Is READYMADE's Parody-Gonia Fleece One Riff Too Far?
Brand: READYMADE
Season: Fall/Winter 2021
Price: ¥128,700 (about $1,135)
Buy: Carnation, Time-After-Time
Editor's Notes: Especially when riffing on signature designs from stalwart companies like The North Face, READYMADE doesn't cut corners. Like its TNF-inspired jacket, the Japanese brand's Patagonia parody is a plenty thoughtful poke at the Californian company's fleece jacket.
But, like any good bit of satire, one has to wonder if READYMADE's latest cushy jacket needs to exist.
At the risk of deflating any tension, I'd argue that the brand's Patagonia-inspired outerwear makes a strong case for its being. Not everyone may agree, though.
For those only just barely familiar, READYMADE does everything from streetwear team-ups to pack tee parodies to sub-labels like Saint Michael with Cali Thornhill Dewitt.
READYMADE's seasonal collections usually encompass a plethora of T-shirts, jackets, and accessories, with recent ranges extending far beyond the opulent upcycled bags that it built its following on.
Like fellow street-luxury imprint Doublet, READYMADE also enjoys flipping the script on iconic items. For Fall/Winter 2021, it issued this take on Patagonia's timeless Retro-X fleece.
Offered in off-white and black, READYMADE's layering piece is a worthy send-up of the Patagonia style, down to the pocket placement and logo. READYMADE's imitative fleece weighs in at over $1,100, though, while a Retro-X won't take you for more than $200 at most.
Therein lies the rub.
Especially given Patagonia's famed environmental messaging, I'd imagine that for most, it's a tall order to imagine coughing up that much money for something that basically co-opts the design of an existing garment.
READYMADE isn't merely stealing a design and calling it original, though: the brand has loosened the Retro-X's cut for a more relaxed fit and swapped Patagonia's 50% recycled polyester shell for a deep pile teddy fleece sourced from eco-conscious textiles and vintage cotton — you can see that the pocket is sourced from an old piece of militaria.
By my (fairly generous) standards, READYMADE's take on the style is transformative enough to justify the wink. Can't say that I could personally justify the purchase price, of course, but I don't deny that it's a worthy spoof.
