Timeless marinière!
In the collective imagination, the free man, the adventurer and the sailor all wear stripes. Formerly known as striped knitwear, the white and blue marinière has been part of the official uniform of the French Navy since 1858. The decree in the Bulletin officiel des armées even specifies the number of stripes and the width separating them: "21 white stripes 20 mm wide and 20 or 21 blue stripes 10 mm wide" on the body and "15 white stripes and 14 or 15 blue stripes" for the sleeves.
Legend has it that the number was chosen as a reminder of Napoleon's victories, while others say that the blue lines made it easier to spot a sailor who had fallen overboard. In reality, it's likely that the stripes were adopted to save on indigo dye, which was very expensive at the time!
Originally, the marinière was a jersey knit that functioned as an undergarment. It came down to the beginning of the thigh, replacing briefs or boxer shorts. Worn tucked into the pant, it served as protection.
It was Coco Chanel who made it a fashion statement in Deauville in the 20s. Since then, Bardot has worn it in Godart's Le Mépris in 1963. In 1978, Jean Paul Gaultier introduced it in his first fashion show. It was to become a strong marker of his identity as a designer.
Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardo, Coco Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier, James Dean, John Wayne, Marlon Brando to Jane Birkin and Serge Gainsbourg
It was with these stories in mind that we designed our marinières for the Spring Summer 2017 collection. And to renew the genre, we took the liberty of reinterpreting the famous stripes by giving them a little life: the lines come to life with a slight movement, the thicknesses and spacing vary, like waves and swells on the ocean... In blue or red, they are printed on jerseys and fleeces made from 100% certified organic cotton.
