🏔️ Patagonia Fleece: The Billion Dollar Toilet Seat Cover | 19

Summary

The Best Idea Yet: Patagonia Fleece – The Billion Dollar Toilet Seat Cover | Episode 19 Summary

Release Date: February 18, 2025

In Episode 19 of Wondery’s The Best Idea Yet, hosts Nick Martell and Jack Crivici Kramer delve into the fascinating origin story of Patagonia’s iconic fleece. This detailed exploration not only uncovers the innovative journey behind a billion-dollar product but also highlights the environmental ethos that shaped Patagonia into a beloved brand.

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1. The Genesis of Patagonia: Yvon Chouinard’s Vision

The story begins in the early 1970s at the base of El Capitan in Yosemite National Park. Yvon Chouinard, an adventurous climber and self-described “existential dirtbag,” grapples with the limitations of traditional climbing gear. Struggling in a heavy wool sweater after a downpour, Yvon’s discomfort underscores the need for better outdoor apparel (05:30).

Notable Quote:

Nick Martell [05:30]: “Yvonne Chouinard, Outdoorsman, climber, kayaker, surfer. His list of hobbies it reads like a kid from New England taking a gap year before enrolling at Wesley.”

Yvon’s frustration with pitons—metal spikes that damage rock faces and leave environmental scars—leads him to innovate. Determined to align his passion for climbing with environmental responsibility, Yvon and his partner Tom Frost begin crafting improved climbing equipment by hand (08:29).

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2. From Climbing Gear to Clothing: Expanding Horizons

As Chouinard Equipment gains traction within the niche climbing community, Yvon recognizes the potential to diversify. A pivotal moment occurs during a 1970 climbing trip to Scotland, where Yvon discovers a durable rugby shirt with a high collar that prevents chafing—an ideal feature for climbers (20:25).

Notable Quote:

Jack Crivici Kramer [20:25]: “The high collar. It's thick but loose. Just the thing to stop climbing equipment from chafing at his neck.”

Seeing an opportunity, Yvon imports these rugby shirts to meet the practical needs of climbers. This venture marks Patagonia’s entry into the apparel market, laying the foundation for its future as a billion-dollar brand (21:05).

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3. Innovation in Fleece: From Toilet Seats to Outdoor Essential

Yvon’s pursuit of the perfect fleece leads to an unexpected discovery thanks to his wife Melinda. In 1975, Melinda finds a soft, insulating fabric used for toilet seat covers made of acrylic pile—a synthetic alternative to wool that repels water and dries quickly (25:31).

Notable Quote:

Jack Crivici Kramer [25:31]: “This fleece has the potential to revolutionize the entire outdoor wear industry.”

Despite initial skepticism, Yvon recognizes the fabric’s potential and collaborates with Malden Mills to produce it. However, production challenges with their earlier rugby shirts leave Patagonia in financial distress, forcing Yvon to innovate further. In 1977, Patagonia launches its first fleece jacket, the pile fleece, which becomes an instant hit among climbers and everyday consumers alike (29:32).

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4. Environmental Paradox and Sustainable Practices

Patagonia’s success with fleece introduces a paradox: while making climbing more accessible, Yvon inadvertently contributes to the environmental degradation he aimed to prevent. Realizing the impact of increased climbing activity and synthetic fleece production, Yvon pivots towards sustainability (32:05).

Notable Quote:

Nick Martell [32:05]: “Patagonia called it Chinchilla, but Malden Mills also sold it to other companies, calling it polar fleece.”

In response, Patagonia becomes a pioneer in using recycled materials. In 1993, they introduce fleece made from recycled plastic bottles, drastically reducing their carbon footprint and setting an industry standard. This move not only appeals to environmentally conscious consumers but also garners substantial free press, boosting sales and solidifying Patagonia’s reputation as an eco-friendly brand (33:44).

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5. Revolutionary Marketing and Brand Philosophy

Yvon’s commitment to the environment leads to groundbreaking marketing strategies that prioritize sustainability over profits. In a bold move, Patagonia launches an ad campaign urging customers to reduce consumption by discouraging purchases, highlighting the environmental cost of their products (35:07).

Notable Quote:

Nick Martell [35:27]: “Sit down, stand up and don't ever come to our stores again.”

Contrary to expectations, this campaign increases sales by 30%, as consumers are inspired by Patagonia’s authenticity and environmental commitment. This approach reinforces the brand’s image as a mission-driven company, attracting loyal customers who value sustainability (35:54).

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6. Patagonia’s Enduring Legacy and Corporate Responsibility

In 2022, Yvon takes Patagonia’s commitment to the environment to the next level by placing the entire company into a trust. This ensures that all profits are dedicated to combating climate change, securing Patagonia’s legacy as a leader in sustainable business practices (37:28).

Notable Quote:

Nick Martell [38:31]: “When your great, great, great, great, great grandkids are buying Patagonia fleeces, the profits will go towards saving the planet.”

Patagonia’s journey from a niche climbing gear supplier to a global apparel powerhouse exemplifies how mission-driven innovation and unwavering commitment to values can lead to both commercial success and positive environmental impact.

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7. Key Takeaways and Insights

Impact Over Income: Yvon’s story underscores the importance of prioritizing environmental impact and quality of life over immediate financial gains. By focusing on creating excellent products aligned with his values, Yvon inadvertently secured Patagonia’s financial success (39:26).

Product-Driven Mission: Patagonia exemplifies how mission-oriented companies thrive by emphasizing product excellence first. As Nick Martell notes, “The most successful mission oriented companies don't focus on preaching, they focus on products” (39:52).

Innovative Sustainability: Patagonia’s early adoption of recycled materials and encouragement of sustainable consumer behavior set a benchmark in the apparel industry, demonstrating that profitability and environmental responsibility can coexist harmoniously.

