See the trench coat!

Episode 1/3: What the Patine Club wants

Preamble

19 months ago we shared a questionnaire with you to validate the desire for a trench coat with you. Since then, thousands of you have answered all our questions about this new project, good job Club Patine. Questionnaire that we also called "A great raincoat", our concern being centered on a useful piece that we can wear in the rain. And then you answered “trench”! 507 occurrences of this word in your responses, it is towards it that the fantasies of a beautiful piece that we (re)put outside converge. So raincoat or trench coat, we've decided. Like any Patine garment designed to be worn, it will be the “overall”. Over and above the standard qualities and compositions too, we hope.

Here is a summary of everything you told us, what you want or not. Robot portrait of the future "trench" Patine. Spoilers at the end for those who have the courage to read everything, and some info right away to reassure the anxious: it will be very beautiful. It's the least polite thing to do when you add material to this already busy, ultra-high quality planet. We also promise that it will not clutter up your closets, since you will wear it all the time.

Enjoy reading and thank you again for your help!

Affectionately,

The Patine team

1/ The robot portrait of your ideal trench coat

Like a blank text, we write his robot (but sensitive) portrait from the words you most used to describe him.

The trench coat you dream of at night must obviously protect from the rain and therefore be waterproof but without ever looking like a trash bag, although recycling is in fashion. The ideal Patine-style trench coat must necessarily have large practical pockets and not just aesthetic ones. And of course a belt . It must be long for the look, but not too long or you would get your feet caught in it, inconceivable for the Patine girl who walks quickly. It's all a question of balance: it must also be loose enough to put lots of layers underneath from fall to winter but fluid enough to also be worn with almost nothing underneath in spring . In addition to all these practical aspects, it must be very beautiful and look good without ever " memerizing" . It must be as high quality as a vintage Burberry, eco-friendly and obviously very very Patine.

You are demanding, we too, we think we have met the challenge.

SEE THE TRENCH

2/ Is it useful to make a trench coat?

From the outset, you were asked an existential question: what’s the point?

A priori yes, it is useful to offer you a beautiful trench coat, a timeless one that is still clearly missing from your wardrobe. 71% of you say that you have not yet found a convincing trench coat. Convincing, that is to say that you find it at the same time beautiful, stylish and chic, highly qualitative, practical and on top of all that it should not kill the planet. We modestly believe we can remedy this.

Moreover, more than 60% of you consider that it is a wardrobe essential, which we took as a green light for the project. It is common knowledge that one of our objectives is to equip you and your wardrobe with essentials to wear and bring back without getting tired. And if you want to know a little more about the history of this timeless item without reading an encyclopedia here is a podcast with a two-minute review: the trench coat, created in 1888 and which will still be cool in 2088.

Study not at all from INSEE but very true nonetheless.

3/ Coolest color ever is...

Finally an election for which we cannot contradict the results: when we ask you what color is the raincoat you dream of at night, an overwhelming majority wins for the beige color. Beige is the ideal color for a timeless and high-end trench coat. With a point of alert: a beautiful beige, a beige that is neither bland nor gloomy, which makes you look good.

4/ Size matters

100% of respondents confirm that you want a long trench coat. A question as democratic as in dictatorship and totally biased: you were asked if you wanted a long, very long, very very long trench coat. Sorry not sorry, stylistic bias, this trench we want it with a nice length, compatible with your jeans, your short (and long) dresses, it's the secret of stylish overcoats. And therein lies the art of good centering: just too long enough to fit both small and large. Our ideal trench length: it's the one you don't walk on and don't get your feet caught in it. Of course, it must be able to be worn with converse since we run everywhere.

Result: 123cm long in XS-S, 126 in ML anything but decided lightly, you will understand.

5/ Will it be beautiful?

A simple search for “ cmd+ f ” confirmed what we already knew: you want a chic trench coat (and so do we). The word “chic” comes up 156 times tied with “cool”. Chic and Cool, portmanteau words and yet we understand the idea well. We promise you the quickdraw. This ideal trench coat will be our everyday armor, which feels good, which suits us well and which also protects from the rain. Combining practicality and aesthetics of course, always: you have to be able to cycle with but also be confused with a movie star on a shopping trip in the Lower East Side, even if it's Aubervilliers or Caen. There will be some allure, we swear, or we'll no longer be called Patine.

