French Peasant Workwear Trousers

[Deleted member 16736]

From an eBay listing. Who makes pants like this anymore? They're so peasant chic.

 

[Edward]

SJC are working up something similar at present. Darcyclothing.com also do blue cotton work pants/ jackets which are designed to fade like this.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Here's the Darcy washed blue cotton drill work trousers (very nice, but wish they had slanted pockets like the originals): http://www.darcyclothing.com/shop/trousers/washed-cotton-drill-work-trousers-tr230.html

I found these Pike Bros. 1932 Engineer Pants. Dark navy. Weirdly oversized button fly and cinchback strap.

http://pikebrothersshop.com/ItemVi...0000101&menuGrp=00001011&number=P0102-15-0002

Look forward to seeing the SJC version.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Here's another vintage pair on eBay with cinchback and fishtail similar to the Darcy trousers.

 

[Cocker]

Might give a go at the Pike Brothers one in khaki. Really love their line of clothes.

 

[Tiki Tom]

Bleu de travail. It really was not so long ago when it was a common sight to see workers in Europe wearing such blue trousers and matching work jackets. Often with a cap of the same material. It was a uniform of sorts. I certainly remember them, and I don't think they have completely gone away.

 

[Desperandum]

Bleu de travail. It really was not so long ago when it was a common sight to see workers in Europe wearing such blue trousers and matching work jackets. Often with a cap of the same material. It was a uniform of sorts. I certainly remember them, and I don't think they have completely gone away.

You can still get them new. I buy jackets (vestes) and trousers made by Lafont, and these are the real moleskin. I also buy NOS items, when they come in my size, from a contact in France who specialises in bleus de travail.

The nearest equivalent I know of in the UK which are affordable work clothes rather than expensive hipster fashion versions of those, are the Yarmo brand dark blue or khaki heavy cotton twill trousers, shirts and engineers jackets made in England by, and sold by Yarmouth Stores in Norfolk.

There are still a number of French manufacturers who make the modern equivalents of the old bleus de travail, which are similar in style but now made in polycottons and so forth.

You may have guessed that I'm a fan of these clothes, and they're what I wear annually, from about May to September.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Thanks for the tip. Now we know what to call them: bleus de travail.

Here's a pair of "Moleskine Vintage Pants" (no brace buttons). (Note the pair of Paraboot moccasins the model is wearing to complete the look.)

http://www.bleudetravail.com/lbr-01-500.htm

Here's a very nice pair of brown corduroy work pants with belt-loops:

http://www.jmw-vpc.com/velvet-pants-right-passers-1813.html#/960-size-34/922-color-brown

or braces and back-strap:

http://www.bleudetravail.com/lbr-01-7t.htm

A pair of linen-cotton brown work trousers with braces and fish-tail back:

http://www.jmw-vpc.com/pantalon-en-lin-le-laboureur-taille-38-2581.html

And finally, a pair of 100% cotton work pants with a slim leg, but fairly high rise, like 60's workwear pants:

http://www.bleudetravail.com/lbr-01-17.htm

All of the above are made in France by Le Laboureur, a family-owned company. International shipping is a flat 25 euros from the jmw-vpc.com website.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

For some cool French workwear jackets, check out this moleskin jacket ("raw" is khaki):

http://www.jmw-vpc.com/moleskin-jac...=moleskin&results=7#/940-size-s/925-color-raw

And for the piece de resistance, check out this 1930's-style short-cropped corduroy jacket in brown or black:

http://www.jmw-vpc.com/blouson-spencer-en-velours-2192.html#/4-taille-xl/177-longueur-bleu_stone

 

[Tiki Tom]

Zoot alors! There is a web site for everything these days!

Thanks!

And apparently they are a hot trend, no less. Who knew?

http://us.asos.com/men/fashion-news/2016_04_21-thurs/cult-item-french-worker-jacket-bleu-de-travail/

 

[SpeedRcrX]

And finally, a pair of 100% cotton work pants with a slim leg, but fairly high rise, like 60's workwear pants:

http://www.bleudetravail.com/lbr-01-17.htm

All of the above are made in France by Le Laboureur, a family-owned company. International shipping is a flat 25 euros from the jmw-vpc.com website.

Those kind of pants and jackets are often given to workers in factories.

My father has several still in good condition (he is retired) and still use them when he work outside the house.

But no one in France would wear them outside the workplace.

