Patagonia expands fair trade certified offerings with new swimsuit line

By

Rebecca Taras

Published
Apr 3, 2017

Last fall, sustainable outdoor clothing company Patagonia announced it was aggressively expanding its partnership with Fair Trade USA. Since the union’s inception in 2014, the company has expanded from 11 to 218 styles and has gone from using just one Fair Trade Certified factory to six. Now, just in time for spring, Patagonia has launched a Fair Trade Certified swimsuit line for men, women and children.

Along with being tested by some of the best surfers in the world, each product incorporates recycled nylon or recycled polyester fabrics. From a production standpoint, the women’s swimsuits and bikinis incorporate a laser process that minimizes fabric scraps and waste.“When we buy clothing, we’re often oblivious to the reality of how it was made—not to mention the true human and ecological costs of the manufacturing process,” said Dave Rastovich, global surf activist at Patagonia. “Fair Trade extends a sense of value, acknowledgment and respect to members of the human family who are often pushed to the margins.”

Patagonia’s Fair Trade business model is favorable to recent research by the Natural Marketing Institute that concludes that 67% of consumers recognize the Fair Trade Certified seal—particularly millennials. 73% recognize the seal and 54% are more likely to purchase a product because of it.

Patagonia’s Fair Trade Certified swimsuit line (48 styles of men’s, women’s and kids’ board shorts and bikinis) is available at Patagonia retail stores (and website) and select partner stores.