Patagonia Refuses to Make Vests for Wall Street

Last year, Patagonia changed their mission statement to “We’re in business to save our home planet.” Now, they’ve proven that they’re serious about it.

Co-branded Patagonia vests have become somewhat of a staple for Wall Street financiers and hip tech companies alike in recent years, but in a social media post shared on Monday by Binna Kim, the president of a communications agency named Vested, a third-party supplier of Patagonia’s co-branded corporate garments rejected a client’s order because they decided to no longer support ”ecologically damaging” companies.

On Tuesday, the outdoor gear company came out with a statement explaining the new direction it’s going in. The statement read that Patagonia is hoping to partner with more “mission-driven companies that prioritize the planet” and hopes to add more B Corp companies — businesses that meet a certain standard for environmental friendliness, social responsibility and transparency to its clientele — of course, Patagonia itself is a B Corp. But while Patagonia is going in a new direction, working only with companies that respect the planet, the company also reassured existing corporate customers that they will remain in the corporate sales program and can still order more branded items.

This new change from Patagonia moves beyond just “ecologically damaging” businesses such as the oil and mining industries. The leaked email also states that the company will refuse to work with certain religious groups, politically-affiliated organizations, and various financial institutions.

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The end of the #fintech uniform?! Farewell #patagonia vests. pic.twitter.com/3PpykELkZb

— Binna Kim (@binnaskim) April 1, 2019