Patagonia: We'll Fix Your Broken Zipper!

We weren't kidding about Patagonia trying to get its customers to buy fewer clothes! The company just announced its latest Common Threads Initiative which incorporates the 4 Rs: reduce, reuse, repair and recycle. Patagonia is already reducing waste by recycling and reusing old fabrics but the next step will be to offer customers a chance to repair their damaged clothing. No need to toss out that $400 jacket just because the zipper broke. Details about the plan have yet to emerge but clearly this is some sort of reverse psychology business move because Yvon Chouinard is convinced that this move will "increase [the company's] business like crazy."
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Patagonia

Win a Free North Face Makeover!

Ok, maybe makeover is a bit of an exaggeration but check out Onlineshoes.com for a chance to win free "head-to-toe" North Face winter gear! All you have to do is answer the following question on the company's blog:
“Where will your adventures take you when wearing the Denali Jacket and a new pair of The North Face winter boots?” (100 words or less)
Here's the link to the post. Be creative!

Patagonia's Chouinard Admits to Eating Cat Food

If nothing else, Patagonia founder and CEO Yvon Chouinard is very quotable. At a recent sustainable textiles convention in New York he talked about his humble beginnings:

“I used to eat cat food,” he said. “That’s all I could afford to eat. I’d go to the dented can store in San Francisco and buy cases of dented cat food."

He also provided some rather interesting history about discovering how incredibly destructive and poisonous 'conventional' cotton processing methods are and his reaction to this realization. What's the next step in his sustainability plan? Stop people from over-consuming. That's right if you splurge on a new jacket every season,  Patagonia might just ask you to leave their store. Take that, unsustainable capitalism! Read the article here.

Hiking in a Miniskirt?

When people go hiking, practicality and durability usually trumps cuteness for obvious reasons. Not so in Japan, where the latest craze among "yama girls" is hiking in a miniskirt and leggings. Local and international chains are responding quickly and introducing new lines of mountain skirts for the young female hiker. In a country that's well-known for its conservative attitude toward gender roles, for many young women hiking is seen as a sort of liberation. Leave it to a Japanese economist to belittle the movement:

“Single women are spending their spare time on something fashionable and good for their health, as they can’t do it once they get married,” said Toshihiro Nagahama, chief economist at Dai-Ichi Life Research Institute in Tokyo. “Mountaineering is luring in female fans.” 

Indeed. It remains to be seen whether this miniskirt hiker trend will spread across the globe like Pokemon and Hello Kitty.

"Miniskirts on Mount Fuji...." (Bloomberg)

Best Ski Jackets For Women? Yahoo Has All The Answers

If you're an active person like myself I am sure you appreciate thoughtful and useful gifts as much as I do. Since the holiday and skiing season is just around the corner, why not get your girlfriend a new skiing jacket? Check out this very informative and cool post on Yahoo Sports to find out about some of the top skiing jackets this year. Bonus: All the jackets are under $300. We're still in a recession after all.

Online Shopping: Zappos or NorthFace.com?

Shopping for clothes online is always a bit of a hassle if you ask me. Will it fit? Shipping costs? What about the return policy? But sometimes you don't have a choice. There might not be any retailers nearby that carry the color or size you want. Or maybe you just don't like dealing with overbearing sales people. The obvious place to get your goodies would clearly be your favorite brand's website, yet if you've ever checked hotel prices you might have noticed that company-owned websites tend to be on the pricey side and the best deals are usually found on independently owned websites. Though there are many websites that sell North Face clothing, I thought today I would look at one of the most popular online shopping websites, Zappos.com, and compare it to North Face's website.

Presentation:
North Face: B
Though the website design is top notch, there are few pictures of people wearing the clothes which is a major pet peeve of mine. I mean, how are you supposed to get a mental image of how something might look on you if there isn't even a person wearing it?
Zappos: A+
Yes, Zappos website uses a rather simple design but features at least four different pictures of the product from different angles as well as a VIDEO presentation. What more could you ask for?

What about sizes, colors, shipping and returns? Check out the winner after the jump!

Wilderness Soundtrack: What are your favorite travel songs?

Fabienne and I always enjoy a good conversation about music. There's something so intimate about sharing your favorite songs with someone and talking about the special moments and feelings that you associate with them. Today, I though it would be interesting to share one of my favorite songs of ALL TIME! "Train Song" by Vashti Bunyan and more recently covered by Feist is, in my opinion, quite a master piece. The song is about 'traveling north' to a long lost lover and sitting on the train wondering what will happen once you get to your destination. Well, I personally love train travel and the anticipation of a new, unknown place, whether it is a large bustling city or a beautiful, remote national park waiting to be explored. Check out the original song below and the cover after the jump! Also, leave a comment with your favorite travel song!