After streamlining its range and leveraging scale to bring down prices, Le Slip Français this morning unveiled its new project, “Fier(t)”: a €7.90 T-shirt aimed at the B2B market.

The announcement was made on November 18 at the brand’s Bonne Nouvelle factory, in the presence of Sébastien Martin, Minister Delegate for Industry, and former Ecology Minister Agnès Pannier-Runacher. Now claiming the title of France’s largest underwear manufacturer, Le Slip Français intends to demonstrate that its volume-led model can serve other markets.

“As we looked for markets where we could reshore production volumes, we quickly identified ‘imagewear,’ which relies chiefly on the T-shirt,” CEO Guillaume Gibault tells FashionNetwork.com. “When the government or an institution holds an event, the outfits are often made in Bangladesh; there is a genuine reputational issue at stake for them, which we can address in a positive way.”

That logic is partly literal, as Le Slip Français once again leans on automation. The production line dedicated to T-shirts has been fitted with two automated machines, dedicated respectively to the time-consuming hemming stage and to the highly technical task of attaching the sleeves. “With these, we can shave off precious seconds—and therefore manufacturing costs—on a T-shirt knitted, dyed, and assembled in France,” explains the brand’s founder.

By moving into imagewear and the B2B events market, the brand is already considering, if successful, expanding into other sought-after items, such as sweatshirts, down jackets, fleeces, and laptop sleeves. The idea remains that both organisers and recipients will appreciate the tricolour label.

However, this potential diversification of the B2B offer does not signal a return to the categories abandoned in the early 2020s, when Le Slip Français still aimed to become a generalist brand. “We are an underwear brand,” sums up Guillaume Gibault, who sees no change in the brand’s image. “We weren’t offering €40 underwear by choice. We simply didn’t yet have the industrial capability to be competitive. It just took us twelve years to crack this industrial model.”

A model that today relies in particular on mass retail. For this market, Le Slip Français has developed a shorter range, priced head-to-head with the competition: €9.90 per item, or €29.90 for three. Combining mass retail with direct sales, Le Slip Français is following the same logic as other French manufacturers, such as the Vosges sock specialist Bleu Forêt.

“Mass retail is an incredible tool for reaching the general public,” explains Guillaume Gibault. “There’s a lot of talk about exporting our products by raising prices. That’s great for luxury and for certain brands, but we mustn’t forget our domestic market: French people who are keen to support. Duralex’s fundraising campaign or the 110,000 visitors to the MIF Expo trade show proves it.”

Officially inaugurated last February, the Bonne Nouvelle factory currently employs around fifty people across 500 square metres. But it is already expanding, with a recent 150-square-metre extension. “The challenge now is to reach 5,000 square metres within 24 months, to support our growth and show that we can produce quality while remaining competitive,” explains Guillaume Gibault, who indicates that an option has already been secured on a neighbouring site. Everything is in place to “equip the buttocks of all French people” (sic).