OUR STORY

ABOUT DRIFTLESS GOODS

Driftless Goods is an online store, gallery and brand for people who like exceptionally nice things and would prefer not to wrap themselves in plastic. 

Outdoor brands and outdoor apparel can be overly technical and geared towards extreme sports. While most of us don’t have the same needs as someone climbing K2, our life still demands functionality out of our clothing. Despite the marketing we’ve been sold, it’s not necessary to use synthetic textiles to get that functionality or “performance”. And given the challenges the apparel industry faces such as, microplastic pollution in our organs and oceans, growing emissions contributing to climate change and a waste crisis - designing to reduce or eliminate those impacts seems pretty important.

Here is where we started:

  • Design for Longevity - high quality materials + timeless designs
  • Domestic Supply Chain - so we aren't zipping materials around the globe.
  • 100% Wool Fleece - no blends here
  • Regenerative & Organic Sourcing - puts carbon back in the soil where we need it.
  • Plastic-free Fabric & Trims -that can safely return to earth as nutrients.

Fleece outerwear is just the beginning, there are many more bio-based surprises in the pipeline. 

MISSION

To make really nice things people need:

  • made with beautiful and functional natural materials 
  • with the hope that you will love them and care for them for a long time
  • that at their eventual end of life can safely return to soil as nutrients
  • in partnership with people working to support and restore our planet and communities

FOUNDER STORY

Hello Friends. 

To maybe better understand the brand, here is a bit about me, Caroline Priebe, Founder of Driftless Goods.

Why I started Driftless Goods:

I live in an old home that gets quite cold in the Wisconsin winters and I wanted something cozy and warm to wear in the house but that also could be worn to walk the dogs, walk my kid to and from school, go to the gym, get coffee, you get the idea. I own a few synthetic fleece jackets but was jealous of my toddler’s that was made out of wool. My best friend in London felt the same way about her toddler’s wool fleece. I guessed we weren’t alone, so I started there. Coincidentally, as a sustainability consultant, I was also designing hypothetical business models using the biocycle to educate clients about circular design - I had already designed the business model and decided to be the change I wanted to see. In the spring of 2022, I wrote a lot of emails to see if I could find people who cared about the same things I did. I was introduced to Jeanne Carver, an ambitious and visionary rancher and I built a new domestic supply chain utilizing her Shaniko regenerative wool fiber. After much patience, partnership and persistence, here we are. 

My design philosophy:

I’ve never been a designer motivated by trends. I love designing really nice things with the hope that you will love, care for and keep the things I design for a very long time. 

In addition, my design process involves designing ethical supply chains because I believe a garment is only as beautiful as its origins.

My experience:

I’ve been really lucky to work with amazing brands big and small but this is not a resumé. If you are curious you can visit my Linkedin profile here.