“To live the yogi life means that you take responsibility for all of your actions, and the repercussions, really, of all of your choices. Whether that’s food, diet, or lifestyle. Remember that as you’re going through your day. Don’t be too hard on yourself. . .bring that little bit more consciousness into every decision of your life, and you’ll be living the yogi life.”
–Kino MacGregor
We can help conserve the Earth’s beauty through the choices made in our closet. There are many conscious, eco-friendly options being released by both new and familiar brands, every day. It is easy to become overwhelmed when searching for the perfect coat that matches with your desired comfort and environmental awareness. In this blog, brands are broken down into all-vegan companies, and companies that offer vegan options. At the bottom, you will find a few tips on garment labeling to help guide your search.
100% Vegan and Cruelty-Free Brands
These all-vegan, cruelty-free companies are passionate about protecting nature and actively research sustainable resources.
Save the Duck’s simplistic, clean designs give the wearer the chance to accessorize up. Pair with many other items in your closet for a constantly changing look. Save the Duck offers both waterproof and water resistant coats with their signature down alternative, PLUMTECH to keep you cozy.
Watch Kino’s Closet featuring Save the Duck
Didriksons
Swedish company, Didriksons, offers a wide range of fully waterproof coats with loose fiber padding polyester insulation. These designs work for everyday practical comfort, outdoor activities, hiking, and pretty much any occasion where you want to keep perfectly warm and dry.
Noize
Noize creates unique designs with bold colors that add a blast of flare to any collection. Their water-resistant coats keep you warm with fillers made from recycled plastic bottles.
Vaute
With their sleek lines and designer styles, Vaute Couture coats are both warm and stylish. They offer waterproof and water-resistant models lined with Primaloft ECO, which is made with 100% recycled fibers.
Brands with Vegan Options
Just like many of us, brands are starting to become more aware of the needs of our environment. By purchasing a company’s cruelty-free options, it heightens their awareness, and encourages them to create more.
Fjallraven offers a few vegan coats that are durable, and come with high-quality waterproofing and warmth, in timeless Swedish styles. Their lifetime guarantees are a true step in the right direction toward sustainability.
Watch Kino’s Closet featuring Fjallraven
Once an Icelandic Fisherman apparel company, 66°North offers a waterproof vegan parka designed to keep you warm and dry with taped seams, and polyester insulation.
Watch Kino’s Closet featuring 66 North
While it might be a little more difficult to sort out the synthetics from the non-synthetics, Columbia does have quite a few options using all man-made materials. Using 100% polyester, Columbia provides several well-made synthetic options, such as their Suttle Mountain™ Long Insulated Jacket that will certainly keep you warm and is available in many local shops.
The clever title, Featherless, helps individuals find vegan options more easily with this brand. Check out Marmot’s Featherless synthetic insulation line. These coats are lined with cruelty-free, 3M Thinsulate and recycled synthetic materials which promotes sustainability while protecting you from the cold.
when in doubt, Check the materials
While out shopping with friends, one may come across an unfamiliar brand. There are a few simple ways to find out what materials were used to make it.
Read the labels.
Material labels are typically located on the inside of the jacket, or even hidden in a pocket. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires garments to be labeled with fiber contents that make up the garment if the material used is above 5 percent. That 5 percent portion typically includes trims and decorations. Synthetic, Faux Fur, Nylon, and Polyester are keywords to look for. The phrase, “exclusive of trims” can mean that decorative pieces such as logo patches or zipper pulls could potentially be made out of non-synthetic materials that are not listed on the label.
Ask the Shopkeeper.
Your detective work could be easily cut short by asking for advice from the employees who know their inventory well. They might even have local recommendations to offer.
Do a Quick Online Search.
If you’re equipped with a smart device, and in a place with a good signal or connectivity, you can always do a quick internet search to get more information about the brand.
A Sense of Peace and Well-Being
Regardless of which style you choose–whether it is vegan, almost vegan, or second-hand–the conscious effort to preserve the Earth and its animals will bring a sense of peace and well-being. Please remember not to stress out too much about finding all-vegan options. It will be challenging at times, though eventually this whole process will become second-nature. Simply feel confident that you are doing what you can.
To stay inspired, check out Kino MacGregor’s vegan fashion talk show, Kino’s Closet, on Omstars.com! We would love to hear about all of your favorite cruelty-free brands, too!
By Jodi Lane
Omstars marketing manager, Jodi Lane, discovered Ashtanga yoga in 2017 from Kino MacGregor. You may see her on Instagram as @kittytreets chatting with fellow yogis, trading vegan recipes, and sharing art techniques with other artists. She loves cats, creating meaningful stories, and illustrating sincere pieces of art that reflect her passions.
