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Shopper’s Diary: Traditional French Workwear from La Blouse de Lyon in Paris

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Shopper’s Diary: Traditional French Workwear from La Blouse de Lyon in Paris

September 13, 2022

On a recent visit to Paris, Marie Hennechart, our well-dressed photographer friend, tipped us off about her current favorite wardrobe haunt. La Blouse de Lyon in Paris’s 9ème is a decades-old uniform shop that new owners, Gwendoline Van Opstal and Nicolas Le Jeune, took over when its longstanding proprietor was ready to retire. The couple preserved the store and its mission, to provide everyday, hardwearing clothing and gear, while adding fresh style to the operation.

They source from heritage brands largely in France but also the world over. Here’s a look at some favorites ideal for la rentrée, the return to hunkering down to work.

Wardrobe Staples

  detailed with a standup collar and pleats, the german carpenter shirt, & 17
Above:  Detailed with a standup collar and pleats, the German Carpenter Shirt, €59, is designed to be loose fitting and unisex. It’s made by FHB, which has specialized in German “corporate clothing” since 1947.
the ecru moleskin suit vest, €\109, is traditionally paired with wide le 18
Above: The Ecru Moleskin Suit Vest, €109, is traditionally paired with wide-legged pants and a work coat. This one is made by The Plowman of Digoin, Burgundy.

Moleskin, as explained on the Blouse de Lyon website, is a material that “takes on a magnificent patina over the years, and can be worn on the construction site as well as in the city.” The available two colors correspond to France’s historic trade guilds: ecru for stonemasons and sculptors; black for carpenters and roofers.

le bleu de travail jacket, €99, is one of the shop&#8\2\17;s many cl 19
Above: Le Bleu de Travail jacket, €99, is one of the shop’s many classic work coats. Like the vest above, it’s made by The Plowman of Burgundy.
the plowman&#8\2\17;s broadot pants in linen cotton are €\109. 20
Above: The Plowman’s Broadot Pants in linen-cotton are €109.

La Blouse de Lyon’s accompanying description: “The balloon or half-balloon shape, narrowed at the ankles, was intended to be ample and easy to facilitate movement on roofs or in carpentry work.” There’s a strap for a hammer; a piped pocket for a folding ruler, gauge, and pencil; and a watch pocket (also good for holding chalk or garlic as a natural insect repellent).

for those who get around by horseback, moleskin culottes, €\140, are a t 21
Above: For those who get around by horseback, Moleskin Culottes, €140, are a traditional Provençal alternative to jodhpurs.
la blouse de lyon describes its made by talla of finland mitsumaru closed clogs 22
Above: La Blouse de Lyon describes its made by Talla of Finland Mitsumaru Closed Clogs, €105, as “a traditional Finnish clog with a Japanese-inspired line.” Its birch heel was designed by the company’s orthopedist founder to “reduce lower back pain and relieve the feet.”

Household Staples and Tools

la blouse de lyon&#8\2\17;s waxed cotton bib apron, €75, is made by  23
Above: La Blouse de Lyon’s Waxed Cotton Bib Apron, €75, is made by Remodelista favorite Labour and Wait of London. The store also stocks a made-in-France 100 Percent Cotton Bib Apron in navy for €20.
this xl french made linen cotton glass towel is for drying glassware without le 24
Above: This XL French-made Linen-Cotton Glass Towel is for drying glassware without leaving a residue of fluff; €9.80.
the london folding knife, €69, is a longstanding &#8\2\20;knife of t 25
Above: The London Folding Knife, €69, is a longstanding “knife of the seas,” inspired by British mariner’s knives and traditionally carried by Breton sailors.
la blouse de lyon&#8\2\17;s own in house line includes this made in paris l 26
Above: La Blouse de Lyon’s own in-house line includes this made-in-Paris Large Rolled Leather Tool Pouch, €59.
a german black leather carpenter&#8\2\17;s tool holder is €49. 27
Above: A German Black Leather Carpenter’s Tool Holder is €49.
3b graphite craft pencils are €4 each. they&#8\2\17;re made in puy d 28
Above: 3B Graphite Craft Pencils are €4 each. They’re made in Puy de Dôme, in central France, by Patrick Tourré, who says,“’They are so beautiful that I don’t dare use them,’ I am often told, and yet I make them so that people can use them.”

La Blouse de Lyon is at 21 Rue Gérando in Paris’s 9th arrondisement.

More standout shops specializing in French design:

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