You read the title correctly, it is not one coat that we are presenting to you, but two!
🏔️ a hooded coat : a versatile piece in terms of styles and temperatures, with weather-resistant Austrian "loden" merino wool and Climashield APEX© insulation.
🐃 a coat in very luxurious yak wool (yes, it really exists): our most elegant coat, with a material usually reserved for luxury.
Let's go for the presentations!
Coat #1: a companion that will follow you everywhere thanks to its Austrian wool and Climashield.
Coat #2: a very elegant pure yak coat for watching the sun go down.
Our Austrian wool hooded coat 🏔️
Specifications: versatility
Comforting, cozy, practical, urban, ultra-versatile, these are the specifications of this piece!
It combines the wind and rain resistance of Austrian “Loden” wool with one of the most effective insulators in the world: Climashield APEX©.
The Americans have an expression that I like to designate this type of piece: a "go to jacket" , literally a piece that you put on without hassle as soon as you leave the house.
Well that's exactly the purpose of this coat: to put it on without thinking, whether you have a blazer or a sweatshirt.
All-terrain style
Visually, it's a cross between:
- a duffle coat for the “armor against the elements” side — notably thanks to the hood,
- an urban straight coat for the anthracite color and clean design.
Some of you might say it's a wool parka, but I don't really agree. A parka is more casual for me, with a more marked military/adventurer heritage.
So that's why I'll call it... hooded coat!
The great outdoors is yours!
Its flexible construction allows you to comfortably wear a chunky knit or blazer underneath, as there is no padding at shoulder level.
Loden merino wool from Austria
This is the first time we have used wool from Austria! In their climate, they know very well how to produce resistant wool sheets with a rustic appearance that we really like.
This type of wool is a loden, characteristic of Austria, once widely used by mountaineers... and the Emperor of Austria, who really liked the warmth of this material.
His particuliarity ?
It undergoes a special wash, which will make the weave dense and compact , allowing it to be resistant to bad weather. Add to that the Climashield for insulation, and you have a very interesting cross!
Identity card for our Loden wool
Composition : pure merino wool (mixture from Australia and South America) 🐑
Ethics : mulesing free wool 🌱
Spinning : spinning and weaving at Loden & Steiner (Austria) 🇦🇹
Weight : 490g per linear meter (i.e. 326 g/m²)
Visually, it is a mixture of anthracite and white threads, for an irregular heather. Exactly what I like!
It is a wool with a truly unique texture, which we owe to the know-how of Loden & Steiner.
Loden & Steiner: 130 years of Austrian textile heritage
As for the spinning mill, it is Loden & Steiner which has existed for over 130 years. It is the fifth generation who is currently at the helm of the company.
For the record, it is one of the largest producers of loden, this typical fabric from the Tyrol region to face the elements.
The word "Steiner" comes from Frank Steiner who took over the factory in 1910. He was already a living legend in Austria, because he had climbed a peak with his brother, the Upper Dachstein, by the southern route, reputed to be impregnable. .
Frank Steiner and his brother Irg, at the time when we tackled summits dressed as gentlemen.
And he did it with woolen garments woven in his own factory... We couldn't do better publicity!
This is how Loden & Steiner earned its reputation for quality.
A century later, this great name in Austrian fabric can boast of having Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent among its clients, as well as very cutting-edge skiwear brands.
Its particularity is its vertical integration : they receive the raw wool, and they are the ones who spin it, weave it and finish it.
And if you ever go to Austria, know that the factory is open to the public!
A coat suitable for drizzle
Thanks to the natural properties of wool and its tight weave, it is a good item for light winter rains.
And if it rains hard and the wool is really wet, it doesn't matter at all: the advantage of Loden wool.
As for Climashield, the insulation of this coat (see below), you could immerse it in a basin of water, it would be as good as new after drying.
It is therefore not a raincoat, but a piece that is completely insensitive to humidity. It is not for nothing that it is used (and much appreciated) by the military in (very) cold and humid conditions .
So really, be calm if the drizzle surprises you...
A perfect room to contemplate the horizon…
Top insulation to protect you from the cold: Climashield
Like our parka last year, 133g/m² Climashield APEX is used in the body and hood of this coat, and 100g/m² in the sleeves.
This insulation, never too hot or too cold, is making a comeback.
Here is a very summary reminder of Climashield:
- Excellent durability over time : thanks to a microscopic structure of continuous filaments (it will not bunch up like feathers or cotton),
- Insensitive to humidity : you will not lose heat because the humidity is evacuated by perspiration,
- Very compressible : it regains all its loft if you roll it into a ball or if you sit for a long time while wearing it... and also regains all its insulating properties.
