Frame Le Garcon jeans
Everlane cashmere turtleneck
Everlane wool/cashmere beanie
Patagonia nano-puff jacket | size large
L.L. Bean Rubber Moccs | size 6
Blah. It’s been rainy and not too cold, but cold enough, the last several days. I really haven’t even gone anywhere besides the post office and Pure Barre either, I’ve been rather busy with work/SLOWRE. But I mentioned a long time ago that I was going to get a pair of LL Bean Boots to wear in wet weather, and never did an update. Here it is: they didn’t work.
I don’t have ankles. Cankles is what they’re called I think? So I really can’t wear boots that come up very high at all. And yes, I ordered the 6″ version. I was very disappointed. But what can I do? So I can’t wear boots. Big deal. (I can wear, and love my Rag & Bone Aston booties, which are very short, and fit me beautifully. I hope they last forever, because I have not idea if I’ll ever be able to find a suitable substitute!)
After I gave up on the bean boots, and rain boots in general, because I wasn’t going to buy another brand (L.L. Bean still makes their boots by hand, in Maine), I decided to give the moccs a try and see if they would work for me. First, I ordered a size 7, which is a size down from my normal size, and they were HUGE. I exchanged them for a size 6 and they are much better. I wear thicker smartwool socks with them and they’re comfortable, although my toes got very cold yesterday while we were out for only 20 minutes. Which is why I wear my Ugg boots when I go outside in below-50 degree weather.
But, I refuse to buy more Ugg boots, or any shoes with shearling in them anymore, or shearling liners. I don’t know why I ever thought it was okay to buy shearling when I wouldn’t buy fur. It’s not okay with me anymore. I will wear what I have, and hopefully they’ll last me for many more years (my Ugg boots are already 3 years old), but I won’t buy any new shearling. Shame, because that’s really the only thing that keeps my feet warm in the winter.
Anyway, the moccs are great for wearing in light rain, and walking in puddles/mud after rain, but they’re not going to be suitable for heavy rain. But Dagny won’t go out in heavy rain anyway, and neither will I LOL. I won’t have to replace them for a very long time (ever?), so they were a great investment; well worth having.
Just got the Dansko Rosa rain boot in black and I love them!
Sadly, I do not currently own any footwear suitable for rain or snow. I ended up borrowing a pair of Bearpaws boots from my husband’s aunt while we were in MA over the holidays. They were so comfortable and kept my feet so nice and warm but I’m not really sure I could justify buying them for myself here in Nashville. Also, shearling.
I tried a pair of Hunters rain boots once but I have short legs and the boot came right up to the bend in my knees. Not comfortable. I know they make shorter ones but I don’t love the proportions.
Glad the mocs work – sorry the boot didn’t. I adore mine – 30 years strong (holy crap how did I get so old?) I bought them my 1st or 2nd year of high school and wore them pretty much every evening October – April when walking to sports practice. I noted in a previous post that my soles are pretty slick (worn down tread) and someone mentioned I should send them back to Bean to fix. Not sure they can – I also wore out my first pair of blucher mocs in high school and Bean was unable to repair so I had to buy a new pair. Which I also still have 🙂
I guess the nanoPuff jacket is water resistant?
I wear my bean boots with the Smartwool hunting socks and they are warm enough for Chicago (gets down to 0 F and below). In retrospect I probably should have gotten the thinsulate lining, but I wanted to also be able to wear them at 40F. I am thinking of getting some Quoddy or Russell Moccasion boots for less inclement temps (20-50f) since I find my Bean Boots a bit clunky unless it’s snowing or raining pretty badly. They both will definitely handcraft something for you for your ankle size and they are both made in the USA.
i have a pair of quoddy mocs in SLOWRE right now, they’re really cool, and i’d never heard of them before I received them to consign! they’re too small (size 6), or i might have kept them 😉 so nicely made though, i love love love pieces like that.
okay, i’m going to try smartwool hunting socks. thank you ….
it’s water resistant, but i’m not going to actually wear it in the rain rain – only if it’s sprinkling or something. i wear my regular patagonia rain jacket in the rain rain…
Re Uggs – if you are comfortable buying second-hand shearling, there are a LOT of Ugg Boots on Poshmark.
Personally, I’m not much of a fur fan, but have more questions about how leather/shearling sourced and animals are treated than objection to material for material’s sake. But as we’ve discussed on here, it’s all complicated. I eat meat. That industry is laden with problems. But shearling and leather as a useful byproduct of meat production is one of the benefits. Then there’s the environmental impact of farming and tanneries… and production of faux alternatives, which are so often petroleum based.
