The story I like best about Patagonia starts with a climbing business. In 1965, Yvon Chouinard's partnership with Tom Frost started Chouinard Equipment, the climbing-hardware company that Patagonia grew out of. I think that origin explains a lot about the clothes: they look like things made by people who were outside first and designing second. That is the angle I am taking with this edit, and it is why I start with fleece.

 

Patagonia says it introduced its Synchilla fleece in fall 1985. The team was inspired by the synthetic pile sweater that North Atlantic fishermen wore, because that kind of knit does not soak up moisture. You can see the family line in the Synchilla Snap-T fleece sweater, which comes twice in this grid, and in the Synchilla fleece sweater. The snap collar is the whole personality. Wear it open over a white tee, or snapped up under a trench when you want a soft layer that is not a sweatshirt.

 

The Retro Pile pieces are the shaggy ones: the Retro Pile jacket, the Retro Pile zip-up jacket and the Retro Pile logo-patch long-sleeve jacket. They have more texture and more volume, so they sit well over slim jeans and a plain tank. The Better Sweater fleece jacket and the Better Sweater jacket are the neater pair, flatter and closer to a knit cardigan. I would wear those to an office with relaxed trousers.

 

The Teddy fleece hooded jackets, two of them, are the plush choice, and the fleece hooded jacket and the fleece-texture hooded jacket give you a hood without the bulk. Then there are the plainer fleece zip-up jackets, the fleece panelled jacket, the fleece-texture zipped jacket and the logo-patch fleece jackets, which is where I would start if you want one quiet layer.

 

My fitting-room test is the same for all of them. Zip it all the way up and raise your arms. If the hem rides above your waistband and the cuffs ride up your forearm, try another cut. Fleece also does not like direct heat, since Patagonia warns that it will melt or burn near it, so keep it off the radiator.

The second grid is where the wardrobe gets structured. Start with the Torrentshell 3L Rain hooded logo-patch jacket, because the name says rain and that is the one piece here I will describe that way. It is the jacket I would put over everything else on a gray morning, and it looks right with a fleece underneath and jeans below. Try it with the hood up in the mirror: it should sit without pushing your eyebrows down.

 

The parkas are the longer layers. The Windshadow hooded parka and the hooded zip-up parka both cover the hips, which makes them better for skirts and slip dresses than a cropped jacket. I would wear one open over a long knit dress and sneakers. The Point Reyes corduroy-collar jacket is the one with a little tailoring in it. The corduroy collar frames your face and picks up the brown tones in a jean jacket or a camel coat, so it works for dinner as well as a walk.

 

Vests are my favorite way to wear Patagonia without looking like a hiking trip. The Retro Pile sleeveless vest and the Retro Pile logo-patch sleeveless vest give you the shaggy texture without the sleeves, so a long-sleeve tee or a shirt can stay visible underneath. The fleece-texture zip-up gilet is the same idea, a bit smoother. The sweater logo-patch down vest is the neat one, and I would put it over a white button-down with straight denim.

 

Two tees round this out: the logo-detail long-sleeved T-shirt and the logo-print T-shirt. They are the base layers for everything above, and they are the quickest way to get the brand into an outfit when you do not want a jacket at all. Fold the sleeves up once and tuck the front into your waistband.

 

Patagonia also says it has pledged 1% of what it sells to the preservation and restoration of the natural environment since 1985. In 2002, founder Yvon Chouinard and Craig Mathews of Blue Ribbon Flies created the non-profit 1% for the Planet to encourage other businesses to give too. I mention it because it is part of why people feel loyal to the brand, and it is easy to check.

The third grid is only four bags, but I think they are the best argument for the brand's practical side. Black Hole is the name that links them: the Black Hole backpack, the Black Hole 32L backpack and the Black Hole 55L zip-up duffel bag. I will not go beyond the sizes in the names. The 32L is the one I would use as a daily bag, and the 55L duffel is the weekend one. Put the duffel next to your front door and see if you can picture it in the trunk of a car.

 

The drawstring-fastening backpack is the light, casual option. It is the one for a gym class or a beach day, and it looks good against a big knit and clean sneakers. The Black Hole backpack sits in the middle, with more structure, and it suits a commute or a day trip better than a drawstring.

 

When you try on a backpack, load it. Put a laptop and a water bottle inside, then stand in front of a mirror. Both straps should sit on your shoulders without sliding, and the bag should not hang below your waist. A backpack that looks great empty can sit very differently once you have your things in it.

 

What I would skip: buying the biggest bag on the grid because it looks the most serious. If you do not travel often, the duffel will sit in a closet and the smaller backpack will do the daily work. I would also skip any bag that you cannot carry comfortably on one shoulder for a minute in the fitting room, since that is a hint about how it feels after an hour. And do not store the bags damp.

 

For care, Patagonia's general advice is to wash gear in cold or warm water with mild powder soap and to dry it on the line. That is the one line I would follow for anything in this edit.

Here is how I would choose. Start with the piece you would wear on an ordinary Tuesday, not the one that looks best in a campaign photo. For most people that is a fleece jacket, so pick the texture first: smooth, shaggy or plush. Then choose a zip or snap collar based on how you wear a scarf.

 

Patagonia's ownership story is also part of why people care. In a September 14, 2022 letter headed 'Earth is now our only shareholder', Yvon Chouinard announced that ownership was moving to a trust and a nonprofit. Patagonia says all its voting stock went to the Patagonia Purpose Trust, while the nonvoting stock went to the Holdfast Collective, a nonprofit fighting the environmental crisis. It remains a for-profit business, and it says its purpose is to save our home planet.

 

My last tip is to buy less and keep it longer. Worn Wear is Patagonia's program for trading in and buying used Patagonia gear, and it frames buying less and repairing more as one of the best things people can do for the planet. So choose one jacket you will wear for years, wash it gently in cold or warm water, and dry it on the line.