Baby, it’s f*cking cold outside!

I moved to LA at 18 and lived there until a couple of months ago, so this is my first time living in the cold winter in a very long time. Having seasons again is exciting and one of the highlights of our new hometown but damn, it’s freaking cold!!!

People assume because I’m Canadian, I should weather the winter breeze like a champ by blood, but that’s just ridiculous. I mean, I’m not a polar bear. Most of the bears we have in Canada hibernate all winter long and for the record, so do the people! It’s not like Canadians are winter unicorns who thrive in frigid temperatures, they just cope with it by any means necessary, because they have to and stay inside as much as possible.

Of course, I have gone home to visit for the holidays over the past 12 years, but when you’re just visiting it’s a novelty, it’s short-lived and you spend a whole lot of your time indoors anyway. Actually living in the cold requires you to do shit in the cold like run errands, take your kid out and generally live life. I was not prepared for this, so I’ve spent the last couple of weeks getting prepared and stocking up on proper winter wear.

When shopping for winter wear in Canada, there were always a couple go-to brands everyone had while growing up. While I’m slightly embarrassed to admit what I’m about to, I’m not one for the stigma of shame in doing better, so here goes. I’ve relied on an old Canada Goose coat from high school whenever I went back to visit my family. Those things are expensive as hell and last a long time, so I never committed to investing in something new to wear for the 4-5 day holiday visit I made annually. Of course, like much of the world, I’ve since woken up to the extreme cruelty of that coat and the company behind it. So this year, I sought alternatives that better suited my ethics and I’m sharing some of favorites with you, so you can stay warm responsibly this year, too!!

Noize

“Our ethos at Noize was born from the belief that what we wear today should not only look and feel great but should also champion positive contributions towards a better tomorrow.”

The environmentally conscious and cruelty-free designs from Montreal-based Noize are plentiful and timeless. They have a ton of options on length, color and fit that aren’t uber trend-focused, so they’ll serve you well for many, many winters to come! Their vegan furs and leather alternatives are equal to their old school animal-and-environment-harming competitors’ warmth and comfort, covering you to -30°C! Instead of down, they fill their coats with repurposed recycled plastic bottles, they use vegan wool and leather and even their loungewear is made from recycled water bottles! They’re also wind and water resistant AND super affordable. 

Shoreditch Ski Club

Another incredible find comes from our friend and All Saints’ chief creative director, Will Beedle. Will founded Shoreditch Ski Club, an eco-punk winter-wear brand, in 2018 and is killing it with their bold, high-fashion designs. They’re all about more and I can’t get enough of it. More style. More shape. More puff. Lay it on me and keep me warm and cozy while doing it, please and thanks! They, too make their jackets from recycled plastic bottles and swap down fill for PETA and vegan approved animal-free eco fibres. Protecting the planet, animals and your body temperature looks damn good from Shoreditch Ski Club!

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