When I was asked to write for BonneGueule, it was like a childhood dream coming true. A loyal reader for two years, it was with pleasure that I embarked on the adventure.
Now the question is why did you test Monsieur Lacenaire? First of all, I was seduced by their teddy . Then, discovering the collection, I fell under the spell of other pieces, like the Dandelion Japanese fabric shirt or the Tree sunshine Egyptian cotton sweater which I am going to tell you about. 😉
The passion for knitting:
It must be admitted that the title of this article was easy but that is not the question! The story of Monsieur Lacenaire begins with a young woman passionate about knitwear. Garance Broca studied at Hermès for 4 years in the knitwear department of PAP women. During her numerous visits to the factories, she discovered the materials, the Italian language, the approach to perfection, and the secret recipe for al dente pasta . As she herself says, “ the quality of Hermès training matches the quality of their product ”.
Garance Broca, the founder of Monsieur Lacenaire.
The more her passion for knitwear grows, the more she notices that it is under-exploited. The market for men's knitwear was still very poor, so she decided to found her brand under the name Monsieur Lacenaire, in homage to Pierre-François Lacenaire, a socialite criminal and cursed poet of the 19th century. She imposes a credo on herself: to explore her creativity while remaining within the chic and classic framework of the men's wardrobe.
Since his first collection, four years have passed. Garance opened her first store in the Marais at 57 rue Charlot, where she organizes many events such as concerts (in partnership with the Baléapop festival), Buddy shoe signings and soon a table football tournament in the store . Its collections have also evolved at the same time as its inspirations: from video games to very geometric tangram games, including old elk or snowflake knit patterns.
The Monsieur Lacenaire teddy that can be found in all his collections.
The clothes I used in this test are imbued with his imagination and this desire: to rediscover his piece each time.
“But what the hell is that?”
For those who did not recognize it, this sentence (no it is not mine Fortunately …) is a cult gimmick from YouTuber PV Nova that I advise you to watch and listen to.
But let's get back to our topic, and start with the Tree sunshine sweater.
A little history :
Before going into an in-depth analysis of this piece, let's delve into the history of the Aran sweater.
Because yes, Monsieur Lacenaire's sweater is indeed inspired by the Aran sweaters known to everyone to be worn during the holidays for one reason: to keep you warm.
Bridget Jones reference: Mark Darcy’s sweaters make you want…
This sweater comes straight from the west coast of Ireland. Made from 100% wool, it is water-repellent and helps maintain an ideal temperature in contact with the body. The specific features of this sweater are the different patterns that can be seen. According to legend, each family on the island of Aran had a pattern allowing them to determine, in the event of death at sea, which family the drowned person belonged to. Practical, right?
The Tree sunshine sweater (200 euros):
Don't expect a chunky knit to wear to an evening by the fire cooking chestnuts. Monsieur Lacenaire's piece is the opposite of the original but it retains the technique.
“Ah, the handsome guy…”
What attracted me to this sweater was the work of the drawn tree wanting to touch the light. We understand the mastery of Garance who succeeded in creating a graphic tree with the Aran point and the play of color. A traditional Aran sweater requires around 60 hours of work so estimate the extra time it takes to make a tree and add color.
You should know that this mesh is available in two colors (sunshine which is yellow and brick which tends towards rusty red).
In the photo below, we can see more clearly the technical mastery of the knit stitch.
Observe the technique.
The Color Block yellow is quite subtle when gradient. I find there the meaning of a relaxing landscape with a setting sun and a tree to lean against. It's interesting to see everyone's interpretations.
We discover after a few seconds the knot of the tree (photo below). Technical detail that adds a little something to the embroidery.
Admire the work on the knot.
Also look at the ribbed edges at the bottom of the sweater. You should know that there is continuity in the weaving between the material and the ribbing usually reserved for high-end products (usually we see a break between the material and the ribbing, the latter is added afterwards).
There is continuity in the weaving.
The last very important point on this piece is the material. This sweater is made of Egyptian cotton (Florian talked about it in his article on Saint-Sens shirts ).
Egyptian cotton is renowned as the “best cotton in the world” due to its many qualities:
- Its length producing strong and beautiful threads
- Its fineness allows it exceptional permeability
- Finally its resistance has an impact on the garment which will age better and resist washing and other attacks.
In addition to its many qualities, Egyptian cotton is picked by hand and is de facto very expensive. This price of the raw material is then reflected in the price of the sweater which can frighten more than one person (but as I speak to you, it is currently on sale on Monsieur Lacenaire 's website).
