Patagonia clothing grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. These are all silent sports. None requires a motor; none delivers the cheers of a crowd. In each sport, reward comes in the form of hard-won grace and moments of connection between us and nature. Patagonia's values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach they take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.

For Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. Patagonia donates their time, services and at least 1% of sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide.

Patagonia knows that their business activity – from lighting stores to dyeing shirts – creates pollution as a by-product. So they work steadily to reduce those harms. Patagonia uses recycled polyester in many of their clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton.

Staying true to their core values during thirty-plus years in business has helped them create a company they're proud to run and work for. And Patagonia's focus on making the best products possible has brought them success in the marketplace.