Anyone that has ever bought vintage Patagonia knows the value and difficulty in finding the much loved 80s big label variety. As it turns out, the eBay monopoly is about to end. The coveted (by American and Japanese alike) and colorful Synchilla jackets are being re-released in mid-October through a collaboration with Urban Outfitters. The brightly-hued fleece is revived with two different styles, a pullover model and a zip-up version. The new jackets are said to be more slim-fitting than the regular Patagonia, and will most likely be in the same price range as the current stock. Sounds like a win-win to me.
The original introduction of the colorful outerwear was a watershed moment for Patagonia, exposing the company — for better or worse — to swarms of fashion trend seekers. It is even written into the brand’s history: “During the early 1980s, we made another important shift. At a time when all outdoor products were either tan, forest green, or, at the most colorful, powder blue, we drenched the Patagonia line in vivid color. We introduced cobalt, teal, French red, aloe, seafoam, and iced mocha. Patagonia clothing, still rugged, moved beyond bland-looking to blasphemous.” Obviously, this time around should be a different story. I love when companies go into the archives and bring back the classics, or in this case, the almost classics.
16 Comments
October 1, 2008 at 12:35 pm
I see these in Value Village all the time – you’re telling me they’re worth something?
October 1, 2008 at 1:44 pm
Are they only going to be sold at Urban Outiftters?
October 1, 2008 at 2:03 pm
Yea Matt and Dan for making this happen!!
October 1, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Erick — I believe they will indeed be an UO exclusive…
ACL
October 1, 2008 at 2:24 pm
These look great and I’m in need of a new Synchilla since my girlfriend seems to have decided my old one is now hers.
October 1, 2008 at 3:30 pm
These are the frat boy staple in the South. We always referred to them as Fratagonia. Awful.
October 1, 2008 at 4:10 pm
hey dont knock the pata-gucci…
didnt think you needed a fleece down south, isnt it hot and muggy all the time?
October 1, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Yeah, I’m not really sure I could bring myself to wear one, having spent the last 8 years eschewing polyester. But I have to admit, the colorways look good.
October 1, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Looking forward to trying the slimmer fit. Also, the colors are a refreshing change from the many shades of brown it seems like Patagonia has been doing lately.
October 1, 2008 at 5:09 pm
slim-fitting plus great colour equals good idea!
October 2, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Are these going to be making there way to the UK shores or is this for American stores only?
October 3, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Nooooooooo! We’ve been working so hard to get Vancouver out of fleece and into natural fibers. I’m still having to answer “is wool okay in the rain?”
October 3, 2008 at 4:03 pm
I’m ALL for vintage-style patagonia. But I’m not at all a fan of the UO partnership. Cheapens patagonia horribly, IMO. Don’t get me wrong, I shop at both. But The North Face is already hawking their crap at UO. It’s a shame to see Patagonia stoop too.
December 27, 2008 at 11:22 am
hi i was wondering where you can buy these at because i love them and been searching everywhere but cannot seem to find any…so please help me out!
thanks!
January 5, 2009 at 11:53 pm
[...] American Rag in LA and the like. It’s not hard to figure out — call me I’ll help. Patagonia is doing it with Urban Outfitters, as is Jansport with their Heritage Collection. The fact that the [...]
January 29, 2009 at 2:29 pm
Good stuff. I’m curious to know how these have sold. I noticed that the UO website still has some colors/sizes available.
I’m a recent A Continuous Lean reader and have enjoyed what I’ve read. Looking forward to kicking around your blog a bit more.