So next time you’re in the shopping mood, consider looking deeper and further beyond those colorful patterns, the warm down in that parka and the wool in your baselayers.

Toad & Co Merino Merritt Hoodie

The Toad & Co Merino Merritt hoodie is soft and itch-free and has the certified non-mulesed label. Mulesing is a horrific practice. Right up there with declawing cats.

The wool around sheep’s butt can become rancid with poop and pee, which attracts flies that lays eggs and turn into maggots and start eating the sheep’s butt.

During the mulesing process, strips of wool-bearing skin are removed from around the animal’s bum so that wool doesn’t grow. You can feel good –both physically and metaphorically—knowing that the wool of your Merino Merritt Hoodie came from sheep that happily graze in the high pastures of New Zealand, with the skin around their butts fully intact. Toadandco.com | $199

Patagonia Dusty Mesa Fleece Parka

Wool and cotton are my preferred fibers (over polyesters and nylons) because they’re biodegradable and not oil-dependent. But once in a while, a synthetic piece comes along that is made from recycled and repurposed fabrics. I get on board with these because the end result reduces the amount of toxins and chemicals used across the textile industry.

The Patagonia Dusty Mesa Fleece Parka is made of 100 percent recycled half-inch pile fleece. The nylon trim and lining is also 100 percent recycled from the waste of weaving mills. The fact that Patagonia managed this feat should come as no surprise. They were the first outdoor apparel company to use fleece made from recycled plastic bottles, which lessens our dependence on petroleum, reduces landfill waste and causes less air, water, and soil contamination compared to using non-recycled nylon.

As a parka, the Dusty Mesa Fleece parka hits at mid-thigh, is warm and snuggly and its relaxed fit means you have room for a base- and midlayer for those colder days. Full review coming soon. Patagonia.com | $199

Prana Sonatina Dress

At one time, ethical fashion meant drab, style-blind clothes made from hemp or scratchy organic cotton worn only by a niche following. The Prana Sonatina dress is made from 100 percent organic cotton and is Fair Trade certified. What exactly is organic cotton (as opposed to non-organic cotton)?

Organic cotton is handpicked to allow the purity of each fiber to be preserved and undamaged in the process. This results in a softer and more durable product. Organic cotton also comes from natural seeds, uses no pesticides or other harmful chemicals and bugs are controlled with insects that kill the pests instead of chemicals. This makes organic cotton safer for you skin. Farmers who raise organic cotton rotate the crops from one soil to another each growing season, leading to healthier crops.

Regular cotton starts with genetically modified seeds to build resistance to bugs. Over time bugs build resistance and require pesticides. Regular cotton is usually machine-picked to feed the appetites of the masses.

This rush-job degrades the purity of the fibers and damages the fibers in the picking process, leading to loss and waste. And unlike organic cotton, which is rotated each growing season, regular cotton is grown on the same soil which degrades the soil quality and nutrients.

When you see the Fair Trade certified label, and you wonder what it means, it means that the garment abides by the Fair trade guidelines to promote trade that is equal and just and not made using unethical practices such as sweatshop or child labor. prana.com | $90

Helly Hansen Verglas Long Insulator

It’s what’s inside that counts and the Helly Hansen Verglas Long Insulator 700-fill down comes as a result of a partnership between Helly Hansen and ALLIED Feather & Down, a supplier who sources its down globally from farmers who have pledged allegiance to the Responsible Down Standard (RDS).

In a perfect world, the down in your jacket, sleeping bag, gloves and comforter come as the byproduct of the food industry. Geese and ducks are raised on farms with good food, fresh air, clean water and warm beds.

When big enough, they’re slaughtered for their meat and the sleeve of a down jacket is filled. Unlucky birds in imperfect worlds are forcibly live-plucked several times a year for their entire lives–then slaughtered for their meat and bloated livers.

That’s what makes this parka so special. Its down comes from the perfect world side—as told by its TrackmyDown.com hangtag of 0808L18F046 where I learned its full story. hellyhansen.com | $300

Duckfeet Arhus Boots

If Nordic style is your thing, the ultimate form of hygge in footwear is the Duckfeet Arhus. Handcrafted from vegetable-tanned leather, its smell, feel, the way it changes color with time is simply dreamy. Plus it’s also considerably more environmentally-friendly than chrome-tanned leather.

