People walking together with the words 'Wherever your happy place, we've got the kit to get you there'

If It’s Broke, Fix It

Patagonia Worn Wear Tour

At its core, Patagonia believe that one of the most responsible things we can do for the planet is to keep our kit going for longer. Through Worn Wear, Patagonia repair kit for free to encourage extending the life of our outdoor kit rather than discarding it at the first sign of wear and tear.

 

This year, we brought the Patagonia Worn Wear tour to Cotswold Outdoor stores across the UK, enabling our customers to have their beloved garments repaired by Patagonia’s skilled technicians, ensuring they're ready for many more adventures to come. 

 

We visited the recent Patagonia Worn Wear pop-up at Cotswold Outdoor in Betws-y-Coed, Wales, to hear from customers and repair technicians on the importance of doing what we can do with what we already have.

A woman with blonde hair and wearing a black hoody looking down at the ground

A collage of images from the patagonia worn wear tour: someone sewing, someone cutting cloth,  a person standing infront of the workshop

Pictured right: Patagonia Worn Wear team member Lisa


What motivated you to come and get your clothing repaired today?

A woman with blonde hair and wearing a black hoody looking down at the ground

Bex (customer)

Repairing things is better than buying new. It’s great that my kit’s going to last because it’s been re-enforced, and it’s helpful that I can keep prolonging its life.

Kelda (customer):

They are my absolute favourite trousers, and I can no longer buy that particular model, so I want to keep them going for as long as possible! 


What are the adventures or memories you’ve had with this item?

Christopher (customer)

Many adventures around Wales! 

Kelda

These trousers went to Everest base camp in 2012. I’ve got a real emotional attachment to them because I’ve had so many adventures wearing them. 


A bblonde woman in a purple coat holding a pair of trousers

Patagonia Worn Wear customer Kelda


Do you think initiatives like this are important for the environment?

Bex

Definitely, it stops less items being sent to landfill. You also get to keep the items that you’ve been on so many adventures with. For example, the colour of my jacket isn’t sold anymore so I’ve actually been wearing it less because I was conscious that I didn’t want it to wear through. It’s amazing that Patagonia offers the Worn Wear service, so my bit of kit gets to keep going!  


How much do these repairs extend a garment's life?

Lisa (repair technician)

It really depends on how much the garment will be used – if it’s worn a lot then it might need further repairs. Often the repairs we do out on the road during Worn Wear are semi-permanent but keep kit in use for longer – for more permanent repairs and if the item is from Patagonia the garment can be sent to one of our repair partners to be externally repaired as all Patagonia products come with an Ironclad Guarantee. You can start a repair request here.

Martina (repair technician)

I’ve been doing these repairs for 8 years and we still get people coming back who have garments from our first tour that are in great condition. It really depends on what activities people are doing in their clothes, but I’d say at least 5 years or more if it’s repaired well. 


A collage of images from the patagonia worn wear tour: cotton bobbins, someone cutting cloth,  a person standing infront of the workshop

Pictured right: Patagonia Worn Wear team member Martina


Why is keeping kit out of landfill so important?

Lisa

We're over-using our global resources – we’ve got more product in the world than we need or know what to do with. The product that you’ve got in your wardrobe already, is the most sustainable product there is. So, using and repairing it is the most environmentally friendly thing we can do. 

Martina

We can be subconsciously wasteful. A lot of people will get rid of clothing when it’s partially broken but it might just need one repair, like a zip. The garment isn’t broken, and the mentality needs to shift. We can’t afford to be blind to the landfill issues that we have because it’s caused so many problems. If we can do our bit, then hopefully that will increase awareness around these issues. A big part of this is educating and encouraging people to get things repaired or repair it themselves.


Are there any stories you’d like to share about the clothes you’ve repaired?

Lisa

We had a family come through earlier today who were on holiday in Betws-y-coed from Cornwall. The mum had brought her favourite waterproof trousers to be repaired – she’d bought them in this Cotswold Outdoor store in Betws-y-coed 10 years ago. They no longer make those trousers anymore, so she was thrilled because we’ve given those trousers another 10 years of use. 

Martina

There was a lady whose jacket was caught in a fire – thankfully, she was fine! She came to us to recycle the down as she thought the jacket couldn’t be repaired as it had melted, but we managed to repair it for her, and she was so happy! 


At Cotswold Outdoor, we’re committed to minimising our impact on the environment, actively protecting the places we love, and helping everyone to enjoy the outdoors in a responsible way. Discover more ways to support our mission through recycling your kit or exploring the Our Planet range.  

 

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