Le Mont St Michel

Le Mont St Michel was launched in 1913 in Pontorson, a small Normandy town a few miles from the Mont-Saint-Michel abbey after which the brand is named, by the Ariès family as a workwear workshop. Its signature product, the 1913 work jacket, was designed for the practical needs of Breton and Norman farmers and artisans, and its durability came from cotton moleskin — at the time a relatively new fabric prized for combining toughness with enough give for physical labor. The jacket built a following among local agricultural and artisan workers through the 1920s and 1930s. Like many heritage workwear labels, the brand's profile faded over the mid-twentieth century before being revived: in 1998, textile industry figure Alexandre Milan took over stewardship of Le Mont St Michel, updating cuts and fits for a contemporary market while preserving the jacket's functional design and moleskin construction. The brand today positions the 1913 jacket, still offered in various washes and colors including a made-to-order configurator, as its core heritage product, alongside broader ready-to-wear collections, and has been covered by menswear press including Mr Porter and Man of Many for its role in popularizing French workwear internationally.