I wasn’t sure what to expect when I bought this Ten C liner. The Italian outerwear company offers all sorts of add-ons for their outerwear – body and hood liners made from felted wool, down, and shearling. I bought a few last year and like them, but the hood liners are admittedly more decorative than anything.
This body liner, however, is fantastic. It goes well underneath all of Ten C’s outerwear, as you’d expect, with the shearling collar adding a bit of visual interest to whatever else you’re wearing. It can also be worn on its own. In fact, that’s how I’ve been mostly wearing it this past winter. Paired with my 3sixteen jeans and a chunky knit, it serves as a nice in-between piece when you want something warmer than a field jacket, but don’t want to deal with the bulk of a parka.
The secret to a liner’s insulation is the quilting, where individual chambers trap warmth. Inside, any number of materials can be used for batting (the technical term for the warming middle layer). Sometimes you’ll find cotton, which doesn’t have much loft, but comes in different thicknesses. That’s probably what your grandmother used to make her quilted blankets. More commonly, however, you’ll find down or polyester (the latter being sometimes referred to as “microfiber”). Their high-loft makes them warmer and lighter weight than cotton, and they’ll hold up better after multiple washings.
Unfortunately, Ten C doesn’t make this liner anymore. It’s been replaced by a model with a darker suede body and channel-quilted sleeves. I don’t think the design works as well on its own, but who knows – I didn’t think this one would be anything either.
For those interested, East Dane has a bunch of Ten C jackets on sale. Included are my two favorite models, the fishtail and deck parkas. This liner is great, but its in their outerwear where Ten C really shines.
Pictured above: Liner by Ten C | Jeans by 3sixteen | Boots by Kapital | Sweater by A Kind of Guise | Wallet by The Flat Head | Bracelets from Self Edge and Len Wood’s Indian Territory