Caring for Softshell

Here’s what you should do instead:

1) Revere it - Our products are made to be used. Learn to value the experience etched into the very fabric of your gear. Every nick, every mark is not just wear & tear but a story and a statement.

2) Revitalise it - Wash and reproof your garments. You can do this yourself or use the services of a professional aftercare service.

3) Repair it - Many minor faults that may seem terminal can actually be easily fixed. It may seem expensive but think about the cost not just of a new jacket but the bigger environmental cost to your consumption.

4) Relegate it - Just because your jacket or a pair of pants can no longer cope with a winter storm does not mean they are not ‘good enough’ for a wide range of less severe uses. So consider relegating your winter Softshell jacket to the jacket you reach for when walking the dog, wearing around town or occasional walks.

5) Reappropriate it - Use the garment for something it was not originally designed for but works perfectly for. Keep old Softshell Pants for outside house maintenance or chopping logs.

6) Reassign it - Just because a jacket may not meet your needs any longer it may meet someone elses. Don’t use this as an excuse to not think about your own actions (!) - but there are numerous specialist charities who need outdoor clothing and many groups will gratefully receive donations of used gear, even if slightly damaged.

7) Reuse it - Have you ever thought of making a crampon bag out of your burly but broken pants? Or using bits of a jacket as durable bike cleaning rags? Basically anything that requires something to be durable whilst still being soft on one side can be made from pieces of your Softshell clothing.

8) Recycle it - Recycling can save energy and resources that would otherwise be used in the manufacture of virgin materials but for a lot of Softshell garments, especially those with laminates it’s practically impossible to do. Composite materials, bonded components, a mixture of different polymers all mean that a lot of Softshell clothing put to no other use is destined for landfill… that’s why we’d ask that you try to do everything you can to keep your Softshell clothing in use for longer.