This article was written in 2014. Things have changed a lot since then.
I invite you to consult our brand sheet to get our opinion on the brand's current collections.
We often talk to you about this brand, many ask us questions by email. Today, we answer all your questions about Balibaris.
The brand is based on simple principles: carefully select its materials, its cuts and turn to manufacturers with real know-how (the knits come from Brittany, for example). Balibaris is one of those young brands based on mastering the fundamentals, more than on hype. And it feels good. But you will see that there are also some beautiful strong pieces there.
Backtracking: Balibaris is first and foremost ties, popularized by Yann Barthes. The brand has largely participated in popularizing the knitted tie, which is now found in all brands.
Interview with Paul Szczerba, founder of Balibaris
We met Paul Szscerba, founder of the brand, who explains behind the scenes: how does he find his suppliers? How does it optimize its offer and its prices? Where does he find the know-how to make his clothes and ultimately offer a reasonable price?
Transcript of Paul's interview:
Paul Szczerba: Hi, I'm 27 years old. I set up Balibaris 3 years ago after leaving school. We can repeat the story. It started around ties on a short-lived e-shop. The idea was to test my ability to create a brand and sell products on the Internet. It was an e-shop that lasted 3 months. It took off straight away, the ties were on TV on Canal+. And that made me want to continue, and little by little, expand the ready-to-wear range. That was the first step. And then, to open stores.
Why did you move from ties to a full wardrobe?
Paul Szczerba: The danger was indeed to stay locked in, to spend too much time on the tie, and therefore to give the brand a rather suit-and-tie image, which I did not want at all. So, I was in a big hurry. I wanted to go quickly. After three months, I had already added other accessories. And above all, we had already discussed it. The tie, I didn't want to make a banker's tie type tie. These are straight away ties refined by playing with materials. So, they were already ties that were a little more casual than real ties that go with suits.
Balibaris DNA?
Paul Szczerba: The DNA of the brand was really to offer basics but in keeping with the times. Let me explain. We will take a piece, typically a pea coat or a jacket. We will always take the same materials which are the noblest and which are always those which have been used in the men's wardrobe. On the other hand, we will already try to update it both in terms of the cut and in the spirit as well. So the cut will be much tighter than what was done before. And in spirit, it's really trying to create a universe around that. So Balibaris is always an allusion to cinema. We try to take the strong pieces of the cinematographic universe and also offer them in a film style. So, with different highlights, products worn, inspired pieces. Balibaris is actually a character from Kubrick's Barry Lyndon. And since it's something that we liked to highlight even at the time, we said to ourselves why not, the name fits well.
What are the major difficulties when setting up a brand?
Paul Szczerba: The difficult stages are actually arriving at a sufficient breadth of range to be able to say: Yes, I make ready-to-wear. And then, when someone enters a store, they have the widest possible offer. There is nothing worse for me than a half-empty store where everything is out of stock, or the products are tripled on the racks because there is not enough product. So yes, that was difficult to distinguish between the impatience to grow and at the same time, the technical constraints of suppliers who necessarily demand production minimums, who also require time to set up prototypes. . I also never wanted to skip the steps and offer clothes that were poorly cut or in low-end finishes to go quickly. It was actually between juggling impatience and the need to produce quality clothes that bothered me a little at first.
Wasn't it complicated to find suppliers for your parts?
Paul Szczerba: Yes! It was even very long. I traveled a lot in the beginning. I took my car a lot, I took the plane. I made a lot of phone calls. I've seen everything, some horrors and some really good stuff. And now in any case, what's good is that the network of suppliers that we've developed has been quite loyal from the start. There are some suppliers who have seen us grow, and others who have grown with us. So, that’s one of the cool aspects of the job. It's not about moving for nothing either, but trying to exchange with these people who also give us their feelings about the product already. That's essential. And then at the very beginning, there were also some feelings on the market which are always good to take.
Are there countries that have specific know-how?
Paul Szczerba: Exactly. Italy is always very, very strong in all things material. And even the tailoring is very high-end. But in any case, in matters, even on the accessible high-end which is our niche, we find very beautiful things in Italy. Afterwards, today, Portugal works very well in manufacturing. She's really moving up a notch on that. In France, we maintain a few niches and a few strong regions in specific areas. We still have a basin near Troyes which is quite strong in Jersey. We have leather goods which also work very well with the history of luxury, but which also knows how to offer products that are a little more accessible. And then, we have a whole network of suppliers in Brittany for more authentic products. So, with some cutting and sewing in the mesh. Things like that.
What do you think of clothing from Eastern countries?
