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Guy Lassausaie’s signature dish for Lafont
A textile recipe and a humorous dish… When Guy Lassausaie is asked to give the exact name of his signature dish, he adds with a smile: “A whole story and it is the cooks who Lafont”.
In the great family of workwear, I ask for the overalls. And yes, if it is today an element of our daily wardrobe, the overalls are above all a garment thought and imagined for the workers. It’s time to set the record straight on this fascinating fabric assemblage.
Dungarees, it’s an old-fashioned word , but it says a lot about the product. Because, if it is not her first name, it is the one that made her famous. Formerly called “cotte à bretelles”, its first use was to protect from dirt. Worn over the worker’s clothes, it allowed him not to get “dirty”. On this point, etymologists do not all agree on the exact origin of this proper name. On the other hand, they all agree on its reference to the dirty, to the filth (“bitch” means in old French “crasseux”).
It was invented by Louis Lafont in 1844, for his father-in-law, a carpenter, to avoid staining his clothes. But also so that he always has his tools at hand. It is originally a largeot, loose pants slightly tightened at the bottom, to the belt of which is sewn a pocket. A few years later, Adolphe Lafont, his grandson (and depositary of the model and the workwear brand in 1896), improved the initial model . He added a bib held in place by suspenders; the “406” was born. Practical and comfortable, it was immediately adopted by professionals and is still part of the image of the industrial revolution in the collective unconscious. Moreover, she composed the costume of Charlie Chaplin when he denounced the assembly line work in the film Modern Times.
Is it important to point out that although the suspender belt is worn by many women today, it was originally designed for men? Because at that time, it is the man who works the earth, the wood, the mechanics… Finally, it is during the Second World War that the women, forced to replace their men gone to the front, put on for the first time this uniform. To never leave it again!
Elastic straps for ease of movement, patented removable buckles for easy cleaning, a front bib pocket with two diagonal closures for easy access to anything useful, a pencil pocket in the middle, two side pockets. And in the back, a zippered gun pocket so you don’t lose anything, a meter pocket, a hammer holder. It is the blue of work in all its splendor. The overalls are practical and functional. If it is the first workwear, it is also the one that still seduces professionals 173 years after its creation.
Year 1975 in Lyon. The overalls have been a growing and regular success since their creation. Bright colors are in fashion, and Lafont’s teams have the idea of modernizing the model . No change of pattern, but a declination of shimmering colors. The idea is excellent, because the Lafont dungarees are notably on the cover of Vogue magazine. It invaded the closets of the fashionistas, then the streets; the customers of the “Bains Douches” or the “Palace” danced in Lafont overalls. That same year, Lafont conquered the United States. His suspender belt was then sold in famous boutiques such as Bergdorf & Goodman. Nicknamed “elephant” (in reference to the Americanized pronunciation of the brand name on the label: “A.Lafont”). It was at this time that Levi’s invented the denim belted overalls: the waist overall. In 1976, Agnès B. created the first white dungarees with a better fit for the general public. Since then, all designers and fashion brands have reinterpreted the overalls.
The overalls, we like or we do not like. For some, it is a garment for pregnant women, children and teenagers. While others find that it denounces the unflattering morphologies. But we must admit that the overalls have been a huge success for decades. Derived in a multitude of materials (denim, leather, mesh …), in several forms (dress, shorts, flared, …), it is adopted by the most trendy girls.
Many celebrities have worn overalls. In 1974, Coluche appeared on stage in blue Lafont overalls with white stripes. It will become its emblem. Moreover, the statue of the overalls was erected in 2011 in Montrouge, in tribute to the comedian. In the early 1980s, it was Sophie Marceau who wore the Lafont overalls in the film that revealed her: La Boum. It is also rumored that the sculptor Caesar liked to wear overalls in his studio.
Others have been immortalized in overalls (not necessarily Lafont) with great success. They include: Lady Di, Kate Moss, Marilyn Monroe, Beatrice Dalle, Alexa Chung … Or men like Brad Pitt, Will Smith, Prince George, Dave Grohl or Rod Stewart. And of course the most famous one, which reminds everyone that overalls are first and foremost work clothes: Super Mario!
Sources: Qualités, objets d’en France – Bernard Chapuis and Ermine Herscher – Editions du May – 1989
Savoir-faire du département du Rhône – Stéphane Avram and Hervé Tournier – Autre Vue – 2004
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A textile recipe and a humorous dish… When Guy Lassausaie is asked to give the exact name of his signature dish, he adds with a smile: “A whole story and it is the cooks who Lafont”.
Whatever passions I want to express on the plate, I need to rely on a solid foundation of knowledge and history.
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