Form Follows Function

70’s Synchilla

wornwear:

The Grandfather
Yvon Chouinard, Ventura, California

Dear Patagonia,

Little did we know this blue prototype fleece developed in ’76, which we referred to as rare Siberian blue poodle fur, would be the grandfather of all fleeces.

I knew that people like myself were seeking the joys of outdoor activities in greater numbers and they needed warmer, lighter, quick-drying clothes that did not bog down with moisture as did the  cotton and wool garments then commonly in use. I came to believe that the solution was synthetic layers: a base layer to wick, a fleece layer for warmth and an outside layer for wind and moisture protection. Once we came to that conclusion, Patagonia’s team proved they were up to the task of creatively identifying and developing the necessary fabrics.

As they say, “necessity is the mother of invention,” the “necessity” in this case being the need for a nonabsorbent insulating layer and the “invention” representing the resourcefulness of my wife, Malinda Chouinard, who was willing to try even an ugly fabric intended for toilet seat covers because we suspected it best fit our needs. That’s  how synthetic fleece was born. We made the first fleece jackets out of a near-bankrupt company’s left-over inventory of muddy, nondescript tan and bilious blue fleece, but it did indeed work, although it pilled badly, which made it look even worse. It has evolved, through trial and error, from that “base” into today’s fleeces. 

This first fleece jacket hangs proudly on the wall at Patagonia headquarters, but I had to take it down and try it on for old time’s sake.

―Yvon

(via patagonia)

1970’s Synchilla

1970’s Patagonia Synchilla Pullover

1970’s Patagonia Softwear Synchilla

Found

Early 70’s Patagonia Synchilla Fleece Pullover.

It all started with Malinda Chouinard buying up some fleece produced for making toilet seat covers and teddy bears and reversing the material so the pile was on the inside and the backing was on the outside. Technological outerwear 1969/1970.

1970’s Patagonia Synchilla Jacket

Generation 1 Synchilla

Synchilla®: A Layering Story

At a time when the entire mountaineering community relied on the traditional, moisture-absorbing layers of cotton, wool, and down, Patagonia looked elsewhere for inspiration – and protection. Yvon Chouinard decided that a staple of North Atlantic fishermen, the synthetic pile sweater, would make an ideal mountain layer, because it would insulate well without absorbing moisture. 

But they needed to find some fabric to test out our idea, and it wasn’t easy to find. Finally, Malinda Chouinard, acting on a hunch, drove to the Merchandise Mart in Los Angeles. She found what she was looking for at Malden Mills, freshly emerged from bankruptcy after the collapse of the fake fur-coat market. They sewed up samples and field-tested them in alpine conditions. It had a couple of drawbacks: a bulky, lumbering fit and a bad-hair-day look, thanks to fibers that quickly pilled. But it was astonishingly warm, particularly when used with a shell. It insulated when wet, but also dried in minutes, and it reduced the number of layers a climber had to wear. 

Early 70’s Patagonia Soft Goods Synchilla Fleece