The stripe, the essential sailor pattern

THE STRIPE IS TO MARINIERE WHAT KNITCH IS TO ROYAL MER: INDISOCIABLE.

At Royal Mer, stripes are an institution!

As artisan knitters of sailor sweaters since 1946, it was unimaginable for us to free ourselves from the stripe and its symbolism. Whether in our cotton sailor tops or in our wool sweaters , this traditional pattern has found its place and transformed with the seasons and trends.

Since its appearance, the sailor top has evolved enormously. First attributed to the French Navy sector, the simple cotton jersey sweater has found its way into the collections of the greatest couturiers. From Coco Chanel, to Jean-Paul Gaultier, via Yves Saint-Laurent's iconic sailor collection in 1966, the world of Haute-Couture has allowed this marine-inspired motif to become fully democratized and become an attribute elegance and class. Nowadays, the sailor top remains one of the key pieces of every fashion icon's wardrobe.

The striped sailor sweater is therefore very widely anchored in popular culture and has even become a traditional and representative garment of made in France.

The stripe, a seemingly simple pattern but which requires real textile know-how and fine precision throughout the manufacturing process. Its production involves numerous controls and procedures, demanding work that Royal Mer undertakes during all its productions to ensure impeccable and lasting quality.

A legendary marine piece, which Royal Mer has been able to re-appropriate.

In the maritime sector, a decree concerning the manufacture of these marine clothing was put in place requiring each pullover to have the same measurements. The sailor tops must “ be composed of 21 white stripes of 20 millimeters and 20 or 21 blue stripes of 10 millimeters, for the body, and 15 white stripes for 14 to 15 blue stripes for the sleeves ”.

Measures from which Royal Mer has freed itself to create its new collection, as shown by our Siloé t-shirt with its stripes far exceeding the regulatory standard of the French Navy or our Cléophée skirt which proves that stripes can be worn both horizontally and vertically .

The Royal Mer collections have the art and the way of declining stripes in various styles, colors and materials: Whether in the manufacture of our timeless Klasel merino wool sweaters, our authentic Cézembre virgin wool sailor sweaters or on the more summer Molenais in 100% cotton.

To understand all the complexity involved in designing a piece of marine clothing proudly displaying the stripe, we take you behind the scenes of the Regrippière workshop: