What You’re Wearing, Part 3: Down

Misconceptions about down are everywhere — fill power, proper care, and animal welfare are all often wildly misunderstood. So today, in part 3 of our “What You’re Wearing” miniseries, we talk to Matthew Betcher of Allied Feather & Down, a company that works with and supplies down for some of the biggest names in the outdoor industry. (There’s a good chance your down jacket is stuffed with Allied down.)

Matthew and I discuss down’s fascinating entrance into the outdoor industry; the physical characteristics that make down such a high-performance fiber; the myths about “fill power” caused by marketing strategies; why and how you should DEFINITELY wash your down apparel; animal welfare & the Responsible Down Standard; and much more.

Have a garment containing Allied down? Check out trackmydown.com to learn about where it came from.

TOPICS & TIMES:

• Klaus Obermeyer ‘inventing’ the down jacket (2:40)
• What does a “fill-power” rating actually mean? (8:03)
• Duck Down vs. Goose Down (24:15)
• How Down is different than feathers (30:21)
• Tips for washing your down!! (36:55)
• Animal Welfare (49:40)
• The Responsible Down Standard (56:27)
• Down-proof fabrics (59:20)
• Trackmydown.com (1:06:04)
• The future of down (1:07:10)

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