The Best Winter Coats to Fight the Freeze
Coats come in so many different styles. From a Supreme coat for your morning walk to a fantastic faux fur long coat by Stella McCartney for a night out on the town, there’s a time and place to wear each of them. Since building a complete winter wardrobe can take a lot of resources, both financial resources and raw resources like water that goes into producing textiles, buying coats that are pre-loved is a much more sustainable option.
Vestiaire Collective participates in the circular fashion economy by providing a global platform for Fashion Activists to buy and sell pre-loved clothes. We make it easy and fun to collect a variety of winter coats in a thoughtful manner that doesn’t overburden the delicate planet.
Here we’ve rounded up some of our favourite coats to keep you cosy and in style when the temperature starts to drop.
The Sustainable Brand Coat
Everything we do at Vestiaire Collective is in the pursuit of more sustainable fashion. That’s why we love to champion brands that put our same emphasis on sustainability.
Outdoor and adventure- wear giant Patagonia has been leading the industry in transparent, ethical practices since 1973. Its mission statement to “build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm [and] use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis” is a beautiful goal that we can get behind. Part of the way that Patagonia fulfills this mission is to create high-quality products that will last for years, out of recycled and organic materials. Patagonia’s best-selling coat is the Nano Puff, available for men and women. It is a casual, lightweight piece that is very packable and the warmth-to-weight ratio is impressive.
Environmentally-responsible Danish company Ganni is a champion of playful, whimsical designs. They offer a wide range of coats depending on the warmth and style you need. They are fans of the oversized coat. The Tech Down Oversized Coat is a full-length option with hood so you are definitely not going to get cold in this. If you are steering clear of down, the Boucle Wool Oversized coat is a stunning midi length wool coat with flared sleeves. A third option is made of 100% recycled polyester. The Recycled Ripstop Quilt coat is a great everyday coat, and the use of recycled products can help reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Perhaps the most well-known Fashion Activist as a designer is Stella McCartney. Hers was the first luxury brand to forego animal fur and leather. Instead, the designer creates sumptuous faux fur coats, like the checkerboard-style Adrienne which is perfect for a special occasion. For everyday winter wear, Stella McCartney carries a short puffer jacket which is made out of a polyester that’s been recycled from plastic bottles. We love this initiative to reduce using virgin materials in fashion, and you can find all three of these sustainable brands pre-loved on the Vestiaire app.
The Statement Designer bomber
The bomber jacket is a classic style that both men and women should have as a staple piece in their wardrobes. It is a versatile, all-season jacket which means you can expect to get a lot of wear out of this iconic design. The leather bomber is the classic look and the domain of the famously cool like James Dean and Tom Cruise, but these days the bomber comes in about every fabric and pattern you could want. While a leather bomber is perfect for crisp autumn days, this piece becomes a stalwart winter worker when lined with cosy shearling fur.
The shape of the bomber is universally flattering. It’s also a perfect piece to dress up or down. The obvious and classic look is to pair a bomber jacket with jeans and a T-shirt for a casual cool that will never go out of style. But you can also wear a bomber jacket in a neutral colour to semi-formal events if you pair it with a pair of smart trousers. Basically, the bomber wants to go everywhere you go.
Gucci is just one of the many high-end designers who play with this piece to stunning results. This winter, Gucci x North Face collaborated to make a series of light nylon unisex bomber jackets that blur the line between luxury and adventure wear. The results are surprising yet oh so right, like the maximalist floral orange print statement bomber jacket. Plus, both Gucci and the North Face have recently launched initiatives to better their environmental practices. Did you miss the Gucci x The North Face launch? Check out the pre-loved pieces at Vestiaire Collective.
The Casual Wool Parka
For a casual piece of outerwear luxury, look to the hooded wool parka. First designed for American soldiers deploying to Korea in the late 1940’s, the fishtail parka was subsequently adopted by the mod culture of the ‘50s and ‘60s. Parkas have a longer cut than jackets, so you will stay warmer when the temperature starts dropping and wool is known for its cosy warmth.
