I recently discovered (and have since become obsessed with learning about) an amazing kind of coat, called an Amautik (also amaut or amauti, plural amautiit). Unlike other babywearing outerwear that I am familiar with, the Amautik is a baby carrier and coat all-in-one. The traditional coat of the Canadian Inuit people, these garments have a built-in pouch for carrying a baby or child on the adult's back, and are as beautiful as they are practical. Just look:
Customarily made of animal skins or thick woolen cloth, the Amautik holds the baby against the mother's back inside the pouch and feature sumptuous, oversized hoods that are large enough to cover both mother and child. They look sooooo cozy. Here are a couple of modern-day interpretations that I discovered online: 
Here's a cool (and adorable!) video I found on YouTube that shows a great demonstration of how to wear a swaddled baby facing out in an Amautik:
And here is a brief sequence from the film Atanarjuat (The Fast Runner) which gives a sense of the Amautik tradition. I love that the child being worn in this clip is well into toddlerdom, and also completely naked inside the warmth of the Amautik. Just lovely.
Are you like me, do you totally want one now?!? Amauti Baby is a small, Inuit-owned and operated company that creates custom-designed coats along authentic, traditional lines, for babywearing mamas. Check out their website for more information on how to place an order. International shipping available!
Oh wouhaaa Leigh! I have been following your blog (and 'The bean and the bear' which is my daily smile ressource site) and I love it for those finds of yours!
ReplyDeleteI lived in very cold countries, I would have love the Amautik :) I also remember watching Atanarjuat long before having kids, I loved it so much!
Thanks for such findings!
those are awesome but living in Miami, looking at those just made me break out in hives. lol
ReplyDeleteawesome! and beautiful and wonderful and too marvelous!!!!
ReplyDeleteThose are awesome! I've never heard of it but makes perfect sense for us mamas that like wearing our babies.
ReplyDeleteAm I some kind of weirdo pervert for wanting one even though I don't have a baby? Because I loves me some big hoods.
ReplyDeleteThose look so cozy & yummy. I can see why you want one!!
ReplyDeleteI love these Leigh. Unfortunately it will never get cold enough here to justify getting one!
ReplyDeleteYou've discovered one of my FAVORITES!! I spent weeks last winter trying to find somewhere to buy one, alas without luck. I have traveled into the far Canadian north and fell in love with these amazing parka carriers... Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI love this! I live in Nunavut, Canada (the Arctic) and this is one of my favourite things about Inuit culture. Everywhere I look there are beautiful babies being carried around in amautiit by their beautiful mums. There are different sized hoods depending on the size/age of your baby. Even older toddlers still chill out in amautiit. I try to convince my husband all the time to carry me around in one but he won't.
ReplyDelete