Man Overboard!
In our latest magazine article, we took a stroll through a very different Genoa — one that belongs to a distant past. We talked about a fashion designer who changed the course of style and the way women approached both life and society. We saw women dancing freely, unbound by corsets, dressed in comfortable fabrics like jersey.
That designer was Gabrielle Chanel. She managed to transform a garment originally designed as a uniform into a cultural and style phenomenon. She turned it into leisurewear, made it feminine — and here at Lucarda, we owe her a great deal of thanks. Because yes, we’re talking about the marinière!
The striped shirt was born in France in the 19th century (1858, to be precise), when a ministerial decree defined the official uniform for French navy crews: sailor collar, jacket, high-waisted trousers, a pea coat (don’t worry, we’ll dedicate an article to that one too), and of course, the striped shirt. The decree didn’t stop at listing the items of clothing — it also specified the number and spacing of the stripes: 21 horizontal stripes (blue on white), 20 mm wide on the torso, and 15 mm on the sleeves.
Legend has it that the number 21 symbolises Napoleon’s victories, and that the stripes made sailors more visible at sea. There was also a practical reason: fewer stripes meant less use of indigo dye, which was quite costly at the time. The original shirts were made from thick cotton or wool, with long sleeves and a loose fit — designed to withstand wind and humidity.
By the end of the 19th century, children’s wardrobes began borrowing from sailors’ uniforms, thanks to the rise of seaside holidays. But it wasn’t until the 1920s that the marinière truly became iconic. It was Coco Chanel who, in those very years, reimagined the striped top in soft jersey, turning it into a chic, modern statement — breaking away from rigid bourgeois fashion rules.
Over the decades, nautical style sailed far beyond its naval roots, making its way into art and high society. From Pablo Picasso to Andy Warhol, from Marilyn Monroe to countless others — the marinière became a symbol of effortless cool. It starred in Nouvelle Vague films, strutted down runways, and even served as a cultural bridge between traditional sailor masculinity and queer identity in 1980s cinema — such as in Querelle de Brest by Rainer Werner Fassbinder, a film that inspired designer Jean Paul Gaultier to make the marinière a signature of his wardrobe and design.
This love for the marinière crossed borders and reached Genoa thanks to the sea and the port — although with a slightly different name: Lucardine. Since we began producing them in the early 1900s, they’ve become part of the shop’s living memory. Chosen by Italian sailors from numerous shipping lines, they became the go-to garment for many crews who proudly carried on the tradition of the merchant navy — thanks in part to the boat neckline and the unique detail of having no front or back, making it truly reversible.
We’re not sticklers about the number of stripes or their exact spacing — but when it comes to quality? Absolutely. They’re made in Italy, 100% cotton — and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
