Best Recycled Women's Winter Jackets
Flippin' heck it's cold out there now. The clocks have gone back, I'm A Celebrity is getting worryingly close to being back on the tele, and your most annoyingly organised friends are telling you how they've already done their Christmas shopping. With those tell tale clues, it must be winter jacket weather.
So if your current winter jacket is beyond repair, and is currently letting an awful lot of winter in, then maybe it's time to check out some sustainable alternatives.
Somewhat ironically, the outerwear market hasn't always had a very good relationship with mother nature. Whether that's using oil as a base for polyester fabrics, or creating waterproof finishes that burned a hole in the ozone layer, when it comes to defending ourselves from the elements we're doing a jolly good job of making those elements get even worse.
However, thankfully these times are a changing and a nice bunch of people out there in the world have created jackets made from recycled materials and less harmful chemicals, that keep the warmth in, the rain out - and a smile on your face combined with that warm glow of making a more sustainable clothing choice.
Scroll down to see our fave-five women's recycled winter jackets...
Speaking of, here's a little break down for "How to know if a jacket is vaguely sustainable":
PFC free - Poly-Fluorinated Chemicals are completely man-made chemicals that don’t occur naturally in nature. Commonly used in DWR (durable water repellent) coatings and waterproof membranes, these nasty chemicals have been found to cause harm to reproduction, promote the growth of tumours and affect the hormone system. But the good news is PFC free waterproofing exists and you should definitely go for it.
Recycled Polyester - Polyester isn’t great, it’s plastic, and it loves shedding plastic microfibres into the world. However it does happen to be super handy when it comes to creating highly technical performance weather gear. Recycled polyester is a more sustainable alternative as it reduces the demand for oil that’s turned into new plastic, by instead using old plastic to make new plastic. Hooray!
Organic Cotton Ventile - Ventile is a cotton fabric that was created way-back-when (before plastic) for pilots in wartime Britain who needed garments that were both cool, comfortable and also warm and keep the water out.
P.s. here's what to look out for if you need a jacket to be waterproof:
Taped Seams - Where a seam is sewn, it means the fabric is punctured and water will always eventually seep in over time. Taped seams means the punctured holes are sealed and water stays out!
Hydrostatic Head - If you’re out in serious rain (i.e monsoon/Scotland) then this technical measurement will help you know the level of ‘waterproofness’ a jacket has. If the measurement is above 5,000mm it’s decent, you’ll be fine in a small downpour. Anything over 10,000mm is damn good, you’ll be good if you’re in the rain all day. Anything over 20,000mm is superb, verging on ridiculous
1. Finisterre Nebulas Insulated Jacket - £195
The bomb-diggity when it comes to warmth, Finisterre's own recycled polyester insulation looks like fluffy clouds and will keep you toasty warm throughout winter. With a snug-as-a-bug hood and fleece lined hand-warmer pockets, Finisterre have also given the jacket a PFC-free water-resistant finish so you'll be fine if you get caught in a brief shower.
Better still, if the rain does start to pour, unlike down insulation, Finisterre's recycled insulation will retain 75% of its warmth when wet.
Oh and also the outer is made from recycled polyester too.
Nice one Finisterre.
P.s Finisterre are one of those lovely B-Corps that do good, you should check them, and other B-Corps out!
2. Everlane ReNew Long Puffer - £140
You've got to hand it to Everlane, the quality they produce for the price they give - all while pushing for more sustainable and ethical sourcing - is really rather good and always getting better.
First off, it's a great length and a killer colour.
Second it's got winter warmth written all over it. Made from recycled fabric and filled with 100% recycled PrimaLoft insulation the ReNew Long Puffer also has oversized button flap pockets, a drawstring hood, and a hidden drawstring waist so you can give it a cinch in.
3. Patagonia Women's Stretch Rainshadow Jacket - $99.50
Do you like being super active?
Do you want a little bit of stretch in your jacket as you're being super active?
Do you want to stay super dry whilst you're being super active?
Do you want a super-duper jacket from a super-duper company that's made out of a super-duper recycled nylon fabric called Econyl?
Well do we have a jacket for you!
Fully waterproof, with a watertight zip, hand warmer pockets and a proper hood, this is the perfect shield against horrible rainy days and your perfect partner when it comes to escaping the city and heading into the great outdoors.
Oh how we all do love Patagonia.
4. LangerChen Tangorin Jacket - £250
I mean just look at it. The kinda bluey purple colour, the rose gold two-way zip, the whole duvet in a jacket vibe, urgh, too nice.
It looks like something you could wear going to your yoga class on a freezing winter's day and everyone's jealous eyes would turn to you walking in and think this jacket was Sweaty Betty.
Where as actually you'd be desperately trying to hide your smugness at the fact they never would have heard of a LangerChen jacket and its sustainable cred. Made from organic cotton and recycled polyester with a vegan eco-down fill and all made in a GOTS approved factory.
On the details there are integrated knit cuffs, a snow guard waist band and an inside zip pocket - oh and it has a water-resistant finish.
IT LOOKS SO DAMN NICE.
5. Kings Of Inidgo Zhenga Insulated Jacket - £250
Let's cut to the chase here. Kings of Indigo = Super cool.
The cuts, the colours, the kinda street vibe but not so street that it feels inapproachable. They're so annoyingly Amsterdam cool.
They're also cool because they're a mighty fine sustainable and ethical brand. They love a good bit of organic cotton denim, are a member of the Fair Wear Foundation that develops working standards in the clothing industry - and have now gotten into making snazzy recycled polyester jackets...like this one!
The 'Zhenga' is made from 100% recycled polyester outer and is stuffed with PrimaLoft Gold - which is some seriously techy insulation made from 55% recycled fibres - and means you get a really lightweight jacket that is big, fluffy and stupidly warm, but will also pack down easily.
Love the pop of colour here and the cropped style. Nice finishing touched include a soft touch collar and a zipped internal pocket for your phone/wallet/keys, knitted cuffs and zipped side pockets (hooray!).
Also the hood down is cool AF from behind. Go check.
Really into sustainable fashion? Want to check out some reasonably priced 100% organic cotton t-shirts and sweatshirts that'll be perfect layering partners underneath your warm winter jacket...
Well you just hit the jackpot. Welcome to the world of Goose Studios - click the button below for our womenswear styles!
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