Paul Szczerba: In fact, on certain types of products, notably tailoring or coats, Eastern countries really have know-how that the Southern countries that I spoke about previously do not have. So today, when we make a coat, we typically buy the woolen cloth either in Italy or in France. Then, we send it to manufacturers in the east to see what is made. This is what allows us to always offer coats in accessible ranges. A coat with us is always between €350 and €500. An all-inclusive suit, jacket plus pants, costs around €500. And that’s possible because we do it there.
It’s true that luxury brands are really starting to produce there.
Paul Szczerba: Exactly. In any case, when a supplier introduces himself, he generally tells what he knows how to do, he tells about the partners with whom he works. And we actually see that large numbers are now being manufactured there as well.
Can you introduce us to some of Balibaris’ iconic pieces?
Paul Szczerba: Denim at Balibaris was one of the first elements we made after ties. In any case, the new straight jeans are the first pants we made, the first ready-to-wear item. We immediately wanted to work in a fairly thick Japanese canvas, and really offer it with a raw but not cardboard aspect either. So that means there's just a treatment to soften it up from the start. And that's what people are looking for a lot. They are tired of not being able to bend down when they buy something extremely new. So that worked very well. And then, we continued the denim story by revisiting products that also worked well for us.
At Balibaris, we also sell shirts very well. We said to ourselves why not tell a whole story around Japanese canvas, and even make a suit-type shirt in Japanese canvas which works very well. And if we look a little further, we also pushed that by offering a suit jacket. So, sheepskin jacket which has exactly the same cut as our fitted jacket which we also offered in Japanese canvas.
How to wear the denim jacket?
Paul Szczerba: Well, either with a full denim look from head to toe, or by radically changing and putting the denim jacket with a simple white shirt which will brighten up the rest of the silhouette.
What shoes would you wear with a full denim look so it doesn’t look too much…
Paul Szczerba: I will wear little chukkas or even sneakers.
A shirt ?
Paul Szczerba: That is also typical of what we want to offer. The fabric here is Japanese cotton which is also very strong like the Italians on certain materials. There, we buy cotton from Japan. It is then made in Portugal, always with the same quality care as on a suit shirt. And all of this comes out at €95, which is really the positioning that we wanted to put in place. So, it remains high-end. Few people can afford to buy shirts for €100, but we try to always be independent and not mess around in terms of margin and also in range. I estimate that a shirt costs more than €150 today with our history and the niche in which we want to position ourselves, that doesn't really make sense. So, I try to stay in this price range.
Why use Japanese cotton?
Paul Szczerba: It is a flannel which has all the advantages of flannel, which is very soft, quite warm, but which is at the same time a little less thick. We can choose. There is a wide variety of fabric thickness and heaviness in Japan. So, I really like very warm lumberjack shirts. But here, look for something a little thinner, a little easier to put on, whether it's a jacket or a sweater, even just with jeans.
A stitch?
Paul Szczerba: We always try to offer products that are a little more fashionable. It's something that I really like. I wouldn't necessarily have bet on it in terms of turnover from the start. And today, this model is the model we sell the most in knitwear at Balibaris in Autumn-Winter.
What justifies the success of this piece?
Paul Szczerba: I think that these are quite strong pieces that we find either in very poor qualities and in large brands, or really in very luxury brands. And in the middle, there's not much. This is quite symptomatic of men's ready-to-wear. In any case, five years ago, the niche was quite empty both in terms of style and in terms of price. And today, there are several players who are trying to get involved in this. And this is typically a piece that people are looking for at fairly affordable prices, while maintaining good quality. So there, it's the same. It's a sweater that is made in France, in 100% wool, and which costs less than €200.
A coat ?
Paul Szczerba: I present to you the best-seller for a year now of Balibaris coats. It perfectly reflects the spirit we want to put on a coat. So we go and get the woolen cloth in France. It is an extremely thick woolen cloth, 100% wool, which already has a water-repellent effect due to its texture. The mesh is so tight in fact that water beads up on it. We wanted to make a peacoat. On the other hand, we are not going to make the classic, fairly wide pea coat that you find everywhere by the sea or in more traditional old houses. So there, it is well fitted. We also worked on the collar with leather inserts. The collar is removable. You have to keep a fairly functional side in fact, so it's something that can be worn both in the office and on the weekend. And the collar, if someone gets tired of it after a while, which is possible on pieces strong enough like that, they can remove it and have a just-fitting pea coat, perfectly cut, in a very woolen cloth. thick. And all that comes out at €400.
Any upcoming projects?
Paul Szczerba: Lots of things. Today, we have this store and website that works very well. The idea is not to stop there at all. So, it's about continuing to expand the collections, being more and more pioneers in what we offer, trying to get a head start on our competitors, and also continuing to open new stores, both in France and abroad. Abroad will be one of the major areas of development for the brand. Today, we are very strong in France. The website made 10% of its sales abroad, but without any communication there. So, there is a big area of work and development there.
