Toteme, Explained: The Scarf Jacket, the Signature Coat, the Jeans and the T-Lock

Toteme is the label Elin Kling and Karl Lindman founded in New York in 2014 and have run from Stockholm since 2016. It is built on a handful of pieces worn like a uniform: an oversized wool coat, the scarf jacket, jeans with a twisted side seam, the T-lock bag and a slim boot with a squared, pointed toe. If you buy one Toteme piece this fall, make it the Signature doublé coat, in black if your wardrobe is mostly black, gray and denim. Choose camel instead if it runs to ivory, gray and chocolate. If you already own a good coat, start with the jeans: they cost a fraction of the outerwear and are the best value in the house. Below: the story, the codes, Toteme's own fit notes for each signature, what lasts and what dates, how it compares with The Row, Khaite and Max Mara, and five outfits for fall.

Where Toteme comes from

Kling built a following online and launched a fashion magazine, Styleby, in 2011; Lindman, a former art director, is also her husband. The couple were living in New York when they founded Toteme in 2014 and moved back to Stockholm in 2016, Vogue reported in 2019, the year the brand opened its Stockholm flagship and launched shoes. Bags followed in 2022, led by the T-lock, and jewelry in 2023. In January 2024 the house marked its tenth anniversary with its first Paris runway show, and Kling told WWD: "now we are very confident in our uniform." It has shown in New York as well as Paris since, and in August 2026 it added menswear. Its own website spelled the name Totême, with a circumflex, until October 2022, and has written TOTEME since.

In 2021 the private-equity firm Altor bought a minority stake, with the founders remaining majority shareholders. Altor puts Toteme's 2024 turnover above €100 million and lists Johanna Andersson as chief executive. In 2023 Vogue Business reported that the US and China were jointly the brand's biggest markets. Toteme is also a certified B Corporation. On Vêtir, Toteme was the 11th most-searched brand by number of users in our search box's first seven weeks, August 6 to September 26, 2026.

The Toteme uniform: palette, proportion and Garderob

Three habits make the look. The first is a narrow palette: most of what Toteme sells comes in black, white, ecru or gray. Camel and the browns are its warm side. Vogue's 2019 report on the Stockholm flagship found the clean lines and neutral palette "quintessentially Scandinavian," with "a whiff of old Céline"; Kling, an admirer of Phoebe Philo, told the magazine the two brands can't be compared. The second is proportion: the volume goes on top, in coats cut oversized on purpose, over straight jeans and a narrow boot. The third is repetition. Toteme's Garderob line (garderob is Swedish for wardrobe) holds the pieces with, in the brand's words, "a permanent place in the TOTEME wardrobe," and Altor describes a high share of recurring styles. Buy from Garderob for longevity and from the runway only for love.

Two motifs come back season after season, the scarf and the monogram. Toteme says its very first product was a monogram beach towel, now part of its Garderob summer edit, and Kling told WWD in January that silk scarves remain one of the brand's best-performing categories.

A note on color: Vêtir's stylists keep camel, tan and brown away from black and from navy and blue denim. The camel outfit below stays with ivory, ecru and other browns.

Toteme coats: the Signature doublé coat, and which to buy first

The Signature doublé coat is the one Toteme keeps returning to: introducing a longer version for Garderob, the house wrote that the original "has been in the TOTEME wardrobe for years." It is cut from a double-faced cloth of 90 percent wool and 10 percent cashmere, finished by hand, with shawl lapels and an open front, so there is nothing to button. At that blend it wears like a soft wool coat rather than a cashmere one, as our guide to the best cashmere coats explains. It costs about a third of Max Mara's 101801, also sold as the Madame, which uses a similar blend of 90 percent virgin wool and 10 percent cashmere but is double-breasted, with horn buttons, a matching internal belt and a cupro lining (see our Max Mara coats guide).

Which color first. Black, if your wardrobe runs to black, gray, white and denim. Camel, if it runs to ivory, gray and chocolate. The longer Garderob version comes in black and in hazel, with longer sleeves, and measures 132 cm (about 52 inches) in a small against 126 cm (50 inches) for the original, which is already a long coat. Choose it only if you are tall. If you are petite, look instead at the cropped Signature doublé jacket: the same shawl lapels and open front, cut short, in all wool.

