Feel Good Inside When It’s Freezing Out in Patagonia

In an era where being eco-friendly and cruelty-free is trendy, all too many brands are putting on a show of ethical responsibility that seems outwardly beneficial, but in the end amounts to little more than a PR move. Patagonia is one of the few retailers in the market that makes a point of doing business ethically from top to bottom, allowing you to feel good about your outerwear purchase for more reasons than just the warmth surrounding you.

Patagonia’s coats aren’t just warm, waterproof and wonderfully comfortable. They’re also a powerful force of good in a vastly corrupt and harmful institution.

Kinder Down

Down, sourced from the soft, fluffy part of a duck or goose’s feather, is one of the most effective and lightweight insulators there is, but many companies grossly mistreat the birds they source their down from, leading to massive waste and pollution in the process. Patagonia’s down, though it is an animal product, is sourced from ducks who are never force fed and never plucked alive, making it the most conscientious possible way to wear down.

Recycled Nylon

While society has embraced recycling in terms of bottles, cans, paper and more in large scale, one of the most massive waste sources that many seem to forget is the plastic in our clothing. Nylon clothes are just as non-biodegradable as the milk bottle you just safely recycled, and with the clothing industry’s rapid trend turnover, more polyester clothing is wasted than ever before. Patagonia’s nylon is 90% post-recycled content, though—letting you reap the waterproof and windproof qualities of the textile without all the cognitive dissonance.

Organic Cotton

The cotton industry is a behemoth of waste, human exploitation and mass pollution on the part of pesticides and chemical processing. Though it’s is more intensive, more difficult and more costly, Patagonia has invested in reducing their clothing’s footprint by committing to using organically farmed cotton. This practice not only leads to higher quality cotton, but also supports healthier biodiversity, small farms, and more modest use of water.

Patagonia isn’t just trying to curry favor when they say they’re an ethical business—they actually are. Stock up on their highly effective outerwear and you’ll be feeling the warm fuzzies even in subzero temperatures.

Do good in a Patagonia coat.