Do you hope to target the region too?
Paul Szczerba: The region, indeed. Already in Paris, we will continue to establish ourselves there. There is plenty of room for other openings. The province, we can see thanks to the website that we already have a lot of customers in cities like Lille, Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseille. So indeed, it’s part of the calendar.
What could we wish you for the coming months?
Paul Szczerba: Always successful and making each store start as good as the first two.
All right. Good luck and good luck!
Paul Szczerba: Thank you very much.
We tested a few pieces from this winter's collection (which is well stocked). We come away impressed by the development of the brand which began in 2010 with ties and which today offers a dozen coats for this winter, suits, but also pieces in cashmere and Mongolian wool.
Camouflage mesh
Camo, let’s talk about it! You have seen it, you see it, and you will see it everywhere. They serve it to us in all sorts of ways, often bad ones in fact. All the creators are getting involved, from the most raw to the most “catwalk”. This test will allow me to tell you about the reason that makes a good number of you tick.
The camouflage print has almost become timeless!
Many of the clothes that make up our wardrobes come from the military world: chinos, pea coats, trench coats, combat boots, blazers, clothing with shoulder pads, etc. Yes, clothes are initially functional before being introduced into our wardrobe.
Camouflage arrived in our wardrobes more recently. The goal is not to dress like a GI Joe but to make this design more personal. I often hear that this pattern is "hipster": make no mistake, camo has appeared in men's fashion for at least 3-4 years. It's settling into our wardrobe for a little while.
Creators have the advantage of being able to work on the pattern endlessly, you will recognize a good camo by its originality, its finesse (the complete opposite of a CE camouflage). The idea is to completely move away from the overly military first degree:
CE camouflage, used by the French army.
To avoid, too first degree:
rather, we must look for re-interpretations of camouflage.
So avoid going to military surplus stores. The clothes are solid, of course, but not comfortable, not fitted and not very suitable for the city. You will find, at best, an M65 jacket (the same as De Niro in Taxi Driver).
The American army's M65 jacket became cult thanks to the film Taxi Driver.
Good practices (so you don't get shot)
1/ Never wear Van Damme fatigues (even if we like the wide splits on truck mirrors ). Prefer wool pants with patterns that are more blended into the material, more fitted, more discreet.
2/ Do not put two military patterned pieces together in the same outfit . For the more daring, who are destined for this type of assembly, remember that one of the two patterns must be larger than the other. The downside is that if you wear too many camo pieces, you'll end up looking too basic. You have to go by touch, and not disguise yourself as a soldier.
3/ Do not use other strong patterns in the outfit . Be smart and stay sober: the goal is not to look like a clown (to be polite) who superimposes patterns (or else, go to Desigual ). The camo pattern is already very strong in an outfit: you have to calm it down with basics to integrate it into the silhouette , and not add yet another layer of originality.
4/ Master the combination of strong pieces and basics to boost your style . So choose plain pieces: nothing stops you from playing with color gradients or material contrasts. It's more subtle, and therefore much more interesting.
Nick Wooster understands this perfectly: plain pieces and
shades of color are in place!
Camouflage at Balibaris
Note that the little rule of patterns is respected:
the sleeve pattern is very different from the camo pattern,
so as not to give an optical noise effect to the whole .
This piece adapts camouflage to urban use. The sweater remains well fitted and the patterns are discreet. We almost forget the military reference hidden behind it. We can find a similarity with the Belgian camouflage (titled "ABL") in the yoke of the patterns.
The Belgian ABL camouflage remains one of the funkiest!
How to wear a camouflage sweater?
Very simply: without asking yourself 1,000 questions. Like Florian, you can pair it with gray jeans or chinos. It also works with raw jeans, but be careful not to lock yourself into an outfit that is too monochrome (overloaded with navy blue). Break the tone with a gray jacket for example (this sweater is fine enough to be slipped under a blazer).
Florian chose to play on the contrast of materials (which helps to attenuate the excess blue) with his Three Animals coat which matches perfectly with the sweater. The outfit remains sober and refined: “The battlefield is far away, Lucien! »
A little reminder of colors with derbies to unify the silhouette.
Three Animals coat, Balibaris sweater, Kult jeans, Menlook Label shoes.
The piece is made in Brittany (knitwear specialists). The wool is soft (100% merino wool, no synthetics). It fits very well (if you have broad shoulders, take a size larger). The finishes are clean. The price is very reasonable for this level of finishes. It is rare to find Breton knitwear in pure merino wool for less than €200 (and as a reminder, merino will keep you warm without making you sweat because wool wicks away perspiration, unlike cotton which gets wet).
