Organic winter coats not only keep your family warm through the season, but they also help the environment by using natural products.
What Goes into an Organic Winter Coat?
Organic coats, as you can imagine, are made only with organic fabric and materials. Nothing that is used in the process of making the coat that involves chemicals or man-made products.
There is one exception to that rule when it comes to organic coats. Usually the buttons and zippers are conventionally made, since you can't make a zipper without metal. However, most people are willing to sacrifice that small bit of non-organic material for a warm winter coat made with organic fabric.
Sometimes you can find organic coats with buttons made of wood or other natural materials. They are more difficult to find but if you are committed to a 100 percent organic lifestyle, you will want to seek these items out.
Organic Coat Fabric Choices
Most organic winter coat choices are made of wool, because it is naturally a great choice for keeping a person warm and keeping moisture out. Wool is a great material for keeping body heat in, and it is able to absorb 30 percent of its weight in water before feeling wet. This makes wool the perfect choice for walking in the rain or snow.
Another popular choice for organic coats is cotton. Cotton is a good choice because it can give you lots of different looks. A brushed cotton coat is great for evening events, while warm fleecy cotton is perfect for running around town.
Finding Organic Coats
Unfortunately it is still rather difficult to find an organic winter coat. It's unlikely that you will find them at a local store, unless you happen to live somewhere with a great gift shop or other retailer that sells a lot of organic clothing.
Once again the Internet comes to the rescue of people who live far away from quality organic stores. Here are a few places to look for your own organic coats:
- The Natural Store is a British company that sells organic women's coats and a cute bamboo coat for babies.
- Rawganique has an amazing selection of hemp outerwear including hooded jackets, corduroy coats and cotton-lined jackets for both men and women.
- Pristine Planet offers several different styles for women made from organic hemp, cotton, and other fabrics.
Environmental Impact of Coats
You probably never gave much thought to the environmental impact of non-organic outerwear, but most conventionally made products do contribute to environmental degradation. Even if you would have chosen a coat made from natural materials, conventionally grown cotton or conventionally raised sheep contribute greatly to the pesticide load the planet must endure.
The news is even worse if you go for a coat made from a man-made fiber such as polyester or rayon. Those fabrics are made from petroleum, which is not only a pollutant but increases our need for foreign oil unnecessarily.
Choosing an organic coat is a great statement about your priorities. You can sometimes find coats that are woven from fabric that is made by indigenous people who are given a living wage, which is rare in their countries. Other organic coats promise they were not made in sweatshops.
Voting with your dollars is the most important thing you can do to change the world. Choosing to buy organic from the food you eat to the clothes you wear and the furniture in your house shows that you are committed to a better life for farmers, a healthier planet and perhaps even better health for the members of your family who won't be exposed to chemicals in your home.
