After being obliged to limit access during the epidemic, a French knitwear maker is reopening its operations to the public. Tricots Saint James, situated in Normandy and famed for its iconic striped Breton sailor sweaters, provides tours of its factories where tourists may not only buy but also witness its famous wool and cotton sweaters being produced.
Tricots Saint James invites visitors to discover its traditional know-how in the manufacture of genuine sailor sweaters by opening the doors of its workshops. The company was awarded the ‘Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant’ (EPV) label, awarded by the French government, in 2012. It is one of a handful of companies that have been awarded the EPV award since. The Saint James textile company has been in business for more than 130 years and employs more than 100 people. The company’s offices and workshops have remained in the town of Saint-James, Normandy, France.
Its design studio houses 77 flat knitting machines, 17 of which have been renewed since 2013. More than 100 seamstresses exercise their talents at the cut-and-sew department, using complex sewing techniques.