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8. Best Facts Yet: Extra Nuggets from the Episode

• Malden Mills' Polar Tech: The company behind Patagonia’s synthetic fleece remains the sole supplier to the U.S. military, North Face, Patagonia, and numerous outdoor brands.

• Cult Classic Documentation: Yvon’s 1968 road trip with North Face founder Doug Tompkins was documented in Mountain of Storms, later retraced in the 2010 documentary 180 Degrees South: Conquerors of the Useless.

• Second-Hand Initiative: Patagonia was one of the first major fashion labels to launch a second-hand site, promoting sustainability by encouraging customers to buy used Patagonia gear.

• Environmental Impact of Fleece Production: It takes 251 plastic bottles to produce a single Patagonia fleece jacket, highlighting the scale of their recycling efforts.

• Adidas and Recycled Materials: Nearly two decades before Patagonia, Adidas pioneered the use of recycled plastic in footwear, showcasing a trend towards sustainable practices in the apparel industry.

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Conclusion

Patagonia’s evolution from Yvon Chouinard’s humble climbing gear innovations to a globally recognized sustainable apparel brand is a testament to the power of aligning business practices with core values. The Best Idea Yet Episode 19 not only chronicles this remarkable journey but also offers valuable lessons on the interplay between innovation, sustainability, and authentic branding.

Whether you're an outdoor enthusiast, an aspiring entrepreneur, or simply curious about the stories behind your favorite products, this episode provides deep insights into how bold ideas and steadfast principles can create enduring success.

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Follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts to uncover more untold stories behind the products you love.

Transcript

[Nick Martell]

Wondery subscribers can listen to the best idea yet, early and ad free. Right now.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Join Wondery in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Nick, remember that time a few years ago when you were asking me for advice about your first trip to Yosemite? Oh, yeah.

[Nick Martell]

I wanted to know if I should bring like 3 liters or 15 liters for a 8 mile or 80 mile hike. I didn't know which it was.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Well, first of all, I'm pretty sure you were glamping that weekend. I think the glamping yurt that you stayed in had heated comforters.

[Nick Martell]

We called the front desk because we said we were freezing and they came down and said, they're not broken. You're just extremely sensitive.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So that was the context when Nick asked me the question to do Half Dome.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

One of the biggest, most grueling hikes in America's national parks. Yeah, it's a 14 mile hike.

[Nick Martell]

It is, it is.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Have you ever done a seven mile hike?

[Nick Martell]

Oh, no way.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Nick. Anyway, I'm glad you didn't take that full Half Dome hike.

[Nick Martell]

I'm here. I survived.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yeah. Is there any particular gear that you brought besides the heated comforter?

[Nick Martell]

It was a day hike, but I still decided to bring a swan feather duvet because, you know, you never know where you're going to land or what's going to happen.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I always pack a first aid kit and one of those nature filter straws so that you can take a drink out of the stream well before you.

[Nick Martell]

Whip out the river filtering straw. Bear Grylls. There is one classic item of outdoor apparel that a whole lot of people can't live without.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's worn by hikers in Yosemite, financ analyst at Goldman and across every college town where the temperature dips below 60 degrees.

[Nick Martell]

You may be camping or you may be glamping, but you are bringing the Patagonia fleece.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The Patagonia fleece is a light, rugged piece of no nonsense outerwear originally made for outdoor adventurers and extreme sport junkies.

[Nick Martell]

Side note, when we say fleece, we're talking about the synthetic kind, not the natural type that you get from shearing a sheep.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

In fact, the Patagonia fleece was invented as an alternative to to using real wool.

[Nick Martell]

Patagonia's iconic fleece, plus its other staples from hardware and pants to insulating underwear, helped launch the entire outdoor apparel market. It's also the unofficial uniform of Silicon Valley tech workers. Match that fleece with chinos and a pair of Allbirds and boom. You are Dressed to pitch your AI startup at the next TechCrunch Disrupt.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

As many as 90% of Harvard Business School students own a Patagonia fleece.

[Nick Martell]

And the 10% who don't drop out.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And this strange mismatch between the target customer and the actual customer of Patagonia. That's what's made the Patagonia fleece the most iconic piece of outerwear of all time, fueling $1 billion of annual sales.

[Nick Martell]

Hey, boss, grab the corporate card. The whole sales team is getting Pataguchi. It's a write off.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So how did Patagonia go from niche mountain wear company to preppy status symbol?

[Nick Martell]

To find out, we're going to go all the way back to the 1950s to meet a dropout climber and surfer named Yvonne Chouinard. A self described existential dirtbag. He literally with a hammer and an anvil to forge Patagonia into a multi billion dollar business.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We'll learn how Patagonia's fleece came from Yvonne's obsession to find an alternative to scratchy wool sweaters. And we'll hear why Yvonne is the most unlikely and reluctant founder that you'll ever meet.

[Nick Martell]

Jack, this is an executive who takes off to the wilderness for months on end. He doesn't own a computer. He doesn't even carry a smartphone. Good luck scheduling that important Q4 sales review meeting because the CEO is paddleboarding in the Galapagos.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is a guy who is so anti business that when he made it on the Forbes rich person list with a fortune of $1.2 billion, he described it as a personal failure.

[Nick Martell]

Take that, Forbes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our epic road trip through Patagonia's history will take us from the granite peaks of Yosemite to the southern tip of South America to the surfs of SoCal.

[Nick Martell]

And along the way, we'll be dropping in on a Grateful Dead gig at a turning point for the company. We'll hear about dumpster diving for empty bottles.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Got a fund Somehow.

[Nick Martell]

Scottish rugby shirts.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Inspiration is everywhere.

[Nick Martell]

And even toilet bowls.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

More on that in a bit and.

