How Our Editors Made Patagonia Look Cool

For the past month, we've been talking about slow fashion a lot here at Who What Wear. Since it's our theme for July, we covered all the slow-fashion designers and brands that are doing it right and how to find (and wear) the best secondhand pieces. While slow fashion has certainly been a movement as of late, the leader in this arena has log been none other than Patagonia.

Patagonia—committed to creating sustainable, ethical clothing (that's also covetable) since 1974—inspired other brands to do the same along the way. (Read all about its mission here.) Not only that, but recently we've been waking up to the fact that it offers more than just hiking gear and fleeces fraternity guys wear to college football games. Reformation started selling select Patagonia pieces in 2016 (which always seem to quickly sell out), and we've seen the brand's iconic logo pop up on Instagram outfit posts more and more as of late.

So can you blame us for wanting to get in on the Patagonia action while supporting a brand that's doing everything it can to make positive changes in the environment? As you'll see below, each of us Who What Wear editors took a current Patagonia piece and built an outfit around it, resulting in 10 looks that prove, yes, it is very possible to make Patagonia look cool. Suffice to say, we're all Patagonia fans now. Check out our outfits, and shop the pieces we chose below.

Michelle Scanga, Managing Editor

"I like the idea of swapping my go-to white tee for a summery yellow one with the Patagonia logo. I was able to tuck the fitted tee in perfectly to my new leopard denim skirt from Topshop, and it's Monday so I wore sneakers (don't judge me)."

Michelle's Pick:

Aemilia Madden, Editor

"I've been a long time fan of Patagonia's baggy shorts but never really considered trying to wear them to work. Styling them with a ladylike top and trendy accessories helped make them feel a bit more dressed up."

Aemilia's Pick:

Kat Collings, Editor in Chief

"These pants are straight-up fashion. I love the patch pockets on the butt, and canvas work pants are a trend that's definitely making a comeback. When I was out in this look, I had one girl stop me to ask if the pants were vintage 'Patagucci,' and she was so excited to learn they were current."

(Kat's top is Who What Wear collection, bag is vintage Kenzo, and shoes are H&M Conscious.)

Kat's Pick:

Kristen Nichols, Associate Editor

"While I typically reserve baseball hats for weekend hikes, I've loved the idea of wearing them with everyday outfits like jeans ever since last year's 'dad' hat trend."

Kristen's Pick:

Gina Marinelli, Senior Editor

"I live for a weekend hike upstate, but honestly, the majority of my clothing doesn't reflect that. That said, I chose a Patagonia piece that has the most potential for fitting into what I'd wear most days—a clean, white button-down—and styled it with a midi skirt and block heels. The lightweight top feels right at home with my usual work style, but it still has the potential to transition to something sportier, should I switch gears."

Gina's Pick:

Allyson Payer, Editor

"I'm from the South, where people basically live and breathe Patagonia, but I don't often see it styled in interesting ways. Because of that, I wanted to bring out the cool side of this functional windbreaker with fun accessories like a beaded bag, interesting hoop earrings, and sparkly Adam Selman x Le Specs shades."

Allyson's Pick:

Nicole Akhtarzad, Market Editor

"Anyone who knows me is probably rolling their eyes right now because I basically cheated and chose a white T-shirt, which I would totally wear anyway. Since I do love tees, I decided to style my Patagonia one the way I would style any other, and pairing it with jeans and sandals. The belt bag was a last-minute addition because if you look closely, the color happens to perfectly match one of the ones in the logo!"

Nicole's Pick:

Anna LaPlaca, Assistant Editor

"I'm not a huge fan of one-piece swimsuits, but the strappy back on this one immediately caught my eye. Instead of heading to the beach in it, though, I tucked it into my favorite pair of vintage jeans and wore with strappy heels for a date night–ready ensemble. Swimsuits as everyday attire—sounds weird, but it worked!"

Anna Pick:

Lauren Eggertsen, Editor

"I opted for this floral sarong. Since I love midi skirts so much, I figured this was basically a more unique version! I love the tropical print because it's surprisingly easy to style—throw on a T-shirt and simple sandals, and you have yourself an outfit."

Lauren's Pick:

Erin Fitzpatrick, Senior New Editor

"I was going to wear the sweater over this Reformation dress, but my co-workers suggested doing this casual throw-it-over-your-shoulders look instead. This comfy sweater is now my go-to for our chilly office A/C."

Erin's Pick:

Next up, check out our feature with our July cover star Zoey Deutch, wearing all sustainable brands.