THE LEGENDARY SAILOR JUMPER
100 YEARS OF IN-HOUSE PRODUCTION
Worn directly on the body by seafarers, this knitwear was one of the first pieces made by Berthe Etui in the 1920s. It remained limited to workwear until the 1960s, until the incredible event of Eric Tabarly's victory in 1964
Eric Tabarly's father, a representative of L'Union Textile de Tourcoing - wool supplier - worked with Juliette Corlay (former director of MBL) One day, he asked her to make a jumper for his son who was about to go on an ocean race. Against all odds, the sailor won this legendary transatlantic race Then named knight of the Legion of Honour, "the French hero of the Atlantic" appeared on the front page of Paris Match with the jumper made by the House. Knitwear went from underneath to above, from shadow to light The trend for the five-button sailor jumper was started; production has shot up It was soon supported by orders from the French Navy Thus goes the sailor jumper, a mythical jumper, knitted by the House for 100 years
THE TRADITIONAL KABIG
SINCE 1947
In 1947, the embroidered kabig marked the beginning of the ready-to-wear line of Maison Le Minor
Easily identifiable by its front pocket, hood, buttons, thick woollen cloth and notches, the kabig was originally the protective garment of the seaweed farmers of Pays Pagan, a tiny territory in northern Finistère In the 1950s, at the request of Mrs Le Minor, René-Yves Creston modernised it The company was one of the main manufacturers until production stopped in the 1980s. Although the kabig remains the flagship product in Pont-l'Abbé, production is rapidly diversifying However, it remains essentially centred on the winter collections
The particularities of the kabig - an unlined woollen sheet jacket - were to challenge the designers who worked for Le Minor from the outset In particular, it was the collaboration with Courrèges that allowed them to completely revisit the kabig and move upmarket
40 years after production ceased, Le Minor relaunches its emblematic coat, its original kabig.
THE SELECT PULLOVER OFFICER
50 YEARS OF EXPERTISE
If the officer jumper draws its essence from the sailor jumper - this warm and resistant workwear - it is also a revival of the English wooly pully, designed for the British air force in 1941 French officers adopted it, and French versions of this English jumper were manufactured by workshops - including the Manufacture de Bonneterie Lorientaise - from the end of the 1970s, before the French Navy regularised the practice The jumper became part of the required uniform in 1984 For four years, it was reserved for officers of the French Navy - the military command and management corps - and then its wearing was extended to all sailors In military jargon, it is called "regulation jersey"
Invariably plain, navy blue, it has fireproof shoulder patches, epaulettes, a buttonhole for the badge and a pen pocket A combination of textile and knitting expertise makes the officer's jumper particularly demanding. The small fabric parts - shoulder pads and shoulder reinforcements - are meticulously applied to the rib of the jumper Instead of being simply sewn, its collar is reknitted: each stitch of the collar is reopened to be reintegrated into the stitches of the body This rare and particularly technical know-how, usually reserved for the luxury industry, is still at work today at Le Minor
While the select jumper has been a staple of men's wardrobes for decades, it is slowly making its way into women's wardrobes
THE ICONIC MARINIERE
HALF A CENTURY IN GUIDEL
Although it had already been part of sailors' kit for some years, the knitted shirt - with blue and white stripes - was codified by the French Navy in 1858
It was immediately adopted by the lively Parisian masked balls In the 1880s, the marinière was associated with children's sailor costumes. Thus it entered the world of fashion; it will never leave it again
It was to be part of all emancipations, that of the little one who grew up, of the peasant class who freed themselves from their rank, of the woman who breaks the standards of dress
Taken up by the ready-to-wear and haute couture industries, the marinière will also be part of every wardrobe
Until then confined to wool, Guidel began knitting cotton in the mid-1970s and made its first marinières Did Juliette Corlay introduce this production to meet the needs of the French Navy? In any event, stripes were to become a permanent feature of the company, requiring specific equipment and exceptional know-how.
