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I discovered the existence of Atelier Particulier while searching for a podcast, and I’m glad I listened to it because I don’t think their founders do many interviews or podcasts. Atelier Particulier is a young French brand that started with Ulule campaigns before launching their own website. The concept: find the best suppliers, the best workshops, the best artisans, to create basic products (clothing, accessories, home items) of great quality at accessible prices.
I think their target audience is fairly niche because, honestly, everyone already owns basic products like sweaters, scarves, beanies… even though their products are great, people interested in high-quality goods probably already have plenty at home. So I think the ideal target is students or young professionals who couldn’t afford beautiful products before but can now treat themselves thanks to the great prices offered by Atelier Particulier.
Atelier Particulier was created by two finance specialists, but they didn’t want to apply finance rules to their brand. The margin, according to the podcast I listened to, is very, very low. The goals isn’t “Hermès quality at Uniqlo prices,” but more like “very good quality at Uniqlo prices.” They are very transparent about the factories they work with and why they chose them, but less transparent about the fibers, as I get the impression they rely more on their spinners. They share a lot on their blog, but especially through their newsletter. Product pages are very detailed too, but I find it better to read the blog. I love when they provide technical details because, while often invisible to the consumers, when consumers touch or use the product, they know the quality is there without knowing exactly why. These technical details help answer those questions.
During our world travels, we’ve stayed in many 5-star hotels, and we’ve always loved their linen (bedding, towels). Now that we’re settled, JB tasked me with finding exactly the same products used in 5-star hotels. I managed to find THE bathrobe used at Marriott hotels, and I was looking for towels/bath sheets when I saw on Atelier Particulier’s website that they sold them. Hallelujah!
On their site, they explain that it took them 2 years to find the workshop that supplies luxury hotels & palaces. And I can confirm, it’s very difficult to trace the sources because these suppliers often sell B2B, and to buy the same products, you need to go through hotel boutiques and pay way more. For example, an XXL bath sheet at Marriott costs 90 euros (100% cotton, Oeko-Tex certified, but they don’t specify the cotton type), while at Atelier Particulier, since they work directly with the workshops, the same product costs 68 euros (100% Supima cotton, Oeko-Tex certified).
Since I felt Sea Island cotton for the first time, I’ve become very careful about the type of cotton I buy because cotton comes in several grades, and I always want the best, of course. Longer fibers mean “more durable, fewer lint balls.”
I’m not sure if hotel bath towels also use Supima cotton, I think not because the feel of hotel towels is rougher (probably due to frequent washing, I’m not sure). This is the first time I’m using a bath sheet made from this rare and luxurious cotton (Supima cotton represents only 0.03% of global production). It’s highly regarded because it’s part of the extra-long fiber cottons. Already, Pima cotton is high-quality (35% longer than regular fibers), so Supima (20% to 50% more expensive than Pima) is just too luxurious for a bath sheet – I can’t believe my eyes! Supima cotton is often used for expensive t-shirts, or at best, bedding; using it for bath towels (which only touch our skin for about 5 minutes a day) is ridiculously luxurious.
Moreover, like in hotels, where towels need to withstand frequent washing at high temperatures, these bath sheets are washable at 75 degrees.
In any case, after speaking with their production workshop, Atelier Particulier figured out that the secret to luxury hotel bath towels comes down to 3 things:
- A density of 600g/m2 or more
- A very tight weave
- Loop lengths of at least 2 millimeters (Atelier Particulier chose 3mm)
I chose the midnight blue and café latte colors. The ivory color tempts me, but that will have to wait for next time.
The bath sheets arrived in a beautiful box, and inside, there’s a lovely fabric bag to protect the order. Perfect, as I needed a fabric bag to wash my wool clothes.
As for the bath sheets, they are incredibly soft !!!! And they’re absolutely right, the fact that they have 3mm long loops makes all the difference! It’s so soft and helps you dry off well after a shower. These towels are very heavy (600g/m², which is the average weight of thick coats), and in the XXL size, I was worried they might take a long time to dry, but there were no problems on that front. Atelier Particulier explains: “The extra-long loop is designed for large sizes. It brings the softness and plushness so sought after by hotels, palaces, and spas. Additionally, with the extra-long loop, the towel is more comfortable and absorbent. And it dries faster because its surface is more exposed to air. Someone had to think of this!”
There’s a discreet “Atelier Particulier” label. The only thing I regret is that this label isn’t strategically placed to use for hanging the towels on metal hooks. There’s definitely a lack of a fabric loop for that. Sure, it’s not present on spa/hotel towels either, but we’re at home and often don’t have the nice horizontal metal bars that hotel rooms have. A pity!
JB, who is quite tall, really appreciates large towels, and he was very happy with our purchase. He would have liked a towel that’s his size (beach towel size), but 100x150cm is already enough to wrap him well.
I understand that people who already have 36,000 towels at home might not feel like buying another one, but how often do you come across a towel made of Supima cotton? At this price?
Atelier Particulier’s products are often limited editions, and even though they sell well, sometimes they never come back, so I’m not trying to pressure you, but just saying that if you’re interested, you shouldn’t wait too long 😀 By the way, my “café latte” color is already out of stock.
I hope this post was helpful. I’ve purchased other products from Atelier Particulier, and I’ll give you feedback soon.
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