You read the title correctly, we're not presenting one coat to you, but two!
🏔️ a hooded coat : versatile piece in terms of styles and temperatures, with weather-resistant Austrian “loden” merino wool and Climashield APEX© insulation.
🐃 a coat in a very luxurious yak wool (yes, it really exists): our most elegant coat, with a material usually reserved for luxury.
Let's go for the introductions!
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 describe this type of piece: a "go to jacket" , literally a piece that you put on without thinking twice as soon as you leave the house.
Well that's exactly the goal of this coat: to put it on without thinking, whether you have a blazer or a sweatshirt.
An off-road style
Visually, it is 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 the clean design.
Some of you might say it's a wool parka, but I don't really agree. A parka to me is more casual, with a more military/backpacking heritage.
So that's why I'll call it... a 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 the shoulders.
A Merino Loden Wool from Austria
This is the first time we have used wool from Austria! In their climate, they are very good at producing durable woolen sheets with a rustic look 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 loved the warmth of this material.
Its special feature?
It undergoes a special wash, which will make the weave dense and compact , allowing it to be weather resistant. Add to that the Climashield for insulation, and you get a very interesting cross!
Identity card of 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's a mix of anthracite and white threads, for a mottled look full of irregularities. 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 been in existence for over 130 years. The fifth generation is currently at the helm of the company.
For the record, it is one of the largest producers of loden, this typical fabric of 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, as he had climbed a peak with his brother, the High Dachstein, via the southern route, which was reputed to be impregnable.
Frank Steiner and his brother Irg, at the time when people tackled summits dressed as gentlemen.
And he did it with woolen clothes woven in his own factory… You couldn't get better advertising!
This is how Loden & Steiner acquired its reputation for quality.
A century later, this great name in Austrian fabrics can boast of having Chanel, Louis Vuitton and Saint Laurent among its clients, as well as very cutting-edge skiwear brands.
Its special feature is its vertical integration : they receive the raw wool, and they are the ones who spin it, weave it and refine 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 piece to face light winter rains.
And if it rains hard and the wool gets really wet, it doesn't matter at all: the advantage of loden wool.
As for the Climashield, the insulation of this coat (see below), you could immerse it in a basin of water, it would be like new after drying.
So it is not a raincoat, but a piece that is completely insensitive to humidity. It is not for nothing that it is used (and very 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 from last year, this coat is made from 133g/m² Climashield APEX in the body and hood, and 100g/m² in the sleeves.
This insulator, never too hot, nor too cold, is therefore making a comeback.
Here is a very concise reminder of Climashield:
- Excellent durability : thanks to a microscopic structure in continuous filaments (it will not pack down like feathers or cotton),
- Insensitive to humidity : you will not lose heat because 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 wearing it... and also regains all its insulating properties.
And for the more discerning among you, here is everything I think about this insulator:
As the months go by, I fall more and more in love with Climashield.
As part of writing this article, I did another "binge reading" on this insulation.
And there's no denying that in outdoor forums, there is a kind of fascination with Climashield, much more than with Primaloft™ or Thermolite™ for example.
And every time, always the same question: but why do the designer brands in our ecosystem use generic insulation that we know nothing about? Why don't they clearly say what insulation is used? Because it is 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 sleeveless vest (our first garment using Climashield), you know what I mean.
It's that little cloud that keeps you warm...
As you can see, it's Climashield that will keep you warm this winter, chosen from the APEX range (weight of 133g/m²).
Because this is the range that offers the best warmth/lightness ratio.
For fans of technical clothing, be aware that its CLO is 0.024 (this is a unit that measures the warmth/weight ratio which is quite complex to understand).
Climashield informs us that, according to them, weight for weight, APEX insulation is the most efficient on the market. For information, this is a fairly recent range, since it was launched in 2008, while Climashield has been around since 1974.
And as usual, I look a lot at who the customers of technical materials producers are. Indeed, it is often a good indicator of the reliability of a brand. So in your opinion, who uses Climashield?
- Acronym obviously, in its J50 bomber jacket (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 greatest defender of Climashield (be careful, Jerry has a somewhat unusual editorial charter).
- Tilak , the (most likely) Czech manufacturer of the Acronym brand, which has its own quality outdoor brand (around €200).
- Arc'teryx , 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 , a very high-end technical/outdoor brand (around €250). And I'm not even 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 that creates pieces to combat the extreme cold (around €600). Our Canadian readers will understand.
