Vırginia Chadwyck-Healey What to wear to.… stay ethically warm
Finding that great winter coat no longer means resorting to fabrics that cost the Earth
It’s time for some Marmite fashion... you will either love this column or hate it. But for those who are still on the hunt for a great coat (hurry up, it’s December next week), these two might just be what you are looking for. Why? Because they are just “a bit different”, some light (fluffy, oversized) relief, a sartorial palette cleanser. They scream
“look at me” but they actually also allow you to hide away. They encourage hibernation. They cover a multitude of sins when you want to just dash out for a high-speed errand. They make an outfit without you having to even think twice.
The Teddy coat was officially the brainchild of MaxMara, but we’ll set that price tag aside for today. The style now has more than 245,000 entries on Instagram. And yes, being me, I’ve delved a little deeper into those brands tagged in this #teddycoat trend and I’m afraid the obvious names are churning them out in fabrics I won’t be seen dead in. If you are genuinely keen on the look and you want at the very least a “better” version, in terms of fabrics, then these two, by Sezane and Aligne would be a good starting point. For instance, Sézane’s cream version is 70 per cent wool, 17 per cent recycled polyester and 13 per cent bamboo. (Compared with 100 per cent acrylic, that’s exceptional.)
More than that, Sézane, the French fashion brand du jour, has just achieved B Corp status. B Lab, a non-profit organisation, certifies companies based on how they create value for non-shareholding stakeholders ie their employees, the local community and the environment. It puts people and planet on an even keel. Nowadays long-term gain does not just mean someone getting rich. There is a seismic shift going on. Stakeholders want greater performance in terms of a clear demonstration of values and best practice. The application process is lengthy and not to be undertaken lightly. (The current review time for a B Corp applicaton is six to 10 months.) You have got to be genuinely committed to even start this journey. But ultimately it provides you, the customer, with a greater awareness of the kind of brand you are buying into. Greenwashing (conveying a false impression that a company’s products are more environmentally sound) is rife. Every brand I now research has a sustainability tab on its home page. It’s a bandwagon everyone is jumping on – even if their real drive and motivation to do good is almost non-existent. So I take my hat (or beret) off to Sézane.
Really, I can let the clothes speak for themselves this week. Big, bold, hugely comfortable, a talking point, a point of difference, a spring in your wintry step. I actually recommended the pink coat by Aligne to a client last week. She had spent, wait for it, nearly £2,000 on two coats she now didn’t like. She had fallen for them after seeing them promoted by an influencer. We’ve all been there. I told her to sell the coats on eBay, give up on the guilt and find something that worked for her budget and lifestyle (children, constant drop-offs, “everyone out the door now” type of pace).
This pink coat is magic for the simple fact it’s a colour we don’t see often in winter. (Please note I’m wearing a sample here; I advise buying down a size). Aligne have thought outside the box and got it right. It’s 70 per cent recycled polyester. I asked Dalbir Bains, its managing director and founder, for greater clarity on recycled polyester as this has been bugging me in my research. She was direct and clear: “The production of recycled polyester requires 59 per cent less energy compared to virgin polyester, and it’s estimated that recycling polyester fibre lowers 75 per cent of carbon dioxide emissions when compared to the manufacturing of virgin polyester.” My advice? If you really love this coat, and you are sure you will love it (and take care of it) for a good, lengthy time then allow yourself a closer look. Otherwise you’ll find a host of other coats on Aligne and Sézane’s websites. Do start reading your fabrics. Think of them like the ingredients of a balanced diet. You are what you eat... how about “you are what you wear”?