My Journal

When an avid hiker purchases their favorite outdoor gear, they probably resonate with being an authentic nature lover. However, the seemingly genuine relationship between the outdoors and an “outdoorsy person” is often severed when they take the role of a consumer. Fashion is the most polluting industry, second only to oil, and outdoor companies aren’t excluded just because they preach to naturalists. But, this isn’t true for one clothing company that is paving the way towards a sustainable future. Ever since Yvone Chouinard started Patagonia 50 years ago, they have been committed to the environment. The company has shattered the glass ceiling of clothing companies, a notorious climate killing industry, leading a demonstration that profit and sustainability are not mutually exclusive. They are paving a virtuous yet narrow path for future corporations to follow, hopefully widening the space to a less elitist sustainable collective.