 

[SpeedRcrX]

For those interested a few photos of my father's bleus de travail

The overall, my father also have a jumpsuit

The pant and jacket

My father has a few he never used, you just have to remove the company's patch. So, if you're interested PM me.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Thanks, SpeedRacer. Those pics are great. I see your point. That blue is very bright. I'm curious, though: are those pants the 100% cotton moleskin version or a blend?

Here's a 100% wool coat from Le Laboureur which I would definitely wear out. The first link has the cheapest price, and the second link has the better pictures:

http://www.achat-abbeville-picardie...ute-VESTE-LAINE-BUREL-TOUT-POUR-L-OUVRIER.htm

https://us.urbanexcess.com/products/le-laboureur-wool-work-jacket-brown

 

[SpeedRcrX]

Thanks, SpeedRacer. Those pics are great. I see your point. That blue is very bright. I'm curious, though: are those pants the 100% cotton moleskin version or a blend?

Here's a 100% wool coat from Le Laboureur which I would definitely wear out. The first link has the cheapest price, and the second link has the better pictures:

http://www.achat-abbeville-picardie...ute-VESTE-LAINE-BUREL-TOUT-POUR-L-OUVRIER.htm

https://us.urbanexcess.com/products/le-laboureur-wool-work-jacket-brown

They're just cotton with a denim like texture, the company gave them freely to workers, so it's not high end quality. But it's sturdy and do the job.

The blue color is a standard color for this kind of clothes, you can also find grey and green colors.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

I believe Le Laboureur makes pants in a darker shade of blue, but I don't know if the ones for sale on the bleu de travail website is the dark version or light. They do have a black pair of 15 oz. moleskin pants here:

http://www.bleudetravail.com/lbr-01-500.htm

 

[Desperandum]

With the vestes (jackets), I find the shape and stitching of the collar makes a lot of difference to the look of it. Some have a more rounded look, with double stitching on the edge, whilst others are not edge-sewn, are less rounded and usually not as high or wide.
The photograph shows my vintage NOS "L'Ange Bleu" (Blue Angel) brand at top, which is now showing signs of the wear I've given it. The one below is a "L'Ascenseur", without edge-stitch, and in a much lighter weight moleskin.
I first came across these work clothes when I went on holiday to France in 1972. I'm interested in @SpeedRcrX 's comments about wearing them outside work. I spent many years as a full-time fisherman, when we used to wear "slops" (aka "smocks") to sea, and when we went for a beer or two on the way home. Often seaside visitors in the pub admired these, especially faded ones with waterproof sleeves, and I've sold more than a few straight off my back (fish scales and smell included) for a few quid. When a lot of folks who'd never been near a fishing vessel started posing in slops, most of us just took them off before going anywhere. I wore my bleus de travails instead.

 

[SpeedRcrX]

Most workers change before leaving the workplace. The only people I can see wearing them casually are really old people. But they are very few.

For example, you won't see a firefighter in full uniform strolling around.

Work clothes are just that clothes for work [emoji16] at least in France.

Just look around instagram the only people wearing les bleus casually are foreigners, French people wearing them are either at work or they're going to paint a room or doing some crafts.

 

[Deleted member 16736]

Just look around instagram the only people wearing les bleus casually are foreigners, French people wearing them are either at work or they're going to paint a room or doing some crafts.

The wool coat is dressier than the chore coat, for sure.

Here's a picture of the brown wool coat being worn with casual attire:

https://www.greatdixtershop.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=18433806

And a photo essay of both coats being worn casually around town. The wool coat is not only warm, but looks downright chic.

https://www.handeyesupply.com/blogs...adventuring-le-laboureur-with-michael-kingery

 

[SpeedRcrX]

I don't know. In ecru, the moleskin jacket looks pretty sharp, and the brown wool coat is nice, too. For casual wear, why not? Sure, it's a little sloppy, but that's its panache.

https://www.theshopkeeperstore.com/collections/outerwear/products/le-laboureur-moleskine-jacket-ecru

Here's a picture of the brown wool coat being worn with casual attire:

https://www.greatdixtershop.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=18433806

Those jackets don't look like you're typical bleu. Of course, these models can be wear casually, no one will look at you funny in these colors.

This is Jean-Luc Mélenchon, a French politician, he wears the Laboureur jacket but not in blue and it goes with his style since he's from a far-left party.

 

[Tiki Tom]