The catch. An open front suits October, not a Midwestern January. For a coat that fastens, the Rounded peacoat is double-breasted, fully lined and cut to the top of the thigh, but read its label: Toteme calls it a wool-cashmere blend, and the cloth is 73 percent recycled wool, 22 percent recycled polyamide and 5 percent recycled cashmere. The Classic tailored coat is Toteme's oversized take on a Crombie, lined in the house's windowpane check; it is the one to wear over a blazer. The Hoodie coat, new this season in wool doublé with a generous hood, is open like the Signature, and its full-length version adds a matching belt. Of these, the Hoodie is the likeliest to look like 2026 in a few years, and the Signature the least. Compare more designer coats.

The Toteme scarf jacket: what makes it, and whether to buy one

"The Toteme jacket" usually means the Embroidered scarf jacket: an oversized, button-front jacket in heavy, structured wool-blend felt, with patch pockets, a blanket-stitched edge and a scarf attached at the neck that ends in fringe. Vogue traced it to November 2021 and charted how, with help from TikTok, it had become the season's status coat by late 2023. Toteme still makes it, in black and in dark gray.

You pay for cloth and cut: 68 percent wool, 20 percent recycled wool and 12 percent recycled polyester, in a felt structured enough to hold the boxy shape. Toteme designs it oversized and, in its size note, suggests one size down for a neater look or two for a true-to-size fit. A size 36 (a US 4) measures 114 cm (45 inches) around the chest and 76 cm (30 inches) long; measure a jacket you own from shoulder to hem to see where that length falls on you. Each size up adds 4 cm (about 1.5 inches) to the chest but only half a centimeter to the length, so sizing down narrows the jacket without cropping it. It sits best over straight jeans, a midi skirt with knee boots or wide trousers, and less happily over a long, fluid dress. Wrap the scarf once, fringe in front.

The family has grown: the Fringed scarf jacket, a wool jacket with a woven scarf and fringe, in winter white and in a green check; the Scarf leather jacket, boxy black leather with a soft wool scarf collar, made to be worn open; the hooded Technical scarf jacket, in lightweight organic cotton; and the Scarf lapel blazer, whose scarf detaches.

Is it worth it? Yes, if it will be your everyday jacket for several autumns. Buy the black, on which the overstitching shows least. Vogue's senior shopping editor, Talia Abbas, chose the all-black one for that reason, and still fell out of love with it once, as she put it, "everyone has the real and the dupes." If you want it because everyone has it, skip it. If it is simply the jacket you would reach for anyway, buy it and wear it hard.

Toteme knitwear: cashmere crews, turtlenecks and cardigans

The staples sit in Garderob: the Classic cashmere crew knit, cut on the lines of a men's sweater; the brushed Cashmere turtleneck, straight, with a slightly longer hem; and the Fine crew knit in merino wool and silk, true to size, with slim arms that slide under a coat sleeve. The Raglan-sleeve cashmere cardigan has a point collar and button cuffs, so it doubles as a shirt. Buy the Fine crew first: it is the least expensive of the four, and Toteme designed it as an everyday first layer. Then add the Classic crew in gray, which goes under every coat in this guide. Seasonal knits, such as this season's oversized lambswool turtleneck or a chunky cable, are the ones that date; the Garderob ones, in black, gray or ecru, are for keeping. Toteme's cashmere labels say cool hand wash; we dry knits flat and store them folded. For how to judge cashmere before you buy, see our guide to the best cashmere sweaters, or browse more designer sweaters.

Toteme jeans: the Twisted seam, the Classic cut and how they fit

The Twisted seam was Toteme's first jean and is still its signature: directional side seams add movement and give the leg its relaxed, straight-tapered shape. Many styles are organic cotton, and the Twisted seam and Classic cut are made in Italy; the newer Classic slim, in Japanese denim, came off the fall 2026 runway. How each fits, by Toteme's size notes:

• Twisted seam: a mid waist that sits just above the hip and a straight, tapered leg to the ankle; true to size. The inseam on the label is a size, not a measurement: a 32 measures 71 cm, about 28 inches.
• Twisted seam full length: sits on the hip with a dropped rise and a relaxed leg; true to size, or one or two sizes down for a closer fit and a higher waist.
• Classic cut: mid-to-high waist and a slim, straight leg that ends at the ankle in a raw hem; true to size, in organic cotton that molds to the body.
• Wide leg: high on the waist, floor length, pressed crease; true to size, one or two sizes up to wear it lower, one inseam shorter for a standard length.
• Low straight sits mid-to-low on the hips; the Kick flare widens just above the ankle, for ballet flats or pumps.