[Nick Martell]

We'Ll learn why you should wear your values on your sleeve, no matter how unfashionable. So, Jack, zip yourself up, dress in layers, and slide something into that random arm pocket that every Patagonia has.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Here's why the Patagonia fleece is the best idea yet.

[Nick Martell]

From wonder and T Boy. I'm Nick Martell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And I'm Jack Crevici Krame. And this is the best idea yet.

[Nick Martell]

The untold origin stories of the products you're obsessed with and the bold risk takers who brought them to life.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

I got that feeling again Something familiar but new. We got it coming to you. I got that feeling again. They changed the game in one move. It's how they broke all we'd like to thank our presenting sponsor, Lenovo.

[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No matter what you're making, it's possible on your Intel AI PC.

[Nick Martell]

Learn more about Lenovo Aura Edition AI [e-mail] Aura.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The clouds above Yosemite national park break for a moment, bathing the 3,000 foot vertical rock face known as El Capitan in a soft pink glow before the rain returns, Yvonne Chouinard shivers at the base of the most intimidating rock face on planet Earth. This is not the best way to start a challenging ascent. His heavy wool sweater clings to him like a soaked sponge. When the weather's dry or the rain is light, wool is cozy. But after a downpour, wool is a drag. It's slow to dry, it's bulky, and it's a pain to clean.

[Nick Martell]

Yvonne Chouinard, Outdoorsman, climber, kayaker, surfer. His list of hobbies it reads like a kid from New England taking a gap year before enrolling at Wesley. He is strong and he is lean, with a face weathered by countless hours outdoors in the California sun.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If Yvonne were a Boy Scout, he'd have all the badges. As a kid, Yvon dreamed of being a fur trapper just like his French Canadian ancestors. And by his teens, he was into diving, surfing and falconry. You were playing youth soccer. He was hand rearing birds of prey. Nick and then at age 16, he did a solo climb of Gannett Peak, Wyoming's highest mountain.

[Nick Martell]

After Yvon graduates from high school, he lives at his family's home in Burbank, California. And you know what? He's hardly ever there because he's too busy living out of his car, chasing the surf, roaming the country for tougher and tougher climbs. In fact, he's getting his gas money by redeeming soda cans that he fishes out of the trash.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He needs that money for one reason to fund his climbing obsession. He survives off discounted cans of damaged cat food and char, grilled critters that he catches and cooks himself.

[Nick Martell]

I'm going to guess he's single at this point in his life. Jack well, it's not just Yvonne's choice in barbecue. That is strange, because in the late 1990s, 1950s and early 1960s, climbing wasn't really a sport yet back then. It's an oddball obsession. It's something only a few thrill seekers would do. On the fringes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

There's something else that makes Ivan exceptional for the time. He's a member of the Sierra Club, one of the country's earliest conservation groups. Back then, Sierra Club was pretty much it. Like going green was something Bruce Banner did when he got angry.

[Nick Martell]

Well, Jack, it's through Sierra Club that Ivan finds his tribe, including his future business partner, Tom Frost. They go on some epic death defying climbs together, including the very first ascent of El Capitan's North America Wall in Yosemite.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yvonne, Tom and their buddies are risking their lives for the thrill of being the first up the most challenging ascents. One mistake could easily mean death. No mistakes makes you a legend.

[Nick Martell]

That's a key point, Jack, because that is why climbers are so focused on their equipment. Even something as innocent and soft as a wool sweater can be fatal when it's soaked and you're in some hypothermia territory.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's not just the soggy wool sweaters that bothers Yvon though. There's a vital piece of climbing gear that Yvon is not happy with. They're called pitons, small metal spikes that climbers hammer into the cracks in the rock wall to make anchor points. If the climber falls, the piton holds the rope in place, leaving the climber swinging in midair. You're gonna bump into a granite wall if you fall and definitely SC while you're swinging from that rope. But thanks to the piton, you're not free falling all the way to the ground.

[Nick Martell]

Now, for the uninitiated like myself, these pitons are essential safety equipment. The problem for Yvonne is that all these spikes are almost impossible to pull out of the rock face. Like once they are in, they are in. So if you do try pulling them out, they snap, leaving an ugly shard of metal jammed in the mountainside. This goes against Yvon's climbing mantra. One that he shares with environmentally minded outdoorsy types all across the world, and one that will guide his eventual billion dollar business. And that mantra is leave no trace.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So Ivan puts his issue with his wool sweater to one side. His new focus is finding a better alternative to these pitons. He goes to a junkyard, finds an old anvil and a forge, and teaches himself how to blacksmith in his parents backyard in Burbank.

[Nick Martell]

I bet the neighbors love that.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Is that a leaf blower over there? No, it's my son.

[Nick Martell]

He's hammering a hot iron.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yvonne hammers away, literally until he hits upon a new piton design. It's smaller, it's stronger, and way easier to yank out of the rock without breaking. They mean that Yvonne can scale the sheerest climbing walls without leaving a trace. Word gets out in the close knit climbing community about these new pitons and pretty soon Yvonne is selling them for $1.50 each. Now he has a way to support himself that doesn't involve dumpster diving.

[Nick Martell]

So Yvonne and his climbing buddy Tom Frost come up with more improved bits of climbing gear, like a new kind of axe for ice climbing. And they start selling those along with the pitons too.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Before they know it, these two self described dirtbag climbers who only want to be in the open air have founded a business together.

[Nick Martell]

It's impressive, it's unlikely, and it is very, very niche. These guys know exactly what their core customer wants because they are the core customer.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But what's the market size for environmentalist hardcore rock climbers in the early 1960s? It's not as big as the market for jeans, like we discussed in our Levi's 501 episode.

