Used Patagonia gear for kids (if you can afford it) is incredible. You know they’ll be dry and comfortable, it wears remarkably well, and it has resale value. All of my kids have cycled through Patagonia garments and each garment was sold eventually, bringing the cost of ownership well below what we’d pay if we bought them worse gear new.

It’s unfortunate that price prevents people from wanting or being able to invest in quality clothing that can last. If something is well made it seems like it can outlast cheaper garments several times over, and the environmental cost is reduced dramatically. Most garments like this really do cost a lot though; my nano puff hoody was around $350 CAD, for example. You can get stuff that looks the same for $50-$100. If I hadn’t experienced how nice it is first hand, I’d likely assume the nano is a waste of money and go with something cheaper too. Then of course at times in my life I couldn’t spend that much if I wanted to.

We have a bit of a crisis regardless. The garment industry is like a massive conveyor belt into landfills.