Object of desire: the striped jersey

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Is it the prestige of uniformity? The ambiguity of androgyny? The memory of Coco Chanel or Brigitte Bardot? Whether made in Brittany or Normandy, the striped jersey epitomises the paradoxes of French elegance: chic yet casual, fashionable yet timeless, classic yet constantly updated.

Name: striped jersey
Origins: Brittany or Normandy
Close relatives: fisherman’s jumpers, pea jackets and wax jackets
Ancestors: the striped vest worn by sailors in the French Navy
Stripes: traditionally, 20 ten-millimetre indigo stripes, 20 mm apart
Fans: Jean Cocteau, Pablo Picasso, Coco Chanel, Brigitte Bardot, Jean-Paul Gauthier and many others

Signs of excellence:

  • double stitching
  • a Made in France label; even better if made in Brittany or Normandy
  • excellent-quality cotton, thicker than in a normal t-shirt, for jerseys that keep their shape

Getting to Normandy