Reviewed by Christine Perkins
Wednesday, February 24, 2021
Everywhere you look in Whatcom County, Patagonia clothing is ubiquitous. Maybe it’s because so many of us love to spend time being active in the outdoors. Maybe it’s because the clothes are high quality and last a long time. Maybe owning expensive gear is a status symbol. Or perhaps Patagonia’s long-held environmental values resonate with local consumers.
Whatever the case, the folks at Patagonia don’t care. In 2011, they even took out a full-page ad in the
New York Times proclaiming, “Don’t Buy This Jacket.” It detailed the environmental costs of buying a new Patagonia fleece and encouraged people to hold on to their old ones instead. This may seem like a strange message for an international retailer. But it’s entirely consistent with the worldview of Patagonia’s founder and owner, Yvon Chouinard (pictured), as explained in his memoir/business primer