Just down the street from Patagonia’s Ventura, California, headquarters, a building known as The Archives is home to almost five decades of Patagonia history. The world’s first fleece still hangs on the wall near the entrance: the unassuming artifact that started it all. A plywood board in the shape of a fleece sweater leans against a wall with the words NEVER NOT TINKERING handwritten in permanent marker, repeated over and over, like the words of a troublemaking student scrawled across a chalkboard. Inspired by Yvon Chouinard’s favorite wool sweater, read the untold story of the creation of the first fleece:
Photos: Tom Frost, Patagonia Archives, Jane Dove, Terri Laine, Tim Davis