So, hemp? Ha…
yes, it’s extremely complicated…
i personally would rather not eat meat at all, or buy new leather, but it’s been too hard to make that firm shift. i’m just not entirely ready yet.
leather, i have less of a hard time with, because in most cases, it is a legitimate by-product of the meat industry, and that’s not going away any time soon, but in some cases, i read, it actually drives slaughtering of cows. i saw a conflicting report that some ranchers get more money for hides than for meat, which means that LEATHER is driving the slaughtering of cows, not the other way around. anyway.
shearling, i cannot justify anymore – i am sure with the explosion in the popularity of uggs the last decade, that sheep are being slaughtered specifically for their hides and whatever meat there is is now a by-product, which i cannot abide anymore than i could fox, rabbit, or mink…
honestly, i think i just had no idea that i was wearing fur with shearling, i thought it was just the wool, not the skin. i’m pretty sure that was willful ignorance though…just like i didn’t fully realize that to get goose down, you have to kill the goose.
reality’s reality though and i’m not going to change the fact that most of the world happily eats meat, wears leather and shearling and enjoys down jackets. i don’t NEED those things though, so i will try and choose not to consume them anymore. that’s all i can do.
of course, as you mentioned most faux leathers aren’t great either, only marginally better than leather, if that. i absolutely respect stella mccartney’s efforts in that regard, using more sustainable leather alternatives, but her stuff is pretty cost prohibitive for most people. and those damn chains…
and ya, hemp 🙂 it will save the world LMAO
Recommendation – I just bought a pair of refined chelsea boots from Hunter as I live in Canada and need wet weather boots ALL the time! They are just wonderful and I am so so happy with them. Comfy, short, keep me dry, look stylish.
It’s tough. Much like all of this, sometimes research and trying to do better just leads to so many more questions and conflicts! But I think the effort to learn and do better still matters.
There’s a TED Talk by Graham Hill of Life Edited about being a weekday vegetarian. Little choices DO add up. Especially if we all (or a lot of us) make them.
Off topic, but I thought you and your readers might be interested in this Apiece Apart posting. Also, Everlane donating to ACLA for sales of #100HUMAN products:
“We’re honored to come together this week to march in solidarity with women — with our customers, sisters, families, children, friends, and communities.
From now through end-of-day Monday, we’ll be donating 20% of sales to the following pro-woman, pro-immigrant, pro-Earth, and anti-bigotry organizations:
ACLU
Planned Parenthood
Center for Reproductive Rights
Earth Justice
Other independent brands who are taking part in donations this week include Rachel Comey, Eileen Fisher, Opening Ceremony, Trademark, Electric Feathers, Bird, Sidney Garber, Ace & Jig, Black Crane, Lauren Manoogian, Maria Cornejo, Maryam Nassir Zadeh, Creatures of Comfort, and Kathleen Whitaker.
Join the movement by sharing with #WhyIMarch on Instagram
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Yes!!! Thanks for the info, Kathryn.
Grechen, I am making the assumption that the fleece we can see draped over the arm of your chair or couch in the photograph is fake. (sincere question)
yes! they are SO FAKE (target has some decent fake ones). that’s actually when i really faced the facts about sheep skin. when i first really realized that it’s a hide. because i wanted a “real” one. i was like, no way can i do that…dagny likes them though 🙂 that’s where she hangs out on the couch.
Re: shearling I bought a sheep for meat from a small local farmer in NY a couple of years ago to eat. I had it processed and they offered me the shearling for a small extra cost. I made a few things from it. I like buying from farmers I know because I feel it is the most ethical way to eat meat if you chose to do so, and supported the local economy. I would feel comfortable buying locally sourced shearling, or shearling in general if the source was vetted well.
I thought so, given your stance on real. The funny thing is, my cat is TERRIFIED of my fake fur blanket. He’ll do all kinds of acrobatics to avoid walking on it! 🙂
I’m in agreement with you, Melissa. I grew up in an area where people hunted deer, rabbit, ducks and geese for food. And I was taught that you use every part of the deer…nothing goes to waste! I don’t have a problem with it.
oh, absolutely. totally agree and feel the same way. it should be easier here, in texas, and we get decent grass fed beef, pasture raised beef and eggs.
i’ve been looking at marlow goods for that reason – they have their restaurant in NYC and a farm upstate i guess? and now they make bags from the cow hides they use for meat in the restaurant. problem is that i don’t like the styles of their bags 🙁
haha! that’s funny. dangny likes to lay on those two spots specifically on the couch. or if my cashmere blanket is nearby, she prefers that LOL
You can and please do. It’s I think ~$40 and they replace the entire rubber part (so the leather you’ve worn in so nicely stays soft). I just did it with a pair of shearling-lined ones and they’re perfect. And cheaper than new boots at $120 plus leather break-in!