6/ Rewear is definitely the new cool

61% of you plan to wear the Patine trench rain or shine, in the evening and during the holidays. Can be carried over to infinity regardless of the circumstances, all the time in fact. You want to make it one of your favorite pieces of clothing, the one you can't imagine going out without, the icing on the outfit, the go-to that's sure to deliver. It will be just loose enough to wear when the weather is lousy to put a good Marty sweatshirt underneath, but not so loose that it looks like an organic potato sack. Obviously, we designed it to be of extreme quality so that you can keep it, wear it and love it for as long as possible.

I will always wear you

7/ Keep it green

Many of you expect from us (in addition to its quality, its finishes and its stunning appearance) the most eco-responsible material, traceability and production possible. It’s knowing us well. From the lining to the buttons and the canvas, the devil Patine is in the details and we'll reveal more to you very soon. It's not B-Corp who wants!

Very Green: see life in Green

8/ Best of your imaginary descriptions of the dream trench coat

More than 1,300 of you described to us the trench coat of your dreams. We carefully read your 1300 descriptions and obviously chose our favorites, those that made us laugh the most and also think. We also noted the prohibitions, a useful safeguard for the design of the Patine overcoat. Attention: testimonials nuggets and club Patine in solid gold.

The precise technicians:

• “Especially not rigid. Beautiful flowing material. Mostly beige / but otherwise taupe, sienna or blue. With pockets, a belt, a kind of “ruffle” in the back :)” - Solène D

• “I've been looking for this for a long time!!! But it's hard to find a nice one! I dream of it with a vintage look, raglan sleeves, wide flap at the back, slit at the bottom, slightly oversized, with a belt at the waist, and the color: a beautiful beige, rather cream in fact, which gives a nice complexion and not a beige which makes the complexion gray. :)” - Emilie P

• “A beautiful bright beige, not too long (#inspectorgadget) with beautiful finishes (buttons, lining, tabs) and above all a fabric with a beautiful drape that does not crease” - Claire G

The lazy people:

• “A raincoat that combines cool and class, one that looks chic without looking like you're wearing it. It should look natural, the way you wear it shouldn’t need to be worked out.” - Emmanuelle O

The nostalgic:

• “The raincoat from the early 80s - beige, oversize, long, belted, with button tabs on the shoulders and at the collar, belted... in short, that of Vic's mother in "La boom" :D - Marine V

From life to death:

• “A timeless and elegant raincoat that you keep for life ❤️” - Eugénie D

• “The one that we will keep for life, that we can pass on to our daughters/nieces/etc. The one who will have a perfect look and who will always be in fashion 🙂” - Amel L

The aesthete stars:

• “He has a little something extra that makes everyone jealous. And it goes “olalala I love your raincoat, where did you find it?? ". It has a shape that makes me feel like a girl boss” - Eloïse M

• “It’s that of New York stars in caps and jogging pants” - Manon A

• “Timeless but not basic, with all the codes of the trench + a quick draw, chic and flattering look but not boring, the Barbour Patine version, a star thing” - Elsa V

• “Chic like that of Jackie O and or Lauren Hutton or Faye Dunaway” - Laurence M

The caviar steps:

• “Stylish, a cut that doesn’t look like a stuck-up grandma or middle-aged girl but a mysterious girl” - Philomène J

• “Good outfit, not too bourgeois, which doesn't crease” - anonymous

The inspectorophobes who absolutely do not want...

• “The Colombo look 😂”

• “The Colombo style cut”

• “Often too Derrick”

• “that he looks too much like an inspector gadget”

• “Look like Columbo!!”

