Worn Wear

Not Just a Jacket - Part of My Identity! Zach Snyder. Grand Rapids, MI.

Dear Patagonia,

I purchased this jacket about 7 years ago, before our 2 boys were born, and we were living in Chicago. It also may be the first piece of Patagonia gear I ever purchased, now that I’m thinking about it. Your jackets aren’t cheap, and I was in REI checking out the sale rack and spotted this bright red nano puff for just about half price. I wasn’t super into the red, but you can’t not buy it at that price! These days we know that the price is worth it because the products last and have the ironclad guarantee.

I wore that jacket everywhere and anywhere! I always run hot, so I can pretty much wear it in any condition and not be cold at all. It really became its own landmark; how my wife would be able to know where I was when picking her up from the train station, or how people would refer to me as, “you know the guy who wears the red Patagonia jacket!” Most recently, it’s been how my kids’ teachers recognize me at pickup time since everyone is wearing masks due to the pandemic.

Over the years there have been snags and a few wear marks, but nothing major, but recently a hole burned into it from a rogue ember from a bon fire so I thought, “we’ll time to get a new one.” I went to the worn wear site looking to get some credit for the jacket, and some other things I don’t wear any more to put toward a new jacket, but saw so many of the cool stories about people keeping and repairing their stuff. These stories along with reading the facts about recycling and keeping your things just a little bit longer to help the planet compelled me to attempt a DIY fix. I bought some red Tenacious Tape (perfect match!), patched the burn hole, and some wear where the elastic bungee is on the waist, and we’re ready for the next adventure!

I’d love to sport a worn wear patch on this jacket to show people that it’s ok to fix your stuff to keep it out of the landfill a little longer!

Thanks for the memories!

Nano Puff in the Canyons. Maddie Verity. Natick, MA.

Dear Patagonia,

My reliable orange nano puff jacket just came back from Worn Wear; it is patched beautifully and has all of its life back. I wore the jacket every single day of fall in southeast Utah, hiking in Cedar Mesa and the Grand Gulch canyon system. Sharp ends of yucca plants and prickly pear pierced tens of holes in the jacket, but it persevered through weeks in the desert, protecting me from sharp flora and chilly morning temperatures alike. 

My hiking group was very lucky to find water in Grand Gulch. My fondest memory is finding a light stream of clear water, deep in the canyons, after drinking from murky puddles for two weeks. Reverentially, I dipped my hands in the clear water to feel the cool temperature; the cuffs of my jacket brushed the glassy surface. The memory of the cool fabric against my wrists, listening to running water, is the most calm and wonderful memory I have of the entire expedition. 

Spring is here now, and I am excited to start wearing the orange nano puff again. There may no longer be sand in the pockets or sandburs stuck onto the sleeves, but thanks to Worn Wear, I will be able to have plenty more adventures with my jacket. Thank you, Patagonia.

Loved to Death. Terry Patterson. Hailey, ID.

I just received my repaired Micro Puff vest. In one word it’s, “AWESOME!”

The story behind this vest began years ago as a gift from my two amazing daughters, The original gift was a Grey Nano Puff vest. I am an extremely active Dad, mountain biking, peak bagging, backpacking, backcountry skiing. You get the picture. Well my “gear” gets used a lot. The original Nano Puff gift was literally loved to death. A great piece of clothing by the way. The zippers even after several home repairs became non functional. But the wear that broke the camels back was due to back packs rubbing on the seam on the back at the waist. It literally wore through the nylon and was rupturing the insulation.

So I sent my loved Nano Puff to Patagonia in Reno for a repair job. In a reasonable time I heard back from an amazing Patagonia customer service person informing me that my Nano was too far gone and would be recycled. Saddened by the loss of life of my gift from daughters, he said he would provide credit for a new item. He suggested the newer product in Micro Puff. I was all smiles to continue the gift connection from my daughters in a Grey Micro Puff vest.

The “new” Micro Puff vest has been worthy piece of clothing in all the adventures listed above. Many of these outings are shared with my daughters! Forward to today and I have my handy “repaired” vest back in action again on the skin track in Idaho’s backcountry for a ski!

Thank you,

All About the Rescue. Casey Davis. Stevens Point, WI.

Dear Patagonia,

This is me taking our two dogs, we adopted from rescue shelters, for a walk on part of the 22 mile GreenCircleTrail.org

My favorite Slider Hoody was full of holes from campfire embers to getting caught in a benchtop buffer. It’s discontinued, so I’ve been looking for a new one for a while.  Then the zipper finally broke off.  I sent it in to Worn Wear, with my ¼ zip better sweater, just asking for the zippers to be repaired.  Not only did they repair the zippers, but they replaced all the ratty fabric on my slider hoody–was not expecting that! Now I have my own, basically brand new, custom, singular, Slider Hoody!

The Story on My Back. Michael Paul De Lia. Westchester, NY.