- Enlighted Equipment , a leading hiking brand for so-called "ultra-light" 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 able to see that its competitor, Primaloft had similar technology, but I don't know 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 disintegrates .
This is a problem for the garment, because with repeated use, movement, washing or humidity, your insulation doesn't look like much anymore at 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 this gives us two very interesting advantages:
- Perfect hold over time : Climashield does not tear when stretched, it does not clump together and does not separate.
- Highly compressible : it will return to its original shape very quickly, which makes it very practical when you wear this parka with a backpack.
Now that’s a very telling image!
Technology that fights against fabric humidity
Finally, our Climashield insulation features " Aquaban " technology (yes, I know, they're very good at names): it keeps you warm even when wet, while allowing perspiration to wick away quickly.
You might think that I am a real perfectionist, but, having already done tests with lower quality insulation, I guarantee you that it is much less pleasant : the feeling of dampness can set in and it does not keep you as warm as that.
A cut that must be adapted
Another important thing to know: for the Climashield to work well, it needs to have some loft , must not be excessively pressed against your body, so that the insulation is not crushed. This is why you can't make a cut as tight as a coat in a woolen cloth.
This parka just has to sit on your chest when it's closed, and that's it.
So it's not a piece to choose too tight. 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 with a flower in my rifle, 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 forthcoming about the warmth of its parkas designed for the Arctic, says nothing about the weight used...
So it's hard 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.
On the hiking and military clothing brands side, from what I've seen at Enlightened Equipment or Arc'teryx, the 68g/2 oz and 100g/3 oz ranges are used. Of course, it's lighter than our parka, don't forget that we're talking about insulation designed for sustained physical activity in the cold.
Then, as I said, there's us and our 133g/m2 (=4 oz) parka.
Then there is Kanuk, a Quebec brand that sells parkas that 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 of where our mantle is in terms of thermal amplitude.
So our coat is right in the middle, between the layers used for hiking and those used for very cold weather clothing. That describes the spirit of the piece well: plenty warm for a French winter, even when standing still.
We also tried 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 I wear this coat?
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 playable, 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 ever get to you, the hood will be very comforting (it is also insulated with Climashield APEX©).
High-end finishes… no confusion
Cobrax and Excella for metalwork
Yes I know, it sounds 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 when seated.
On such quality wool, there is no question of putting 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 snap fasteners!
Cobrax belongs to the same group as RIRI zippers. It is a supplier specializing in press studs.
But not classic snaps, BEAUTIFUL snaps, very refined, that 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 have it, a BEAUTIFUL snap button.
`The famous polar pockets
This is a feature that you really like on our pieces: there are fleece-lined pockets on this garment.
This fleece is so comforting when your hands are cold, it’s here!
Your hands will be nice and 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 zipped pockets for your personal items. These pockets are also lined with fleece.
How to wear this loden coat?
With a turtleneck and Paraboots
Simple and effective. And perfectly suited for a windy, wet 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, I'm usually not a big fan of the models.
But I find that here, we could not have found better, as they are so adapted to this kind of uneven and wet ground, thanks to their thick sole and their Norwegian stitching.
Coat, sweater, BonneGueule jogging pants , 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.
That says it all! Personally, I really like the "speckled" pattern of the wool on the coat, which echoes that of the pants.
With a green sweater and beige chinos
Obviously, with a gray coat, you should not hesitate to wear color underneath, like a green sweater and chinos in a warm color.
Besides, if you look closely at this photo, don't you notice anything?
It's an outfit that reproduces exactly the same colors as its surroundings!
The chinos recall the colours of dried ferns, the green of the sweater that of the grass, and the greys of the coat, scarf and hat echo the hues of the rocks and clouds.
Three different grays: this photo, in addition to making you want to go for walks in the great outdoors, 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 of course, these Maharishi pants from an old collection that I have been wearing for 3 years, whose cut I love.
BonneGueule coat and henley , Rogue Territory shirt, Maharishi pants.
With a beautiful burgundy scarf
Grey and burgundy are a perfect match, and it adds a little more edge to an outfit with grey on the top and pants:
The overshirt warms up the outfit and the burgundy of the scarf gives a little more personality to the whole thing! Sneakers , pants , coat, BonneGueule scarf , and a secret overshirt.
A colorful scarf goes a long way in adding a touch of style to an outfit!
With a denim jacket and a thick sweater
This is an outfit for layering lovers! It 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 thing.
