Up for sale here is a chore jacket from the venerable Laboureur label. Laboureur is a heritage French label, starting up in the mid 1950s and still family-owned. They originally started producing agricultural workwear and haven’t ventured out too far since. As the name suggests, Laboureur is still very workwear focused, most known for producing various iterations of the iconic “chore jacket”. The other thing Laboureur is perhaps best known for is their strong Made in France ethos. All production, as well as even the materials, are exclusively locally-sourced. This is one of those proudly French labels that is unfortunately a dying breed.
Although pretty strongly French, Laboureur have actually collaborated with a few more fashion-forward labels including the likes of Junya Watanabe and United Arrows in Japan. This is Laboureur’s take on the iconic chore jacket, done in a blue cotton twill. This is a medium weight material, not quite a light summer jacket, but not an insulated winter piece either. As such I think this is a good versatile jacket, one you can layer up in the colder months and wear on its own when it gets a bit warmer. As you would expect with a piece of quality workwear, this is built very tough and intended to take a beating. It’s the sort of thing that will only get better with age.
Material aside, other details here include vegetable ivory buttons, three exterior pockets, one interior pocket, contrasting red interior bobbin thread, and a very nice woven label on the interior as well. Every stitch seems well considered here, with nothing extraneous and everything carefully placed.
Size is labeled a 40 and fits like a standard medium. I measure the chest at 20” / 51cm, shoulders at 17” / 44m, length at 28” / 71cm from the base of the neck, and sleeves at 25” / 64cm from the shoulder. The jacket comes in used, very good shape. There is some minor wear and fading throughout, although if anything it gives the jacket more character. Made in France.
Shipping from Japan to anywhere will be $30.
