Patagonia is incredibly good at making outdoorsy types feel okay about indulging in luxury. They speak to people who want to think of themselves as hard core—even when they’re buying a $149 cardigan. Check out this product description from Patagonia.com:
The hero of the duffel—pair it with a T-shirt for town, a button-down for the job interview and a shell when you bolt to the mountains. Naturally soft and beautiful, this cardigan is made of finely knit premium merino wool with rib-knit panels down the sides and under the sleeves to enhance mobility. Merino naturally resists odor, moves moisture away from the skin, regulates body temperature, and stretches as you move. With a reverse-coil front zipper and hand pockets. Recyclable through the Common Threads Recycling Program.
Patagonia flatters its customers very well. In this case, the typical buyer will wear the sweater to a sedentary white-collar job, but the product description evokes action (“knit panels down the sides and under the sleeves to enhance mobility”), duffel-bag adventure (“for when you bolt to the mountains”) and social responsibility (it’s recyclable!). In a nod to their self-styled ‘dirtbag’ identity, they mention the sweater’s ability to resist odor and wick moisture—because this cardigan will join you on road trips to the Canadian Rockies.
I’d put Patagonia up there with Nike and Apple in terms of its success in creating and assiduously maintaining a brand identity that evokes a not just a lifestyle, but an entire ethos.