[Nick Martell]

It's also not as big as the McDonald's Happy Meal market. What we're saying is this is a really small market that they're going after here. It's like them and a bunch of buddies. But the tin market size of their climbing equipment isn't necessarily a disadvantage because when you're building a product line, less is more. The best performing firms actually tend to make a narrow range of products, but they make them very well. They often use up to 50% fewer parts than those made by less successful firms. So fewer parts mean a faster, simpler and usually cheaper manufacturing process.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And despite their focused product and their very niche market, Yvonne and Tom have Yosemite sized ambition. So in 1965, they found a company, Chouinard Equipment, and their aim is to redesign more climbing tools to make them stronger, lighter and easier to use. And because their products are stronger, they last longer, which means people don't need to buy so many replacements. It's good for climbers, it's good for the environment, but it's also good for the bottom line.

[Nick Martell]

Although for Yvonne, this business stuff, it takes a backseat to his climbing obsession. Yvonne and his partner Tom spend the winter months making and selling equipment by mail order. But then in the summer, they disappear off to Mount Shasta, the Alps and Canada, while sneaking in surf trips up and down the California coast and down in Mexico.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

How's inventory? No idea.

[Nick Martell]

But even with all of that time off, their business keeps growing. For the first few years, it's mainly mail order. But then Yvon meets another adventure junkie who's looking for just this kind of gear for his new store over in San Francisco. A store called the North Face.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The last few notes of a groovy Grateful Dead jam session ring out at the opening party for a small outdoor equipment store, the North Face. Come for the sleeping bags. Stay for the 20 minute psychedelic guitar freak out.

[Nick Martell]

This sounds fun.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's not just Jerry and the gang providing tunes for this grand opening store. Eventually, folk singing superstar Joan Baez is there too, entertaining the dirtbag climbers, the hippies and the beatniks who are present. This is the opening of the very first North Face store in San Francisco in 1966.

[Nick Martell]

Excuse me, does this tent come in tie dye?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Doug, the owner of North Face, he's a lot like Yvonne. He's an adventurer first, business guy second. His store is one of the first of its kind. A space where fellow adventurers can gear up and trade tales. Doug is also selling Yvonne's pitons and other pieces of chouinard equipment at this North Face store in San Francisco.

[Nick Martell]

We should point out that Doug is just as much of a free spirit as Yvonne is. And it's not long after this store opening that Yvonne and Doug, they start getting itchy feet.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So they both take their biggest adventure yet. They embark on an epic six month, 8,000 mile road trip all the way down to the tip of South America.

[Nick Martell]

And Jack, you know what I love about them doing this? In the tradition of National Lampoon, they actually name this vacation. They call it the Fun Hog Expedition.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

They cram into their beat up Ford Econoline van with a couple of other friends and they head south. Like really far south.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, it's far.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And throughout this epic road trip, they make pit stops to climb, ski and surf. Their ultimate destination is Mount Fitzroy on the border of Argentina and Chile, down in Patagonia.

[Nick Martell]

It is the ultimate aesthetic mountain. It is mighty and it is majestic.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

These friends are about to embark on a grueling 18 hour ascent up this 11,000 foot mountain.

[Nick Martell]

It blows their minds. The crystal clear sky, the bracing chill, the total exposure to the elements.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Experiencing the untouched landscape hundreds of miles from civilization leaves a deep impression on Ivan. As he's soaking in huge hits of clean air from the peak, it deepens his environmental convictions. From now on, he vows to live his life and run his business in the most environmentally responsible way. Possible.

[Nick Martell]

So Ivan takes a big breath before taking his first step down the mountain. Because now he's a new man with a new mission. And it all begins with this descent. By 1970, Ivan's company is the biggest supplier of climbing equipment in the United States.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But there's a contradiction at the heart of Yvonne's success. Making climbing equipment more easily available means he's helped popularize climbing. And lots of people use the same routes up the rock, hammering and removing their pitons as they go. Yvon has accidentally armed a million sculptors to chip away at our most beloved rock faces. Like Michelangelo chipped away at a block of marble. But these climbers aren't making David's. They're making destruction.

[Nick Martell]

Pretty soon, the popular routes up the rock faces are crumbling and awkwardly. All this popularity, it's because of Ivan's gear.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

As this paradox dawns on him, Yvonne is horrified. So he and his business partner, Tom Frost, decide they need to stop selling their pita. But it's not going to be easy. Those pitons make up two thirds of their business.

[Nick Martell]

So if they drop this thing entirely, these guys can be back to eating cat food and dumpster diving.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

To survive, they can't just cancel their one and only profit puppy. They need to come up with a fix, and fast. This episode is presented by Lenovo yetis.

[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

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[Jack Crevici Kramer]

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[Nick Martell]

Sebasties we're besties with the Lenovo ThinkPad or Edition imagined with Intel.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Learn more about Lenovo Aura Edition AI [e-mail] Aura it's possible on your Intel AI PC. We're back at El Capitan in Yosemite national park. It's 1972. Rock climbing is officially on the Rise. A pair of climbers dangle high on the imposing granite face, hundreds of feet above the ground. The wind tugs at their gear and the wall of rock looms steeply above, daring them to go higher. One climber reaches for a small piece of equipment, a hex. Instead of pounding it into the rock though, he slots this hexagonal piece of metal into a narrow crack and clips his rope through it. And then, carefully, he inches upwards. Suddenly, his foot slips and he is plunging. He's dropping fast down the wall, a blur of limbs and roar. He jerks to a sudden halt as the hex is pulled tight into that rock above, catching him in midair. He breathes a sigh of relief, gripping the rope and looking up. That little device that he just wedged in there, the hex, it just saved his life.

