Not only should your gear work perfectly year after year, it should also be durable enough to be used over and over, year after year. And just as importantly: you should want to use it over and over, year after year.
This is an aspect of sustainability that is often overlooked,which results in way too many garments ending up in a basement somewhere for the simple reason that they don’t feel ‘fashionable’ anymore. The problem with this is that the environmental impact of producing these items does not come close to being compensated for due to the low number of times that they are worn.
Trend resistant since 1960
We have always put a lot of effort into making clothing and equipment that is functional, durable and timeless. The word ‘timeless’ here does not mean we want to create a ‘classic’ look from a fashion perspective, but rather that we are constantly striving to achieve sustainable designs from functionality and environmental perspectives. A design that avoids current trends and passing styles, and that instead feels relevant in the long term, will be used more often and over a longer period of time.
Research agrees
A report published by the independent research foundation Mistra studied the relationship between a garment’s life cycle and its environmental footprint. It found that a design policy that takes long-term use into account has a surprisingly large effect on the environmental impact of a garment. This is because it keeps the owner from needing or wanting to replace garments as often. By using a jacket twice as much as jackets are used on average (approx. 140 times x 2), the environmental impact can be reduced by 49%*.
The basement can wait
The jacket on the left at the top of this article is a Fjällräven Räven that was bought in 1982 by Gerd Dolva. She used it regularly until 2002 for all sorts of outdoor activities. She then gave it to her granddaughter Christiane who is still using it today. This is an example of a garment that has helped its owners keep their environmental impact at a minimum. We think that your Fjällräven jacket will also do this – in addition to keeping you warm, dry and comfortable on all your outdoor activities.