And for the more discerning among you, here are all the good things I think about this insulator:
The more the months go by, the more I fall in love with Climashield.
As part of writing this article, I did some binge reading again.
And there is no denying that in outdoor forums, there is a sort of fascination with Climashield, much more than with Primaloft™ or Thermolite™ for example.
And each time, always the same question: but why do the designer brands in our ecosystem use generic insulation about which we know nothing? Why don't they clearly say what insulation is used? Because it’s so key for winter clothing!
I am therefore very proud that BonneGueule is one of the rare brands in the world (yes yes, I am not afraid to say " in the world ") to use this insulation for urban clothing.
For those who already have our vest (our first garment using Climashield), you know what I mean.
It's this little cloud that keeps you warm...
You have understood, it is Climashield which will keep you warm this winter, chosen from the APEX range (weight of 133g/m²).
Because it is this range that offers the best warmth/lightness ratio.
For fans of technical clothing, know that its CLO is 0.024 (it is a unit which measures the heat/weight ratio which is quite complex to understand).
Climashield lets us know that, according to them, weight for weight, APEX insulation is the most effective on the market. For information, this is a fairly recent range, since it was launched in 2008, while Climashield has existed since 1974.
And as usual, I look a lot at who the customers of the producers of technical materials are. Indeed, it is often a good indicator of the reliability of a brand. So who do you think uses Climashield?
- Acronym obviously, in its J50 bomber (approx. €1,000).
- Wiggy's , an ultra-reliable and rustic brand founded by Jerry, who defines himself as a veteran in the insulation industry and who is surely the biggest defender of Climashield (be careful, Jerry has a somewhat particular editorial charter).
- Tilak , the (very likely) Czech manufacturer of the Acronym brand, which has its own quality outdoor brand (around €200).
- Arc'téryx , in its basic line and in its high-end Veilance line (1,000 - 1,500 €). I suspect the LEAF line also has Climashield.
- Beyond Clothing , very high-end technical/outdoor brand (around €250). And I'm not talking about all the military brands that use Climashield, such as Crye Precision or Helikon, otherwise the list would be twice as long!
- Kanuk , a high-end Quebec parka brand, which creates pieces to combat extreme cold (around €600). Our Canadian readers will understand.
- Enlighted Equipment , a leading hiking brand for so-called “ultralight” hikers.
Very good, but why do these brands use Climashied and not another insulation?
What is special about Climashield?
The first thing is that Climashield is the pioneer of “continuous filaments” .
I have to be transparent, I was still able to see that its competitor, Primaloft had similar technology, but I don't know any more.
In a video that manufacturers of technical materials have the secret to, we can clearly see how the insulation works:
In fact, “classic” wadding is like pharmacy cotton, it falls apart .
This is a problem for clothing because, with repeated use, movement, washing or humidity, your insulation no longer looks like much in the end.
But this is not the case with Climashield.
They are long continuous filaments which makes them, in a way, a “tear-proof” insulator . It's like trying to break a string by pulling on each side, lengthwise. Impossible I tell you!
And there are two very interesting advantages for us:
- Perfect hold over time : Climashield does not tear when it is stretched, it does not clump or separate.
- Highly compressible : it will return to its initial shape very quickly, which makes it very practical when you wear this parka with a backpack.
This is a very telling image!
A technology that fights against fabric humidity
Finally, our Climashield insulation features “ Aquaban ” technology (yes, I know, they are very good with names): it keeps heat even when it is wet, while allowing perspiration to escape quickly.
You might think that I am a real perfectionist, but, having already done tests with less good quality insulation, I guarantee that it is much less pleasant : the feeling of dampness can set in and it does not last if hot as that.
A cut that must be adapted
Another important thing to know: for Climashield to work well, it needs to have loft , and must not be excessively pressed against your body, so that the insulation is not crushed. This is why you cannot make a cut as close as a coat from a woolen cloth.
This parka should just sit on your bust when closed, and that's it.
It is therefore not a piece to choose too fitted. I simply advise you to choose your usual size .
How hot is it?
My answer “in theory”…
That's the question. And as I began to write this paragraph headlong, I quickly realized that things were more complicated than I thought.
There aren't many brands that use Climashield, but those that communicate on the weight of Climashield used can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Even Wiggy's, although very verbose about the warmth of its parkas designed for the Arctic, says nothing about the weight used...
So it's difficult to make comparisons with our hooded coat.
Well, to start, keep one thing in mind: the Climashield used on our coat is 133g/m2 (= 4 oz /yd2), out of the 5 thicknesses available in the APEX range.
