LIKE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN
IT BEFORE. NORTH FACE IN THE SEVENTIES. NOT JUST ECOLOGICAL BUT OF THE ECOLOGY. AND FROM THE EIGHTIES, PURE PATAGONIA. UNCHANGED. SUSTAINED.
THE VERY ETHOS OF THE ETHICALLY SOUND. FOUND.
Wow. That is the cover of the 1976 Fall / Winter North Face Catalogue. That a long way away from Supreme and Brain Dead collaborations. In some happy valley.
It's quilted on the inside. All perfection in the product details: "Handwarmer pockets with arrowtack reinforcements". Awesumnal is what that is.
A pipe is the signature North Face accessory of the period. Most of the male models have pipes or beards or both.
Down Booties. In, as it says in the catalogue "(almost) all sizes". In addition to the super cutesome kid pic there is also a full page given to Greenpeace with a pencil drawn seal cub. You'll have to buy it to see that though :)
One year on. 1977. Fall into winter.
And this is the centre page spread. Who would have thought. That the commercial world was once so beautiful.
Bigfoot and the Chamois. Other product highlights of the 45 page catalogue include the Serow (hip length parka), the Down Shirt, the Back Magic pack and frame, the Wrapac ski-touring pack and an ankle length Cagoule (yes, please).
Some things never change. The is just heavenly on earth. The Autumn / Winter 1983 Patagonia catalogue.
Oh wow! The Vapor Barrier shirt and pants. "Unbelievable warmth from just three ounces of coated, ripstop nylon." You are, by the way, supposed to wear something underneath. Although we are sure we saw some of these at the Haçienda Flesh nights circa 1990. The catalogue recommends "lightweight polypropylene underwear" - also very Haçienda!
The catalogue covers everything from Ghurka Shorts to Shelled Bunting jackets to Pile Balaclavas (above). It is amazing and - trust us we have been on a few extensive explorations ourselves - insanely super rare. They just don't come up for sale.
And if you thought the North Face baby photo had the all the cute, Patagonia has some special charm of its own.
So there are two North Face catalogues and one Patagonia. Find all three on the button below and BUY THEM!