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Stories We Wear: Promoting Sustainability Practices with the Case of Patagonia
Author(s) -
Michel Gwendolyn M.,
Feori Meegan,
Damhorst Mary Lynn,
Lee YoungA,
Niehm Linda S.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
family and consumer sciences research journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.372
H-Index - 31
eISSN - 1552-3934
pISSN - 1077-727X
DOI - 10.1111/fcsr.12340
Subject(s) - clothing , sustainability , business , consumption (sociology) , qualitative research , marketing , advertising , psychology , sociology , political science , social science , ecology , law , biology
The purpose of this study was to explore why consumers wear and repair Patagonia brand apparel, thus extending the lifespan of the apparel beyond a typical period of consumption. Using a qualitative case study, we examined Patagonia’s “Stories We Wear” blog posts from 2015 to 2017. Six emergent themes were identified as consumers’ motivation to engage in sustainability practices of repairing and extending the use of Patagonia brand apparel. The findings indicate that the blog posts (a) supported brand attachment and (b) enhanced our understanding of consumer–object relations with apparel items. Recommendations for future research and businesses seeking to expand sustainability practices are provided.