Review: Patagonia launch their #WornWear Tour
Patagonia are one of a select group of companies that seem to truly care about the environment, and on a global scale that group is tiny. What other companies speak about, Patagonia DO!
Kicking off in both Germany and the UK, April 15th sees Patagonia launch a more than 50 stop, five-country European mission to encourage their customers to make clothes last a lifetime (regardless of brand). At each stop, they’ll be offering free repairs on busted zippers, rips, tears, buttons, pulls and more – in addition to teaching people how to fix their own gear!
15th & 16th April – Keswick, George Fisher & Nurture Lakeland blogger-fest
17th April – Grassington, Fellsman Ultrarun Event
18th & 19th April – Betws-y-Coed, Wales, Moel Siabod Cafe with Save the Conwy
21st & 22nd April – Shrewsbury, High Sports
23rd & 24th April – Stevenage, Countryside Ski & Climb
26th & 27th April – London, The Brokedown Palace at Boxpark with Waterkeeper
28th April – London, The Brokedown Palace at Spitalfields Market
30th April & 1st May – Cornwall, Down The Line Surf Shop with Save Our Sands
One of the ideas behind this tour, other than to simply extend the life of clothing, is the theme stories behind the garments we wear. These garments that carry us from sea-level to mountain summit, or on long summer holidays, they hold within them some incredible memories.
I have a t-shirt I bought in 1993 from a tiny shop in Quito, Ecuador. It is baggy and misshapen, but the memories it has and the meaning behind the faded graphics will stick with me for life (not to mention the £5 screen printed Robbie Williams Take That to I got in 1995!)
Extending the life of our garments is the single most important thing we can do to lower our impact on the planet. This simple act of extending the life of our garments through proper care and repair reduces the need to buy more over time — thereby avoiding the CO2 emissions, waste output, and water usage required to build it.
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. It’s an extension of a philosophy Patagonia has held for more than 40 years (and the subject of their commentary on Black Friday, including our “Don’t Buy This Jacket” ad in 2011). Worn Wear aims to keep clothing, regardless of brand, in circulation for as long as possible. When it’s time for a replacement, invest in something that lasts.
That’s why Patagonia aim to make the best quality, most functional products in the world, and guarantees them for life. And it’s why they’re going on tour – bringing Worn Wear’s critical message to communities across the country.
“Building a product that lasts and can be repaired is the very first and most critical step toward limiting our footprint on the environment,” notes Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario. “We want to empower our customers to be owners, not just consumers. It’s a simple but critical message: keep your gear in action longer and take some pressure off our planet.”
The Worn Wear mobile repair shops are equipped with Industrial Juki sewing machines and will be open to anyone who brings in a garment in need of repair, regardless of brand. The tour will aim to educate visitors about the philosophy behind Patagonia’s Worn Wear program, in addition to offering up some fun with food and drinks.
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 organisations until the cows come in, but nothing is more important and impactful than keeping our clothing in use for as long as possible. In fact, by keeping our clothing in use just nine extra months, we can reduce related carbon, waste and water footprints by 20-30 percent each, according to the UK-based group WRAP – simply because we’re making and throwing away less.