• While the Fête de la Bretagne is in full swing, 20 Minutes focused on a staple of French fashion: the marinière.
  • Timeless, the garment has survived the ages without taking a wrinkle and continues to seduce men and women, young and old.
  • Uniform of the navy, the marinière is making a remarkable comeback in French sewing workshops even if the vast majority remains manufactured abroad.

No one can compete. Apart from jeans, maybe. Since its appearance on the shoulders of French sailors in 1858 under the name of "knitting", the marinière has not aged a bit. Whether they are worn by Kate Middleton, Jean-Paul Gaultier or the seasonal waiter of a creperie in North Finistère, the stripes of the marinière always give style to the wearer. Sometimes chic, sometimes casual, this fashion staple succeeds where all his friends have failed: the sailor is timeless and seems ready to remain so. Emblem of Brittany, it has conquered the world, establishing itself as one of the symbols of French fashion. On the occasion of the festival of Brittany, 20 Minutes has chosen to dwell on this garment like no other that embodies better than anyone the charm of the French, while cultivating a confusing paradox. Today, barely 4% of mariners sold in France are made in Canada. The rest of the stripes often crossed the oceans before reaching the shelves of ready-to-wear brands.

"A timeless garment that can be worn at all ages"

To better understand the hype around the marinière, we started by interviewing several followers of the stripe. And there is an argument that comes back indefectibly. "She goes with everything!" explains Maryne. Light or dark jeans, black or white pants. I even tried with red pants once. The young follower has several in her wardrobe and assumes to wear them "once a week". Caroline agrees. Based in Lyon, the young quadra has tried all versions, from the short sleeve to the colors. "You can match it with anything and it's very convenient. It's a timeless garment that can be worn at all ages of life," she explains. His favourite? "The one inherited from my mom. A white sweater with black stripes and buttons on the shoulder of the Armor Lux brand. Despite the years, the colors have never passed."

If the marinière is so nice, it is also because it is mixed. To take the subway, go to work, go boating or drink an aperitif, men are also big fans of striping. Since he arrived in Brittany in 2021, Jean has had no choice but to adopt the local outfit: "I find it practical, neither too hot nor not enough and it suits me pretty well. It's dressed up enough for the job without being too formal." In Finistère, Jean sees a lot. But he also meets many elsewhere on the shoulders of "young urban CSP +". "Injuries what," he slips with a touch of humor.

Originally, the marinière was far from being a piece of fashion for the general public and was first worn as a uniform. Inspired by the Russian army, the French Navy had imagined this textile made of 21 white stripes twice as wide as the 20 to 21 indigo stripes. A classier rhythm than the prisoners' uniforms. A legend tells that they represent the number of victories of Napoleon. A second evokes the visibility of the pattern, easily spotted in the event of a fall into the sea. Another puts forward the high price of the indigo shade, which would have pushed the Navy to save a few pots. "Today, it is still very much associated with the sea, sailing but also holidays. It has gone through the ages. We don't really associate it with a generation," says Gladys Hermon, stylist and event manager at the Esmod school in Rennes.

Picasso, Bardot and Coco Chanel

If the sailor has experienced such a rise, it is also thanks to the panoply of celebrities who have displayed it. "It became democratized when Coco Chanel wore it in Deauville in 1916. She took on the air of nobility and we quickly saw her in the cinema, "continues the Rennes stylist. By donning stripes, Pablo Picasso, the mime Marceau, Audrey Hepburn or Brigitte Bardot propelled them to the top. Designers such as Yves Saint Laurent or Jean-Paul Gaultier will also make it a true emblem, raising the uniform in the highest spheres of world fashion. "It has become the image of French elegance but at the same time it goes to everyone. Brands have been able to revisit it to make it timeless," says Gladys Hermon.

If it is still popular in the twenty-first century, the marinière has not been spared by the phenomenon of relocation. Long manufactured in France, it had to bend to the dictates of a global market to be mainly designed in Asia for ready-to-wear brands, plunging French workshops into crisis. It is estimated that only 4% of the parts sold in France are manufactured locally. The renewed form of "made in France" has, however, allowed some emblematic brands to remake the cherry with quality sailors. "People are looking for authenticity, know-how. They know that they are investing in something that will last over time, that will resist," says Luc Lesénécal, CEO of Saint-James.

"We knew how to make it evolve but without disguising it"

Located in the English Channel, a few kilometers from Brittany, the brand employs 300 people, including 260 only on production. Heckled, she was able to hold on during the bad years and was able to count on exports to save herself. In 2022, 40% of the €60 million turnover (+12%) was generated abroad, particularly to Japan, China and North America. "We knew how to make it evolve but without disguising it. We dared to put color back to address a younger clientele. At the moment, it's the yellow that is a hit! ", continues the Norman CEO.

Japan also "saved" Le Minor, as its boss likes to remind us. Located in Guidel, in Morbihan, the workshop produces 100,000 sailors each year, most of whom go abroad. Taken over in 2018 by the founder of the bow tie and hat brand Le Flageolet, the Breton company is showing a clear revival of form on the French market, which had long shunned it. "Apart from jeans, I can't think of any other garment that has stood the test of time so well. The sailor passes with everything but it also has a strong identity. It does not go unnoticed, we notice you. It's a rock'n'roll garment steeped in history," says Sylvain Le Flet. The company's director hopes to capitalize on the slowdown in mass consumption to attract new followers by attracting customers interested in longevity: "We can no longer afford to buy a T-shirt every week. Clothing is not a disposable consumable, it is something that must be treated and maintained. Able to withstand the heavy weather at sea, the marinière appears as a robust element, made to last and endure.

Understand everything "made in France"

There remains a major problem: the price. Sold for 80 euros (and 180 euros for the sweater), the sailor made in France will never be able to align with competitors from Taiwan or Bangladesh sold for 20 euros at H & M or Zara. A high price that is explained by the time and know-how required for the design of this product built to last. To make a Saint-James sweater, "you need 21 kilometers of knitted yarn and 18 pairs of expert hands," says its CEO. You'll think about it the next time you put on your stripes. Admit that you already want to.

  • Society
  • Rennes
  • Ille-et-Vilaine
  • Brittany
  • Fashion trend
  • Style
  • Garment
  • Made in France
  • Relocation
  • Jean-Paul Gaultier
  • Yves Saint Laurent
  • Tempo