Many brands that have launched into a "quality at the right price" positioning have succeeded, such as Hast and Maison Standards .
This is what we wish for the young brand Le Pantalon, which aims to offer quality chinos at affordable prices.
But what is the real value of the chinos from the Le Pantalon brand? To find out, I met Olivier Gaudéchoux , the founder of the brand. He traces the origin of the project and its intention. After that, you will discover our truth test on the quality of chinos.
Interview-portrait with Olivier Gaudéchoux, founder of the brand "Le Pantalon"
When you see Olivier for the first time, you wonder where his affable smile and serenity come from.
At just 26 years old, he works in the web marketing department of Le Figaro; and at the end of August 2014, he launched "Le Pantalon" which has earned a good reputation on the web. Olivier told me about the genesis of the project: "A lot of my friends were wondering about pants and their colors, or couldn't find what they were looking for."
This remark came back to him often (almost a little too often in fact) and fueled an observation: "it is really difficult to find your way among all the offers. What I want is to facilitate accessibility to a simple, classic and elegant piece in all circumstances".
Fighting the “H&M, Zara reflex”
It's true, who hasn't had this reflex to go to H&M or Zara to get dressed?
This could be a bit like what I call the "McDonald's reflex". You know, that funny moment when you're hungry and the only solution you have to eat is to go to McDonald's, just for convenience.
Only, if you had made the little effort to wander around a little longer, you might have found something better, who knows?
It's beautiful, it's fresh, and it makes you want to try something other than a sundae, right?
A real work of research and prospecting
Olivier wondered and then decided to delve deeper into the world of fashion and clothing: "I visited several showrooms to get my own idea of the cuts, materials and intentions of the brands."
As he explores, he notices that something is wrong: "The colours are not highlighted enough and the trousers are expensive" . There is a lack of balance between quality and affordability.
This is how Olivier began his prospecting work in 2011. A year later, he had an astonishing idea: "I bought all the domain names possible and imaginable (about fifty) on those that could touch clothes".
A cunning strategy, but faced with this conquest, our Attila of domain names stumbles upon two little words that resist him: "the" and "pants". The rest of this acquisition will only be a question of time and perseverance.
Olivier told me he watched the movie "300" to prepare for the fight. "This is Le Pantalon!" Yes, behind, there are the other domain names.
A win-win positioning
Back in France after a fruitful trip to India, Olivier has thought carefully. His business plan is ready, his positioning is clear: "I want to create a decent product, so that everyone can get it at the right price (79 euros) " . How can this be explained? " I made the choice not to depend on an intermediary in my distribution, which necessarily reduces costs."
After this work of reflection, Olivier chose his own workshop and his fabric suppliers, whom he chose sparingly, after having scoured many showrooms. From then on, several prototypes of chinos will undergo endurance tests. That's it, the Le Pantalon brand was ready to be launched, but then it lacked a website. Olivier designed it alone with the means at hand and his training in Webmarketing.
The site, all in sobriety.
Chino pants or nothing else
Between the end of August and mid-September 2014, 500 pieces were sold; and this, without much communication (" lack of time") .
But how can we explain this rapid success?
" I took the gamble of choosing more expensive inserts and taking the highest quality finishes that were offered to me, which reduces the profit margin," says Olivier.
Before continuing: " these are pants that can be worn anywhere, and the brand wants to maintain this single-product mastery" . In this way, " young, dynamic 25-40 year-old" customers do not have to worry about the cut, they just have to choose the color they like and that's it!
As for whether the range will evolve, Olivier does not rule anything out: " there may be pieces with other materials and other colours; but for the moment, I prefer to focus on a specific know-how before considering it" . As he states, the feedback on his trousers has been very positive.
All we have to do now is test it to form our own opinion!
Test of the chinos from the brand “Le Pantalon”
The Pants start from a simple motto: a large choice of colors, a single cut, and a fair price.
Here is a simple look with a R&B finish on the face for the beard (more complicated to do). Benoît does not understand why I persist in keeping my boots in summer. (BG linen shirt - Le Pantalon chinos - Timberland combat boots)
Regarding the colors, there is something for everyone: from the lightest to the darkest. From this point of view, Le Pantalon presents more than 15 colors : from the basics (navy blue, beige, khaki) to the more original colors (rust orange, electric blue, pastel yellow, etc.).
