In the winter I probably wear something Patagonia at least once a day if not more, usually but not exclusively for dog walking / running outings. I am not unique in this in my neck of the woods.
Apparently they are now a "cult fashion brand."
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140 45
FASHION
Why Fashion Insiders Are Buzzing About Patagonia
The classic Patagonia fleece jacket—that fuzzy ’90s-era staple—has gone from fond collegiate memory to cult obsession for fashion insiders, on the street and on the runway of brands like Louis Vuitton
FROM TRUE GRIT TO IT | With integrity and consistent design, the Classic Retro-X Patagonia is experiencing a revival. Classic Retro-X Fleece Jacket, $229, patagonia.com ENLARGE
FROM TRUE GRIT TO IT | With integrity and consistent design, the Classic Retro-X Patagonia is experiencing a revival. Classic Retro-X Fleece Jacket, $229, patagonia.com DAVID CHOW FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, STYLING BY ANNE CARDENAS
By LAUREN SHERMAN
Jan. 9, 2015 12:48 p.m. ET
4 COMMENTS
JUSTIN STANWIX doesn’t have to wear a suit to work. But, as a director at eBay, the 30-year-old Manhattan resident puts a considerable amount of thought into his daily oxford-and-jeans look, sporting Bruno Magli shoes or Opening Ceremony sneakers, shirts from Engineered Garments and denim from Acne Studios. He tops off these decidedly “fashion” pieces off with one seemingly unglamorous Patagonia jacket or another. “I own the standard black fleece zip-up, a raincoat in neon green and the down ribbed hoodie in blue,” he said. “I started wearing the fleeces in high school. It’s a mellow brand that’s really good quality. Even the logo is not incredibly in your face.”
From left: Patrik Ervell, Altuzarra, Louis Vuitton ENLARGE
From left: Patrik Ervell, Altuzarra, Louis Vuitton
Few labels are sticky enough to withstand decades of trends, but Patagonia devotees like Mr. Stanwix are proof of its enduring appeal. And now, the Ventura, Calif.-based outdoor apparel brand is becoming trendy itself, earning the droll nickname “Patagucci” from some of its most committed fans, and inspiring runway looks from both women’s and men’s designers. This past fall, both women’s brand Altuzarra and Louis Vuitton men’s designer Kim Jones created outerwear that took cues from the brand’s Classic Retro-X fleece jacket with its distinctive nylon, side-zip breast pocket.
“It has a kind of romance to it,” said Patrik Ervell, 34, a menswear designer. “I always think of San Francisco, where I’m from. The captains of industry [there] aren’t wearing suits. They’re wearing fleeces half the time.” Mr. Ervell’s interpretation—offered in different iterations for several seasons—comes in high-pile Schulte mohair, a material often used to make teddy bears.
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Scott Studenberg and John Targon, the designers behind unisex label Baja East, were also driven by nostalgia when dreaming up their spin on the fleece, a $2,795 bomber jacket made of French terry bonded with lambskin. “In high school, everyone was obsessed with the North Face, Columbia, Patagonia,” said Mr. Studenberg, 31, a native of West Bloomfield, Mich. Patagonia’s fleece dovetailed with the ’90s-era embrace of outdoorsy and distinctly unostentatious fashion. “We wanted to do something that is sporty and functional but in a luxe way,” added Mr. Studenberg.
RETURN TO ‘NORMAL’ // MORE AVERAGE-JOE PIECES CURRENTLY IN VOGUE
Heavyweight Fleece Hoodie, $50, gap.com ENLARGE
Heavyweight Fleece Hoodie, $50, gap.com F. MARTIN RAMIN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, STYLING BY ANNE CARDENAS
GAP’S HEATHER GRAY HOODIE | Utterly unisex-looking and anonymous enough to style any way you like. For an extra dose of normcore, just add slouchy khakis.
501 Jean, $68, levi.com ENLARGE
501 Jean, $68, levi.com DAVID CHOW FOR THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, STYLING BY ANNE CARDENAS
LEVI’S STONEWASHED 501 JEANS | Though a certain school of fashion-lovers prefers their 501s worn-in and vintage, the normcore acolyte opts to wear them retail-fresh. To lean into the norm, try them belted high on the waist and tuck in a mock-turtleneck sweater. Steve Jobs will be smiling down from heaven.
