The history of the French workwear jacket

Very rarely are there items of clothing that maintain almost the same style, composition and colouring as they did when they first came off the production line. But for the French workwear jacket, a piece that was first designed in Pontorson, France, in the late 19th century, very little has changed – save for the type of person wearing it.

The traditional workwear jacket – or le bleu de travail – was designed to be worn by labourers in French fields and farms. It was made from combed cotton to protect the labourers from the country’s windiest and wettest months and was crafted for ease of movement when it came to physical tasks. Its front patch pockets were designed to fit and store small tools and loose parts, and it buttoned all the way up to the collar and tightly around the wrists to keep the wearer as warm and dry as possible.

Over time, its popularity started to grow. While it was still being worn in the fields of rural France, it also started to weave its way into popular culture, with Paul Newman widely credited with popularising it in the 1967 film Cool Hand Luke. But it was the late, great street-style photographer Bill Cunningham who made it a staple, riding his bike around New York with his trusty bleu on his back. After that, it was seen on the best-dressed men and women on stylish streets all over the world, giving a whole new meaning to its original use.

As our modern-day environments – and the clothes we wear to work – become increasingly relaxed, the workwear jacket has evolved into a staple piece that perfectly blends the smart with the casual. Physically, it’s changed very little from the way it was originally crafted, only varying in colour and shape depending on the brand, and is still seen as one of fashion’s most fundamental pieces of outerwear.

Our favourite way to incorporate a workwear jacket into our modern wardrobes is to stick to the original shape it was first crafted in. No matter the season, it looks best paired with other neutrals, for example a white shirt or T-shirt, a grey sweatshirt or crew neck, a pair of dark jeans or chino shorts and a solid pair of trainers or chunky leather boots. And, when you wear it, you can be safe in the knowledge that you’re making a statement worthy of some of the most stylish people on the globe.