Chrome tanning, which began in the mid-19th century to mass produce leather products en masse uses chromium salts. If not managed correctly, these chemicals and other substances (like arsenic, acids and lead) can end up in the local water supply contributing to devasting consequences for humans and the environment. In terms of timing, a batch of chrome tanned leather can be completed in one day.

Vegetable tanning is the most natural tanning method. It has been around for centuries. Vegetable tanning uses tannin, a substance that naturally occurs in the bark of trees like oak and chestnut for example. It is these tannins into which hides are immersed for several weeks.

However, the method is costly due to the traditional process, the need of highly skilled craftsmen and the long production time of around 60 days for a batch. duckfeetusa.com | $298

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What I Love

Warmth. My testing environment for the Kora Shola 230 Crew is literally all over the board. I have worn it as a baselayer when cycling in temperatures as low as thirty-five degrees and trail running in temperatures as high as forty-eight degrees. When worn on its own, I was comfortable. When worn as a baselayer under a lightweight jacket, I was too warm. This leads me to believe that when winter’s full fury is bearing down on me, I’m covered. Yak wool, according to Shora, is “40% warmer weight for weight, 66% more breathable and is 17% better at transporting water vapor away from the skin” than Merino wool.

I couldn’t validate that the Kora Shola 230 Crew is “40 percent” warmer than my somewhat-comparable Smartwool 240 g baselayer during the test without wearing a shirt that was half Smartwool and half Kora Shola Crew, and then spending a day outside in the cold running, cycling, hiking, whatever. So I resorted to common sense and a visit to Wikipedia to learn about yaks. Yaks live at high elevation (up to 19,000 feet above sea level). Snow, wind, sleet, hail, rain, yaks are unfazed by Mother Nature’s wrath. They’ve adapted to their surroundings by growing a soft wool under their shaggy outer coats to keep them warm and comfortable all year. Merino sheep, on the other hand, generally live at 3,200 feet above sea level. It makes sense that the animal that lives high in the Himalayas is going to produce warmer wool than the Merino sheep that gets to enjoy the temperate climates at a reasonable elevation.

Just as breathable as Merino wool. No matter how much mountain biking, bike commuting or trail running I did outside in temperatures that hovered between thirty and forty degrees, I never felt drowning in perspiration.

Just as long-wearing as Merino wool. I wore the Kora Shola Crew’s every day for eight days of bike commuting, mountain biking and trail running before I couldn’t stand it any longer.

Size. Spot on. I always wear a size small and my size small sample is fitted enough to wear under mid-layer or heavier jacket without feeling bunchy or restrictive. The length is ideal. It falls at my hip, making it long enough in the back and in the arms to wear for cycling.

Soft. This blew me away. It is much softer against my skin than even the fine-grade Merino wool. No rubbing, chafing or itching. I saw a lot of yak pictures while researching these leggings. Yaks have long, scraggly, dreadlocks. It doesn’t seem possible that the Shora 230 Crew would feel as silky and soft as they actually did.

Humanely-harvested wool. Yak wool is collected only during their natural bi-annual shed when the yak farmer (almost literally) walks around the pasture picking up the shedded undercoat from the ground and giving the yak a nice brushing (which they probably love because it feels good). No shearing or sharp objects required. Merino sheep are still sheared.

What I didn’t Like

Price. At $145, it could feel like taking a bullet for some buyers. But I’m a firm believe that you get what you pay for. The Kola Shora 230 Crew is many things. It’s great for anything that involves high-intensity pursuits in cold weather like fatbiking, trail running, cross-country skiing, downhill skiing, snowshoeing and hiking. When you think about it this way, $145 for a baselayer that plays this many roles, it isn’t so bad.

Final Thoughts

You need one. I highly recommend the Kora Shola 230 Crew. Yes, they’re pricey but if you’re looking to treat yourself to a quality piece of outdoor gear to keep you comfortable outside for years to come, and for a wide variety of outdoor pursuits, give them some consideration. So far this fall I’ve been wearing it for trail running and cycling on cooler days–both on its own and under a light jacket. But I am confident that I can wear this baselayer for winter camping, snowshoeing, cross-country and downhill skiing.

That’s why I love this baselayer so much. It’s relevant for every cool- or cold-weather activity.

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