Saint James USA

Saint James is the French purveyor of the original Breton stripe, dating back to 1067 when William the Conqueror established the village of Saint-James at the crossroads of Normandy and Brittany. The brand was born from the needs of sailors to be safeguarded from wind and water, for which native villagers tightly-wove wool sweaters that acted as the sailors’ “second skin." Saint James’ seaman sweater was adopted by the French Navy in 1858 for being nearly waterproof, and touted 21 stripes representative of Napoleon's 21 naval victories over the British fleet. Saint James incorporated as a fashion brand in 1889, and its signature striped t-shirt was popularized by Coco Chanel herself in the 20th century. The 150-year-old brand has since been awarded the mark of “Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant” by the French State for its knitting mastery—making Saint James one of only 43 “living heritage brands” in the Haute Couture and Ready-to-Where category.