Dear Patagonia,

When I started high school, my dad gave me his old Patagonia backpack to replace the bag that got me through the eighth grade. It was an upgrade capable of handling some serious textbooks. My daily commute to school consisted of two trains and a short walk. About a third into my junior year, the bottom of the bag fell out on the train. Textbooks, pens, pencils, and candy wrappers littered the metro floor. Thinking quickly, I made sure the bag was zipped up all the way, turned it upside down and created makeshift tote so I could retrieve my scattered belongings, finish my commute, and go to school. Despite the teasing, it actually held up pretty well throughout the whole day. But I needed a permanent solution, which Patagonia was more than happy to supply. The model of the old bag was discontinued, and the damage was so bad, they thought it best I pick a new one. So, I did. For the past five years, my 32L Chacabuco bag and I have been inseparable. Covered in patches from our adventures and armed with a new zipper, the bag is still going strong and ready for more (mis) adventures.

Leia Culbert.

Dear Patagonia,

This is my nephew Ellis and I at the beach, as the youngest of five I have always wondered what it would be like to be an older sibling and being with him feel just like that! It always seems that if I know I am going to do something so incredibly fun I know to throw on something Patagonia because it is such good quality and means that I’ll feel confident in what I am doing. Patagonia is such a clean, Eco-friendly, and inspiring website. I wear Patagonia to promote that healthy life style not only for personal happiness but happiness for the planet. I especially love worn wear with Patagonia as I not only buy but trade in my old Patagonia clothes that otherwise would not have a home, I love the up-cycling that this website has brought into my life. I want to make sure that now Ellis is in my life that we can go on adventures and that I can bring him that sort of joyful life wearing the right gear.

New Worn Wear Jacket. Christopher Smith. Woodland Hills, California.

Dear Patagonia,

First off, I love this store, plus the products your team produces. I love the items I’ve kept and wear them almost every day when needed. Thanks again and keep up the great work! Best. 

My Favorite Puff Ball Jacket. Elizabeth Brann. Corvallis, Montana.

Dear Patagonia,

I want to thank Worn Wear for fixing the zipper on my vintage Patagonia nano puff hoody jacket. Worn Wear went above and beyond my expectations to fix it. l usually repair my worn Patagonia clothes myself but zippers are above my skill level.

My nano puff hoody jacket was bought by my late husband, Dan in Dillon, Montana at the Patagonia Outlet store back in the early 1990’s when they were first introduced. Since we lived in Dillon, Montana between 1986 and 2007, we accumulated many Patagonia outlet items over those years. The picture enclosed shows Dan in his nano puff hoody jacket in the Bitterroot Mountains.  He was assisting the Defenders of Wildlife in their Wolverine study. 

After my husband passed away 5 years ago, I began wearing his nano puff hoody jacket to bring in wood and build fires in the wood stove.  This jacket became my favorite jacket because it reminded me of my husband and it was the perfect size and weight for outdoor adventures.  Over the years, I had burned some small holes in the sleeves and broke the zipper.  Since the jacket was one of my favorites, I just had to repair the zipper so I sent it to Worn Wear. When they sent it back, I was astounded to find the sleeves had been expertly repaired as well as the zipper. Now I will take extra care not to burn holes in the sleeves while loading the wood stove and I tell all my friends about Worn Wear’s expert repair job. Thank you so much! Sincerely, 

Full Circle. Deeanna Bierman. Winston, OR.

Thank you Patagonia!!! I originally bought this shirt used from your Worn Wear site and wore it so much that I lost a button. Thank you for fixing this shirt so I can continue the love.

The do-it-all shorts. Seth Kirsch. Raleigh, NC.    

Dear Patagonia,

These 5" stand up shorts have been from Raleigh to Machu Picchu to the Himalayas and Mount Kenya. They’ve carried books on long bike rides in the summer and crawled up under the truck to change the oil more times than they can count. They’ve been the go to piece of clothing for years and despite the tears and ink stains from busted pens they’ve been going strong and have no interest in stopping any time soon. I’ve been told they’re too short by coworkers and laughed at by siblings for the same reason. Regardless, they were the best shorts on the market. Unfortunately the 7" are too long so I’ll have to keep wearing these until the 5" come back on the market. Please bring them back! With love and adventure, 

Haggis & Cold Toast in the Patagonia Super Alpine Bibs. Edmund Falkowski. Schroon Lake, NY

Dear Patagonia,

On a cold winter’s day after a long thaw cycle, my friend Adam and I decided to finish up our trip to the High Peaks of the Adirondacks by ice climbing Haggis & Cold Toast, a classic WI3+. Graced by thick, blue, soft, sticky, plastic ice the last few days of our trip, we wanted to get one last climb in before hitting the road. The night was extremely cold, though (single digits), so the surface layer of ice flash froze. I geared up for the lead, bringing only ice screws (thinking the ice looked thick enough the whole way up). This route, which ascends rock, snow, and ice in a narrow (5’ wide) chimney cleft in the cliff, is a wonderful moderate classic in normal conditions. A short mixed start led to a low-angle consolidated snow field. At the top of this snow field is a vertical wall of ice. Every screw I tried placing cracked the brittle layer of ice and revealed unprotectable slush underneath which was resultant of the recent warm spell that caused the thicker ice climbs to be soft and easy. Placing questionable screws, stemming on the rock walls and kicking into the ice, I inched my way up the vertical step, believing that if I can get through this section the rest of the climb would be in the bag. As I rounded over the bulge to the lower-angled section before the top (~40 ft), I realized this ice was just as bad as the ice below except even thinner. Every careful tool stick caused a huge dinner plate of ice to crash down, and the ice tumbled down onto my thighs before free-falling to the snow field which I had ascended below. It was too late to turn back, the screws that were below me did not instill confidence and I could not place any screws in the thin ice above. At one point I slung a small horn on the left side of the chimney, and after climbing above it I looked down and saw it had already vanished, resting atop the last marginal ice screw on the steep ice wall. Using mixed trickery, stemming, and making extremely careful sticks and hooks, I quested my way up to the top - from a dark, cold cleft into a bright, sunny, picturesque forest with birds chirping - I felt as though I had been reborn. My Patagonia Super Alpine Bibs got pretty torn up against the rough anorthosite but with some patches they will keep going strong.

