THE ART OF INSULATION

“Below ten degrees, you need to protect the body. How you do it matters. We want to make that possible with comfort, performance and style.”

Thomas Håkansson

Founder & Designer

OUR STORY

Born Below Ten Degrees

The vision of BelowTen was born in Svalbard during a training on how the human body manages cold under demanding conditions. The research was clear: below ten degrees, the body requires insulation. Not occasionally. Not optionally. Consistently.

That insight became the foundation of BelowTen. A simple temperature threshold that defines how we dress for most of the year in cold climates.

BelowTen was never about extreme expeditions or seasonal fashion. It began with a functional truth – that under ten degrees, protecting the body becomes essential. The ambition was to translate that necessity into garments that combine performance, comfort and style.

SOURCING THE RIGHT MATERIALS

To do that properly, we had to start with a blank sheet of paper. If insulation was going to be treated as a design discipline, every component needed to be reconsidered. What materials perform best? What construction allows movement? What trims match the level of precision we aim for?

We developed our own mono-material fabric, TENYL™, engineered for durability, structure and long-term use. We source trims from Japan for their reliability and detail. And we work with a highly specialised factory in South Korea, where the Free Filling construction is executed with craftsmanship and technical precision.

Every decision supports the same idea: insulation should feel refined, not bulky. Structured, not heavy.

DEVELOPING NEW MEANS TAKING RESPONSIBILITY

If you develop something new, you also take responsibility for its impact. Our mono-material approach is not only about performance and clean construction. By building each garment from a single primary material system, we reduce production waste and simplify the recycling process at the end of its life cycle.

Fewer mixed components mean clearer recycling streams. Less complexity means longer product life. Performance and responsibility should not compete. They should support each other.

THE FIT

A garment’s fit is essential to both comfort and appearance. We were drawn to the idea of combining performance and functionality with the refined sensibility of traditional tailoring and ready-to-wear. With a background spanning both tailoring and outdoor apparel, we never have to compromise on our vision: creating a garment from BelowTen that remains relevant across settings and activities when the temperature drops below 10 degrees.

MATERIALS & CONSTRUCTION

A system approach to insulation

Living in Scandinavia requires adapting to changing seasons and varying weather conditions. Combined with today’s increasingly unpredictable climate and rapid temperature shifts, this creates new challenges in how we dress for everyday life.

Explore Materials & Construction