[Nick Martell]

And that life saving hex, It's Ivan's answer to the piton problem. They're hexagonal pieces of metal that climbers slot into the cracks in the rock as they make their ascent. And then they can clip their ropes into these hexes. So if a climber falls, their weight on the rope pulls the hex tightly in place.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And they don't need to be hammered in either. This way the rock doesn't get chipped to bits. And those hexes are also way easier to yank out and reuse than pitons were. So Yvonne and his business partner, Tom Frost, came up with these hexes as an alternative to their pitons. They introduced them in the 1972 Chouinard equipment catalog.

[Nick Martell]

Just in case you don't know your climbing catalog history, the 1972 Chouinard equipment catalog. It is a classic. It's kind of like the J. Crew catalog and the old Abercrombie catalog. Had a baby who was raised by wolves. These things, they go for 300 bucks or more on ebay.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

That catalog is a collector's item because of its impact on climbing culture. In a 14 page essay, his customers are urged to leave no trace when they climb. That meant putting conservation over convenience. It was a rallying call for a whole new movement. Clean climbing. This early form of brand marketing was a hit for Yvon. Climbers ditched their pitons and orders for the new hexes came in thicker and faster than an alpine blizzard.

[Nick Martell]

Yvon put his principles above his bottom line, and the payoff was huge.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Hexes weren't the only new item in that catalog. There's other pieces of climbing gear, too. And there was also an entire new product category. Open up to page 12. And for the first time you'll see clothing.

[Nick Martell]

Clothing. In fact, the reason Patagonia made the leap from specialist climbing gear maker to billion dollar apparel brand is all down to one of Yvonne's classic climbing trips and a run in with a very particular type of shirt.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

On a climbing trip to Scotland in 1970. As he's strolling down the street, a shirt in a shop window catches Yvonne's eye. It has a fit like a long sleeve polo shirt, but with a much higher collar. He asks the shop owner, what is that shirt? And the owner replies through a thick Highland accent, tis a rugby shirt.

[Nick Martell]

Interesting.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yvon takes the fabric between his fingers. It's tough enough to stand up against a pack of rugby players trying to tackle you to the ground, but it's also loose and breathable. But the thing that really appeals to Yvonne is the high collar. It's thick but loose. Just the thing to stop climbing equipment from chafing at his neck. So Yvonne buys one and heads over to the mountain.

[Nick Martell]

Now, this offhand purchase in a tiny Scottish men's shop, it actually would have a huge impact on Yvonne's business because when he gets back home, he keeps wearing that shirt on climbs. And when his buddies see it as their necks are chafing mid climb, they want one too. So Yvonne starts importing these rugby shirts and selling them.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So Yvonne gets the business opportunity, but he doesn't want to make a bunch of cheap threads that create a ton of waste. So he starts sourcing and selling other pieces of quality, long lasting clothing like hardware and corduroy pants, gloves and hats.

[Nick Martell]

This is where Patagonia's distinct marketing really begins. Yvon focuses on showing the clothing and the equipment, but he does it in action. The pictures in his catalogs, they aren't of models in some well lit Hollywood studio. They are real and they are gritty. These are grizzled climbers who are mid reach on a perilous climb. There are hikers struggling through rough, windswept terrain. And the focus, it isn't just on the product, it's on the experiences you'll have when you're wearing the product.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

As the clothing line gets bigger, Yvonne and his business partner, Tom Frost make a big decision. They want to sell their clothing under a separate brand. And they do this for two reasons. First, they don't want to dilute the image of Chouinard Equipment as a specialist climbing tool company.

[Nick Martell]

They've already built up a big brand there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Second, Yvonne sees that this sturdy, practical clothing has an appeal that goes beyond hardcore outdoors Adventures.

[Nick Martell]

Maybe people who like the idea of being outdoorsy but aren't sure what on belay, off belay means.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Maybe there's an aspirational element to his clothing that can attract a wider audience. Mainstream buyers, maybe even urban buyers, who want to feel like they're outdoorsy, who want to feel like they're a pro.

[Nick Martell]

He wants a name that resonates with a broader audience, something that conjures up a sense of freedom and a sense of adventure. So he thinks back to that fun hog road trip he took to South America, the life changing journey where he decided to go all in on protecting the planet. And he names his new clothing brand Patagonia.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But a great name also needs a great logo. So Yvonne sits down with a freelance designer named Jocelyn Slack and describes his vision to her. The jagged peaks of Patagonia starkly contrasted against a multicolored skyline. The endless horizon. And together, Jocelyn and Yvonne came up with something as iconic as the Nike swoosh. It's the silhouette of Mount FitzRoy against the sunset sky with Patagonia spelled out in lowercase serif letters. It's the kind of logo you tattoo on your bicep after scaling K2 for the third time.

[Nick Martell]

I'm looking at it right now on my new Patagonia gear, and it's the same as this original the mountain is calling, and I must stare at it.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

In 1973, Yvon opens the first Patagonia store in the sleepy beach town of Ventura, California. And now that he's in the clothing business, he can finally get back to his mythical quest of creating the perfect wool sweater.

[Nick Martell]

But Jack, Yvonne does have one problem. Because he needs a miracle fabric to make that miracle sweater. He needs something that has the warmth and the strength of wool, but that's lighter and easier to clean and most importantly, doesn't soak up water in the heavy rain. If he can make gear to keep a climber from falling to their death coming up with a cozy sweater, that should be a snap, right?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Since the first Patagonia store opened in 1973, Yvonne has been traveling the world, not only in search of the ultimate climb or the tastiest waves. He's also trawling textile markets and fabric stores, hoping to find his miracle fabric.

[Nick Martell]

It's actually Yvonne's wife, Melinda, who makes a key discovery in the most unlikely of places, the bathroom. Because she comes home after a trip to Los Angeles and she's really excited to show her husband what she's found. Yvonne's puzzled when she opens her shopping bag to reveal a toilet seat cover. The fabric, Jack, it's light, but it's soft and it's insulating and water just runs off it. It doesn't soak in. Could this be the miracle material?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This could be it. It's actually made of a material called acrylic pile. It's basically synthetic wool. And for some reason, it's being used as a toilet seat cover.

