![\"Vaute](\"https:\/\/feelgoodstyle.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Screen-Shot-2014-09-19-at-12.57.18-PM.png\")
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It\u2019s that time of year again when squash starts popping up\u00a0at the grocery store, and retailers begin unpacking boxes of Christmas ornaments while shoppers exclaim in unison, \u201cWhat? It\u2019s not even Halloween yet!\u201d<\/p>\n
Still, there\u2019s no denying that winter is coming, and it\u2019s best to be prepared with a coat that will keep you warm through those frigid December days. For a high quality\u00a0coat that mirrors my own values of compassion, I look to a small, vegan-owned company called Vaute Couture<\/a>.<\/p>\n Related: What does vegan mean?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, who started Vaute Couture, focuses on fair labor practices and using cutting-edge fabrics to create vegan coats that are not only fashionable but also can keep a person warm in a state where temperatures dip to zero and lower. \u00a0Most of the Vaute Couture sales seem to happen online, but\u00a0I was able to visit their flagship store<\/a> in Brooklyn recently and see some of the vegan coats for myself, along with their signature shirts, sweatshirts, and dresses.<\/p>\n Before buying from Vaute Couture, I\u2019d looked around for a long time for a vegan coat that would keep me warm, was something I felt comfortable in, and didn\u2019t come at the expense of any animals. \u00a0That can be a difficult set of requirements to match. \u00a0My husband had an even tougher time finding a men\u2019s coat, particularly in a pea coat style, that was well made with a good fit that wasn\u2019t made with wool<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0leather<\/a>, or packed with down<\/a>.<\/p>\n Then 4 years ago, I ordered my first coat from Vaute Couture – the Belden<\/a>\u00a0for me and the Whitman<\/a> for my husband.\u00a0 And let me tell you that while I worried at first about how much I was spending, when the first 30 below wind chill day hit, that worry was the only thing melting away.\u00a0 It was absolutely worth it for how warm it kept me. \u00a0\u00a0It was dressy enough for an evening out and soft enough for every day use.<\/p>\n The Belden can be worn three different ways around the neck \u2013 like a traditional trench, buttoned to cover the chest, or buttoned all the way to the top to protect the neck completely and even the lower part of the face.\u00a0 When there\u2019s a strong icy wind, it\u2019s nice to have the option.<\/p>\n My husband\u2019s Whitman has a slim, European cut, which he loves.\u00a0 It\u2019s a mid-length coat in their Luxe fabric.\u00a0 Because his coat is in a dark shade, it has worn absolutely beautifully over the years.\u00a0 It looks the same as when he first got it.<\/p>\n If you live somewhere cold, travel to those places, or you just like pretty things, I highly recommend the coats from Vaute Couture.\u00a0 Even better than how toasty warm they keep you on a cold winter day, it feels so good to know that no animals were harmed in the making of them!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"