Saint James Clothing UK

While Saint James has considerably broadened its range since then, its values have remained the same, especially its focus on high-quality knitwear and practical clothes made fashionable. The Saint James range is based around practical designs made well, with one eye on their fishing heritage, including their cardigan, sweater, scarve and blazer classic knitwear garments. It also includes fashion items such as shorts, blazers and polo shirts, a testament to the flexibility of the brand.

Saint James is known for its use of simple but bold patterns, especially its famous stripes, as well as its use of high-quality French wool produced with a very fine knit designed to make it easier to wear while moving and in both hot and cold weather.

History Of Saint James

Founded on the chilly shores of the English Channel in Normandy, the Societe Anonyme des Filatures de Saint James first began to make garments for local sailors in 1889, based on traditional weaving methods using the wool of local sheep. Hardwearing and strong but also flexible and comfortable to wear, the sweaters went wherever the sailors did, including to the frozen coasts of Scandinavia and Canada, where the quality of the fabric was noticed and adopted widely among other nationalities.

Despite its reputation among fishermen and knitwear experts, the garments of Saint James escaped widespread attention until the 1960s and 1970s when cheap travel made holidays on the French coast popular nationally and internationally. Holidaymakers quickly discovered the amazing quality and comfort that the famously well-made brand provided, and word quickly spread around the world. The company expanded its operations to include a wider range of garments, from polo shirts to shorts, satisfying the world's demands for Saint James products while keeping sight of the traditional techniques and investment in its employees that it started out with despite its expansion. During that time, the famous Breton striped shirt has been recognised as a significant contributor to the fashion history of France and the cultural legacy it has left is firmly implanted in the public consciousness. 

Saint James Collections

While Saint James may have expanded beyond the tradition of fisherman's jumpers, there is still a firm thread of woven textiles running through the brand, with a huge variety of tops and t-shirts of all types of styles available; something that can also be said for our Sarah Thomson Scottish Knitwear collection. Utilising the famously strict manufacturing standards developed over more than a hundred years of work, the weavers at Saint James use all kinds of different materials such as cotton, merino wool, French wool, denim and more. While still producing designs in their traditional striped look, the brand also creates modern and traditional designs in all kinds of forms, including chunky kits and soft and boiled wool. They also produce trousers and shorts in a range of materials, including cotton and denim.

Despite that, it's impossible to overlook the traditional Breton striped shirts and women's jumpers that Saint James became famous for and which still make up the core of the brand. Even within this category, there is a lot of variety, as the designers' riff on different colours and patterns to create something for every taste.

Saint James Products UK

Maree II Navy Glitter Striped Jumper

It's difficult to talk about the Saint-James brand without referencing one of their famous striped Maree Jumpers. Unlike older styles in muted colours, the Maree II Navy Glitter Striped Jumper uses simple colours and a dash of glitter across its stripes to create a jumper that is extremely versatile. It's 100% wool and benefits from more than 100 years of trial and error that has gone into perfecting the Saint James weaving technique.

Galathee Striped Top

Signature stripes. The Galathée striped t-shirt from Saint James is an iconic piece. Simple and stylish, you’ll be wearing this all Summer long. It has ¾ sleeves, a round neckline, and is a close-fitting cut. French Chic at its best! Choose from both classic and contemporary colours each season.

Saint James Bregancon G Jumper

Despite their place in the history of French fashion, Saint James began as an intensely practical brand, producing work clothes that were designed to be comfortable and useful in the first instance. You can really feel that DNA running through the company with products like the Bregancon G Jumper, which has been designed to be comfortable as a priority. Created with some of the finest wools produced from their own french mills, these Saint James jumpers provide wearers with a flattering cut, all whilst creating a recognisable design which combines classical stripes and wool in order to make this piece stand out instantaneously. Regardless the time of year, the Bregancon G Jumper is a statement piece you can add to any outfit in order to accentuate your overall aesthetic.