One Warm Coat
My winter coat has served me well, from east coast blizzards to the gardens of Versailles.
This post originally appeared back in 2013. With winter approaching, I thought it deserved a revivial, complete with updated suggestions on where to shop for an ethically-made coat.
On the coziness scale, wrapping yourself up in a nice wool coat ranks right up there with a hot toddy and a Golden Girls marathon. I bought my first good black pea coat before a trip to Philadelphia and New York, where my husband and I found ourselves caught in Snowmageddon 2010. Needless to say, I was extremely grateful for my coat's substantial lining and generous hood.
Experiences like an east coast blizzard also remind me of how difficult winter can be for those who don’t have a warm coat to shield them from the elements. Which is where organizations like One Warm Coat come in.
One Warm Coat is a volunteer organization that grew from a Thanksgiving weekend coat drive in San Francisco in 1992. Now a nationwide initiative, One Warm Coat provides tools, resources, and publicity support to volunteer groups across North America. Their goal is simple: collect coats to give to those in need, free of charge.
Providing a coat may seem like a small gesture when necessities like food, shelter, and vaccines are also sorely needed, but the facts that OWC provides on its website are compelling:
- 1 in 5 children live in households whose earnings fall below the poverty level in the U.S.
- 3.5 million people experience homelessness each year.
- Even a 2-degree drop in body temperature results in reduced heart rate, loss of coordination, and confusion. Adults cannot work effectively and children find it difficult to learn. For the nearly 15% of Americans living in poverty, a warm winter coat is a budget “extra.”
(U.S. Census data September 2016 and Hypothermia, University of Maryland Medical Center)
The bottom line is that a good, warm coat isn’t cheap. I’m a huge advocate of spending a little more on well-made clothing that will last for years, but for many people that simply isn’t an option.
How you can help
- Clean out your closet and donate a coat or two
- Organize a coat drive within your company, school, or home town
- Urge your company or organization to sponsor One Warm Coat
- Make a direct donation or send an eDonation card to someone you love
In the market for a new coat?
After donating your gently used coat, consider investing in one of these ethically sourced beauties:
- Women's Insulated Prairie Dawn Parka, Patagonia - Organic cotton, recycled polyester, and transparent supply chain.
- Los Ojos Trench Cloak, Linsday Thornburg and Pendleton - Made sustainably in the USA (see Pendleton’s stance on social responsibility).
- Slim Duffle Coat, Gloverall - Made in the UK
- ELDA Wool & Recycled Poly Coat, Komodo - Organic/ recycled,
- Winter Coat, Indigenous - Alpaca and wool, fair trade, low-impact dyes
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter.
This post is written by ethical fashion blogger Dominique of Let’s Be Fair.
Over the past two years I've started and deleted at least five posts with this title. I struggle to find words to articulate the feelings and jumbled thoughts. I struggle to find the balance between the purpose of this blog and the things that are on my heart. I care about thoughtful consumerism, but ultimately it's not because I LOVE fashion so much (and if you've ever met me in real life you know that's true). I care about thoughtful consumerism because I care about justice. And this week... watching this unfold again... but this time, with black babies in my arms... I've felt an anger I haven't felt since Trayvon Martin's killer got away with murder.
I'm tired of people talking about 'starting a conversation' 'having dialogue' 'leaning in' 'unpacking' 'loving God and loving people' and all the other phrases we use so that we can not be accused of ignoring what's happening but also really have no intent of actually doing anything.
I'm tired of all the fake supporters of law enforcement. The only person I know who actually is part of an organized group of supporters of law enforcement is my father, who looks more like the people getting murdered than anyone I know using that ridiculous blue lives matter hashtag. You aren't fooling anyone.
I'm tired of reading the comments on your Facebook posts. Stop trying to appease your racist friends when you should be calling them out.
I'm tired of you using the word 'ghetto' to describe anything you think is bad and not white. I'm tired of you making fun of people's names.
I'm tired of the black community saying black lives matter while we let tens of thousands of little black children rot in the foster care system.
I'm tired of your ignorant comments about Armenians, Mexicans, and Asians. You should know that when you talk bad about them I am assuming you are also talking about my family when I'm not in the room and I don't think you are safe anymore.
I'm tired of worrying about the comments on this post.
I'm tired of worrying about being 'that girl'.
I'm tired of re-writing this so I don't hurt your feelings.
May I recommend:
A plea to White Parents of White Children
Why are you supporting my White Cop but not my Black Son
Are you Racist: 28 Common Racist Behaviors
Photo by Nicholas Kampouris on Unsplash