The Provençal Ode
The Mediterranean Down
The Soul of the Piece
Jacquemus's Pescadou Knit is a piece of domesticated sunshine. The "shag knit" texture—that fuzzy, almost velvety knit that catches the light in every loop—features tone-on-tone horizontal stripes in sandy beige: discreet in appearance, rich upon closer inspection. The stand-up collar structures the silhouette upwards, while the rest of the sweater maintains that enveloping softness characteristic of highly stretchy materials. It's the sweater you imagine wearing on a terrace facing the Mediterranean—and that you'll wear everywhere else with exactly the same pleasure.
Its Place in Your Wardrobe
In a sartorial library, a sweater of this nature occupies the "everyday statement piece" slot: distinctive enough to carry an outfit on its own, versatile enough to work in almost any context. The sandy beige pairs well with cool neutrals (white, gray) as well as warm tones (cognac, camel, rust). The fuzzy texture invites touch and creates visual interest that smooth materials cannot offer. Worn alone or layered, it's always the piece everyone talks about.
Style Notes
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The sunny silhouette: Pair this beige with white linen trousers or raw denim. The contrast between the fuzzy finish of the knit and the matte quality of a natural material creates a perfect balance—two textures, one register of lightness.
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Rigor revisited: With a pencil skirt or high-waisted tailored trousers. The stand-up collar provides the necessary structure for the sweater to work in an "office-chic" register—the shag knit softens what the cut might have made too formal.
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The organic accessory: Brushed gold jewelry and cognac leather accessories. The warmth of sandy beige calls for golden and earthy tones—all in the same family of light.
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Subtle layering: Tucked under an open oversized blazer, the stand-up collar emerges and the shag knit slightly overflows the sleeves—the texture works even when partially visible.
Craftsmanship: Fishermen's knits—from sea to runway
Before becoming a fashion item, thick-knit sweaters were survival garments. In the Aran Islands off Ireland, as early as the 15th century, fishermen's wives knitted sweaters from unwashed wool (wool still impregnated with natural lanolin) that repelled water and insulated even when wet. The complex stitches—cables, honeycombs, diamonds—were not merely ornamental: each family had its own specific patterns, passed down through generations, and according to a legend (partially disputed by historians) allowed for the identification of sailors lost at sea.
In the Channel Islands, the Guernsey—a tightly knit, dark navy, waterproof wool sweater—became the standard work attire for fishermen in the 17th century. In Iceland, the lopapeysa, knitted from the particularly insulating wool of Icelandic sheep, is distinguished by its circular yoke with geometric patterns in shades of gray. In Brittany, the striped marinière—not a sweater but a sailor's shirt—entered civilian fashion at the end of the 19th century, worn by Picasso, then adopted by Coco Chanel in the 1920s.
Simon Porte Jacquemus grew up in Bouches-du-Rhône, between the sea and the Provençal garrigue. The "pescadou"—the fisherman in the Provençal language—is a figure from his childhood world. The Pescadou Knit is his tribute to this local maritime tradition: he takes the DNA of the work sweater (stand-up collar, stripes, robust knit) and translates it into a contemporary luxury language—shag knit replacing raw wool, sandy beige replacing navy blue, Italian technique replacing artisanal knitting. What fishermen wore for work, Jacquemus transforms into what one wears to be seen.