Wool is a wonderfully breathable fabric that is natural and biodegradable. It has good insulating properties and it’s also stain and odour resistant. From Burberry to Max Mara, there is a plethora of high-end designers making wool coats so you look smart in a renewable material. The classic double-breasted jacket is traditionally made from woven wool and is a piece that you can dress up or down for any occasion.
Wool is a durable material that retains its warmth even when it gets wet. Choosing quality fibers that last a long time is a step away from fast fashion and toward a regenerative wardrobe. These days it’s even easier to take care of wool since many washing machines have wool functions, but you should always check the tag on your individual item.
When looking for a pre-loved wool coat through Vestiaire check out the filters to customise your search. It’ll help you refine your options for a pre-owned coat to curate specific natural fibers and materials like wool and cashmere.
The Going Out Jacket
You’ve put time and thought into the perfect look for your night out, but then you see the temperature has dropped. Don’t despair. Your hard work won’t be swallowed up by a winter coat if you have a great night-out jacket to wear. In fact, with the right piece you will be protected from the elements and your entire outfit will be elevated.
The going out jacket is a piece everyone needs. From a low-key, simple silk blazer to an all-out lizard-print trench coat, preloved designer jackets are the best option to find your fit in every style. The great thing about this piece is that it really allows you to express your personal style. You don’t need the formality of a classic coat style. This is a coat for fun. So experiment with cuts and play with colours and you might not even want to take it off when you get to your event!
Since outerwear doesn’t sit against the skin and is usually only worn exclusively outside, second-hand jackets are the perfect item to practise being a conscious consumer. With the plethora of gently used and pre-loved jackets on Vestiaire Collective, there’s really no need to buy new clothing which uses a huge amount of precious resources. Instead, be a Fashion Activist who challenges the status quo of wasteful consumption and opt for a pre-loved designer jacket that looks great on you and does great for the planet.
The Vintage Coat
The vintage selection at Vestiaire is a versatile collection ranging from classics like the pea coat to retro athleisure jackets. One of the best parts of buying second-hand, of course, is that your winter coat can be found at a fraction of the price.
Vintage coats are super fun to shop for because you can find really unique pieces that aren’t manufactured any more, so you’ll have a hard-to-find look. The exciting part about buying vintage is that you aren’t going to find the same typical styles as you would in a regular store. You aren’t the same as everyone else so why dress like it? Choosing clothes with some character will help reflect yours.
There is something special about wearing fashions from the past. Uncovering a vintage trench coat from the ‘80s can be exhilarating. The quality of clothes in the past was much better than the fast fashion that is so massively over-produced today. So even though vintage clothes may have been around for a while, the craftsmanship and quality materials mean they probably have plenty of years left in them.
If you are looking for a specific collectible piece like one of the coveted Supreme collaboration jackets, shop Vestiaire Collective. Our Fashion Activist community is always listing fresh pieces on the platform. But if you aren’t sure what look you want yet, then browsing our app can help you determine your personal style. Use the filters to search for your colour or fabric preference and see what our members have to offer you.
Instead of participating in the fast fashion culture, invest in something vintage. It is an eco-friendly way to shop that prevents the consumption of raw materials for new clothing production, and reduces landfill waste.
So this has been our complete run-down of all-time favourite coats. We bet that if you invest in one (or more!) of these styles, you won’t look at the change of season from sun to snow with such disappointment. In fact, winter can be one of the most fun times for the style-conscious individual with a great coat that keeps you warm and looking great.
Buying winter coats second-hand through Vestiaire Collective is an important and easy way to be a Fashion Activist. Reducing waste through all levels of production is a crucial step in fashion becoming more environmentally friendly. But we don’t need to wait for fashion brands to lead the way. Change can start with the individual. Choosing to buy pre-loved over new, long-lasting materials and better quality over fast fashion, and having fewer pieces are all ways that we can contribute to a positive and more sustainable fashion world now.