I met Sébastien Vietti more than a year ago, when he worked in press relations. The flow went very well, so I was delighted to learn a few months ago that he was preparing to launch his brand with friends who initiated the project. They embarked together to develop La Comédie Humaine : a mature brand from its launch, both in terms of its products and its universe. And this is what we are going to see in more detail.
Reinterpretation of the past and brand universe
What strikes you first with La Comédie Humaine is all the care taken to reproduce or divert Balzac's universe. And it starts with the packaging, which goes well beyond traditional tissue paper. The box is book-shaped, and the replacement buttons are delivered in an envelope closed with a wax seal.
Another nice detail, all the products come with small documentation telling you more about the origin of the engravings or details of Balzac's life... who was not just a writer. Indeed Honoré de Balzac was one of the figures of dandism, whether through his refined lifestyle or the characters in his novels (Rastignac, Rubembré, De Treilles...). As these images attest:
Honoré, ready to go have a drink with his friends.
Honoré, probably on a Sunday, with his oversized cashmere hoodie.
But back to the brand. The logo is an anthropomorphized rooster, which is in fact an old illustration by Jean-Jacques Granville, caricaturist and illustrator of the works of Balzac (but also of Don Quixote and La Fontaine's Fables). And behind him we find the parentheses which obviously recall the literary universe of the brand.
Finally, the creators went so far as to publish their own version of Balzac's Treatise on the Elegant Life (it was almost no longer distributed and the rights have now passed into the public domain).
Human Comedy t-shirts
These gentlemen from the Comédie Humaine have chosen to print Granville's illustrations on t-shirts. I was able to see the screen prints up close and they are very high quality. The t-shirts have a slightly fitted, elongated cut, with rather short sleeves reaching mid-biceps (something I like). Last detail which is not one: the opening of the collar neither too tight nor too plunging.
Tshirt printed with the Granville lion.
And here with an engraving illustrating "Mysteries of the Infinite".
It represents God who creates life (bubbles) and the devil
who blows evil into it (with a straw and smoke)
Photo credit: Pascal Loparena, from Fut-il .
The tshirts are (really) made in France (in the heart of the Dordogne) and not just assembled. Even the weaving is done locally in one of the last factories to offer this type of service in France. The canvas that emerges is indeed qualitative, very dense. The final price of €55 is within our upper limit for a printed t-shirt but remains very consistent with regard to the quality of the materials and the finish.
You can find the tshirts HERE .
Test of the detachable collar shirt
Detachable collar. in the past we changed the collars and cuffs because this is the part that wears out the fastest (and always ends up splitting a little annoyingly). It is also very practical for cleaning the shirt and applying the stain removers only where needed while scrubbing more easily.
And these collars can give very nice effects depending on how you wear them and which ones you choose:
With a Peter Pan collar chosen in a different color.
The Peter Pan collar is quite casual and avoids the effect
too tight when worn open.
Or even... without any collar for a more relaxed effect.
Or even a turned-up collar: sharper and without the bad taste of the polo shirt with a raised collar.
The collars are sold separately, there is also an unfaithful kit which allows you to change the collar in the event of an attack of lipstick (see site for explanations ).
But let's move on to the shirt which is super qualitative. First of all in terms of fit: it's by far the shirt that suits me best out of all the ones I have. It is fitted but without making me feel cramped. I also really like its very light gray color, it goes easily with almost everything ( photo credit: VideDressing ).
On the manufacturing side, this is where it gets impressive (click on the images to enlarge):
The material takes light very well and is extremely regular.
Very well finished shoulder seams .
Nothing sticks out, super clean.
Real mother-of-pearl buttons.
Very nice finishes at the armpit, nothing sticks out.
Tip: If you want to tell the difference between mother-of-pearl and plastic, there is only one way, as plastic can imitate natural materials well today. It is in fact by touching the buttons that you will realize that mother-of-pearl gives an impression of coldness on the skin, unlike plastic which heats up more quickly upon contact with your fingers.
7 stitches per centimeter, which is an impressive sewing density.
La Comédie Humaine on the left, and Melinda Gloss (already very good with 6) on the right.
These fine, closely spaced seams are a guarantee of quality because they prevent the fabric from bubbling even after dozens of washes. As long as you don't put your shirts in the dryer with clothes that are too abrasive (buttons, large denim fabrics), they won't run any risk. It is one of the very rare brands that I know of that presents all the purist details.
As for the price of the shirt (€178), it will be beyond what some people are willing to pay, but will remain legitimate for those looking for THE shirt that makes them stand out or that they go out for special occasions.
Thanks to La Comédie Humaine , and good luck for the future!
