Le Mont St Michel is a young brand with a long history. specialized in everlasting workwear since 1913, the brand was taken over in 1998 by Alexandre Milan who turned it into a urban & modern fashion label, yet in line with the functional soul coming from its workwear legacy. 

Alexandre Milan added to this legacy his own family craftsmanship - which is almost as old : the legacy of Les Tricotages de L'Aa ("Aa Knitting Factory"), factory founded by his great grandmother in 1919.  the brand's design studio is still located in the very same location in French Brittany, where we meticulously store decades of textile archives: a genuine treasure when it comes to inspiration and which we revisit for each collection.

the Mont St Michel brand is founded in 1913 in Pontorson near the famous monument. it was first a family workshop before getting bigger in the 20s and 30s and becoming the famous brand worn by craftsmen and farmers from Brittany and Normandy during the entire 20th century. the founders asked the most brilliant advertisers from the time to create ad campaigns for the brand, which turned the brand into a prominent brand in Western France.

collections are simple and functional first and foremost.  the brand used to offer at the time a wide range of products which became legends as the Genuine Work Jacket made from heavy moleskin fabric, shirts for schoolboys, amiens corduroy trousers or even hunting clothes made from everlasting cotton coutil.

during all those years, and even now, Mont St Michel garments are designed for all different crafts and moments of the week: field work, hunting, sunday service, family reunions, school, with also specific colors for different trades. they are also conceived to be hard-wearing and functional: special pockets, stitching, rivets, buckles with exclusive patents for different trades and occasions. Often copied, never matched, Mont St Michel garments set a new quality standard which made them famous, and sought after by numerous vintage garment & workwear collectors all around the world.

the best workwear since 1913

le mont saint michel workwear

TRADITIONAL SWEATER MADE in RARE FRENCH WOOLS

the Arles Merino is a French race which has been bred in south-east France since the 19th century. kemp is a coarse fiber which appears on some sheep races and is usually mixed with wool, making the wool irritating for the skin. by crossbreeding local sheeps and Spanish merino rams, they got a very thin wool with no kemp at all. it's even the French sheep race which provides the thinnest wool. a genuine French savoir faire.

the yarn they chose for this sweater is made from wool, which has a natural heather quality and is undyed.  the wool quality and the quality of the way it is processed, allow the natural beauty of this fiber to be exposed.

Le mont saint michel knitwear

the sweater is knitted using a knotted half-cardigan stitch using gauge 5 for men & jersey stitch using gauge 7 for women.  it provides the knit with a beautiful texture and feel while highlighting the beauty of the wool.  a button shoulder, which is traditional from their region, allows you to put on the sweater more quickly.  the metallic sailor buttons are also made in France by a historic company.

the yarn, buttons, manufacturing: it was important for them to make this sweater entirely in France. and it is! The manufacturing part is made by a French workshop using the same techniques as before and providing an uncompromising quality.