The History Of The Breton Shirt: From French Sailors To Chanel, YSL, And JPG
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Thursday, June 6, 2024
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Trends in fashion come and go, but some pieces like the Little Black Dress, Chanel’s two-tone shoes, and Saint Laurent’s tuxedo remain timeless and iconic for decades. In this list, there is also the quintessential summer piece - the Breton shirt, also called in French “La Marinière”.
The Breton shirt originated in Britanny, (hence the name) on the North West coast of France as a part of the uniform of the French Navy in 1858. The stripes weren’t added to create a nautical theme; rather, the design allowed sailors who'd fallen overboard to be easily spotted, with the white stripes twice as big compared to the blue ones. It is said that the shirt originally featured 21 stripes to represent each of Napoleon’s victories against the British. However, for more practical reasons, garment makers have found it easier to knit a pattern in this fashion.
In the 20th century, the sailor shirt became a casual and unisex item thanks to Coco Chanel - the pioneer of comfortable womenswear. While on a vacation in the French Riviera, Mademoiselle Chanel noticed the blue and white striped shirts worn by the sailors. Inspired, she decided to create her own version of the Breton shirt and incorporate it into her collections in the 1910s. She shortened the top and reworked the knit wool fabric in jersey