Austrian wool, washed 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 |
c. Sleeve length |
d. Mid 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 artisan 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! What is it? A cashmere coat?
And proudly I answer:
No, it's pure yak wool!
Specifications: splendor
Simple, but ambitious: to make a soft, light and, above all, splendid coat.
I know, it's rare that I make such lyrical flights. But here, it's the heart that speaks.
And to make a splendid coat, you need splendid material ...
The closer you get, the more you notice that the fabric of this coat is special...
A yak fabric from the 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 absolutely unique and so natural mottled! 🌱
Spinning : cross twill from Texco 🇮🇹
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 sample of the material, I immediately understood that we had an exceptional fabric.
Visually, it is infinitely rich, every square centimeter is unique… As for the touch, it is so soft…
Let's talk about the feel. It's much closer to a cashmere coat than 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 cloth!
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 is simply a fabulous fiber, soft, warm and breathable like cashmere.
These two fibers are often compared because they have extremely similar properties.
It 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 yak farms…
Souvenir from my trip to Mongolia, where I took this photo with peaceful yaks.
A naturally natural color
Personally, I love the color of the yak, with its mixes of browns, grays and greige.
These are very subtle shades, all mottled, which are very difficult to obtain with classic wool.
Since the yak does not secrete grease — a fatty substance similar to sebum — around the fiber, it is not necessary to "de-grease" it, a process that is usually done with chemicals on conventional wool.
This is why it is known to be gentle on the skin and non-allergenic.
If you are interested in the subject, 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 beautiful colors!
Ethics: Do we shear the yak?
Not really, we don't use a lawnmower 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 (as if you were brushing your long hair with your fingers) or using a brush .
It is not a hair that is pulled out, but simply harvested. A painless operation for the yak, as seen here:
From what I have seen 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 lots of hormones...
Oh, I'm saying this 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 party, know that the term " yak shaving " is also used by computer developers to describe the fact of being distracted while carrying out an important task...
Because we tell you everything…
In what temperatures should I wear this coat?
It is also very versatile (that's the beauty of high-end fibers).
Perfect for mid-season, you can also hibernate in it during the winter provided you wear it with a thick sweater (all sweaters over 600g with us) or with your autumn/winter blazers.
If it's 10°C, you'll need to wear a sweatshirt. And below 5°C, you'll need one of our big sweaters , one of our sleeveless vests ... or simply the hooded loden coat that I 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 relatively thin turtleneck sweater , and a blazer, you have effective layering against the coming winter.
How strong is the material?
So obviously, this is 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 (be yak, but not too much, basically). But for normal urban use, everything will be fine!
The worst that can happen to you is that someone asks you where you got such a beautiful coat!
On the finishing side…
Personality bonus: wider lapels
These lapels are bigger than usual. For more personality, a lot even.
And then it's something that has been asked of us a lot.
Relaxation bonus: patch pockets
This fabric having a relaxed and fluid "vibe", 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 zipped interior 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 the stiffness of a classic woolen cloth at all, 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 at the shoulders, and the plastron between the lining and the yak is very light. To keep maximum fluidity.
The result? It’s a joy to wear: 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: oxford shirt with button-down collar, or workwear vest.
A pair of slightly washed canvas pants, lightweight sneakers to add texture and casualness, and off you go!
BonneGueule coat, hat and canvas 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 thought this color went well with the greige of this coat.
BonneGueule coat, sweater and pants, Dunhill gloves, Aubercy shoes!
With white pants
Wearing white pants with this coat is almost a must, as the two go so well together!
With our turtleneck, it's a beautiful mix of textures on this outfit, in autumnal 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
Swap out the brown sweater for a chunky green sweater and you have the perfect outfit for a walk in the great outdoors!
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 repurposing our ecru shirt into an overshirt, over our white turtleneck sweater. The whole thing 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 sweater by BonneGueule , pants by 13 Bonaparte and shoes by Gant.
| Europe | US |
|---|---|
| 44 | XS |
| 46 | S |
| 48 | M |
| 50 | L |
| 52 | XL |
| 54 | XXL |
| Measure (in cm) |
has. Shoulder to shoulder |
b. Chest |
c. Sleeve length |
d. Mid 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 artisan workshops, measurements may vary very slightly.
How to get our new parts?
Visit our e-shop and our boutiques in Paris 3rd , Paris 6th , Lyon and Bordeaux.
