The striped marinière became the French navy's regulation undershirt in 1858, and the mills of Normandy and Brittany — Saint James foremost — still knit it in tightly spun wool that is windproof enough for the deck of a fishing boat. In Paris, cashmere houses such as Éric Bompard built their reputation from the 1980s onward by working directly with Mongolian and Chinese cashmere and selling in their own boutiques, offering exceptional colour ranges.
Knitwear houses in France
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Éric Bompard
$$$France's cashmere specialist, from sweaters and scarves to childrenswear, in an exceptional colour range
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French fine-gauge knitwear and the lustrous proprietary Fil Lumière yarn, six generations of family ownership
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Saint James
$$The Breton sailor jumper and marinière, knitted in Normandy since 1889
France knitwear: frequently asked questions
Which luxury knitwear brands are from France?
Luxury knitwear houses from France in this index include Éric Bompard, Maison Montagut and Saint James. France contributes two distinct luxury knitwear traditions: the Breton and Norman marinière, knitted in dense combed wool and cotton since the 19th century, and the Parisian cashmere specialists who source Mongolian fibre and finish it with French fashion sensibility..
What is a Breton sweater?
A Breton sweater is the striped wool or cotton knit worn by French sailors since 1858, originally with 21 stripes. Saint James, in Normandy, is the most famous maker and still knits its heavy wool marinières in France.