Nothing to say about the finishes.
It remains well structured at shoulder level:
the rounding is very clean!
The patterns do not compress the silhouette
(often this is the risk when you wear a patterned top.)
A very positive assessment for this camouflage mesh: we find good style, good manufacturing quality, comfort and above all a very reasonable price. You can find a cardigan in the collection with the same patterns.
The Marcelo chinos (selvedge), yes sir!
“But yes, it’s chinos, on Grandma’s life!”
Balibaris also offers raw jeans, cut like chinos (with straight pockets on the sides). It's a bit of the opposite of Dockers' Alpha Khaki, which is a chino cut like jeans (with front pockets, back pockets, and rivets).
Quite surprising at first glance, it's true. I wasn't particularly convinced when I discovered this piece. We were especially familiar with the new law from Balibaris , which we often recommend for its reasonable price.
But as we saw in the video, Balibaris revisits men's wardrobe classics starting from a denim base (the jacket, the shirt, the chinos).
Jeans cut like chinos? What interest ?
When you wear the piece, you don't immediately notice the chino cut. It is well fitted and the canvas is the same as on raw jeans. What really changes are the pockets.
For those who have already tasted it, you know that unpleasant feeling of wearing Japanese canvas jeans the first week, as if you were wearing cardboard thigh-high boots, which give you a big rough hug all day long. Japanese canvas chinos will be less in love with your thighs, and you'll have a healthier love affair with your pants.
More seriously, from the first day, you will be really surprised. I felt both supported and free to move. Putting your hands in your pockets won't be torture anymore either. The Italian pockets make you feel really more comfortable.
The bottom of the pants is exactly the same as selvedge jeans. It fit really well.
You are even entitled to the red border,
which is found on most Japanese paintings.
Jeans finishes
If you already have a Balibaris rough, the finishes are the same, that is to say very standard, but they do the job, and the quality/price ratio remains very good.
The finishes are not particularly neat (sewing threads stick out),
but for the price, we clearly won't cry.
In summary about this piece: the cut is impeccable, the canvas is quality, and the piece is comfortable. It's a good buy.
Heather gray flannel shirt
Balibaris shirt, Balibaris jeans, Selected desert boots.
This is a piece that will allow you to wear a casual shirt (which is worn outside of pants) while remaining elegant (it can be easily worn with a blazer). The color of the shirt is soft and the cut is adjusted so as to maintain a masculine line.
At the first fitting, you feel the softness of cotton flannel, it's very pleasant. The flannel is not thick, which means you won't get too hot from the first trip on public transport.
“Everyone talks about flannel, but what is flannel?”
Flannel is soft, everyone agrees. Made from a twill weave, as explained in the Hèdus article , flannel gets its softness from the scraping of cotton or wool (this makes a fluff of small hairs appear on the surface which makes the fabric softer, and better insulator by better trapping air).
In this material zoom, we can see very fine threads covering the armor.
It is these threads which give this softness and this insulating power to the material.
Cut level: no excess material at the shoulders and pectorals.
This is a good point that you don't always find elsewhere.
Plastic buttons (but with a nice color),
cross-stitched for added strength.
Checked Flannel Shirt
The tile is one of the typical patterns
commonly used on flannel shirts.
Balibaris shirt, Balibaris jeans, Selected desert boots.
More commonly called "the lumberjack shirt", this shirt must be thick and useful. Cinema, among others, has conveyed this image of the bearded lumberjack, cutting down his tree wearing a red and black checked shirt, jeans and boots with metallic shells on the toes.
You will have understood, a classic flannel shirt is warm (sometimes too much). It often replaces jackets, more practical for working outside.
As with the gray shirt, Balibaris has adapted this style to everyday life. Fine flannel adds elegance. It can also be worn easily under a blazer.
The tiles are discreet, blended into the material. Exit the lumberjack look!
The cut remains the same as the gray shirt.
The collar stays in place without a cardboard effect, ideal for a casual shirt.
For this price, the finishes are very correct, nothing exceeds.
You will hardly find such effective casual shirts for such a low price (they are currently on sale for €66!).
Balibaris test verdict
Balibaris is a complete changing room, very accessible, even for beginners. The basics are very effective, with good materials and good cuts. Certainly, the quality of finishes differs depending on the piece, and the supplies (buttons, rivets, etc.) are not high-end (no mother-of-pearl buttons for example). However, the cuts and style are good.
Once again, for such attractive prices, it's difficult to do better. This is possible because the brand has its own stores.
All pieces are available on their e-shop . You will get good deals there during the sales, and for our part, we confirm our very positive opinion of the brand.