As for hiking brands and military clothing, from what I have seen at Enlightened Equipment or Arc'teryx, it is the 68g/2 oz and 100g/3 oz ranges that are used. Certainly, it is lighter than our parka, don't forget that we are talking about insulation intended for sustained physical activity in the cold.
Then, like I said, there's us and our parka at 133g/m2 (=4 oz).
Then there is Kanuk, a Quebec brand which sells parkas which go from -15°c to -30°c, which uses the two thicknesses of Climashield above ours, namely the 170g version (=5 oz) and the 200g version (=6 oz).
So that gives you a good idea where to locate our coat in terms of thermal range.
As a result, our coat is right in the middle, between the layers used for hiking and those used for very cold clothing. This describes the spirit of the room well: largely warm for a French winter, even when sitting still.
We also did a test with the 5 oz version, but it was clearly too warm for a French winter, and the parka becomes too bulky for my taste (while the interest of the Climashield APEX range is precisely this incredible heat/volume ratio).
In what temperatures should this coat be worn?
Same temperature range as our parka released last year.
It was 16°C today and I felt good.
And with a large mesh, -10°C is largely doable, the Climashield APEX© will work wonders!
So I would say: between -10°C (with a big sweater) and +18°C (with a sweatshirt).
If the elements are ever against you, the hood will be very comforting (also insulated with Climashield APEX©).
High-end finishes… no amalgamation
Cobrax and Excella for metalwork
Yes I know, it looks like coded language!
Excella is the top of the range from YKK, the famous zip supplier.
Here it is all metal, with a worn effect, and its glide is exquisite... And it is a double zip that we have chosen, for absolute comfort, especially in a seated position.
On such a quality of wool, there is no question of putting on the first zip that comes along. I really like this so-called “gun metal” effect.
The very beautiful Excella zip alongside the very beautiful Cobrax snaps!
Cobrax belongs to the same group as RIRI zips. It is a supplier specializing in snap buttons.
But not classic snap buttons, BEAUTIFUL snap buttons, very refined, which I love. Usually, only luxury brands allow themselves to use Cobrax.
Here, there are some along the central zip and at the cuffs.
There you go, that's a BEAUTIFUL snap button.
`The famous fleece pockets
This is a “feature” that you really like about our pieces: there are the fleece-lined pockets on this garment.
This fleece, so comforting when your hands are cold, it's here!
Your hands will be warm with this coat!
Interior zipped pockets
To my great surprise, this is far from being obvious with other brands, even though it is still very reassuring.
So yes, there are interior zippered pockets for your personal belongings. These pockets are also lined with fleece.
How to wear this Loden coat?
With a turtleneck and Paraboots
Simple and efficient. And perfectly suited for a windy and humid Sunday afternoon:
- the turtleneck provides a very effective mid layer
- the woolen cloth of the coat is a solid protection against the wind
- wool joggers protect your legs
As for Paraboots, usually I'm not a big fan of the models.
But I find that here, we couldn't have found better, as they are adapted to this kind of irregular and humid ground, thanks to their thick sole and their Norwegian stitching.
Coat, sweater, BonneGueule joggers , Paraboots shoes.
With a cardigan and a chambray shirt
This is how David explains his outfit:
This coat speaks to me a lot: cozy, warm and very easy to wear thanks to its subtle heather gray.
Up top, the white/blue/greige color palette is simple, but effective.
At the bottom, the neppy pants bring relaxation thanks to their carrot cut and texture thanks to their speckling. Finally, the brown desert boots simply finish the outfit.
All is said ! Personally, I really like the “speckle” of the wool of the coat which echoes that of the pants.
With a green sweater and beige chinos
Obviously, with a gray coat, you shouldn't hesitate to wear color underneath, like a green sweater and chinos with a warm color.
Besides, if you look closely at this photo, you don't notice anything?
It's an outfit that reproduces exactly the same colors as its environment!
The chinos recall the colors of dried ferns, the green of the sweater that of grass, and the grays of the coat, scarf and hat echo the hues of rocks and clouds.
Three different grays: this photo, in addition to making you want to go for walks in the fresh air, clearly shows how it is possible to create a visually rich outfit with gray palettes.
With a western shirt and Maharishi pants
This coat is very versatile in terms of style, and I was interested in wearing it with sneakers.
Here, I wanted to make an ultra casual outfit with a denim shirt, a henley and sneakers.
And obviously, these Maharishi pants from an old collection that I've been wearing for 3 years, whose cut I love.
BonneGueule coat and henley , Rogue Territory shirt, Maharishi pants.
With a beautiful burgundy scarf
Gray and burgundy mix perfectly, and it gives a little more roughness to an outfit with gray on the top and pants:
The overshirt warms up the outfit and the burgundy scarf gives a little more personality to the whole thing! Sneakers , pants , coat, BonneGueule scarf , and secret shirt.
