Shedding down jacket makes me sad.

December 1, 2010 10:34 AM

My long down coat sheds, and I end up at work with feathers all over me. Is there a way to fix this? Seal it?

I have an ankle-length down coat for cold Chicago winters. It keeps me nice and toasty. Unfortunately, it also sheds a bit. Not full leaking feathers by any means, but little feather-fuzz that's very apparent on dark clothing when I take off the coat.

I generally wear a fleece jacket as another layer under it, so it doesn't shed on my blouse, but my pants end up covered in fuzz that I have to lint-roll off. I got a barely-squelched giggle from the office admin today when I arrived at work; this is getting annoying. It doesn't shed on the outside, just little feather fuzzies on the inside.

Can anything be done to help minimize this? It's already been dry-cleaned and washed. I already wear the fleece under the top, I can't imagine going into work wearing giant pants over my work pants.

posted by juniperesque to Home & Garden (6 answers total)

Is this a relatively new coat? One from a reasonably reputable company? I would be returning that for a refund, and not expecting any hassle about getting one.
posted by kmennie at 10:43 AM on December 1, 2010

Response by poster: @kmennie: Good question, I should have clarified. It's 3 years old, Steve Madden, bought at a TJ Maxx type store. It's always shed a little bit like all down coats do, but I feel like this year I took it out of the closet and it was worse, which is probably more of a confirmation bias than anything else because this is the first winter I'm having to wear suits to work.
posted by juniperesque at 11:04 AM on December 1, 2010

The only way to deal with this is to seal all the interior seams (or all the ones that leak, if it is some in particular). You could use seam sealing goop or iron-on seam sealing tape, but either way, it will change the look of the interior of the coat significantly. If there is any way to return the coat, that would be the best option (likely a too-large needle was used to sew the seams). Otherwise, it might be time to invest in a better-quality coat.
posted by ssg at 11:05 AM on December 1, 2010

"...Steve Madden, bought at a TJ Maxx type store."

"Otherwise, it might be time to invest in a better-quality coat."

As the British say, "Rahther!"
posted by BostonTerrier at 11:23 AM on December 1, 2010

I live in Maine and have had a couple of down items. Cheap down does this more than better down, because cheap down is made of bigger feathers that are more likely to poke through, as well as the inner fabric being probably a bit too thin. L.L. Bean or Lands End will have good quality, and stand behind it with an excellent guarantee. While you save up for a new down coat, your coat needs the equivalent of a slip. Use Freecycle or a thrift shop to find a coat liner or an old coat whose lining you can remove to use. LLBean sells a raincoat that has a removable liner; maybe they sell a replacement? My really warm LLBean parka uses superduper thinsulate instead of down. It's less pricey and still too warm for most weather. Bonus: machine washable.
posted by theora55 at 12:01 PM on December 1, 2010

Aren't the feathers working their way out of the seams where the thread goes in and out? Won't this happen eventually with any down coat, however high the thread count of the fabric? I have a high-thread-count down comforter and the feathers still work their way out through the seams occasionally.
posted by bad grammar at 5:18 PM on December 1, 2010