The French are very aware, much more than other people, about the importance of being patriotic consumers. They do it out of intimate conviction and social pressure. It is an attitude that they learn from childhood. Politicians and unions remind them of this incessantly. Also the media. Nothing tastes better than a chicken raised in Bourg-en-Bresse or a scallop from the coast of Normandy or Brittany. Let’s not talk about wine and cheese.
This collective commitment, however, presents cracks in times of inflation and struggling domestic economies. A half-price Ukrainian chicken is very tempting even for fans of Sunday poulet. And what about the clothes? Being unfaithful to national food is hard, but perhaps it is not so hard when it comes to purchasing a dress or pants. And the underwear? Is it really worth covering your private parts with a genuinely French product?
The Le Slip Français brand, founded in 2011 by Guillaume Gibault, has appealed from the beginning to the patriotism of the men and women who buy these clothes from them. But that subjective value is not enough. Nor the guarantee of quality, the careful design, the aura of luxury and the promise of manufacturing with the utmost respect for the environment. The company has just launched an aggressive promotional campaign, with drastic price reductions. Guibault himself, 38 years old, with a cool air and very articulate speech, has given interviews to newspapers and television to maximize the impact. “If we want to change the world, we can start by changing our underwear,” he joked, as a challenge to his compatriots and future clients. The owner is clever with slogans. He once said that “in underwear everything is possible.”
Briefs and boxers, which until now cost around 40 euros per unit, are sold for 25 euros. A pack of three, at 57 euros. According to Guibault, with this decision he assumes “an enormous industrial risk”, although it is worth it. Le Slip Français is proud to be the largest French textile company with entirely national production. That gives it a responsibility, to try to reverse a disastrous trend of job loss in the sector (90% in the last thirty years). The entirely national made in France represents only 3% in the textile branch. The underpants offensive is intended to be the spearhead of a broader operation to reconcile the general public with clothing designed and manufactured entirely in France, and to stop it being associated with an elitist public that can afford to spend exorbitant amounts.
Le Slip Français now employs 80 people in the company, but provides about 300 indirect jobs. Its products – not only underwear, but a wide range of clothing that includes panties, bras, socks and swimsuits – are manufactured in dozens of workshops of associated companies spread throughout the territory. In the expansion campaign they have signed contracts with large distributors such as the Galeries Lafayette chain.
The flagship of Le Slip Français, its founding imprint, continues to be its collection of briefs, trimmed or with details that highlight the three colors of the French flag: red, blue and white. The briefs boast of being equipped with a 35 millimeter wide elastic band that prevents the usual nuisance of it folding under the belly when it is too pronounced. This detail, then, contributes to male self-esteem in case of obesity. The advertising for these briefs also highlights the double curve in the central part and a design “adopted to all morphologies.”
Until now, Le Slip Français has played with the usual and unbeatable appeal of French quality, in this case to perfectly accommodate male genitalia, as well as with the added factors of local materials and minimal environmental footprint. The new stimulus will be the competitive price. Wardrobe patriotism should not always require generous pockets. Gibault’s brand aims to democratize access, starting with underwear.
