Have you heard of the brand The Arrivals? They do one thing and one thing well: outerwear. I should’ve mentioned last week, but it bears telling you now: I’m probably just as obsessed with outerwear as I am with boots.
Interestingly, The Arrivals was founded by two people who had no experience in the fashion industry: entrepreneur Kal Vepuri, and former architect Jeff Johnson. You know I love a good start up story!
While the cuts and tailoring of their outerwear caught my eye, what really got me excited was seeing the mix of materials they use across their garments. Materials like rubberized leather in this moto jacket lend a really cool, unique take on traditional silhouettes (I’m also not mad at the functionality — you can order that jacket with a removable interior liner for extra warmth). The Arrivals’ About page talks more about the dedication to great materials by explaining how they found “a waterproof suede from Italy while in Paris, a rare Japanese raw denim while in NYC, and traveled to Vancouver to find a high-tech waterproof micro-mesh shell.” They write, “we are steadfast on finding the highest quality materials to create innovative outerwear and will travel the world to bring them directly to you.” Yes, please.
You can see a lot of their designs veer towards classic, but with modern updates and interesting details — like a beautifully done shearling collar (that’s detachable), extra flap pockets on an otherwise traditional long overcoat, or a down-filled bomber jacket done in an of-the-moment blush pink.
I think where they really shine is in moto jackets. Holy shiz, the styling on these! From this insanely cool mustard yellow number, to this high contrast white and black one, or this gorgeous dark navy version, I’d seriously take them all. I signed up for the waitlist on the rubberized version yesterday — I really can’t get over the matte effect on this leather. I don’t think I’ve seen anything quite like it.
Prices? They range, really. As expected, if you’re buying a specialty leather jacket with lots of detailing that’s made by a super skilled craftsman, the price is going to be steep (like between about $600-$800). I find that their wool and cotton pieces are on par with a lot of contemporary brands — the cropped wool jacket at the top of this post sets you back $185, and several of the larger parks and overcoats are priced in the $300s (or less). So not terrible, and certainly standard for a winter coat investment.
One more thing to tell you before I leave you to ogle and drool. A lot of The Arrivals’ pieces are actually unisex, which I think is kinda cool! And they have a separate mens outerwear line, so give it a look if you’ve got a guy in your life still on the hunt for a winter coat.
I have to also tell you that when the end of summer hits, I begin obsessively looking for coats online — not usually to buy, often just to get inspired. I think a gorgeous coat or jacket can completely make an outfit, especially if like me you lean towards a capsule wardrobe. There are brands that always make coats I find beautiful (Vince and Theory come to mind; I also recently bought a coat from Harris Wharf London and find their tailoring to be incredible). But it’s been rare that I’ve found a brand devoted to outerwear, scrolled through their catalog, and said YES to basically everything. I was so excited to discover The Arrivals recently, and can’t wait to see what they come up with next! (PS, if you want a little more background on the founders, check out this great interview they did with Tory Burch here).
