It’s the holiday season, right? I can bend my fairly rigid “thou shalt not indulge overly much on nonessentials” rule, right? Okay, you’re right. I really shouldn’t. We are, after all, consuming the earth right out from beneath, above and around us.

However.

However, I’m a bit cold. I don’t have a good warm jacket. Well, I didn’t until last week when I found this amazing creation from Rag & Bone at Arboretum in Healdsburg. At over $500, it’s not Made in China cheap. In fact, it isn’t made in China. It’s handmade in New York state by a very unique company (check this Men’s Vogue article for info on how Rag & Bone resurrected a North Carolina factory town). While the ingredients aren’t organic, the fact that they weren’t shipped from India to be assembled in China to be flown to the USA for consumption means a lot to me.

So, the question is: Is it better to have an organic product or one that meets ethical standards? That is, do I buy the horribly made Same Underneath (stay away from this company - they even buy cheap zippers, a BIG sign that quality is third rate at best) coat that is made from organic cotton, but assembled in China before being flown back to the USA, racking up massive aviation fuel demerits in the process … or do I pick up the coat made by a company who believes in stimulating local economies, paying more than fair wages and creating clothing that will last for years, obviating the need for more consumption down the road?

While you ponder this, I’ll talk a bit more about my new favorite thing. A classic hunting jacket, it has ‘bird’ pockets in front and back, meaning it can carry a whole lot of extra items in a very discrete fashion. No, I’m not carrying drugs or guns, but a big pet peeve of mine is how many coat pockets BULGE rather unsexily when the smallest items are inserted - not so with this baby. Handmade, expertly stitched, beautifully lined . . . I’ll have to take some pictures to show you guys what you’re missing.

Head to Arboretum (or just call them?) to grab this beauty. I noticed they had one left (size 40?). Just north of San Francisco, this shop is far and away the most extensive ‘ethical’ and/or ‘eco’ fashion boutique I’ve come across anywhere in the States.

Yes, that’s me in the picture above, standing in front of a Helen Garber painting (genius painter, tip-top person). As I’m freshly shaven (I only shave every two weeks or so as this cuts down on razor use and we all know how mining for razor metals depletes the earth, right? See THIS POST for more info on my shaving obsession.), I did my best in photoshop to simulate some growth. Some of you may notice the doctoring, likely only those of you who work with photo manipulation professionally.