Total Breton look: the sailor sweater with an oilskin!
Fans of Brittany adopt the Breton total look with a yellow oilskin and a navy sweater
If you have the Breton spirit, you will have no trouble adopting a Breton total look.
The raincoat, which has become the symbol of a region and of a Breton way of life, was originally a simple working garment. The first oilskins were jackets coated with oil which made them heavy and uncomfortable. There were then more modern models, made of rubber, but they were heavy and not very practical. It was Guy Cotten, who in 1964, changed the situation by creating the first PVC model in Concarneau. Intended for fishermen, his jacket closes with a zip, which makes it easy to put on the boats. This zip is protected by a velcro flap to avoid catching on ropes. Light and resistant, it immediately seduced the Breton sea workers. Its yellow color allows for good visibility despite the bad weather and makes it easy to spot men who have fallen overboard. Guy Cotten created a lighter version, in coated nylon, some time later, intended for sailing clubs, which were numerous in the region. It was this version that seduced vacationers staying in Brittany, thus contributing to its expansion. In 1976, the violent bad weather which fell on France made the fortune of the yellow raincoat. Immortalized in the cinema, From "Singing in the rain" to "Matrix", its appropriation by fashion houses such as Courrèges from the 60s, Castelbajac or even Gucci for spring-summer 2017 is quite similar to the fate that the kabig has known in the hands of Le Minor. Initially a strike suit for the hardworking seaweed workers, it became the darling of the bourgeoisie coming to spend their vacations in Brignogan thanks to the first extensions of the railway in Brittany.
But let's come back to the waxed coat. Even if fashionistas prefer the sharp proposals of Wanda Nylon, a brand dedicated to oilskins, overcoats, and other nylon clothing, the classic yellow Guy Cotten or Petit Bateau oilskin remains unchallenged. The Breton people, pure butter (salty of course), like to make fun of the Parisian woman who adopts her Aigle boots and oilskins at the first lightning storm or even totally against the weather. But isn't it a nice tribute to Brittany to recognize in this utilitarian outfit a significant fashion dimension?
THE ICONIC TOTAL LOOK
There are not 36 000 ways to wear the Breton total look.
You need a yellow raincoat, a striped sailor sweater and pants tucked into a pair of rubber boots.
Yes it sounds cliché. Maybe we can see in this outfit an admiration for the Breton way of life, often hard but always synonymous with freedom, and for the clothes that represent it. It is also a recognition of the strength and durability of these clothes, designed to withstand any test.
THE BRETON URBAN LOOK
It is thanks to their robustness that the waxed and the marine sweater were widely adopted, and gained their letters of nobility in the urban style. The Breton look is revisited thanks to the proposals of oilskins that are now available in many colors. You can pair your sweater with a gold oilskin, a pair of slim-fitting pants worn with low, sequined rubber boots or flat riding boots.
THE BRETON LOOK FOR WOMEN
The yellow raincoat and navy sweater look is so simple (especially in the rain), it transports us to the Atlantic at any time. Like everything else, you shouldn't overdo it, but we can't advise you enough to be able to compose it, by hanging these two Breton style basics in your wardrobe. To inject a feminine note, do not hesitate to wear a skirt.
The navy and ecru striped navy sweater worn with a yellow oilskin, a white denim mini skirt and navy blue rubber boots or black patent leather derbies are a first option.
Alternatively, you can choose a khaki raincoat, to be worn with our red woolen navy sweater, a grey flannel midi skirt and leather riding boots or rubber boots on your feet.
