At Asphalte, we're obsessed with fabrics with character, and if you're here, we bet you're not indifferent to a beautiful fabric either.
Luckily, we've got an amazing fabric for you, a pure organic cotton herringbone. We're talking about a variant of twill, recognisable by its famous sawtooth pattern. This succession of ‘W's results from a special weaving technique that creates an incomparable texture.
When we saw it, we knew straight away. We knew we couldn't just do with one piece, but that we'd have to make a Set out of it. A suit that could be worn as a full look, or mismatched, to allow this armour to reach its full potential.
Introducing the New Jacket first
Up top, you're served a classic, but not too classic jacket. As you can see, it has the iconic look of a work jacket, without messing with its workwear credentials.
An indefinable charm
So yes, it's straight, fairly short and flanked by a pair of patch pockets, like any self-respecting work jacket. But it's the collar that stands out here. We started with a warm blue workwear overall inspiration and added a shirt-style neckline. And that's what makes it so unique.
If you look closely, you'll see that the facing goes right up to the shoulder seam, giving the New Jacket a fairly unobstructed ‘placket’. As the term placket is reserved for shirts, we put it in inverted commas, but we think it's fair to use the term, as construction of the Cuban collar is so obvious.
Hawaiian shirt aficionados will be familiar with this famous notched lapel collar, which inspired us to create the one you're looking at. As a result, we recommend not buttoning your jacket all the way to the top to respect the style.
And that's not all
You thought it had no more secrets from you? You'd be wrong.
Inside, you'll find an attractive zipped pocket for your belongings. A mobile phone, a cardholder, your lucky ZZ Top sticker: you'll be able to keep them all close to hand without the risk of losing your stuff.
Now the New Trousers
Below, we're pleased to unveil a pair of straight-cut trousers to match the jacket. They're a bit different from what we're used to at Asphalte, but they're just as timeless and durable.
A fresh cut
Since we started out in 2016, we've mainly offered tailored cuts, slim to semi-slims. The reason is simple: we co-create all our clothes with our customers, and this fit has been the most popular until now.
In recent months, however, we've seen a greater variety of responses to our co-creation questionnaires. It's quite common for us to be asked for more generous volumes, and we're gradually adapting to this new situation.
This is the case with these New Trousers, as you can see from the fairly roomy straight cut and mid-rise waist. To give you an idea, they have a leg opening of 21 cm for a size M, making them one of the widest slacks we've ever developed.
Taking care of you
Despite its hard-wearing workwear inspiration, it's got a tender heart that's just waiting to take care of your legs. In particular, its elasticated waistband will open the doors to comfort, ensuring a perfect, stress-free fit.
On the right side, there's a securely attached patch pocket for storing your stuff.
Strength in numbers
If you wear the New Jacket with the New Trousers, you'll be sporting what's known as the ‘New Set’.
A matching two-piece, made from the same fabric and designed to form a sort of suit 2.0.
Obviously, this is a far cry from the wool suit that has reigned supreme over men's elegance for 200 years, but it's a highly versatile ensemble that works in 99% of situations. It all depends on what you add to it. A nice shirt to stand out, a simple t-shirt for an understated look, a henley to cultivate your workwear side or a light jumper to get you through the off-season: The New Set has got everything covered.
So of course, you don't have to pair them all the time: as we said at the beginning of the article, Jacket and Trousers work just as well together as separately.
Launch imminent
The New Jacket and Trousers will be available for preorder from Thursday, 12 June 2025 at 10 am. So that gives you a fortnight to weigh up the pros and cons, bearing in mind that the cons shouldn't be much heavier than air.
We’ll send you another article next Friday ahead of launch, to show you the New Set in action. Our stylist has put together a few looks, including some mismatched ones.
Need to know anything else? Drop it in the comments below or check our international Instagram page for the answer. Possibly.
Thanks,
The Asphalte Team