Workwear: does the navy sweater go with the overshirt?
If you are a fan of the workwear look, there is nothing better than combining the overshirt and the navy sweater. The workwear look is a clothing trend that favors comfort. Born in the 19th century in the United States, the workwear, literally work clothes, concerns the clothes which were created during the industrial period, for the workers, whatever it is. Workers, outdoor workers such as lumberjacks or cowboys, railroaders, soldiers, the workwear style designed for these men, favors robust, solid, durable and practical clothing to withstand the working world.
It is more an art of living than a fashion trend. Indeed, workwear has never been thought for fashion. Its clothes advocate simplicity and have been made with a purely functional purpose and not aesthetic. Choosing workwear is choosing authenticity, ethics because these clothes are made to last. The functional simplicity of the clothes is found in their utilitarian details. For example, jeans have rivets, originally used to reinforce the solid parts. The sailor sweater is a typical workwear garment. It was created for fishermen to keep them warm and to protect them from bad weather. These technical details had no aesthetic purpose: the quadruple buttoning is used to put it on easily, the tight shape allows the sailor to be comfortable in his maneuvers, the tight knitting makes it waterproof which is rather practical when working on a boat. The same goes for the overshirt, this piece halfway between the shirt and the jacket. Its origins are unclear. It is thought that it was developed for lumberjacks who needed a simple, loose but warm garment to withstand the weather conditions of the forest.
However, the overshirt is found in a massive way in the 1930s, when it dresses the officers of the U.S. Navy who needed a garment that does not wear out, which is warm and casual enough to allow them to perform maneuvers on the deck with ease.
The navy sweater and the overshirt represent the workwear style and complement each other easily. It will be very easy to combine them both in a French workwear look, a "lumberjack" inspired look is a feminine workwear look.
A FRENCH WORKWEAR LOOK
The navy sweater is synonymous with French elegance, especially in its version with horizontal stripes, just like the marinière. The navy and ecru striped merino sweater is perfect to compose a French workwear look. We'll wear it with white jeans and navy or brown boat shoes. At Le Minor, we love mix and match prints. So we recommend wearing this outfit with a plaid shirt. But for a harmonious look, we will choose a complementary color to the sweater or we will stay in a shade of blue. So you can choose an overshirt with big orange or blue checks. A vintage leather satchel, hand-carried by its handle will be a perfect accessory to complete this outfit.
Source: Way Home Studio for Freepik.
THE NAVY SWEATER AND THE "LUMBERJACK" VERSION OF THE OVERSHIRT
The overshirt being the ultimate lumberjack garment, we will build an outfit on this theme. To keep a feminine and modern touch, we will inject some color. The red sailor sweater is a great base. Let's wear it with a denim overshirt and matching jeans. For a stylish effect, we can choose to turn the bottom of his pants to show the pair of red leather work boots that we chose to wear. To be true to the spirit of the lumberjacks, we will choose as an accessory a solid backpack in thick canvas or a leather bag a little soft.
THE SAILOR SWEATER AND THE OVERSHIRT FOR WOMEN
Even though the workwear rock style transcends both masculine and feminine codes, it is possible to add a touch of femininity by choosing the right accessories and delicate pieces. For this silhouette, we're going for the ecru merino wool sailor sweater that we're pairing with a leather overshirt. For the bottom two options are available to us.
The first is to wear a slim that we put in a pair of waders, flat or with heels.
The second option is to wear a slim with boots stuffed with a boot heel.
As a bag, a small leather bag worn on the shoulder is the ideal option.
