An Anthology of French Workwear

$49.00

France built some of the most beautiful workwear ever made — worn in mines, fields, and workshops, and now hunted by collectors worldwide.

Inside you’ll discover

  • The France of the 19th and 20th centuries through workers, farmers, and peasants

  • Key voices: Tom Gruat, Denis Bruna (Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris), Frédéric Marc Marion

  • Why French workwear is booming in Japan (with six Japanese experts)

  • A visit to Euro-Costumes near Paris — a colossal archive of antique garments

  • Practical knowledge: moleskin, indigo linen, and how to spot animal buttons on French hunting jackets

Specs

  • Softcover

  • 170 × 240 mm

  • Full color

  • Language: English

  • Shipping: Worldwide

France built some of the most beautiful workwear ever made — worn in mines, fields, and workshops, and now hunted by collectors worldwide.

Inside you’ll discover

  • The France of the 19th and 20th centuries through workers, farmers, and peasants

  • Key voices: Tom Gruat, Denis Bruna (Musée des Arts décoratifs, Paris), Frédéric Marc Marion

  • Why French workwear is booming in Japan (with six Japanese experts)

  • A visit to Euro-Costumes near Paris — a colossal archive of antique garments

  • Practical knowledge: moleskin, indigo linen, and how to spot animal buttons on French hunting jackets

Specs

  • Softcover

  • 170 × 240 mm

  • Full color

  • Language: English

  • Shipping: Worldwide

An Anthology of American Workwear 2
An Anthology of American Workwear 2
$49.00

In this third issue, An Anthology of French Workwear, we dig into the history of France with a particular focus on workers, farmers, and peasants during the 19th and 20th centuries.

We converse with Tom Gruat, one of the leading references in French workwear, as well as Denis Bruna, chief curator at the Musée des Arts décoratifs in Paris, and Frédéric Marc Marion, vintage dealer and collector of French workwear. We also speak with six French workwear experts in Japan, who explain why it has been booming there in recent years.

We visit Euro-Costumes, a costume rental company in Pantin near Paris, and meet its owner Pascale Bourtequoi, who built a colossal stock of antique clothing. Along the way, we decode the details collectors love — how to recognize buttons on a French hunting jacket, and what moleskin really is.

What’s inside (highlights)

    • Miners and “bleus de travail”: the history of miners in Northern France and their iconic uniform

    • The Firefighter’s Ball: 19th-century indigo linen firefighter jackets and their enduring appeal

    • Le Mont Saint-Michel — Breton history: the story of a legendary brand that dressed Breton peasants for decades

    • Japan under the “French” spell: six Japanese store owners explain a real cultural phenomenon

    • Visiting Euro-Costumes: inside one of the largest costume archives in France

    • Tom Gruat: the leading reference in French workwear — a must-read conversation

    • Douglas Gunn: co-founder of The Vintage Showroom (with Roy Luckett) on publishing French workwear research

    • Denis Bruna: chief curator at the Musée des Arts décoratifs on working-class clothing through the centuries

    • Frédéric Marc Marion: founder of Bazar des Poilus retraces his journey and archive

    • La Moisson: an exclusive cover painting by Greg Newbold created for AVANT

    • Douce France: antique French images from Tom Gruat’s archives, Romainville Town Hall, and the Museum of Bretagne

    • Private Collection: rare French pieces from Tom Gruat’s personal archive

    • The moleskin jacket

    • Animal buttons on French hunting jackets

    • What is indigo linen?

    • La France Travail: a beautiful collection of vintage books