What fabric combines the grace of emperors with the hardiness of some of the most daring mountain climbers to ever walk the earth? If your first thought was “Loden!” then congratulations, you’ve just passed the Advanced History of Textiles class that your university should have offered.

Loden is a premium, natural wool fabric with a storied past. Created centuries ago in the Austrian and Bavarian Alps, Loden answered the needs of the mountain populations that invented it. It’s 60% denser than standard wool textiles, which makes it durable, toasty-warm, and weather resistant. Its windbreaking and water-resistant properties make it a great choice for outerwear, and it naturally resists pilling. Clothes made out of Loden wool are made to stand the test of time, and stand it they have.

For years, this durable, comfortable, artisanal mountain fabric was worn primarily by the people who lived and worked in the Alps, but eventually the aristocracy got wind of it. By the late 1800s, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria was insisting on Loden clothing. He commissioned the wool manufacturer Mössner to make Loden outerwear worthy of an emperor, and the iconic Loden coat was born.

To make our premium Loden pieces, we’ve teamed with Leichtfried 1884, a family-run Austrian producer that specializes in Loden fabrics. They produce the highest-quality Loden textiles using 100% Australian Merino wool in a wide range of colors. They have a stellar reputation in the haute-couture world, but even more important to us are Leichtfried’s four core values: quality, innovation, sustainability, and respect for tradition. Here at TELLIN, those are some ideals we can really get behind! Our Everest jacket puts those values first: we took the long and beautiful tradition of Loden coats back to the drawing board and rebuilt it from the ground up. Carefully considered and meticulously constructed, our durable, timeless Clément and Aurore jackets are as steeped in history as it is brimming with innovation.