• “The shapeless bag style or hiking clothing or Colombo inspector”

Characteristics:

• “Beige or black but without this awful "waxed" effect (tell me if you don't follow), without too many crazy details and especially not at the back, rather long but not up to the ankles oskour what, a fitted cut which fits the pretty shapes and buttons that stand out nicely (like brown with gradients on beige, you get the idea). And above all, a mid-season raincoat, neither too thick because no one wants to sweat like an ox in it, nor too thin because I've experienced that and not only does it look cheap, but it's also not solid AT ALL. There you go, heart on you” - Pauline D

• “It is wide enough at the armholes (raglan) to put a big sweater or jacket underneath. It has a removable hood that I can put in one of the pockets when it's not raining. It has an interior pocket. It's long but not too long, think about the little ones! Or, you need 2 lengths”. -Florence D

Those who don't like the rain:

• “Raincoat in which you don’t get wet” - Céline N

• “Not too flexible and above all WATERPROOF!!!!” - anonymous

• “Resistant to rain and dog walks” - Marie D

• “Which goes as well with my patine wardrobe as it does for a big event in the rain” - Caroline F

• “Waterproof, breathable, with a collar that can be folded over the neck, large pockets, a belt and an opening on the back of the raincoat for greater ease!” -Claire F

• “It's really waterproof, you don't look like a wet dog when you wear it” - CynSu

• “Light, elegant but which can be worn for all occasions and ESPECIALLY which is truly WATERPROOF!” -Annie S

• “it should not be baggy, should be super water resistant and look killer even in the rain (end of movie scene in the rain)” - Julia L

9/ Are you looking forward to it?

And U.S. too ! So excited to show you our trench coat, first overcoat. We put our heart into the work, a lot of patience, several sleepless nights and our skills. Can't wait but we have to because we are slow fashion and we take the time to do it well.

10/ Practical information

SEE THE TRENCH

11/ Spoilers

Spoiler alert: Sneak Peek here! We shot prototype 4, to validate the volume. Knowing that it was 80% complete. On an exponential Gausse curve, what is the probability that you will like the final result? And with that, a Perrier and 1 Monaco. Send an SMS to.....

Episode 2/3: Why a trench?

From: Charlotte, founder of Patine
To: Patine Club
Subject: About Roller coasters, carbon footprint and a latte in NY

What an incredible opportunity to be able to imagine and offer our version of a good dressing room. 

I regularly speak in public to talk about the Patine project, and there is always this moment where I explain that I am living my best life. Of course I never ignore the difficulties of starting a business: I go through big ups and small downs sometimes several times a day, it's part of the package when you do a job of passion. The best part: I am no longer alone in my cart on the Patine project roller coaster*. It's a whole small team of enthusiasts who work hard on each item of clothing in our wardrobe with the same ardor to each time recreate the magic of an essential that we love for a long time.

With the 18 months it took to develop it, the trench coat is no exception to tradition.

I have known from the beginning (and probably since I was 14) the look I wanted for this trench: a super beautiful garment in movement, because the Patine woman walks quickly. For reference, it's the cool of Lauren Hutton's big smile and hands in her pockets that comes to mind, as well as going through a lot of Elle fashion magazines with girls (who walk fast) in New York, in Converse, coffee in hand. In 2023 New York is no longer quite within reach of an electric bike, but the trench coat is! So the look was clear. Everything else had to be worked on.

The material research took a good year. Because this Holy Trinity ecological impact, quality and beauty is a fool's errand! We started with a lightweight, waterproof recycled polyamide…which was too noisy! Of the 5 senses, we had forgotten hearing, although it is fundamental, just as we often fall in love with a tone of voice. And then once we were certain that we wanted a beige trench coat, in our crazy luck, we worked on 2 options, which saved the project since one of the materials proved impossible to weave beyond 50 meters of length. 'sampling. For fit, it's a question of stubbornness and technicality: not giving up any inch of "too much" or "not enough", and working with talents as limited as you are. For all the details…it’s the seasoning of the dish. Your testimonials and your fantasies of the perfect trench coat helped us adjust, cross out and rework our copy. They are like salt, without it, the trench coat would taste less. And then today we shot. At the Patine Studio, at home. The last prototype arrived this very morning, we felt like we were carrying Beyoncé's dress to the Grammy's, we might as well wear gloves.

Before taking the photos we made a list of everything we wanted to document in images: the embroidery of the pocket, the collar, the lining, the bias finishes...and this volume when we start moving.

On the way Patine, sky is the limit but clean sky is the limit!

Thank you for your trust,

Charlotte (and the Patine team)

*Russian is not the most popular word at the moment. Which makes us remember that proposing a new fashion model makes us feel useful, but that we are very little in this era of upheaval. It's only (good) fashion baby.

SEE THE TRENCH