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Four Coats that Never Go Out of Style
Admit it: You need a winter coat. Without one, you will inevitably get caught with your arms wrapped around yourself pining for warmth. It is a basic necessity. This is true whether you’re a snow bunny with a love of cozy fireside nights or a beach bum counting down the days until you can put your toes back in the sand. Like it or not, as we’ve learned from Game of Thrones, winter is coming and we all get cold.
Winter is a season where function has historically outweighed fashion, yet now we can have our cocoa and drink it, too! The days of us leaving our unsightly winter coats at home are gone - even if we did it on purpose, so as to not totally ruin our totally rad outfits.
You can’t go wrong with these winter warm-up styles.
Winter Coats - The Evergreen Edition
1) The Puffer Jacket
A classic. These have been in style since the ‘30s and haven’t lost steam. Over the years, iterations of the puffer jacket have been designed in a multitude of styles: from cropped and quilted to faux leather, colorful and bright, and even floor-length. The warmth of the coat is accredited to the down material, insulated with either waterfowl feathers or vegan alternatives. Whether shopping for practical/daily wear, or for the adventurer seeking warmth while skiing, snowboarding, hiking - you name it - these coats are always going to keep you warm. Puffers are long-lasting, durable, and will always be in style. Despite looking like a marshmallow, you will still look cute.
That said, for those seeking a more form-fitting coat, there are many fashionable alternatives that will also keep you warm.
2) The Trench Coat
You may be thinking, “I don’t wish to look like Sherlock Holmes all winter long,” to which we would challenge you to rethink the trench coat. Not only is it rare to see the same one twice, but it has also become an extremely flattering option to slip on comfortably all winter long. It presents the perfect day-to-night transitional look. There’s everything from the envy-inducing, more fitted belted trench to the oversized boyfriend styles and the famous Rachel Green-esque leather trench. There’s a reason so many designers - from Burberry to Stella McCartney - include it in their line. Trench coats are equally elevated and casual. If you’re headed out to work or to a celebratory dinner with friends, you have the perfect coat for both in one.
For those seeking a style with a little more flare than the trench, the next coat may be the perfect one for you this winter.
3) The Shearling Coat
Shearling coats have become very popular in recent years and for good reason. They are super cute and entirely wearable. Shearling products are usually manufactured with suede on the outside and wool on the inside. It is a cool, ‘different’ option, but is not too outside the box. These coats come in a more common brown to tan color, but if you search around they can also come in vibrant color ways, nuanced in style. There are cropped options, floor-length, and comfortably oversized. Styled by the downtown scene over sheers and denim for a sense of ease, these coats have become trendy and cool - staples on the scene.
Speaking of trendy, the next and last style was created as a less controversial version of a past phenomenon.
4) The Faux Fur Coat
Fur coats have a complex history within our culture dating back centuries. The wearing of animal fur has become increasingly controversial, and what was once seen as a symbol of style, wealth and prominence has since been reconsidered based on animal harm. That leads us to faux. Since we still like the look, many brands have not only added faux to their beautiful collections, but they also dropped the real thing. High-end designers such as Dolce & Gabbana and Balenciaga have embraced the mission and use only faux in their collections. Celebrity culture has also taken a strong stance on the matter, here with Kim Kardashian taking to Instagram in 2018 to let her fans know that faux fur was her ‘new thing’. With that said, let’s make fashionable winter coats our new thing.
You can’t go wrong this winter season with all these fashion-forward, comfortable options that will simultaneously elevate your wardrobe and keep you warm. Function and fashion do not always co-exist, but with so many options available, there is a way to check both boxes. While it may be true that at times beauty is pain, it luckily won’t be the case for you this season.
Spring Has Sprung, and Recycling Clothing Season has Begun
It is officially that time of year again – the air outside is shifting from a frigid, chilling wind to a light, airy spring breeze. Spring is often referred to as a time of transition; flowers are blooming, people are stepping out of their winter caves, and the worker at the bodega seems a touch cheerier. Spring is a time where you let go of your winter baggage and make way for everything the city (or town) has to offer - most notably, new clothes.
Spring cleaning is when you tidy out your closet and get rid of clothing you are ready to part ways with, like the chunky winter coats that are taking up too much precious closet space. Spring is now, which means now is the time to take your winter coats, lay them out, and offer them to organizations that can properly recycle your garments.
Fast fashion has become a more common trend over the past couple years. It is likely that the bright orange puffer coat that you purchased this year will not be in style next winter, and you’ll want a brand-new coat anyway. There are also many of us leaving piles of battered coats in our closets ‘just in case’ but can’t actually recall the last time we ever wore it. Whenever it is that you plan on freeing yourself of your endless winter coat collection, it is imperative to recycle.
Below are several reasons why it is important to recycle your winter coats:
1. Reduces Greenhouse Emissions
When people simply throw clothing into the garbage, it ends up in landfills. The material that clothing is made out of lacks oxygen that’s needed for organic materials to break down, leading to decomposition through anaerobic digestion. Through this process, clothing is broken down into byproducts such as methane, and methane is a harmful emission that seeps into the atmosphere and harms our planet.
When you go to recycle your winter coats, you’ll want to recycle through a company that has the planet’s best interest in mind. Zero Waste Box is an incredibly environmentally friendly way to recycle your clothing. “Everything collected is sorted and processed into raw materials that can be reused instead of being sent to landfills.”
2. Helps People in Need
Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a warm enough winter coat to get them through the trying season of winter. Many people suffer throughout the winter months, and they would do anything for your beat-up, or ‘out-of-style’ jacket to keep them warm. Donating your winter coat to the American Red Cross not only offers physical goods to those in need, but they also convert the goods into cash to distribute to people in need throughout the country.
3. It’s Simple
Recycling your winter coat is an easy task. There are various different options that organizations offer, including at-home donation pick up or nearby drop-off locations. The smallest effort on your part can make a huge impact on people in need throughout the country. A little bit goes a very long way, and any amount of clothing donated is helping both save our planet as well as those in need.
North Face’s Global ‘Clothes the Loop Program’ is another option for those who are opting to donate their clothing. “Our commitment is to reduce the environmental impact of our products at all stages of their life cycle.”
Spring cleaning just took on a whole new meaning. You have the opportunity to offer the planet and those around you a renewed feeling of hope, and what are you waiting for? Spring has sprung!
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