MAYS MODECOLLEGE
The marinière a.k.a. the Breton stripe
We held office this week in Paris. My suitcase was full of Dries and all sorts of cool things, but when I saw a (albeit red, but still) classic marinière lying among the items that Lilian had shopped, I knew it. That had to be it.
The marinière, or the Breton stripe, is the French version of jeans. It is for all classes, for all ages, and for men and women. Voilà, the subject of the most fun lecture (well, better than that mandatory cultural education class that I failed at least three times) of the week: the marine sweater.
What?
A blue and white striped sweater made of knit fabric. The real one has twenty dark blue stripes on the front and back and has three-quarter length sleeves. The sweater was part of the uniform of marines and sailors, but was also worn by workers at the end of the nineteenth century. Especially in Brittany, hence the Breton stripe.
Who made it?
You might as well ask: who gave it worldwide fame? It was already there, but it was Gabrielle Chanel who suddenly torpedoed it into fashion. It was extra special that a trendy, bourgeois Parisienne suddenly started wearing a garment of poor workers. And when Coco (who is actually named Gabrielle) did it, the rest followed. Coco Chanel broke more traditions. A brown tan was something that identified poor workers, while the chic ladies were fair and pale. Coco didn't care about that. She tanned tropical brown on the beach of Saint Tropez. She also smoked, cut her hair short, sat like a man on a horse (not side-saddle), and discarded the corset.
Who wore it?
Who didn't? After Coco, many followed. From Pablo Picasso, Brigitte Bardot, Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy to Jean Paul Gaultier and Virginie Ledoyen. I don't know about you, but I have an extreme soft spot for the marinière. I can easily count ten, and you can picture my daughters in the blue and white stripes.
How much does it cost?
Not much, then. That's the fun part. The original brand of the marinière that the French themselves wear is Armor Lux. You can get a good marinière for just under fifty euros. Petit Bateau is one of my favorites when it comes to stripes and has a beautiful sweater for 109 euros.
What are the best brands?
Almost every self-respecting label has done something with the marine stripe. From Dolce & Gabbana and Balmain to Donna Karan and Michael Kors. If you want to go for the real French classic, you choose Armor Lux, Saint James, or Petit Bateau.