For this test, I chose two chinos: one rust orange and the other khaki.
The elastane provides a certain comfort and a good fit.
Note from Benoît: the khaki is really nice, and the cut is very good for casual looks, easy to wear. The rust is more colorful and will happily fit into an outfit with a more sober shirt.
Regarding the material of the chinos, we are in cotton twill (97%) not very thick, with 3% elastane to adapt to all body types (even muscular thighs).
The Italian canvas comes from a high-end selection : It is stretchy, soft, and very comfortable from the first wear. We don't know more about its origin (name of the weaver)...
Doesn't that make you want to touch the screen?
Note from Benoît: this fabric with "stripes" (cotton twill) on the bias, very fine and slightly raised, is characteristic of high-end Italian chino fabrics. Precisely, the more marked they are, the more high-end it is (in general)!
If this choice of stretch material was made, it is to overcome the size problem that we have all encountered sooner or later. In my case, I wear the chino in size 38 (French sizing). Everything has been designed to facilitate the choice and avoid the slightest doubts and questions about the size.
The cut of the chino is semi-slim , well-fitted at the thighs and a little looser down to the bottom of the ankle (leg opening = 18 cm). The waist is slightly low, for a modern style. The chino is very easy to put on and is light. It is the kind of piece that can be worn with sneakers or ankle boots. For a summer outfit, you can also wear the pants Italian style, that is to say rolled up at the ankles, to highlight the shoes.
Here is a summer outfit idea. The energy of the orange color is softened by the serenity of the blue. (Hartford shirt, Le Pantalon chinos and BonneGueule x Buttero sneakers).
In terms of details, there is no change of scenery compared to what is usually found on high-end pants. For starters, the side pockets are reinforced with a stop stitch, there is a metal YKK fly and the back pockets are piped.
The bartack stitch reinforces the solidity of the pockets. We can also see very clean stitched seams that bring a little relief, and give a more artisanal touch (Note from Benoît: we call these "AMF" seams from the name of the machine that produces them).
The belt loops are neatly sewn. You can also notice the V-shaped ease at the waist, for more comfort, and its stop point.
A classic asset of a chino, the famous piped pockets. If you have a lot of imagination, you can also see a face!
The metal fly is signed YKK.
All of these details are the basis for a good entry-level chino. Let's move on to the more elaborate details that can be found in a high-end chino. This includes clean seams, a lined and piped interior, a V-shaped comfort zone in the middle of the back, a triple-button closure with a buttoned tab, and a pin buckle.
The lined interior includes liberty floral patterns which add a pleasant touch of originality.
There is a clean bottom, which ensures good support for your masculinity. The pockets are deep enough and above all they are soft, once the hands are inside. More good points.
The interior seams are braided, a detail that we appreciate at BonneGueule.
There is a double button placket, which allows the pants to be held in place better. This is another detail that is rarely found in chinos.
This is the pin that is located above the fly, and which keeps the belt in place (by blocking the buckle).
It may not seem like much, but all these finishes require additional steps in the making of the piece, and this results in additional costs. I was surprised to see so many details in a piece, especially considering the price . We are really on a chino that can bring a lot of comfort and freshness to your summer looks!
Here are two examples of simple but effective outfits: a shirt (Hartford), colorful chinos (Le Pantalon) and a pair of sneakers (BonneGueule x Buttero).
Conclusion on the chinos from the brand “Le Pantalon”
These chinos are a very good surprise! The quality of the fabric, the diversity of colors, the efficiency of the cut, the comfort of the piece and the details of the pants demonstrate a rare and commendable quality! We can only validate the excellent quality / price ratio of the chinos from the Le Pantalon brand.
For 79 euros , you can treat yourself to a pair of trousers made in Europe with good finishes and a quality far superior to what you can find on the market at the same price . This is a very competitive positioning!
Normally, such a piece costs twice as much. For that reason alone, Olivier's bet is successful: giving access to a high-end piece at the right price.
Note from Benoît: excellent brand, with a simple and effective offer, at a good price. Consider that it is really the Hast of pants!
