L’amour est bleue

A Frenchman in Stockholm. In a tiny store on Nytorgsgatan in SOFO, Stockholm’s trendiest neighborhood, a Frenchman carefully rearranges blue overshirts and woolen sweaters. In his right pocket he secretely keeps a pack of Gauloises and an old Opinel. To him, the items on the hangers around him are not clothes – they’re stories. Answer his cheery ”Bonjour!” and he’ll tell them to you. For hours and hours.

History of the Bleu de Travail

If there’s a core signature item at L’Usine Bleue, it’s the classic, French blue workjacket – or overshirt, depending on how you wear it. It goes by many different names – coltin, la blouse, bleu de chauffe. But the most common one is ”Bleu de Travail”, which means ”work blues”.