A colorful scarf goes a long way in an outfit!
With a denim jacket and a thick sweater
This is an outfit aimed at layering lovers! She uses the denim jacket as a mid-layer, and it will be perfect for long days of walking.
The denim jacket also adds a nice vintage touch to the whole look.
Austrian woolen cloth, faded denim, very thick knit: it's an outfit full of textures!
| Europe | US |
|---|---|
| 44 | XS |
| 46 | S |
| 48 | M |
| 50 | L |
| 52 | XL |
| 54 | XXL |
| Measure (in cm) |
has. Shoulder to shoulder |
b. Chest |
vs. Sleeve length |
d. Middle back height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 43.9 | 52 | 66 | 92 |
| 46 | 45.1 | 54 | 66.5 | 93 |
| 48 | 46.3 | 56 | 67 | 94 |
| 50 | 47.5 | 58 | 67.5 | 95 |
| 52 | 48.7 | 60 | 68 | 96 |
| 54 | 49.9 | 62 | 68.5 | 97 |
| 56 | 51.1 | 64 | 69 | 98 |
Our clothes come from artisanal workshops, measurements may vary very slightly.
Our exceptional coat in pure yak wool 🐃
A simple coat, but one that stands out
Attention, it is time to present for good this piece announced for several months!
Since wearing this coat, I have received many questions:
Ah, but it’s super soft! It's what ? A cashmere coat?
And proudly I answer:
No, it's pure yak wool!
Specifications: splendor
Simple, but ambitious: make a soft, light and above all, splendid coat.
I know, it's rare that I make such lyrical flights of fancy. But here, it is the heart that speaks.
And to make a splendid coat, you need a splendid material ...
The closer we get, the more we notice that the fabric of this coat is special...
A yak fabric from Italian Texco
Identity card of our yak wool
Composition : pure yak wool 🐃
Ethics : Yak wool falls naturally from the animal in spring. And no dyeing: some fibers have simply been bleached, and remixed with others of natural color. This is what gives this heather absolutely unique and so natural! 🌱
Spinning : cross twill
Weight : 550g per linear meter (i.e. 400g/m²)
Texco, Italian luxury spinning mill
Texco is an essential spinning mill for major luxury brands, for coats and other outdoor pieces.
When they sent us the material sample, I immediately understood that we had an exceptional fabric.
Visually, it is infinitely rich, each square centimeter is unique... As for the touch, it is soft...
Touch, let’s talk about it. It is much closer to a cashmere coat than to a wool coat .
Moreover, the price of this yak fabric is similar to the price of a very beautiful cashmere fabric... And very far from the price of a classic woolen sheet!
I can only warmly (no pun intended) recommend that you go to the store to touch it for yourself!
I love these greige tones. On a winter coat, I find it simply magnificent.
Why yak for this coat?
It's simply a fabulous fiber, soft, warm and breathable like cashmere.
These two fibers are often compared because they have extremely similar properties.
This remains a rare and precious material: I have not managed to find exact figures on the annual production of yak, but in my opinion, it must be much lower than that of cashmere, because there are very few farms of yak. yaks…
Memory of my trip to Mongolia, where I took this photo with peaceful yaks.
A naturally natural color
Personally, I love the color of yak, with these mixtures of browns, grays and greige.
These are very subtle shades, all in heather, which are very difficult to obtain with classic wool.
Since yak does not secrete ooze - this fatty material comparable to sebum - around the fiber, it is not necessary to "de-ooze", an operation which is usually done with chemicals on classic wool .
This is why it is known to be gentle on the skin, and not allergenic.
If the subject interests you, know that the yak bible exists, it is even freely accessible ! And there is a very very very complete chapter on the yak and its adaptation to the cold.
Why yak? Because it makes magnificent colors!
Ethics: do we shear the yak?
Not really, we don't use a clipper per se.
If we did this, the soft yak down would be mixed with the rougher fibers.
Yak down is harvested either by combing the fleece by hand (like brushing your long hair with your fingers) or using a brush .
It is not a hair that we pull out, but simply that we harvest. A painless operation for the yak, as seen here:
From what I saw in Mongolia, yaks live in the middle of the steppes, without enclosures, in total freedom, moving with the nomads. We are light years away from poor quality animal feed or intensive breeding with large doses of hormones...
Ah, I'm saying it in case you're wondering: mulesing does not exist among yaks (nor among goats and camels), it is a practice that only concerns certain sheep farms.
