I figured I could follow up my last post about sustainable fashion brand Osklen by talking about another clothing brand that has sustainability at its core, Patagonia. The outdoors company has been selling high quality outdoor gear for over 40 years. Their target demographic is the “dirt bag,” basically the kind of person who is comfortable in the backcountry than in the suburbs. However, over the years their gear has become incredibly popular with those suburban and urban dwellers who don’t quite need the gear for what it is intended for. In the recent Slate article I read they refer this loyal consumer base as the “dog walkers.”
I have to admit, I hadn’t heard of Patagonia until I came to school at University of Richmond, where EVERYONE wears Patagonia. I discovered that just like at my high school where The North Face was extremely popular, Patagonia was a fashion statement here. So it wasn’t long before I ended up with my own piece of Patagonia. I tell myself I deserve to own a piece of Patagonia since I consider myself outdoorsy, or at least more outdoorsy than the majority of people sporting the label.
I purchased these shoes for $20 at the REI garage sale that I attended with members of the University of Richmond Outdoors club. They are originally $65. I absolutely love them. For of those of you who don’t know how REI works, it is an outdoors store that is organized as a consumers’ cooperative. So once you purchase a membership you receive a dividend return for your purchases at the end of the year, free shipping for store pickups, and best of all returns for any reason at all. When customers return their gear it is stored in the warehouse and throughout the year REI stores will hold garage sales where they will sell all returned merchandise at huge discounts. That’s how I got my first piece of Patagonia so cheap, because someone decided they didn’t fit well enough.
This method of acquisition perfectly fits one of Patagonia’s initiatives, the Common Threads Initiative, which encourages customers to only buy new products if they really need them. Instead they encourage customers to shop on EBay, thrift stores, and events such as this REI one in order to limit waste. Patagonia’s products are built for durability as well, so their overall plan for consumers is for them to buy only what they need, and wear it until they can’t wear if anymore. If you decide you want a new Patagonia before yours has reached the end of its lifespan, make sure someone else can use it instead of wasting it in a closet somewhere. This approach is very different from most companies, especially fashion companies whose business model is dependent upon selling new lines every season.
This is why the next time I need a jacket I will be investing in, not purchasing, a Patagonia. Consumers like me can justify the high cost of Patagonia products because they are meant to be seen as an investment. My shoes are no just another pair I might wear if they fit my outfit; they are the shoes I will wear until the soles are gone. I believe that is the difference between the dirt bag and the dog walker. The dirt bag will wear through the soles, the dog walker won’t. I will admit, I’m far from a dirt bag, but that’s the effect that this imagine of Patagonia can have on a dog walker like me. Patagonia might not have set out to change the dog walkers into dirt bags, but I believe that if they continue to stay true their philosophy of durability and sustainability they can have a positive impact through the clothing industry. They can sell for functionality, fashionability, and sustainability all at once.
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