Patagonia Enters the Workwear Apparel Biz
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For the guys and gals that spend their working days outside, whether it be hammering on steel all day or or logging trees, Patagonia has entered the market to make clothing for YOU. With founder Yvon chouinard who built a brand out of making quality gear that is meant to last, it makes complete sense that Patagonia enters this category of apparel where durability is so highly valued. While rough and tumble canvas is nothing new to the world of workwear clothing, Patagonia is putting their own spin on it through the materials used and design.
The Workwear collection from Patagonia uses a blend of 55% hemp, 27% recycled polyester and 18% organic cotton. They call their fabric Iron Forge Hemp Canvas. Through testing done at Patagonia, they found their material is 25% more abrasion resistant than traditional duck cotton canvas which is the traditional fabric used in workwear apparel. Unlike other workwear apparel, the products made with Iron Forge Hemp Canvas is designed to fit starting day one with no break-in process. This is a little different from other brands where it can take up to a week or two and a few washings to get the canvas material to feel comfortable while working.
Patagonia has designed their work wear line for both men and women and the pricing is reasonable for a top tier brand. The line includes products such as pants, jackets, long sleeve shirts and more lifestyle pieces such as hats, totes and journal books. Keep in mind you will always pay a little extra for placing the logo Patagonia on a pair of pants or jacket, but you aren’t just buying a product, you’re supporting a business that has its values in the right place. To learn more about Patagonia’s Fair Trade practice, visit patagonia.com/fair-trade-certified.
I am always excited when Patagonia expands into new categories as they typically think it through before they enter markets and categories compared to some other brands that enter markets with no prior experience and hoping to make a buck.