Hand picked Egyptian cotton.
Even though this sweater appears to be a designer piece, it goes very well with basics like simple chinos and sneakers. You can enhance everything with a very nice pair of sunglasses and a few accessories .
Monsieur Lacenaire sweater, When I was Seventeen belt, Zara chinos, Sawa shoes.
However, the cut is not completely fitted. We can see in the photos this swaying effect which can be detrimental to your outfit, but this is a detail if the mesh is well matched.
I really liked this piece because of its lightness and originality. It can be worn very easily all year round, both under a winter peacoat and on cool summer evenings. I would just have one remark concerning the collar which I find too close to the neck but it must be put in quotation marks, having a “bull's neck”.
The Dandelion shirt:
Let's continue to discover the world of Garance with her Dandelion shirt (also on sale ).
For this piece, she wanted to highlight a material that she really appreciates: Japanese fabric. This fabric is very pleasant to wear, benefiting from lightness and beautiful shades of blue. To highlight the latter, she and her team have developed two specific features.
Let's start with the collar. This one is very geometric and fine. The main interest and goal is to wear your shirt closed all the way up (like the hipsters!).
It was windy on the day of the shoot.
As you can see in the photo, I'm not very comfortable, because having a fairly strong neck, closing my collar all the way up tends to press on my Adam's apple. Not being attracted by temptation, I unbutton the last notches for a more liberated, delivered look:
The glasses make the look.
It should be noted, however, that it is very easy to button your shirt all the way up (an achievement because usually, I cannot button any shirt up to this point, unless I choke).
The chest pocket also has a particularity due to its shape. An illustrated photo speaks louder than words:
An original pocket shape.
The pocket, very geometric, aims to highlight the pattern and not create a break between the pocket and the rest of the pattern. I find it successful even if the shape of the pocket does not allow for a square or rectangular object such as a wallet or even a cell phone.
Let's talk about the motive, what is it? As you will have understood, it is a designer shirt, Monsieur Lacenaire who also specializes in knitwear. The small dots that you can see in the photo are knit stitches with the short name: Dobby stitch (a reference to Harry Potter?).
Both sides of a Dobby stitch.
It consists of leaving the clean pattern on one side (small white woolen dots on the left in the photo) and leaving the threads on the other side, in order to cut them (not completely), giving the shape of a bow tie ( on the right in the photo).
Garance wanted to highlight the two forms of the pattern. On a large part of the shirt, you can see the little dot and on the rest, including the pocket, you can see the bow tie.
Both designs on the shirt.
It's THE detail that gives charm to this room. Each stitch is unique and we discover a little more each time.
The other point to highlight is the presence of a clean buttonhole in the finish, with mother-of-pearl buttons sewn in a cross.
But there is always a but: frustrating flaws for a shirt at this price.
First, the cervix is not symmetrical. Let me explain. It is wider on one side than the other. The collar does not fit perfectly. It doesn't have much influence when worn but it remains a finishing problem.
We notice the shift at the collar.
Second, at the underarm seams, the sleeve head is out of alignment.
The seams are not aligned.
Finally, what bothered me the most but which is a personal choice of the brand, the cut. It's a straight cut. You'll feel like you're floating in it if you're used to fitted cuts, but it also allows you to explore new outfits.
In conclusion :
Monsieur Lacenaire creates beautiful designer pieces. The knits are really nice and well finished even if the collar needs to be revised (in my opinion). We feel the desire to renew a piece containing many stereotypes. However, the finishes are still limited for the price displayed (especially for the shirt).
If you like knitwear and wearing something original, this brand is for you. If it's not in your budget, wait for the sales to get more reasonable prices ( even further !). However, their teddys are truly timeless and beautiful!
Finally, behind this brand, there is a young, talented and very friendly team whose creations you can go and see at the store, in the marsh at 57 rue Charlot.
Don't forget, BonneGueule has just released her knitwear ! 😉
Photo credit: Huge thanks to my photographer and long-time friend Katell Roland for the great photos! Its website and Facebook page! Check it out, you will be SWAG!
Article written by Valentin, former intern at BonneGueule.
Not forgetting our own sweaters and cardigans...
On the menu of sweaters and cardigans at BonneGueule, it's extrafine merino, superyak and baby alpaca. All knitted without a single cut of scissors (traditional "fully fashioned" assembly) in our workshop in Venice.