[Nick Martell]

In the 70s, people love soft things. It was like velour, everything velvet. This. Okay, so, Jack, this thing, it is ugly, but it is warm and it insulates even when it's wet. And it dries in a flash. But even more importantly, there's nothing else like it on the market. This fleece has the potential to revolutionize the entire outdoor wear industry.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But before Yvonne could turn that prototype into something that he can sell, he encounters a problem. One that could sink Patagonia before it even gets off the ground. Remember those rugby shirts that launched the Patagonia brand?

[Nick Martell]

Well, those Scottish rugby shirts have become so popular that Yvon outsourced production to a factory factory over in Hong Kong. But the shipments are never on time. And even worse, the quality of those rugby shirts is just awful. The stitching's all off, the material is low quality. There is no way that these things can make it through laundry day, let alone climb a jagged peak.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And now Yvonne is stuck with a warehouse full of bad shirts that he can't sell. The financial stress eats into his relationship with his business partner, Tom Frost. Tom's the one staring at the spreadsheets every day. By night, those mounting expenses are haunting his dreams.

[Nick Martell]

And Jack, that's not the end of it. Because things get so bad, they even consider taking a loan at 28% interest from, get this, the Mafia. Like, the actual mafia. This is all too much for Tom's nerves. So he cashes out of Patagonia stock and moves over to Colorado to continue his climbing career. Because, you know, it's hard to climb mountains when the mob puts you in concrete boots.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Take the guns, Leave the Patagonia.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah. Now, Yvonne, he's gonna need a new breakout product. And the answer may lie in the most unexpected and perhaps unhygienic of places.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

A jacket made out of a toilet seat cover. But this toilet jacket, it was about to put Patagonia clothing on the map in a big way.

[Nick Martell]

This episode is sponsored by Abbott. Let's talk about a small thing that can make a big difference if you have diabetes. The Freestyle Libre 3 sensor. It's amazing to see how the sensor gives you real time glucose readings so you can see the impact of every meal and activity. To make better choices, the Freestyle Libre 3 Plus sensor can help you live life with diabetes on your terms. You can try it for free at FreestyleLibre US. Offer available for people who qualify. Visit MyFreestyle US to see all terms and conditions. Certain exclusions apply for prescription only Safety info found at FreestyleLibre US.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

We've come to the year 1975. Nylon and polyester are all the rage and more and more synthetic materials are coming to market. Among them is a soft, light, warm and water repellent material that Yvonne's wife recently discovered when in the bathroom aisle. It's ideal and like nothing else on the market. But before Yvon can start cranking out those fleeces, he's gotta save Patagonia's reputation from the gutter his business partner has left. The company's costs are only going up and he's got piles of unsellable, poorly made rugby shirts to deal with.

[Nick Martell]

What Yvon would love to do more than anything else is just take off from the mountains. But Patagonia, it's about more than just him. It's now a company that employs 16 people. This is something that Yvonne really takes to heart. It's famously an incredible place to work with on site child care centers and paid time off to engage in activism. The employees love it. So Yvonne, yeah, there is no way that he's ditching these problems to go and leave his people high and dry.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Could the new prototype fleece be the answer?

[Nick Martell]

Now, Jack, Yvonne already has proven instincts here. Like remember those pitons that he hand forged? He made those pitons to fill his own needs. Seat first, the climbers, they love them second. And he's convinced that the same course of events will happen with fleece.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So he tracks down the supplier of that toilet seat fabric that his wife showed him. And it turns out it's a company called Malden Mills, which is based just outside Boston. Cash is still tight after that rugby shirt fiasco and Yvonne can't afford to put in a custom order for the fabric. So he has to go with the only colors Malden Mills has in stock already. Toilet seat tan and urinal cake blue.

[Nick Martell]

But Jack, we are in luck here, you know, because climbers, they're a unique customer base. They don't care about color. In fact, they don't care about any aesthetic elements of this product at all. What they care about is performance. So in 1977, struggling Patagonia takes its biggest risk yet. And Launches its first fleece, the pile fleece jacket.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This is a huge moment for pullovers. It's a huge moment for chilly days.

[Nick Martell]

It's a huge moment for the entire.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Fashion industry, honestly, because this Patagonia fleece is the first version of the fleece that we all know and love today.

[Nick Martell]

This is what Yvonne has been chasing all of these years. It's his white whale. Actually, it's his beige whale. A soft, plush, water resistant beige whale.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So how does this fleece do? Well, it's a hit.

[Nick Martell]

And it's not only climbers that love these warm, lightweight, water repellent fleeces. Everyday folks are snatching them up too. The orders start pouring in. By 1979, Patagonia sales have jumped 50%.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The new fleece is a huge step in the right direction. But Yvonne wants to take it even further. The fleece is selling well, so he has a proven market. And Patagonia is now in a much better financial position with sales up 50% thanks to this one product. So Yvonne gets together with Malden Mills, maker of that original fleecy toilet seat cover, to make a better version of that material. After a few years of testing and tinkering, they've nailed it. And in 1985, Patagonia unveils synchilla. It's warm, it's soft, it holds up to repeated washes.

[Nick Martell]

And guess what? This fleece, it is the fabric that all synthetic fleece clothes and textiles are based on today. Patagonia called it Chinchilla, but Malden Mills also sold it to other companies, calling it polar fleece.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The CEO of Malden Mills thought his new material was so revolutionary that he decided not to patent it, Meaning anyone could make this material.

[Nick Martell]

What we are saying, Eddies, is that the fleece was open sourced, but Patagonia.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Still had the first mover advantage. Patagonia went to town with cinchilla and other synthetic materials to make a whole range of clothing, including the classic Patagonia chinchilla snap tee. That's the fleece pullover with the snap button collar that goes halfway down to the sternum.

