This week's report - September 6, 2026

Back to School ...

Hello to my fellow Bourginettes! Typically, I work as a seamstress in the upstairs atelier, but this weekend I have the privilege to oversee the downstairs boutique. In order to occupy my time (and my nimble fingers), I have been tasked with writing my very own report.

So prepare yourselves, as I clack away at the keyboard, and I teach you about Bourgine and me.

A photo of me in the upstairs atelier when I first started working at Bourgine

I first began to sew when I was around 12 years old. It was my grandmother who taught me the basics, and I would often spend weekend afternoons, or summer vacations sewing with her. Throughout my adolescence, I continued to sew, squeezing in projects between homework assignments, and becoming more confident in what I could make.

Flash forward a couple of years, and my grandmother was no longer here to teach me everything there was to know about sewing. Yet, she had instilled in me a love, an obsession one could say, for this craft. I moved to Paris from the US with the intention of becoming a professional seamstress.

I was lucky enough to stumble upon Bourgine when I was looking for an enterprise that fulfilled the necessary requirements for a CAP in Métiers de la mode et du vêtement.

During my interview I fell under the spell of the Bourgine charm and after a sewing test in which I assembled one of our signature Sélénite pants, I was hired on the spot. Hooray!

And the rest is history ...

But enough about me. The question thus becomes, what does one actually do as a seamstress at Bourgine?

Mornings begin with the allocation of our tasks for the day, a quick coffee, and then it's straight to work. For every piece of clothing we make, each seamstress receives a pouch that contains the cut-out fabric, the notions, the labels, and anything else needed to make the garment. After a couple of hours of sewing and ironing, the piece is ready for buttons/buttonholes and one final pressing. Then it's off to the client.

We typically can make between two to four garments a day, depending on the complexity of the piece and the skill of the seamstress (I am still very much learning). Each of us have our own "signature pieces," those which we always sew and which we have developed our own tips and tricks for making.

Often, once I tell people about my job, the next question that follows is And do you like working there?
Why, of course! There's a plethora of reasons to enjoy working at Bourgine, but I've only got time to name a few....

To begin with, there is usually just four of us in the upstairs atelier at any given time. Being such a small crew, we all take on several roles and float between different tasks. With such variety, it's hard to get bored - there is always something different to do, something new to learn !

Me at the button machine, one of the many tasks that fill my day

Secondly, because the atelier is just above the boutique, we sometimes see final client fittings. It's satisfying to see something that you made worn by someone else, especially when it gives them so much pleasure. Having our production within-house ensures that we strive for perfection, as we directly see client's reaction.

I'd also add that the clothes themselves are a major bonus, I mean who wouldn't dream of working somewhere where you want to wear everything you make. And finally, the bliss of a lunch break in the Luxembourg Gardens is hard to give up!

I’ll sign off with my favorite Bourgine pieces. I wouldn’t be able to start my foray into the business side of things with a good conscience if I didn’t at least try to sell you something!

My two favorite pieces hail from the Best of Collection, and are, what I would consider to be, perfect back-to-school pieces. (Trust me, it's what I'll be wearing for my first day of classes.)

The first is a pair of our Bourjeans : a nice crisp jean, with front pleats, a micro-flap pocket, and a unique high waisted cut. Wear them in your normal size for a preppy look (think Ivy League), or like me take a larger size and wear them a bit more baggy for that deconstructed look.

The second piece is the Armand Jacket (mine's in our Brown Oshkosh). I find it perfect for autumn, when you need something a little heavier than a shirt, but not so robust as a full on jacket. In thinking of its rentrée practicality, the pockets have plenty of room to lug around all your school supplies, and you can choose between four different color ways.

Thanks for passing an afternoon with me as I discovered what it means to work in the downstairs boutique. And I wish everyone a happy beginning to the school year!

Collegiately yours,
Evelyn

Bourgine
15 rue Racine à Paris
Lundi-Samedi, 11h-19h
Dimanche, 13h-19h