PLAIN SAILING

Jumper ahoy! We've got a tale for you about an old sea dog, a legendary piece of French knitwear that’s been a staple for generations, across all regions and social classes. The ageless, the never failing: the Sailor's Jumper.

To understand why it’s so special, you need to head to a place just as unique. Brittany.

About 100 years ago, a clever lady named Berthe Étui had a lightbulb moment. The lads on the boats must be freezing, she thought. Back then, Breton fishermen were off catching cod near Newfoundland in Canada – a far cry from tropical climes.

In 1922, Berthe and her husband René Marchand, along with their partner Gaston Bodin, set up a knitting workshop. They knitted and wholesaled all kinds of garments, particularly warm clothing for seafarers and sardine workers on the docks. One stood out amongst these. You guessed it - The Sailor's Jumper.

The Sailor's Jumper also had a stint in the military, starting in the 19th century. It was initially plain navy and reserved for officers. In 1858, a blue and white striped knit became the uniform for sailors and petty officers.

The navy didn’t mess around – they standardised the number of stripes: 20 on the torso, 21 on the back, and 14 or 15 on the sleeves. Each 1cm wide and 1cm apart. There are two theories about the configuration on the stripes. One says they represent Napoleon’s 21 victories. The other claims they are the optimal visual aim to help spot a man overboard quickly. Which is true? We don’t know, but it doesn’t seem we’ll get to the bottom of this story, so let’s move on.

You get the idea, you need the right wool to get you through the harsh conditions at sea. To make your faithful jumper, we sourced the wool from Patagonia. It’s 100% virgin and 26 microns thick, giving it all the qualities you want in this piece.

Or to the left, really. East. In Italy, to be exact. It’s combed at Pettinatura di Verrone and then spun and dyed at Suedwolle Group in Italy. Why not in France? We tried but the knowhow has sadly been lost over the years. So we headed to Italy, which isn’t far away.

There’s no secret to achieving a dense knit, you just need to invest in a lot of material. So we ploughed a generous 680-gram worth of it, made in 1/1 ribbing to ensure the piece’s authentic character. This is also how we achieved a tight-knit that protects from the wind without being too restrictive to wear. We even loosened the ribbing a touch to give you a bit more comfort.

When we set out to rework this classic, we had two main goals: choose top-notch wool and stay true to the heritage.

Beyond the knit, stripe design and make, the real sailor’s touch is the row of buttons along the left shoulder. This feature is said to have originated in Scotland as the jumpers would have originally been super snug and the button opening made it easier to slip off.

By the way, our buttons are eco-friendly, made from imitation horn with a matte finish.

We've tweaked the traditional sailor jumper cut to be more comfortable. If you check the size guide, you’ll notice the measurements are a tad smaller than our other jumpers. This is because the 1/1 rib stitch is more elastic than the Milano stitch. But really, it’s a classic fit.

The Sailor’s Jumper is an iconic maritime piece that can add character to your outfit without turning you into an old pirate. Despite being over a hundred years old, it hasn’t aged a day.

It’s setting sail for preorder next Tuesday at 10 am (CET) and will be available for 6 days only. We’re trading it for 129 €, not a penny more.

The sharpest out there will get their Sailor Jumper’s will by the end of October, just in time for winter and the tides.

See you on Tuesday.

Need to know anything else? Drop it in the comments below or check our international Instagram page for the answer. Possibly.