Is Patagonia pretentious? (2024)

Is Patagonia elitist?

Unfortunately for me, it's pretty universally acknowledged that Patagonia is considered elitist.

Patagonia's clothing is inseparable from its aggressive environmental advocacy. It led the outdoor industry in using recycled nylon and polyester fabrics, and Patagonia's chilled-out vintage vibe is rooted in the idea that its clothes are built to last for years, not just seasons.

When it comes to mass market appeal, few do it better than Patagonia. The outdoor clothing company is beloved by everyone from hipster teenagers to grey-haired hikers, symbolising at once an urban cool and functional practicality.

The importance of the Patagonia vest is that it is both an evolution of the business-casual costume and a reversion to the waistcoat of the ancient three-piece suit. The fleece vest harmonizes with values that have been invested in the suit since its emergence, in the second half of the seventeenth century.

'Bring attention back to the wearer's face'

“What's important from a personal-style perspective – especially for people who are on the make, looking to raise their profile – is that the vest helps to bring attention back to the wearer's face”, as opposed to, say, a tie, he notes, which draws the eyes downward.

Finance bro style — also known as banker bro or business bro — is the tendency for clean-cut white dudes to walk around in fleece Patagonia vests, pastel button-downs, ill-fitting khakis and brown loafers. Swap out the footwear for Allbirds if they work at a startup.

Patagonia's market segmentation includes men and women aged 18-35, those with disposable income, maintains an active lifestyle, enjoys nature and outdoors, value for quality products and conscious buyers (Sublett, 2018).

Recent data confirms that Patagonia tends to attract customers who identify as both fashionable and conscientious. A 2017 survey by YouGov suggests that 61% of the outdoor retailer's customers consider themselves as well-dressed, stylish individuals.

Patagonia keeps things simple with a minimalist mindset. Their products are designed to deliver everything you need and strip away everything you don't need to eliminate bulk, weight, and waste. Patagonia products are also designed for optimal functionality for outdoor activities.

Over the last few years, it's become the staple wardrobe for those in the industry as their vests have been worn all over the market. Even if Patagonia has cracked down on the use of the vest lately, it still is considered a big staple to the entrepreneur look. Here is why Patagonia is so popular on Wall Street.

Is Patagonia popular in UK?

So being very much focused on ethical sourcing and environmentally sustainable manufacturing, Patagonia increasingly seem to be the popular choice for outdoor workwear, corporate uniform and promotional apparel in the UK.

Patagonia is a well known, multi-million dollar American clothing company that markets sustainable outdoor clothing and apparel. It was founded by Yvon Chouinard in 1973 and ever since the beginning, it has held ethical and environmental issues close to its core.

Goldman Sachs, one of the last bastions of crisp-collared, bespoke-suited workplace attire, has loosened up. It announced an official “firm-wide flexible dress code” earlier this month. And at last — after the long, slow undoing of corporate formality — business casual seems to have triumphed in the American workplace.

Unless you're out soliciting money from high-net worth clients, the dress code at most hedge funds is rather ambiguous. Most people don't wear suits, though some do. Others dress business casual or will even wear jeans.

For business casual environments, stick with tailored sweaters, not pullovers or fleeces. Be mindful of your outerwear as well. If you are dressed in a nice suit, don't ruin it by putting a fleece or sweatshirt over top.

Anyone living in New York City is familiar with the stereotypical "finance bro" — the young guy with a job on Wall Street who acts as if he never left his frat house.

Scafidi says the vest emerged as the dress code of finance grew more casual in recent years, partly because expensive suits seemed garish after the financial crisis. And when Silicon Valley guys started showing up to meetings in jeans and hoodies, suits looked a little out of place.

“The iconic Patagonia vest that traders, portfolio managers, bankers, [and] venture capitalists all wear when the temperatures start getting chilly is now available in gray and navy!” goes the full-throated product description for the “Authentic Goldman Sachs Men's Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Vest.” A reminder that ...

Investment Banking and Private Equity

For men in investment banking or in other sell-side roles, this still means crisp, well-fitted shirts, blue or gray suits (not black or patterned, ever) and ties really only for client meetings if the client is more formal, such as most corporates or pension funds would be.

The dress code at JPMorgan is business casual.

Tops like polos and blouses are acceptable, as are articles of clothing with the JPMorgan logo. Dress shoes and sandals are both acceptable to wear. Inappropriate attire as defined by the company includes blue jeans, sweatpants, t-shirts, tennis shoes, and hats.

What do venture capitalists wear?

Turns out, there is no set VC uniform, though vests and khakis do make appearances… What they do and look for varies by firm, fund, and person, but all VCs share one critical thread: intellectual curiosity. You must be a curious and lifelong learner if you're going to be good at and enjoy the job.

Patagonia competitors include canada goose, Zulily, IceBreaker, Columbia Sportswear and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation.

What sets Patagonia apart from other brands in the industry is its almost manic commitment to sustainable practices. For example, it operates its own resell hub in which it restores and sells used clothing.

Patagonia is a revered brand not only for its products, but also for its purpose-driven environmental ways. The brand has cultivated a deeply loyal following. Patagonia is a revered brand not only for its products, but also for its purpose-driven environmental ways. The brand has cultivated a deeply loyal following.

Patagonia does not and will not knowingly utilize suppliers who use child labor in our supply chain. Patagonia requires all business partners to adhere to Patagonia's Code of Conduct and detailed Benchmarks on Child Labor.

Is Patagonia ethical? Our research found few negative ethical issues with Patagonia. The company has therefore done well in our rating system in a number of categories, including climate change, pollutions and toxics, human rights, supply chain management, animal rights, social finance, and political activities.

Patagonia is widely regarded as a leader in corporate social responsibility, which it seeks to achieve both directly through donations of its profits and internal sustainability initiatives and indirectly by raising awareness for environmental issues.

As of 2020, 39 percent (12 out of 31) of our apparel assembly factories are paying their workers a living wage, on average. This data was gathered during the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted workers significantly and led to job loss throughout the apparel industry.

The official language of Patagonia is Spanish but there are small pockets of indigenous communities within Patagonia who speak Mapuche.

Which is better Patagonia or arcteryx?

When it comes to shell jackets, there's no contest. Arc'teryx's line-up outperforms that of Patagonia by far. For other jacket types, from a performance-focused aspect, Arc'teryx would still mostly be a better option that Patagonia.

In Japan's world of high-end men's clothing, a penchant for the vintage 'Americana' aesthetic has often latched onto Patagonia.

Fleece is a big trend this season, as we're starting to see a lot of sherpa options in jackets, accessories and even shoes. “I recommend opting for pieces with some structure and detail, like cool buttons, that will help you add dimension to your look and avoid feeling like a polar bear,” suggested Nucci.

Here the secret is revealed why Patagonia is sustainable streetwear. Founded in 1953, the brand that originally produced and sold climbing equipment has now become much more of an outdoor brand for hiking, skating, skiing and snowboarding, and just as much a hip streetwear brand for us from the sneaker scene.

Patagonia's clothing lines and outdoor gear have a reputation for being premium. They use high-quality practices and have an acute emphasis on sustainable sourcing, manufacturing, and business operations. All these factors make their products more expensive.

We've given Patagonia an overall rating of “Good”, based on our own research. This brand lives up to the standards it set itself by pushing for sustainability across the board.