A must-have for any wardrobe is a marinière sweater -it's the knitted wool cousin of the Breton shirt.
Saint James MINQUIDAME Breton Striped Shirt
The French navy based in Brittany in the north of France adopted the Brenton shirt, an ecru woven shirt with a wide boat neck, 3/4 length sleeves, and a block of 21 navy stripes—supposedly based on the 21 battles won by Napoleon. The trend started and broke through to the wider world of fashion via Coco Chanel who created, soft cotton Breton-styled shirts for her 1917 collection. This created a craze for the shirts, especially for those vacationing in the French Rivera, a world away from Brittany’s harsh waters. The 1960s saw the shirts adapted by Beatniks, actors of the French New Wave, bikers and artists. It had a wonderful graphic quality and paired well with jeans.
The next iteration was the sweater version often styled with gold buttons on the shoulder. There are countless versions available online. Here are a few of my favorites below.
Stylingwise tip: For a classic "French Girl" look pair a marinière sweater with jeans and a pair of Repetto ballet flats.
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