vegan winter coats

my blog has been getting a mess of hits lately with regard to wintry weather and the veganity of coats, so i decided maybe i should do another post. so far google has been leading people to this entry from a year ago, and sometimes to these entries from spring. the sad truth of the matter is, i still haven't solved my "dressy winter coat" problem, so i'm still accepting suggestions.

i saw a ridiculous amount of adorable dressy coats in chicago over the weekend, but i am positive that they were all wool and/or cashmere in nature. boo!

right now i'm hemming and hawing about this long primaloft number from merrell. i've never really been a quilted coat person (and my husband is Really not a fan), but this comes the closest to meeting my criteria: must be warm for nasty winters, must be long-ish for dressy occasions, must have some semblance of shape and/or cuteness. one of my very good friends just bought this coat (she had been looking for a non-down quilted coat, so i sent her the link) and she said she really likes it, and it's incredibly warm. so, i'm considering it, but i'd really really like to have one of those cute long fitted numbers that you can find all over the place at j.crew (for example).

i wish i could sew.

Comments

[river selkie]

i saw a hemp coat somewhere recently (online) and it sounded like it was a good alternative to wool. i forget where it was cause i don't really pay attention to coats (hehe. perk of living in az.) anyway, i thought it might have been here: http://veganfashionblog.com , but i couldn't find it. so then i thought it must have been at the pangea vegan store, but i don't think that was it either. but you might try it http://www.veganstore.com or http://www.alternativeoutfitters.com
prolly what'll happen is you'll have to shop mainstream stores and just try to find one in the mix.

[river selkie]

oh, and the merrell coat is cute! i like that style personally. it makes me think of la femme nikita (the series) and she was wicked cool and fashionable. the trick is just accessorizing. accessories can make anything work.

i *wish* it got cold enough here to make a jacket like that worth it.

[Eric Prescott]

My wife picked up three vegan coats at H&M last week. Two of them had the faux fur, which I don't like (especially considering past experiences with false labeling). Don't know if this helps.

[girl least likely to]

river--someone gave me a link to this coat last year; maybe it's the hemp coat you're thinking of:
http://store.hempest.com/catalog/product_info.php?pid=691
it's not long enough for what i'm looking for, alas. BUT in looking up that link for you, i just noticed that now they have a longer version:
http://store.hempest.com/catalog/product_info.php?pid=1395
which... i don't know, i'm kind of "meh" about it i guess.

i know that pangea also carries a non-wool peacoat, but it's basically just really thick fleece, which: (a) i worry won't be warm enough, and (b) doesn't look as dressy as i'd like. evidently i'm picky! hee.

i think i'm going to have to actually buy the merrell coat and try it on to figure out whether i like it or not. which means i have to choose a color. sigh. (hee, i suck)

eric--thanks for the tip about H&M! i have one in town; i'll have to go check it out.

[river selkie]

i don't think i've been to hempest.com so i don't think that was it. if i ever find it again, i'll let you know.

good luck, anyway.

[Caramelspice]

Okay, here's a site that may interest you. A little pricey but baybe just fun to look at. www.fabulousfurs.com. No it's not real fur!! The companies history is also there.

[Flower]

Now, see, this is just another reason I want to move to Arizona. No more winter coats or boots! hee :p

[Amy]

Hi there! I am one of the many who has been googling and winding up on your site. I can't tell you how much time I have spent looking online and in stores for a cute coat (I know exactly the style you're talking about). I just checked H&M this morning, actually, but all the coats had wool. Grr. Out of desperation I bought a cute-ish pattern; but now I have to find fabric and, uh, learn to sew (better, anyway). :)

[girl least likely to]

caramelspice--interesting site! i didn't know about them before.

flower--how did i know you would say that? ;)

amy--you are awesome! i'm so impressed.

for now, my plan is to try to get to H&M this weekend (maybe tomorrow) and if i have no luck there, i'll probably buy the merrell coat and see what i think. *crosses fingers*

[Lisa]

Hi, folks--I live in Minnesota and have been looking for a veg-friendly warm winter coat for YEARS, so thank you for this site and for all the comments. It makes me feel better just to know I'm not the only one. I've been wearing an ugly jacket for the past few years and always am trying to balance shame with vanity--am I going to be embarrassed stylewise and wear something I feel ethically ok about, or am I going to wear something that's fashionable and cruel? I usually end up making the former choice. I'm also tall (5'10") and have long feet (size 11), so it's hard to shop vintage/thrift or even find cute, warm vegan shoes/boots.

Anyway, I'm trying to decide about the North Face's Boulevard jacket. It has faux fur trim, which I don't really have a problem with (it's obviously fake), and it's removable. Dressier looking than a lot of North Face stuff, no wool, no down. It's expensive though (but omg, when I think of all the time I've spent looking for coats...). Would be interested to hear what any of you think about it--cute, or am I just so desperate that my mind's playing tricks on me? I think it's really cute.

http://www.thenorthface.com/opencms/opencms/tnf/gear.jsp?site=NA&model=AL3M&language=en

[Danielle]

Once again, we share a brain. I have been scouring the stores for a stylish vegan winter coat that's longer than the one I have now. I really like the Merrell coat, and I'm not a big fan of quilted, either. Thanks for the link!

I got your message about the reader issue...I have no idea what's up with that. Maybe delete me and re-subscribe to see if it refreshes?

[girl least likely to]

danielle--well if you end up with the merrell coat, please check back in and let me know what you think! as for the google reader--i've baleeted you and re-subscribed to you so many times, it's ridiculous. i have no idea what the problem is. oh wells.

lisa--that coat is SUPER cute! i love love LOVE it! you're right, it is expensive (another $100 past the merrell i've been considering), but if you really love it and it's made well, it will last you for a really long time, and it will all even out in the end. that's how i always rationalize purchases that are supposed to last. hee. thank you SO much for sharing that link; i'm strongly considering giving that coat a try now. plus: so many pretty color options! {{hugs}} you rock.

[Amy]

Lisa- are you sure the trim on that North Face coat is faux? That would be good news if it is! I saw it online a while back, but noticed that some of their coats say "faux fur" and that one just said "fur". I e-mailed them about it, but they never wrote back.

Anyway, I do think it's really cute. Not exactly the style I've been looking for, but I'd definitely consider it if it's vegan.

[girl least likely to]

oooooh, good catch, amy. i'll try to follow up on it too, in case lisa doesn't see your question. i'll keep my fingers crossed!

[Denise]

Did you ever find out if the North Face coat is vegan? It's really cute.

[Erin]

I live in California, so I don't need a coat that's too warm, but I have been looking for one that is dressy enough to wear with business clothes, but will still look alright with jeans. Lands End has a faux shearling coat that comes in a bunch of colors and is pretty reasonable at about $100. It does also say that it will keep you warm in minus 5 degree temps.

[Erin]

I forgot to post the link for the Lands End coat with my original post...

http://www.landsend.com/pp/FauxShearlingCarCoat~148856_59.html?bcc=y&action=order_more&sku_0=::CHO&CM_MERCH=IDX_00002__0000000142&origin=index

[girl least likely to]

denise, in case you come back and in case you haven't seen my other posts on the subject (or for future people stumbling across this entry)--yes, the north face coat has been confirmed vegan. as a result, i bought it and kept it. heh.

erin--thanks for the link! i've seen that coat before, but it seems like they're offering it in a bunch of new colors this year. i had a whole faux-shearling dilemma last year, but i think i'm over it now. :)