Discovering a new sustainable start-up always feels like finding a treasure. Seeing young people that are truly being innovative and are thinking outside the box inspire me. Finding out about the brand JOLENE was like finding one of those treasures to me. The owner of the brand, Joanne, decided that it was time for change and launched two beautiful, sustainable and versatile blazers. I'm really proud to support her along the way to spread the word about her brand.
JOLENE's background story
JOLENE was founded in 2019 with a mission to make the world a little better by producing sustainable clothing. They wanted to prove that fashion doesn't always have to impact the environment negatively and consider sustainability for nature, animals and their supply chain.
The brand doesn't work with seasons for their collections. The result: versatile items that can be worn all year around. Honestly, you can't make me happier than by creating an item that can go into my spring/summer and my autumn/winter capsule and this blazer is exactly that kind of item. New items are only added when the old ones have been sold out. This avoids overproduction and ensures no items are wasted.
Their collection entirely gets produced by hand in the Netherlands, which reduces their carbon footprint and ensures it's easy for the brand to check their entire supply chain.
Fabrics and sustainability
This blazer is made from 100% organic wool and therefore can be fully recycled. Harvesting the wool goes in an animal friendly way and the farms are certified by the Green Trace label. This means that the sheep at all times are free from hunger, thirst, discomfort, pain, illness and have the freedom to live a stress free life. The Green Trace label also allows JOLENE to track back the entire supply chain of the material.
The lining of this blazer is made from a material that was completely new to me: Cupro. Cupro is a natural fiber created from the leftovers from cotton production. It's got a silk-like feeling and is breathable like cotton. Such an innovative product, I'm sure we will hear more about in the future.
My experience
What stood out to me immediately when seeing this blazer was the design. It's different from regular blazers because of the length and the long sleeves. The long sleeves give an effortlessly chic over-sized look. You also have the option to turn them up to make the look a bit more classic and for the moments you need your hands free.
The smart design continues with the pockets. These are big enough to fit all your important belonging, so you could choose to leave your bag at home. The pocket on the right side also comes with a small divider pocket to fit some cards/cash or your phone if you have a smaller model. The pockets also come with a flap that can be worn inside or outside for a different look.
It has surprised me how this blazer can be styled from casual to chic like in the three pictures above. The colour is very neutral which even gives you to option to layer it onto something with a print. Endless combinations are possible which makes this item a great building block for any sustainable wardrobe.
Even though the blazer is made from 100% wool, you can't feel this whilst wearing it due to the soft and fine texture of the wool and the comfortable lining.
I went for size M, as the blazer does run slightly small and I decided that I also wanted to be able to layer it on top of a jumper for the autumn/winter season.
As always, please comment below if you have any questions about the brand, the fit, the blazer or anything else and I'll try and answer them as soon as possible.
Yours in sustainability,
Inge
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