If you are petite, the ankle-length Twisted seam and Classic cut may need no hemming; if you are tall, choose the full-length Twisted seam or the wide leg in a 34 inseam. Start with a dark rinse or mid blue, then ecru or black. On Vêtir, The Row's jeans cost about twice Toteme's, and Khaite's start about where Toteme's end, so Toteme makes the easier first pair; compare fits in our guide to the best designer jeans or browse designer jeans.

Trousers, shirts and a dress for the week

The herringbone double-pleat trousers, a seasonal version of a Garderob style, are relaxed, with pleats running down straight legs; the low-rise slim trousers, wool with a little elastane, are the narrow line to wear under the scarf jacket. Read the labels on this season's flannel: the high-waist trousers and the Scarf lapel blazer are 70 percent viscose and 30 percent wool, fluid but less warm than wool flannel. The Garderob cotton shirt is tumble-washed, with an inverted box pleat at the back; the cashmere shirt is featherlight, with chest pockets; and the Slouch waist scarf dress is full-length viscose cady with a scarf at the nape, to tie or leave loose.

Toteme bags: the T-lock and the totes

The T-lock takes its name from its twist lock, a metal T set on a curved flap, and Toteme makes it in Italy as a top-handle bag, a clutch, a crossbody that converts to a clutch, an east-west shoulder bag and a satchel. Buy the top handle first: about 35 by 17 by 11.5 cm (13.7 by 6.7 by 4.5 inches), with a 7-inch handle drop, a detachable, adjustable shoulder strap and an easy-to-clean microsuede lining. Pebble-grained leather is the daily choice, since the grain hides scuffs; smooth leather looks dressier. Black is the safe first T-lock. Keep camel and tan for a wardrobe of ivory, gray, olive and chocolate.

The totes complete the line: the Belted tote, in supple suede or grained leather with a buckled strap (Toteme warns that natural suede may transfer color when wet or damp, so keep it off a pale coat in the rain); the Belted bucket bag, which debuted on the fall 2024 runway that marked the tenth anniversary; and the Garderob Day tote, which unzips along the sides and was made, Toteme says, for work, the gym and travel. This season's new shape is the Mercer tote, which the house says borrows from biker-jacket codes. See more designer top-handle bags.

Toteme boots, flats and scarves

The boots and leather shoes we checked are made in Italy, in EU sizes 35 to 42, which Toteme's chart converts to US 5 to 12. The Mid Heel boot is the one to know: a squared, pointed toe, a slanted heel that Toteme gives as 50mm (2 inches) on average, though some retailer listings quote less, and an elasticated panel running from the sides to the back for a partly sock-like fit. Toteme says it runs narrow, so wide feet should size up. The Downtown knee boot, with a rounded toe and a 45mm block heel, is true to size and the one for midi skirts; the grained-leather loafer slippers, piped in grosgrain, are the flats. New this fall, the scarf slingbacks carry the house motif to a kitten heel, tied at the back with a bow. Scarves are among the least expensive ways into the house: the Classic wool scarf is made in Italy and measures 220 by 50 cm, and the brushed-wool monogram scarf is finished with a contrasting fringe. Compare more designer ankle boots.

Toteme sizing at a glance

Clothing runs from 30 to 44, or XXS to XL; jeans come in waist sizes 23 to 32. Toteme's two size charts agree that a 34, 36 and 38 are a US 2, 4 and 6 but diverge at both ends, so outside that range compare the garment measurements on Toteme's site with clothes you own. Retailers label the same jacket in EU, US or letter sizes, so check each listing (a Toteme 36 is a US 4, or a small), and try the oversized coats on in a store if you can.

The third column is our stylists' advice, not Toteme's.

