It's a wool blend felt jacket, with an oversized
cut
and white stitching on the sleeves, pockets and edges.
It is also, and above all, a jacket with an integrated scarf, made in the same fabric with the same details.
Presented for the first time in 2021, for the Pre Fall 2022 collection from the Swedish brand Toteme, it immediately conquered the Scandinavians' wardrobe.
During 2022, it spread to the rest of Europe, reaching a peak in popularity in 2023.
One would have thought that she would remain stuck at the start of the new year, but that would have been without taking into account the appearance of Lisa, from the K-pop group BlackPink, who appeared in mid-January dressed in the model, at the airport from Incheon, South Korea.
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This famous jacket is therefore a creation of the Swedish ready-to-wear brand Toteme, founded in 2014 by Elin Kling, network personality, and her husband Karl Lindman.
Their design is based on clean silhouettes, original cuts and high-quality fabrics.
If they offer dozens of interesting pieces, it is this jacket, sold today for €880, which has propelled them to the forefront of the fashion scene in 2022.
Network star
Some call this jacket a
scoat
, a contraction of the words scarf and coat in English, “
scarf
” and “
coat
”.
They are very popular at the moment - Phoebe Philo offers a version in black leather - and are even available on sweaters and cardigans.
At Toteme, the
scoat
jacket comes in four colors: light gray, dark gray, brown and beige, going up to 44. The piece has 27 million views on TikTok, which is significant, but not mind-blowing.
The cradle that the Chinese platform constitutes for the virality of certain fashion pieces is no secret.
To get an idea of comparison, the brown leather jacket from Zara reached 65 million views, the bayonetta glasses 55 million and the Uniqlo fanny packs 139 million.
On Instagram too, the Toteme jacket is very present, with influencers aged 25-35 loving to take photos of themselves with it.
Part of its success perhaps lies precisely in the fact that it is visually recognizable at first glance, therefore being very “
instagrammable
”.
Three other reasons are possible.
The reasons for success
The first explanation could be the advent of the
clean girl aesthetic.
This originally called natural beauty treatments, with lots of facial treatments and very little makeup.
She then expanded to clothing, pointing out the look of these girls who always look clean and well-groomed.
Their wardrobe is made up of plain pieces in sober, mainly light colors, such as white shirts or beige pleated pants.
The second reason lies simply in the comfort provided by this type of wide wool pieces, a little cocooning and easy for the off-season.
The last, finally, is the advent of Scandinavian fashion.
Brands like Ganni, Rotate, Arket, Acne Studios, Stine Goya and Cecilie Bahnsen are growing and gaining recognition, just like Copenhagen Fashion Week, where they show twice a year.
A shadow on the board
Only one problem, perhaps, emerges.
Like all viral and trendy pieces, the Toteme jacket has dupes (literally, lures, counterfeits, therefore) which are popping up everywhere.
They have the advantage of being cheaper, sometimes 30 euros, and of existing in colors other than those of the Swedish brand, such as green or navy blue.
Talia Abbas, shopping editor of American
Vogue
, explains in the November edition: “I bought the black Toteme jacket last fall, and I thought it would have more longevity in my wardrobe.
(...) I have the impression that everyone has one, true or false, and they lose their shine.
Those who don't like to wear seen and reviewed pieces, too viral, too recognizable, will find alternatives.
If they like the brand, they will draw from recent Toteme collections for other pieces with integrated scarves, such as a long coat or a down jacket.
Fans of the integrated scarf concept can turn to other brands, like & Other Stories, which offer a more timeless version in plain gray.
On your (Scandinavian) marks, set, go!