[Nick Martell]

Perfect for those chilly Austin spring evenings at south by Southwest.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And thanks to Chinchilla, Patagonia sales skyrocket, hitting $100 million by 1990.

[Nick Martell]

I mean, Jack, by this point, Yvonne's also putting his money where his mouth comes to protecting the environment, because he's also donating 1% of all Patagonia sales to environmental causes.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Every entrepreneurial journey is like a mountain range filled with peaks and troughs. Because the huge Success of the fleece means huge environmental impact. Those synthetic fibers that go into chinchilla, they're made using petroleum. What an epic bummer for Yvonne. Yeah, the more you make, the more you pollute. And not only that, every time you put your chinchilla through the wash, it sheds microplastics into the water.

[Nick Martell]

So, Jack, these fleeces, they are literally a walking environmental disaster. Just like those pitons. Yvonne has made a revolutionary new product that saves his company, but then trashes his green credentials.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So all those fleeces aren't just keeping hikers toasty. They're also warming the planet. But once again, Yvonne turns a crisis into an opportunity and invents another new revolutionary product. He gets in touch with his friends at Malden Mills. The first time they worked together, they invented synthetic fleece. Now they're gonna reinvent it. But here's the problem.

[Nick Martell]

They need to shrink the huge carbon footprint of each and every fleece. Their solution is plastic bottles. So in 1993, Patagonia becomes the world's first apparel maker to create fleece from recycled plastic bottles. Almost two decades before, Adidas did the same thing with shoes. And now you could wear your chinchilla totally guilt free.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And switching to the recycled plastic fleece wasn't just good for the planet, it was good for Patagonia's marketing. In fact, the move won patagonia an estimated $5 million worth of free press coverage.

[Nick Martell]

Just the word of mouth about the environmental benefits of these new fleeces, it got the ecocurious customers flock Patagonia stores.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Patagonia also engineered a better fleece that sheds fewer microplastics. They started adding reclaimed wool into the mix. And they launched campaigns asking people to wash their fleeces less.

[Nick Martell]

In, like, the early 90s, this stuff was way ahead of the curve, decades ahead of its time. Very few clothing companies were paying any attention to their environmental impact.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But all that work isn't enough for Yvonne. He doesn't have buyer's remorse. He has seller's remorse. Even though he's doing all he can to bring his company's eco impact down, he can't stop people from buying Patagonia stuff.

[Nick Martell]

Whenever he looks at his supply chain, the production, the logistics, the sales, all he is seeing is carbon footprints here, there, everywhere, treading all over his beloved environment.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And this is what motivates Yvonne to attempt one of the wildest ad campaigns in marketing history. It's the kind of move that, if botched, could sink his company. This is when Yvonne tells the public, literally stopped stop Buying Patagonia stuff.

[Nick Martell]

Sit down, stand up and don't ever come to our stores again.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's the first company we know of that told people to not buy their products.

[Nick Martell]

Like, don't think it gifts, Black Friday, don't show up.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

The ad went on to describe the environmental cost of making each fleece. Like 135 liters of water per fleece. That's enough to meet the daily water needs of 45 people.

[Nick Martell]

Here's the wildest part of this wild ad. This campaign, it actually boosted sales by 30%.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Everyone's like, oh my God, I love Patagonia. This is so awesome that they don't want people to buy their clothing because it's bad for the environment. I'm going to buy Patagonia now.

[Nick Martell]

I'll take three of them, honey. Patagonia fleeces for the whole family.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This wild ad campaign cemented Patagonia's brand name as a company that cared more about the environment than it did about.

[Nick Martell]

Making money, which in turn made it a whole lot of money.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

People are willing to spend more on brands that have a mission that they.

[Nick Martell]

Support, and Patagonia continues to follow this exact playbook.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No, Nick, we haven't talked about the Patagonia vest yet. How did it become so popular in Silicon Valley and across all of corporate America?

[Nick Martell]

Are you asking how it jumped from Sequoia trees to Sequoia Capital?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

No, I'm asking how it jumped from the Amazon to Amazon.com.

[Nick Martell]

It actually is a profit, puppy Jack, because you know, it's cheaper to make than the regular fleece. I mean, they save a lot of costs when you lose the sleeves.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If you joined an investment bank or a tech company, it was part of your induction. Monday, you got your secure logins. Tuesday, you set up your dual widescreen monitors for maximum Excel visibility. Wednesday, you collect your co branded Patagonia fleece vest from People Ops.

[Nick Martell]

No paychecks till fleeces. Yetis. Seeing that garish branding of the latest crypto exchange nestled next to your Patagonia Peaks logo, it really stuck in Yvonne's craw. So in 2019, he put his foot down and walked over to that distribution department and said, the B2B game, it's over. Only companies that put planet over profits are going to be allowed to put their branding on Patagonia clothing.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yvonne worked too hard for too long to make sure that Patagonia's green credentials were genuine.

[Nick Martell]

He didn't want to throw that away by putting vests on the back of banks that invested in fossil fuels. Or the tech firms powered by energy hungry server farms.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So Yvonne says, no more Patagonia swag.

[Nick Martell]

Or swag.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But again, they get more free press from all the news articles generated on that decision.

[Nick Martell]

Once again, it backfired and it feeds into Patagonia's own brand image as an activist company that wouldn't sell out on its principles, which led to more sales.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

But now, Nick, we have time for one more unprecedented move from Yvon Chouinard. And it's a big one. In 2022, he puts the whole company, all $3 billion of Patagonia into a trust to ensure that its profits go towards environmental causes from here on out.

