Clothing for the examined life

Oh Patagonia, how do we love thee? Let us count the ways...

Not only does this company make comfortable, rugged outdoor wear, Patagonia's devotion to the environment is one of the strongest in the industry.

When you buy new garb, know that the company commits at least 1% of sales or 10% of pre-tax profits -- whichever is more -- to grassroots environmental groups. Since the Environmental Grants Program began in 1985 (long before being green was fashionable), Patagonia has given over $29 million to more than 1,000 organizations.

But that's not all. Through Patagonia's Common Threads recycling program, you can return worn out fleece jumpers, Capilene Baselayers, and cotton T-shirts for recycling into new Patagonia garments.

And Patagonia's employees personally give back into their company's initiatives. Over 50 employees have voluntarily journeyed to the place that gave the brand its name to help with the creation of Patagonia National Park. They've offered up manual labor to work with Conservación Patagónica in Argentina (created by former Patagonia CEO Kris Tompkins) and the Patagonian Foundation (not affiliated with the store) to remove fences and restore habitat in one of the world's last great landscapes that lies between Chile and Argentina.

Through an environmental internship program, Patagonia employees can leave their jobs for up to two months to work full-time for an environmental group of their choice and continue to receive salaries and benefits while they're gone. The environmental group gets the workers for free.

Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard is also cofounder of 1% for the Planet, a movement that has brought together over 700 companies to donate 1% of their sales to a network of environmental groups worldwide. They work together with the understanding that it's good business to protect the natural resources that keep you in business.

We could go on, but it's enough to know that while Patagonia's clothes can be worn by the most extreme outdoor adventurer, they're also stylish enough for city dwellers (like me) who want to do the right thing -- right down to their sleeves.