shopping local | wood & meadow

Anyone who has followed this blog for a while may have noticed that this ‘fashion, lifestyle and travel blogger’ rarely blogs about fashion anymore. Joli House has become a ‘knitting, lifestyle, sometimes travel and occasionally fashion’ blog these days, and to be honest that’s perfectly fine with me! Fashion always seemed like an airy term for someone who isn’t exactly groundbreaking in their outfit choices. These days, if I do blog about personal style (as I prefer to call it), it’s usually because I’ve found a cool brand I think you should know about, or because I want to rant. Luckily you’ll be spared the rant today as I have a new brand to share – a local, ethical, sustainable one nonetheless.

Wood & Meadow have recently launched a line of unisex work jackets, and yours truly was kindly offered a jacket of my choice. I deliberated between the navy corduroy and moss moleskin, but I’m happy with my decision in the end! All the jackets are made in Blackburn, Lancashire, with fabric sourced in Todmorden, also Lancashire, and only the buttons make a long journey from the faraway land of Gloucestershire. All of the above makes my little Lancashire heart very happy. You know a brand really is local when it turns out the owner is your dad’s mate’s brother-in-law. Small world, eh?

Since Wood & Meadow are so local I drove over to the factory for a nosey a couple of weeks ago; might as well find out #WhoMadeMyClothes when the opportunity arises. At that point only the first batch of navy cotton jackets were in production, so all I saw of my jacket-to-be were the boxes of cut out pieces. Knowing exactly where my clothes are made, who makes them, and that they’re being paid a decent wage is something I want to pay more attention to in the coming year: it’s better for the environment, better for the local industries… you know the drill. Shop local when you can, folks!

Sustainable and ethical credits aside, they’re just really nice jackets. Mine feels like excellent quality and perfect for British weather – the ‘shacket’ style looks good layered under a big winter coat, and also over summer dresses when summer is inevitably Not That Warm. I like it worn both belted and open, and am a big fan of the huge pockets without any fiddly flaps or buttons. Very sleek! I’m wearing the unisex size small which I don’t think would fit any of the men in my life, but I can imagine it looks just as good on men too.

Apparently the idea behind the brand was to produce a simple, staple jacket that’s as suited to days outdoors as it is in a city – hence the name. It’s not exactly *the* most outdoorsy jacket given the lack of hood and non-waterproof fabric, but it certainly wouldn’t look out of place out for a stroll. I fully intend to wear (and photograph) mine somewhere with a bit more nature, but for now the trusty brick wall will do! Not exactly an iconic Lancashire location but a reliable one nonetheless. Hiding from drizzzle underneath a railway arch is an authentic Northern experience.