The Iconic Breton Top Reinvented by Lady Georgie Ainslie for The America’s Cup

Breton stripped shirt

Photos Credit: ME+EM

Sir Ben Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team competed like champions at this year's 35th America’s Cup, the greatest race in sailing history. By his side were his astonishing Land Rover BAR teammates, the genius Land Rover engineers, and his spirited wife, Lady Georgie Ainslie, an accomplished sporting broadcaster for Sky Sports, Fox Sports, and Radio 3 Live. Being the life-partner of the world’s most-accomplished sailor has meant spending a lot of time at sea, so her wardrobe is comprised of more nautically-themed pieces than even that of the lifelong boatmen/women of Isle of Wight, England, where the Ainslies now live.  

Breton stripped shirt

Her husband’s sailing passion inspired Lady Georgie to re-imagine the classic Breton stripped shirt in a design partnership with ME+EM, the boutique British label founded by Clare Hornby in 2009. When the Duchess of Cambridge wore her cobalt blue version at the Beaufort Polo Club in 2013, it put ME+EM on the map, and put 3,000 hopeful buyers on a waiting list. Ainslie’s new, flattering take on the classic Breton—with updated blue stripes and a note of red—is ME+EM’s newest bestseller, having first been worn by the Land Rover BAR team in Bermuda for this year’s races. “We combined various influences including a strong nautical heritage and the styling of Coco Chanel,” Ainslie told JustLuxe at the Land Rover BAR Base in Bermuda, just minutes before her husband led his team into battle with Emirates Team New Zealand. The Iconic Breton Top is the pivotal piece in ME+EM’s bespoke collection that not only keeps boat and yacht lovers shipshape—whether at sea or on dry land—but also donates a percentage of sales to the 1851 Trust, the official Land Rover BAR team charity.

<!–

Fashion is one of those rare things that allows you to say everything without speaking a single word. Designer shoes are just a form of this unspoken sartorial communication, but it’s one so subtle that only other sneakerheads are likely to pick up on it. And it’s this understated luxury that makes tennis shoes so appealing—at least to us. Over the years with the release of exclusive collaborations, limited-edition lines and one-off collections that sell out in mere minutes, it’s easy to see how collectors can drop thousands of dollars on sneakers. But there are plenty of designer kicks that cost just as much, if not more, then pre-owned, special-edition Jordans. The only difference is you don’t have to spend months on resale sites trying to hunt down your preferred size, color and brand. Here are the most expensive kicks you can still own. None of these bad boys have sold out—yet.

Fashion is one of those rare things that allows you to say everything without speaking a single word. Designer shoes are just a form of this unspoken sartorial communication, but it’s one so subtle that only other sneakerheads are likely to pick up on it. And it’s this understated luxury that makes tennis shoes so appealing—at least to us. Over the years with the release of exclusive collaborations, limited-edition lines and one-off collections that sell out in mere minutes, it’s easy to see how collectors can drop thousands of dollars on sneakers. But there are plenty of designer kicks that cost just as much, if not more, then pre-owned, special-edition Jordans. The only difference is you don’t have to spend months on resale sites trying to hunt down your preferred size, color and brand. Here are the most expensive kicks you can still own. None of these bad boys have sold out—yet.

–>