How to wear Toteme this fall

1. Weekday: the black Signature doublé coat, a gray Classic cashmere crew, black Classic cut jeans, black Mid Heel boots and a black T-lock top handle. Texture does the work: wool doublé, cashmere and leather.
2. Scarf jacket and dark denim: the black Embroidered scarf jacket over an ecru cable knit, dark-rinse Twisted seam jeans, the black Mid Heel boots and a white T-lock.
3. Tonal browns: the hazel Signature coat over an ivory cashmere V-neck, wide ecru jeans, espresso suede ankle boots and a camel T-lock.
4. Office: the pale gray Rounded peacoat, an ivory tumbled cotton shirt, charcoal herringbone double-pleat trousers, black grained-leather loafers and the black suede Day tote.
5. Evening: the black Slouch waist scarf dress with its scarf left loose, a black T-lock clutch, the Mid Heel boots and the black Signature coat worn open.

Already own a Toteme coat? Ask our AI stylist to build outfits around it from the pieces in your digital closet.

Is Toteme worth it? How it compares with The Row, Khaite and Max Mara

Writing in 2023 about Toteme's push into South Korea, Vogue Business listed Lemaire, Jil Sander, The Row and Theory as the peers it would have to stand out among. On Vêtir in October 2026, Toteme's full-price wool coats typically cost about half what Jil Sander's do, and its coats, jeans, cashmere sweaters and bags cost well under The Row's and Khaite's. How the closest neighbors differ:

What lasts: the Signature doublé coat, the Twisted seam jean, the Classic cashmere crew, the T-lock top handle and the Mid Heel boot, all long-running styles rather than one-season ideas. What dates fastest: this season's novelties, such as the Hoodie coat, the pony-hair T-locks and the fringed checks; buy those for love, not as investments. What to skip: plain jersey basics such as the Classic tee, which are pleasant but leave less to show for the money than the coats and knits; the long Signature coat unless you are tall; and the viscose-heavy flannel tailoring if warmth is the point. For the quieter, costlier version of the uniform, read our guide to The Row; for more edge, our Khaite guide.

How we chose

Every piece here is TOTEME, new and at full price. We checked each listing against Toteme's own product page for fiber content, country of origin and size note, and looked at every photograph: a T-lock listed as black that photographs olive stayed out. Where a retailer and Toteme disagree, as on the Mid Heel boot's heel height, we give Toteme's figure. We favored Garderob pieces and long-running signatures over one-season runway looks, and chose clothes and shoes stocked in at least four sizes, with two exceptions, both Signature coats: the black, in three sizes, and the long hazel, in two.

Frequently asked questions

Is Toteme a luxury brand?

Yes, at the accessible end. Its investor, Altor, places it in the "affordable luxury" segment; it shows on runways in Paris and New York; and on Vêtir its coats, jeans, knits and bags cost well under The Row's or Khaite's.

Where is Toteme from, and who owns it?

Sweden. Elin Kling and Karl Lindman founded it in New York in 2014 and moved it home to Stockholm, where its atelier is, in 2016. The founders kept majority control when the Swedish firm Altor bought a minority stake in 2021.

Where is Toteme made?

It depends on the category. Toteme's product pages list China for the Signature coats, the wool and cotton scarf jackets and the knits we checked, and Italy for the bags, boots and most of the jeans. The new Classic slim jeans are made in Japan, some of this season's tailoring in Portugal and Romania, and the Scarf leather jacket in Turkey.

Does Toteme run large?

Often, by design: Toteme cuts the Signature doublé coat and the scarf jacket oversized and suggests one size down. Its jeans and fine knits are true to size, and the Mid Heel boot runs narrow. A 36, or a small, is a US 4.

Is the Toteme scarf jacket worth it?

If it will be your everyday jacket for several autumns, yes: you pay for heavy wool-blend felt and a cut that layers over thick knits. Buy black, one size down. If you want it because it is everywhere, wait; copies have circulated since at least 2023.

Toteme or The Row: which should I buy?

The Row if cloth and finish are the point and the budget allows: on Vêtir its wool coats cost about three times Toteme's, and its jeans and cashmere sweaters about twice. Toteme for a wearable uniform at the lower price. A sensible split: The Row for the one coat or bag you will keep for a decade, Toteme for the jeans and knits you wear every week.

Keep reading

• The Row, explained: the bags, shoes and cashmere to buy
• Khaite, explained: the jeans, knits, boots and bags
• Max Mara coats: the 101801, Manuela, Teddy Bear and Ludmilla
• The best designer jeans: how to choose the rise, the leg and the denim
• The best cashmere coats, and what the label must say