[Nick Martell]

Let that sink in for a second. An entire profit driven company has now been put into a trust entirely focused on supporting the environment.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This ensures Patagonia's profits will be put towards combating climate change forever.

[Nick Martell]

When your great, great, great, great, great grandkids kids are buying Patagonia fleeces, the profits will go towards saving the planet. So, Jack, now that you've successfully convinced me a 14 mile Yosemite hike may be a tad too much, and you've heard the story of the Patagonia fleece, what's your takeaway?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

If you're looking to change career paths, weigh these three factors. Impact, income and quality of life. People on the cusp, cusp of a career change, often ask us if they should take the opportunity or not. Here's what we say. If your new gig checks at least two of those three boxes we just mentioned, income, impact and quality of life, then it's a career move worth making. If a move improves your income and your impact, it could be worth it even if your quality of life doesn't improve.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, like Yvon launched his equipment company for impact and quality of life. That's two of the variables right there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

He got to help protect the environment, environment he loved with his products. And he got to continue living, working and playing outdoors.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, this fits perfectly because interestingly, Yvonne ignored the income checkbox, but he ended up getting it because he focused on the other two.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

So remember, when you're choosing between income impact and quality of life, having two is usually enough and it often leads to the third. Nick, what's your takeaway on the story of Patagonia?

[Nick Martell]

All right, Jack, my takeaway is that the most successful mission oriented companies don't focus on preaching, they focus on products.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Interesting.

[Nick Martell]

I got some examples for you, Jack. Tesla, Ben and Jerry's, Patagonia, Warby Parker, Allbirds. Yvonne has even said that Patagonia's financial philosophy lies in being a product driven company, not preaching product. He focuses first on making something great and then he believes that the mission will follow. Follow. To be successful as a mission oriented company like Patagonia, you must first focus on the product. The philosophy comes second and then the profits follow.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

As his end master would probably say, profits happen when you do everything else right.

[Nick Martell]

I like what you did there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Okay, before we go, it's time for our absolute favorite part of the show. The best facts yet.

[Nick Martell]

These are the hero stats, facts and surprises we discovered in our research, but we just couldn't fit into the story story.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Nick, kick us off.

[Nick Martell]

All right, I got you. Jack Malden Mills, the guys who developed Polar Fleece. It's actually known as Polar Tech. It is still the sole supplier of fleece to the United States military, the North Face, Patagonia and many other outdoor brands.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Yvon Chouinard's fateful trip to Patagonia with North Face founder Doug Tompkins in 1968 was documented in a film called Mountain of Storms. The film became a cult classic, although it was not not widely seen. A later expedition retraced their journey for the 2010 documentary 180 Degrees South. Conquerors of the Useless.

[Nick Martell]

Now Jack Patagonia was actually one of the first major fashion labels to launch their own second hand site, encouraging customers not to throw away their barely used Pataguchis.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

It's the same reason why the tags in their kids wear have a place for the child to write their name and then another line for the next child to write their name. It encourages hand me downs.

[Nick Martell]

Subtle but clever. And Jack in 1993, Patagonia unveiled their first ever recycled bottled fleece. And guess what color the fleece came in?

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Soda bottle Green.

[Nick Martell]

Yeah, that's the one. Isn't that classic? Also, we should point out it takes 251 liter plastic bottles to make a cinchilla Patagonia fleece jacket. And not a scintilla of a single chinchilla is hard in the entire makin process.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

There's so many other crazy stories about Yvonne's adventures we couldn't fit in. Like the time he tried to raise his blood pressure by drinking bottles of soy sauce. His goal was to fail the US army medical exam to avoid being drafted.

[Nick Martell]

Now, unfortunately for Yvon and his dry cleaner, that soy sauce came straight back up and he was shipped out to South Korea. Although it was such a low stress posting that he spent most of his time time climbing in the mountains near Seoul.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Even when he was enlisted in the military in one of the most heavily militarized borders in the world. Yvonne is more chill than the dude. And that, my friends, is why the Patagonia Fleece Is the Best Idea Yet.

[Nick Martell]

Coming up on the next episode of the Best Idea Yet. Jack, can you tell me how to.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Get how to get to Sesame Street?

[Nick Martell]

Elmo? We'll see you there.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Follow the Best Idea yet on the Wondery App, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to every episode of the Best Idea yet early and ad free right now by joining Wondery plus in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.

[Nick Martell]

Before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short [e-mail] survey the best idea yet is a production of Wondery, hosted by me, Nick Martell.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

And me Jack Crevici.

[Nick Martell]

Craig hey, if you have a product you're obsessed with, but you wish you knew the backstory, drop us a comment. We'll look into it for you. Oh, and don't forget to rate and review the podcast five stars. That helps grow the show.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our senior producers are Matt Beagle and Chris Gaultier.

[Nick Martell]

Peter Arcuni is our additional Senior producer.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Our senior Managing Producer is Nick Ryan and Taylor Sniffin is our Managing Producer.

[Nick Martell]

Our Associate producer and researcher is H. Conley.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

This episode was written and produced by Adam Skierce.

[Nick Martell]

We use many sources in our research including Patagonia's Philosopher King by Nick Palmgarden in the New Yorker, the existential dirtbag who founded the gifted Patagonia by Rupert Neat in the Guardian and Let My People Go the Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvonne Chouinard Sound design and mixing by Kelly Kromeric Fact checking by.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Molly Artwick Music supervision by Scott Velazquez and Jolina Garcia for Frisson Sync.

[Nick Martell]

Our theme song is Got that Feeling Again by Blackalac. Executive producers for Nick and Jack Studios.

[Jack Crevici Kramer]

Are me, Nick Martell and me, Jack Revici Kramer.

[Nick Martell]

Executive Producers for Wondery are Dave Easton, Jenny lauer, Beckman, Aaron O'Flaherty and Marshall Louie.

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