There’s a good chance that you owned an outdoor garment from The North Face clothing company at one point in your life. But have you ever wondered how this business became so popular? Read on to learn three interesting facts about the North Face Brand.
Logo & Name Inspiration
North Face clothing is, by design, quite simple. Most of their garments consist of black or blue colors and lack any distinctive patterns or overall construction. The only defining feature of these products is the brand’s legendary logo. The North Face logo is extremely recognizable and exceptionally trendy in an era of brand-name fashion. Many consumers might not know that the Half Dome summit in Yosemite National Park inspired the creation of the North Face logo. And the name North Face refers to the increased challenges faced when scaling mountains in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures and weather conditions are notoriously unwelcoming.
Modernized the Outdoor Clothing Shopping Experience
Today, The North Face is known for making ideal winter jackets and other outdoor garments. When the first store (The North Face Ski Shop) opened in 1966, however, the concept of an outdoor clothing store was quite revolutionary. Most hikers, campers, and winter sport partakers purchased their gear from Army surplus stores. However, at The North Face Ski Shop, consumers could access a much more stylish and intentionally designed inventory of outdoor clothing products. Along with clothing, this store offered camping gear (including sleeping bags, tents, and more) made from ultra-lightweight ripstop parachute nylon. This surplus material from Vietnam made camping equipment significantly less heavy, and, as an unintended result, the once strenuous activity of backpackingbecame popular.
A Brand Divided
True North Face fans will remark that they despise the term Wilderness Chic, which describes consumers who wear the brand despite living in urban environments and never actually venturing into nature. As with other outdoor clothing companies, The North Face does focus heavily on its leisure and lifestyle markets, much to the dismay of loyal campers and mountain climbers. However, this investment in more popular avenues of business has made The North Face one of the most successful clothing brands of all time! So, the very disagreement that divides followers of this company is what ultimately makes them so profitable.
There are plenty of interesting facts about the North Face Brand that highlights how one business can impact an entire industry. Today, an over-saturation of popular brands, such as Patagonia, Canada Goose, or Arc’teryx, dominate the outdoor clothing market. However, their popularity stems from the successful opening of the 1966 North Face Ski Shop!
