We found it on a wall in a fishing town near Sète, painted on the side of a chandlery that had been selling the same rope and the same tinned sardines since long before anyone working there was born. A blue lobster, printed in faded cobalt and a coral red gone soft in the Mediterranean sun. Homard Bleu. Le Trésor Marin. The treasure of the sea, and by the wear on the sign, a treasure since 1965.
The blue lobster is a real creature, not a bit of artistic licence. Pull one from the cold Atlantic and it comes up armoured in deep marine blue, the rarest and most sought-after of its kind, holding that colour right until the pot turns it the same red as all the others. Someone in that town decided the living version deserved a portrait. Standing in front of it with the salt in the air, we agreed.
So we had the mark redrawn faithfully, cobalt and coral on a heavyweight garment-dyed tee the colour of old paper, and let the press leave the ink a little worn, the way the original had weathered fifty-odd summers on the coast. It reads like something you turned up at a brocante and could never quite talk yourself into leaving behind.
Wear it to the market with a basket you actually mean to fill. Wear it to the kitchen for something cooked in butter and too much garlic. It sits well next to a glass of something cold and a table near the water.
The details
Cut as a relaxed, unisex fit on a thick, structured cotton that stays soft and breathable through a long lunch. Garment-dyed, so the shade is lived-in from the first wear and settles further with every wash. Fits as marked; size up if you like more room through the body.
- 100% ring-spun cotton
- Fabric weight: 6.1 oz/yd² (206.8 g/m²)
- Garment-dyed for a broken-in, vintage colour
- Relaxed unisex fit
- 7/8″ double-needle topstitched collar
- Twill-taped neck and shoulders for durability
- Double-needle armhole, sleeve, and bottom hems
- Blank product ethically sourced from Honduras
Each shirt is printed to order, made for you the moment you buy it rather than stockpiled in a warehouse. That is why it takes a little longer to reach you, and why there is far less waste along the way. Thank you for buying the thoughtful way.