And to shine at your next dinner, know that the term " yak shaving " is also used among computer developers to designate the fact of letting oneself be distracted in the execution of an important task...
Because we tell you everything…
In what temperatures should this coat be worn?
It’s also very versatile (that’s the beauty of high-end fibers).
Perfect for mid-season, you can also hibernate in it during the winter as long as you wear it with a thick sweater (all sweaters above 600g with us) or with your fall/winter blazers.
If it's 10°C, you'll need to wear a sweatshirt. And below 5°C, you will need one of our big sweaters , one of our sleeveless vests ... or quite simply the hooded loden coat that I have just presented to you.
So I would say: between -5°C (with a big sweater) and +18°C (with a sweatshirt).
With our coat, our funnel neck sweater , which is relatively thin, and a blazer, you have an effective layering against the coming winter.
How strong is the material?
So obviously, it's not THE piece to wear to go to a metal concert, rub yourself against branches and rocks in the forest, or play with your cat's claws (do the yak, but not too much, basically ). But for normal urban use, everything will be fine!
The worst that can happen to you is to be asked where such a beautiful coat comes from!
As for the finishes…
Personality bonus: wider lapels
These setbacks are bigger than usual. For more personality, a lot even.
And then it’s something that was asked a lot of us.
Relaxation bonus: patch pockets
This fabric has a relaxed and fluid “vibe”, so we added exterior patch pockets.
In use, they are practical for quickly slipping in a pair of gloves... or a love letter.
And for the inside of the coat, there are two interior zipped pockets to secure your personal belongings:
A (very) comfortable construction
It's not a knit, but this fabric has a pleasant mechanical stretch : it doesn't have at all the stiffness of a classic woolen sheet, so much so that you'll want to wear it at home!
And to exploit the flexibility of this fabric, we chose a lightweight construction.
No padding
The result ? It's a joy to wear it: the coat is fluid and sits softly on your shoulders, like a caress.
How to wear this yak coat?
With a vest and an oxford shirt
With its timeless shape, this coat blends nicely with vintage influences: an Oxford shirt with a buttoned collar, or a workwear vest.
A little pair of slightly faded canvas pants, some light sneakers to add texture and relaxation, and off we go!
BonneGueule canvas coat, hat and pants , ABCL Garments vest, Nike sneakers and Gitman shirt.
With a burgundy sweater
We keep the canvas pants, add a burgundy sweater for warmth, and boots for walking on the cobblestones.
The greige of the coat brings out the burgundy of the sweater nicely!
With a good old pair of shoes
For this outfit, I wanted to exploit the very "luxury" side of this sublime yak material with my pair of Aubercy, this venerable French shoe house whose creativity (and finishes) I greatly appreciate.
To echo their blue — almost turquoise — I wore our Sato Seni sweater , and I found that this color went well with the greige of this coat.
With white pants
Wearing white pants with this coat is almost a must, as the two mix so well!
With our turtleneck, it's a beautiful mix of textures on this outfit, in fall colors (look at all the sand/brown shades).
BonneGueule coat and turtleneck sweater, Léo & Violette bag, Officine Générale jeans, Sanders shoes.
With a green sweater
Replace the brown sweater with a thick sweater in green and you have a perfect outfit for walking in the great outdoors!
The white jeans continue to brighten up the outfit.
BonneGueule coat, ——— biiiip ——— sweater, Officine Générale jeans.
With an ecru shirt
Michel decided to have a little fun by turning our ecru shirt into an overshirt, over our white funnel-neck sweater. The whole makes a very beautiful monochrome of greige, sand, and light gray colors.
In keeping with the soft, comfortable construction of this coat, he wanted to wear pants that were a little looser than usual.
Coat, hat, shirt , and BonneGueule sweater , 13 Bonaparte pants and Gant shoes.
| Europe | US |
|---|---|
| 44 | XS |
| 46 | S |
| 48 | M |
| 50 | L |
| 52 | XL |
| 54 | XXL |
| Measure (in cm) |
has. Shoulder to shoulder |
b. Chest |
vs. Sleeve length |
d. Middle back height |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | 43.8 | 48 | 62 | 87 |
| 46 | 45 | 50.5 | 63 | 88 |
| 48 | 46.2 | 53 | 64 | 89 |
| 50 | 47.4 | 55.5 | 65 | 90 |
| 52 | 48.6 | 58 | 66 | 91 |
| 54 | 49.8 | 60.5 | 67 | 92 |
| 56 | 51 | 63 | 68 | 93 |
Our clothes come from artisanal workshops, measurements may vary very slightly.
How to obtain our new parts?
Visit our e-shop and in our stores in Paris 3rd , Paris 6th , Lyon and Bordeaux.
