happy with them. Here, I'm wearing the BonneGueule linen/cotton t-shirt.
If we return to the quilted jacket, the 'aesthetic' details are numerous, such as red polka dot pocket interiors.
Or on the reverse of the collar, with white polka dots on a blue background and white polka dots on a red background.
Honestly, I'm going to lay my cards on the table with you, I'm less of a fan of this polka dot detail on a strong piece, it's a bit gimmicky and too eccentric for the rational man that I am. This nevertheless has the merit of being a daring stylistic choice, the success of El Ganso resting in part on these dazzling and daring moments. Although, in my opinion, this one in particular could have been contained or even avoided.
It's not a basic - don't spring for it if you don't have a blazer - but it's a piece that can add sophistication to your outfits.
In terms of materials, we have a clever mix of natural materials / synthetic materials because the exterior is 100% polyester. While the top lining is 100% cotton. Here, polyester therefore has a use since it is used for its windproof properties (echoing the "hunting" design).
My opinion on the El Ganso brand
In conclusion, the results are rather positive. The brand positioning is very clever on most pieces. I'm giving a big Big Up for pants and chinos. And a bonus for the blazer which is worth it at the entry level at less than €200, even if, obviously at that price, we're not looking at wool.
To begin with, it really is a brand that should matter. It is undeniable that El Ganso is a good brand ideally located in the entry-level / mid-range. There is no doubt that we will continue to hear about it.
Indeed, LVMH's investment company bought 49% of El Ganso in 2015, which suggests even faster development in the coming years and certainly numerous boutique openings.
The founders of El Ganso must be like this right now #LesJalouxVontMaigrir #EastCost #cashflow #OpenCroquetas