More Than A Patch. Madeline Cournoyer. Kenilworth, Illinois

Dear Patagonia,

Two years ago my family and I embarked on a trip to Vail, Colorado. After a long day of skiing and a series of eventful events we found ourselves roaming the streets of Vail Village. As the snow began to fall and the temperature started to drop we made our way into a Vail apparel store. I walked over to the Patagonia section and my eyes landed on a black coat with a Vail patch on the left arm. After a little bit of convincing my parents agreed to buy the coat for me as an early birthday present. I left the store with a smile on my face and I was ready to wear my new coat anywhere and everywhere. This fall I noticed that the zipper had broken and my mom took it to the dry cleaners. Unfortunately, they could not fix it, but informed us that Patagonia could. It was the time away from my coat that allowed me to realize it wasn’t the Vail patch that made it so special, but rather the life long memories that were made with my family that weekend. From telling stories on the chair lift to watching skis glide through a fresh sheet of powder family ski trips have played an integral part in my life ever since I was young. A pair of skis, boots, and poles have taught me to believe in myself no after what obstacles may come my way. As the world presents us with this Covid-19 Pandemic it is more important than ever before to enjoy the little things in life. The reality is that life is short and if you don’t stop to seize an adventure every once and a while then life will pass you by with a blink of an eye.

Pavlov’s Patagonia. Brandon Moberg. Seattle, WA.

Dear Patagonia,

My Nano Puff Jacket arrived just in time for my first camping trip with my dog Henley. As we hiked and camped throughout the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, my Nano Puff never returned to my pack. When we paused for breaks, the jacket served as our sitting pad, and at night when the temperatures dropped, its warmth comforted us both. I think it was this trip that conditioned my dog to love Patagonia the way I do.

Now, as the weather cools, my Nano Puff returns to reclaim its throne as daily wear. It may just be a jacket, but for Henley, it is a powerful stimulant that elicits unbridled excitement, a prelude to more time outdoors hiking, camping, or daily walking. And now that I think of it, the jacket does the same for me; I guess it conditioned me too. Thank you for everything, Patagonia.

New life for stand-up shorts. Sean McLaughlin. Petersburg, PA

Dear Patagonia,

This pic is of the three boys of my family: me, my brother, and my dad. My dad, Mark, is wearing his favorite pair of Patagonia shorts in the St. Louis Arch with us in 2008. He continued to wear these shorts for years until I reached the age of fashion enlightenment: his closet. Most of my outdoor gear comes from the attic, closets and drawers of my parents. These green shorts came to me in 2019, well loved and ripped all over the place. I began wearing these shorts religiously. I wear them to my job at summer camp, to class, in the dead of winter, and recently, I finally admitted they needed fixing. My awesome girlfriend is more of a seamstress than I, and she patched them up so now they also function for business casual occasions. Thanks Patagonia. I love em. 

Stand Ups have Stood Up. Kevin March. La Grande, OR. 

Dear Patagonia,

“Hand Me Downs” in Alaska.  

Dear Patagonia, 

The hand me down game is strong in our little mountain town in Alaska. When we first had our daughter, we were given a tiny little down sweater, already loved by many kids in our valley. Our baby grew into it, then out of it very quickly, and we passed it right on to the next baby born. This happened over and over again with the next sizes through the years and the list of crossed off names written in sharpie on the inside of the collar got longer and longer. Now, we’re getting the same jackets and onesies our daughter wore passed to us again for our brand new son. Thank you for making gear durable enough to be handed down a dozen times, well loved and well used.

Our Family Uniform. Hanna Ball. Malibu, CA.

Dear Patagonia,

Whenever the four turquoise fleeces were taken out of the closet, I knew it was time for an adventure. My parents had the grand idea of getting us all matching, bright turquoise fleeces. Although embarrassing then, I look back at those times with fondness. We wore our turquoise fleeces like a family uniform— as we rode dogsleds around snowy mountains, hiked the peaks of Yosemite, and traveled through British Columbia. I may have outgrown that tiny turquoise fleece, but I have not outgrown the memories. I intend to keep the turquoise fleece legacy alive by now inheriting both my parent’s turquoise fleeces and passing on the idea of the family uniform to my future children.