A couple of weeks ago a friend of mine asked me for my advice; she was looking for a new winter coat, and wanted to find a sustainable alternative, and asked med if I could recommend any for her. And I totally came up blank. As I’ll soon need a new winter jacket myself, I decided to have a look through the wonders of the Internet to see what I could find. But, finding a sustainable winter coat turned out to be way more difficult than I’d expected.
{ Camel coat from & Other Stories & Black coat from COS }
The high street choice
Wanting to find easier and more accessible alternatives, I turned to my two favourite high street brands & Other Stories and COS. They wouldn’t fit my sustainability criteria, but their products are often quite high quality and I knew I’d be able to find a classic minimalistic cut.
The Camel Coat from & Other Stories is made from 35% Alpaca, 32% Wool, 30% Polyamide, 3% Other fibres. After learning about how garments are better recycled when made from mono-materials I would usually choose a coat in one fibre, but a camel coat is a classic piece and if the quality is good and it will last you several seasons, it might not be such a bad choice.
The black coat from COS is made from 100% wool and thus is actually produced in a mono-material. The cut and color also makes it a classic choice, so if you like me are looking for a black coat, I’d have a closer look at this one.
{ Classic coat from Filippa K }
The good quality choice
I also had a look at one of my favourite Swedish brands; Filippa K. Filippa K have been working towards a sustainable business model for years and are known for their good quality and classic cut.
This coat in 80% wool and 20 & polymiade has the same look as the ones from & Other Stories and COS. Personally, I’d be willing to pay the higher price if I was sure it was produced under better circumstances and in a higher quality. Unfortunately, I’m not too sure this is the case. The worst thing about wanting to choose sustainable fashion is the lack of transparency. Filippa K is doing a lot, actually I think they do more than most, so if money is not an object, I’d suggest this brand over the high street.
{ Short coat from Honest by . Bruno Pieters & long coat from Reformation }
The sustainable choice
This year I’ve decided I’d be willing to invest a bit more in my winter jacket if I could find one in a sustainable, good quality material and classic cut. Trawling through the sustainable brands online, I only came up with two that fit that description; one from Reformation and the other from HonestBy.
The HonestBy jacket in recycled wool is proof that recycled materials aren’t necessarily the equivalent of lesser quality. I love the oversize fit and big pockets.
The Brunswick jacket from Reformation is probably the perfect winter jacket in my opinion. The long style is just what I’m looking for and the fact that it’s produced in surplus materials ticks the sustainability box as well. I have been talking about my admiration for Reformation before, and I’m definitely considering adding this coat to my wardrobe, planning to wear it many seasons to come.
