Armor-Lux ⚠️ With reservations

Breton knitwear manufacturer founded in 1938 in Quimper, famous for its marinière. French Navy supplier. Marinières and circular knitwear are manufactured in Quimper. Living Heritage Company (under the name Bonneterie d'Armor). 60% of production is done abroad.

On October 7, 1938, Walter Hubacher, a Swiss engineer with a passion for sailing, founded "Bonneterie d'Armor" in Quimper, Finistère. Starting specialty: underwear and hosiery. The company quickly diversified into quality clothing for sailors and fishermen. The marinière, that blue-and-white striped knit codified by the French Navy in 1858 (21 white stripes for Napoleon's 21 victories, legend says), became the brand's DNA.

The first ready-to-wear collections appeared in 1970. Armor-Lux landed the contracts that matter: official supplier to the French Navy and La Poste. Massive contracts securing the industrial base.

In 1993, Jean-Guy Le Floch acquired the company and transformed it, pushing the marinière beyond nautical wear into an exportable Breton identity symbol. Revenue reached €95 million. Armor-Lux sponsored Jean Le Cam's Vendée Globe boat. The marinière traveled around the world, literally.

But growth has a cost. 60% of production is now done in Morocco, Tunisia, Bulgaria and India. Marinières and circular knitwear remain manufactured in Quimper, on circular knitting machines whose expertise earned the EPV label in 2010 under "Bonneterie d'Armor." The label rewards hosiery know-how, not the entire brand. An important distinction Armor-Lux's marketing doesn't always make clear.

The brand has become a Breton cultural symbol alongside fest-noz and kouign-amann. Internationally, it embodies Brittany. But savvy consumers will check the label: only products marked "Made in Quimper" correspond to EPV heritage. The rest is foreign manufacturing sold under a Breton flag.