Eight things to know about the Kabig or the fate of a strike of strikes<

In Kabig, the fate of a hitch of strikes, published by Coop Breizh editions, the retired museum curator Pascal Aumasson, Yannik Bigouin and the weaver and artist-plastic artist Gwenaël Le Berre tell the story of a garment whosemaritime and worker did not suggest its success.Unidivers has selected eight information to know in order to understand the great evolution of Kabig while waiting to discover the book!

L’histoire du « kab an aod»», popularisé par la suite sous le nom de kabig, est inscrite dans la mémoire collective de plusieurs générations de Breton.ne.s. Et pour cause, tous les membres des familles bretonnes, enfants et parents, portaient des kabigs. Encore aujourd’hui, certains apprécient de sortir en kabig les jours pluvieux. Mais qu’est-ce qu’un kabig ?

From the first testimonies until today, Kabig, the fate of a hook of strikes tells the story of this work clothes, initially that of the Goémoniers, which has become a fashion garment, which its maritime and workers were not allowed to predict.Where is he from ?How was it made?How did he popularize?How did it go from an individual and family identity to a regional identity?Etc.

"Kab, identity clothing, soul of contestation and liberation, remains nevertheless, always, a very useful habit against wind, cold and rain ... against globalization!And here we are again to find a new symbolic value to our poor Kab who only asked to be a very useful clothing against the wind, the cold, the rain ... ", Goulc'han Kervella, author of the preface and the theater man, Plouguerneau.

1.After all, let's start at the beginning.After all ... What is a Kabig?Created in the Pagan country (today five municipalities: Goulven, Plounéour-Brignan, Kerlouan, Guissény and Plouguerneau, on the north coast of Finistère), the "Kab An Aod", ancestor of Kabig, is originally a capestrike carried by the farmers of the coastline in order to protect themselves from bad weather during their algae or pinsé collection (driftwood).It was then modernized to become a real fashion object."A very tight woven and woven woven sheet that makes it a waterproof clothing, wingers at the shoulders that prevent water runoff, a double pocket at the belly which allows you to house both hands and notchingfabric thus avoiding wear of clothing are the characteristics of the kabig.(P.61)

2.The word kab appears for the first time in the Carmarthen black book, a text considered to be the oldest of the manuscripts, written partially or completely in Welsh (12th century).Inside is explicitly used there the CAB for coat."Bab-IG (the little coat) has its origin in the Brittonic Celtic languages, but we can also see a line with the Latin Capu (head) which gave the word" cape "in French.»»

3.Very few traces remain, but the oldest representation of the Kabig turns out to be an watercolor drawing produced by the Nancean polytechnician from origin François-Hippolyte Lalaisse (1810-1884).In 1844, he crossed Brittany to respond to an order for regional costume portraits for the Nantes publisher and lithographer Charpentier.Made during his stage in Kerlouan, the designer crunches the front and back garment with a concern for detail which today allows to have the main characteristics of the Kabig of the time.The drawing represents a white hooded fabric, a thin red and blue edge on the sleeves and the opening, the notched shoulders and the ventral pocket. Sa légende manuscrite en haut à gauche désigne un « costume de grèves»»."Recently rediscovered thanks to its acquisition by the National Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions in Paris, in 1952, this drawing renewed the interest that can be carried in its engraved version, the only known testimony of KAB untilthis date.(P.25)

4.Originally, the garment was white or navy blue, but the white color, well identifiable on the strike, was rather reserved for men.

5.The details of the drawing of François-Hippolyte Lalaisse also allow you to go back to fabric suppliers the brand of the Morin fabric.Fine red and blue edges prove to be the specificity of the company, unchanged until the company's final stop in 1961.

Entreprise de négoce passée à l’industrie de drap au début du XIXe siècle, les établissements Morin & Cie de Dieulefit (Drôme) sont les premiers, dans le midi de la France, à introduire le cardage et la filature mécanique de la laine dans la fabrication de la draperie.This mechanization allows a widening of the commercial network and key the Breton clientele, especially in Finistère.The parts are routed and delivered through the house receiving goods and deliveries.In Brittany, the Mazurié house sent to Rennes, Nantes, Lorient, Brest, Lorient and Quimper.

6.In families, everyone wore kab, parents and children.It was made from a thick fabric for winter and a lighter for mid-season and summer. Il servait non seulement pour travailler dehors, mais également… pour aller à la messe ! Chaque personne avait deux, voire trois modèles : « le plus usé pour le travail au champ et à la grève, un autre pour la maison et les travaux domestiques et un dernier, parfois plus élaboré et toujours bien propre, pour se rendre à la messe du dimanche et aux pardons(P.58)

7. Avec l’appropriation de la bourgeoisie en vacances en Bretagne dans les années 30, le kabig évolue dans la garde-robe et passe de vêtement de travail à celui de vacances, mais de quelle manière est-on passé de la dénomination « kab and aod»» à kabig ?

C’est dans ce chapitre que Marc Le Berre (1899 – 1968) et son projet de « reprendre aussi fidèlement que possible la fabrication des vêtements portés autrefois par les goémoniers du Pays pagan»» font leur apparition.This shift towards the new appellation coincides with this valuation of the Breton culture initiated in 1937, but put into practice in January 1950. Il annonce alors à sa clientèle qu’il a repris « la fabrication des kab-gwenn, kabig, kab and aod»» alors qu’il commercialise avec succès des kabigs depuis trois ans déjà, avec l’atelier-ouvroir de la Miséricorde de Kernisy (Quimper).Until 1951, Marc Le Berrec "took great care to distinguish the Kab-Gwenn, by which he designates adult sizes, Kabigs, which he reserved for childish sizes. Après cette date […] le diminutif « -ig»» perd son sens littéral pour désigner l’ensemble des tailles.(P.70) The expression, simple and original, is gradually imposed itself.

8.At the end of the 1970s, Kabig fashion faded, but the habit remains a source of creativity and inspiration for different stylists and designers, like Val Piriou.Daughter of a professor of history of costume, the interest of this world famous Rennes designer for traditional costumes seems to flow into her veins. En 1985, à 22 ans, on lui offre le livre de croquis de costumes bretons de François-Hippolyte Lalaisse et c’est ainsi que Val Piriou, découvre « le raffinement de la coupe du vêtement de goémoniers magnifié par le dessinateur»». Elle crée alors un modèle inspiré du kab, une veste blanche « dont l’ample macramé de corde – métaphore des cordages maritimes – lui semble pouvoir être le digne héritier de la capuche du kab on aod de Kerlouan»».

Kabig, the fate of a strike of strikes, Pascal Aumasson, Yannick Bigouin and Gwenaël Le Berre, at Coop Breizh editions.128 pages.Price: 22 €.

The authors: anchored in its territory of life, Plouguerneau, Yannik Bigouin actively campaigns for regional culture.Known in particular for his weaving activity, Gwenaël Le Berre has an in -depth knowledge of historical textiles.Museum curator (Saint-Brieuc, Brest, Rennes, etc.) recently retired, Pascal Aumasson organized the Kabig exhibition, at the Musée de Douarnenez port in 2008.