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While Patagonia does not consider itself a fashion brand, it has taken note of the industry’s increased interest in its wares. “We’re thrilled to see it referenced as often as it is,” said Lisa Williams, the company’s vice president of merchandising and design. “Our design philosophy is really about creating the best-quality product. Timeless, classic, simple pieces.”
Patagonia’s styles, which are only occasionally updated for fit, also play into “normcore,” the faddish idea that has evolved into a movement. To dress normcore is to appropriate relatively mundane items most popular in the 1990s as fashion pieces. “The normalness of that pre-Internet moment feels really authentic in a way,” Mr. Ervell said.
On the street, fashion professionals like Mr. Stanwix, who confidently mix Patagonia with high-end labels, exude cool. A friend of mine layers her olive down Patagonia jacket—bought in a boys’ size for a shrunken fit—under an Altuzarra fox-hood parka. That inspired me to wear my own black down Patagonia jacket which I originally bought for cold-weather running, with black Acne jeans, Saint Laurent boots and a tomato-colored Lyn Devon cashmere turtleneck. I could have opted for a wool coat, but this felt less precious. As if I wasn’t straining to be perfectly turned out.
Christine Mitchell Adams, the Burlington, Vt.-based chief content creator for men’s grooming brand Ursa Major, links the fascination to utility, which is—ironically or not—now in vogue. Ms. Adams, 29, has been wearing Patagonia since childhood; she has multiple fleeces and a down jacket that are part of her uniform. “I wear R.M. Williams boots, Imogene + Willie jeans and something by Patagonia nearly every day,” she said.
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Utility notwithstanding, Patagonia does have things in common with the luxury brands that find inspiration in it, namely product integrity. “They have authenticity. There’s a guarantee to everything they make,” said branding impresario Andy Spade, who’s been wearing Patagonia fleeces since the late ’70s and whose agency, Partners & Spade, collaborated on the design of its new flagship on Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. (Mr. Spade also stocks vintage fleeces at his Sleepy Jones’ pajama shop in SoHo.) He added, “I don’t do logos, and I like their logo.”
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140 45
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OldestReader RecommendedGreg McNicholGreg McNichol 36 minutes ago
Patagonia was Patagucci long ago. If you want to pay exorbitant sums of money for poorly made and fitted polyester garments then by all means make your fashion statement. That fleece jacket is too heavy and warm and has no method of ventilation -- a fur quote equivalent for the BMW crowd. I remember back in the day Patagonia made a huge deal out of how they wouldn't touch Gore-tex. Now they have $500+ Gore jackets.
Try Arc'Teryx if you want really nice outdoor clothes.
Ray HullRay Hull 2 hours ago
I did Patagonia back in the 80s-90s and am glad to say I have since discovered Dale of Norway WOOL knit "sweatshirts" in either pullover or zip up. MUCH nicer, fitted and for about the same (rather dear) price. There are also other American top-notch brands featuring wool--as in "natural" and providing better wind-stopping characteristics.
What I could never figure out is Patagonia's relentless duplicity on the environmental side of their marketing equation: recycled plastic bottles to make fleece? Really? Try the wool, you'll be honestly pleased.
1
Greg McNicholGreg McNichol 27 minutes ago
@Ray Hull Can you post a link?
Robert BranchRobert Branch 4 hours ago
Patagonia is known by some in the hard core outdoor recreation set as 'Patagucci'. If you want to make a 'fashion statement', Patagonia. If you want outdoor clothing that will keep you warm, relatively dry, and safe in very bad conditions, then your choices are Mountain Hardware, Marmot, and RAB, with Mammut coming along strongly in the US (They are already huge in Europe).
Some might question "Where is The North Face" in your list? They went the fashion route after being bought out by VF. When you see gang bangers wearing NF clothing, you know their credibility as a maker of high-function outerwear is in the toilet. Marmot risks going the same way because of their ownership by Jardin.
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