Run Oregon is staying warm in Patagonia this fall

Most of us in the Pacific Northwest are familiar with the Patagonia brand since they are known for their outdoor wear for all weather. You may also be familiar with their commitment to the environment. Patagonia’s mission statement states, “Build the best product, cause no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.” But, have you shopped any of Patagonia’s newest products? Some of us at Run Oregon had the opportunity to try out Patagonia’s latest.

Patagonia Women’s Capilene Air Crew

Annette:
I had the opportunity to try out the new Women’s Capilene Air Crew. This product looks like a light sweater and is designed to be worn as such or as a baselayer. Since the weather has just turned to cooler fall days, I wore this as a sweater with jeans while I was out and about. For such a lightweight sweater, it is surprisingly warm. The Capilene Air Crew is made from a blend of merino wool (51%) and recycled polyester (49%). This combination made for a very comfortable feel against my skin. No itchy wool feeling, just a light comfortable feel that moved easily. While I haven’t worn this during any activities requiring physical exertion, I could feel that this fabric would dry quickly and wick away moisture if I were to wear this while doing something like hiking or skiing.

The Capilene Air Crew is a slim fit, so you may want to go up a size if you prefer a slightly looser fitting sweater. I typically wear a medium, but the size large worked great and was still a fitted look. The sweater kept its shape nicely after I washed it (in cold water) and let it hang to dry. I would recommend the Capilene Air Crew for activities on a cold winter day, because it is much warmer than it looks. For runners, I think it would make a great layer before or after a run when you need to stay warm, but you still want something breathable.

Mindy:
I had the opportunity to try out the Women’s Peak Mission Jacket. This jacket is the perfect transitional jacket from summer to fall. And is lightweight enough to go on long runs, without feeling overheated. The weather has just started to turn from sunny October days, to more chilly. The jacket has been worn to numerous soccer practices, countless games, has logged multiple miles and is still cute enough to be worn with jeans. For as lightweight as the jacket is, it is surprisingly warm when needed. It is made with a hybridized microfleece, for breathability, along with warmth. My favorite feature of this jacket is the chest pocket, it converts to a small sack, has a carabiner clip in loop and a internal phone sleeve with hole for a headphone cord. The Peak Mission Jacket is made with 100% recycled polyester stretch ripstop with a durable water repellent finish, bonded to 4.5-oz 100% polyester (45% recycled) tricot with a wicking finish.The materials and design make for a perfect fall jacket.

The Women’s Peak Mission Jacket comes in a slim fit. For me the fit was true to size. If you need help with sizing refer to their website, Patagonia has a great sizing tool and questionnaire. I highly recommend this jacket for fall activities. For runners it’s a great transitional jacket, it is the perfect weight and is very breathable. It is also great for everyday wear and for travel.

Company: Patagonia

Products and Prices:

• Women’s Capilene Air Crew ($129)
• Women’s Peak Mission Jacket ($199)

More About Patagonia: 

Patagonia grew out of a small company that made tools for climbers. Alpinism remains at the heart of a worldwide business that still makes clothes for climbing – as well as for skiing, snowboarding, surfing, fly fishing, paddling and trail running. These are all silent sports. None require a motor; none deliver the cheers of a crowd. In each sport, reward comes in the form of hard-won grace and moments of connection between us and nature.

Our values reflect those of a business started by a band of climbers and surfers, and the minimalist style they promoted. The approach we take towards product design demonstrates a bias for simplicity and utility.

For us at Patagonia, a love of wild and beautiful places demands participation in the fight to save them, and to help reverse the steep decline in the overall environmental health of our planet. We donate our time, services and at least 1% of our sales to hundreds of grassroots environmental groups all over the world who work to help reverse the tide.

We know that our business activity – from lighting stores to dyeing shirts – creates pollution as a by-product. So we work steadily to reduce those harms. We use recycled polyester in many of our clothes and only organic, rather than pesticide-intensive, cotton.

Staying true to our core values during thirty-plus years in business has helped us create a company we’re proud to run and work for. And our focus on making the best products possible has brought us success in the marketplace.