Loden
The great cloth of the Alps — boiled wool that turns weather, and the houses that made it: Lodenfrey, Steinbock, Schneiders.
Loden is a weatherproof wool cloth from the Tyrol, woven loosely then fulled — boiled and beaten until the fibers matt into a dense, weather-turning felt. Walkloden is the classic smooth boiled version; Strichloden is brushed into a water-shedding nap, first made water-repellent by Munich's Lodenfrey in 1872. The traditional Hubertus coat, with its back vent and throat latch, is cut from it.
The cloth of the Alps.
Loden began in the Tyrol as a hard-wearing homespun — wool woven loosely, then fulled: boiled and beaten until the fibres matt into a dense, weather-turning felt. Farmers and foresters wore it against alpine winters for centuries before it became a mark of country elegance across Austria, Bavaria and far beyond.
Two kinds are worth knowing. Walkloden is the classic boiled cloth — smooth, firm, almost windproof. Strichloden is brushed into a long, water-shedding nap; Lodenfrey of Munich wove the first truly water-repellent Strichloden in 1872. The traditional loden coat — the Hubertus, with its back vent, throat latch and often a caped shoulder — is cut for movement and for weather.
The houses worth knowing.
- 01Lodenfrey — Munich The Bavarian house (from 1842) that wove the first water-repellent Strichloden in 1872, and carried the Hubertus coat far beyond the Alps.
- 02Moessmer — South Tyrol A Puster Valley mill from 1894, among the oldest in the Alps — weaving loden through the whole cycle, from raw wool to finished cloth prized well beyond its own coats.
- 03Steinbock — Tyrol A Tyrolean loden house from Telfs, known for soft alpaca-and-wool blends, long-pile walk cloth, stag-horn buttons and leather trims.
- 04Schneiders — Salzburg The Salzburg outerwear house (from 1946) that became the loden maker par excellence — maker of the Hubertus and the waxed Dirtl trench, long sought by vintage collectors in Italy.
- 05Habsburg — Austria An Austrian country house long regarded for high-quality loden and alpine tailoring.
- 06Giesswein — Tyrol A Tyrolean maker working wool and loden in the alpine tradition.
"Loden was made to be worn for thirty winters. Most of it still has twenty left."— Anemoia Vestiaire, on loden
What the cloth
tells you.
Density is the first thing: a well-fulled loden feels firm and closed rather than open and woolly, and that density is what turns weather. Then the finish — whether it is smooth Walkloden or the long, brushed nap of Strichloden. Then the fittings, which on the alpine houses are often the giveaway: stag-horn buttons, leather trims, a throat latch, a deep back vent cut for walking.
Why vintage loden
holds.
Boiled loden was never disposable. A good alpine coat from earlier decades is often heavier and more densely fulled than the same money buys new — and it has already proven it lasts. The classic houses are quietly collected, yet vintage loden remains one of the most under-priced ways to own a genuinely serious winter coat.
Loden in the archive.
About Loden.
What is loden fabric?
Loden is a hard-wearing wool cloth that began in the Tyrol as homespun for farmers and foresters. It's woven loosely, then fulled — boiled and beaten until the fibers matt into a dense, weather-turning felt — which is what gives it its near-windproof quality.
What is the difference between Walkloden and Strichloden?
Walkloden is the classic boiled loden cloth — smooth, firm, and almost windproof. Strichloden is brushed into a long, water-shedding nap; Munich's Lodenfrey wove the first truly water-repellent Strichloden in 1872, a milestone in the cloth's development.
What is a Hubertus coat?
The Hubertus is the traditional loden coat silhouette, cut for movement and weather, typically featuring a back vent, a throat latch, and often a caped shoulder. It remains the classic form the alpine loden houses are best known for.
Which houses are known for loden?
Notable loden makers include Lodenfrey of Munich (founded 1842, wove the first water-repellent Strichloden in 1872), Moessmer of South Tyrol (founded 1894), Steinbock of Tyrol, Schneiders of Salzburg (founded 1946, maker of the Hubertus and the waxed Dirtl trench), Habsburg, and Giesswein.
Is vintage loden a good coat to buy?
Boiled loden was never disposable — a good alpine coat from earlier decades is often heavier and more densely fulled than the same money buys new, and it has already proven it lasts. Vintage loden remains one of the most under-priced ways to own a genuinely serious winter coat.