Patagonia encourages consumers to repair clothes instead of always buying new
New York -- The socially conscious outdoor brand Patagonia has embarked on a coast-to-coast tour to encourage people to repair their existing clothes rather than buy new ones. The message, which reflects the brand's socially conscious, environmental positioning, comes at a time of rising popularity for lower-priced fast-fashion items that sometimes are discarded after just a couple of wearings.
The company’s biodiesel repair truck embarked from California recently bound for the northeast on the 2015 version of the Spring Worn Wear Tour. The unique looking vehicle, which resembles a large log, is scheduled to make roughly two dozen stops on its cross country journey at locations such as Patagonia stores, coffee shops, farmers markets and trailheads before culminating in Boston in mid-May.
Patagonia’s product repair team will offer free repairs on busted zippers, rips, tears, buttons, pulls and more in addition to teaching people how to fix their own gear.
“There is nothing we can change about how we make clothing that would have more positive environmental impact than simply making less,” said Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario. “Worn Wear is a celebration of quality products and their relationship to our lives. It’s a simple but critical message: keep your gear in action longer and take some pressure off our planet.”
The mobile marketing initiative works for Patagonia because the company’s products are of sufficient quality that repairing them makes sense. Conversely, the same cannot be said of opening price point garments offered by discount retailers or purveyors of fast fashion who sell some items at such low cost they are essentially disposable.
Patagonia’s Worn Wear program was created in 2013 as a way to encourage people to take good care of their gear, washing and repairing as needed. The program aims to keep clothing, regardless of brand, in circulation for as long as possible and then when it is time for replacement to “invest” in something that lasts.
According to Patagonia, that’s why it makes the best quality, most functional products in the world, guarantees them for life and owns the biggest garment repair facility in North America.
According to the company, “At the end of the day, we can tinker with our supply chain, improve sourcing, use all-recycled fabrics and give away millions of dollars to environmental organizations until the cows come in, but nothing is more important and impactful than keeping our clothing in use for as long as possible.”
Read more about Patagonia's marketing campaign by click here.