I'm in a men's store waiting for my husband who is trying on pants.  I get in a conversation with the clerk.  His name is Gary.  I'm on my way to a sparring session and I'm wearing a Patagonia fleece vest, Patagonia nano puff hoody, and a Patagonia backpack that I got free with cardmember points.  Gary says to me, "You're all Patagonia-ed out."  

    Harrrrumph.  Dissed by a clothing clerk.

    I go home, rip the labels off the fleece vest and the backpack.  The nano puff label I leave on.  For now.

    Patagonia stuff is pricey, but it's good quality and they use ethical business practices.  For example, all their goose down products use traceable down.  That means the manufacturing process, which usually takes place in another country, is inspected all the way down the line for humane treatment of the geese.  They are not live-plucked.  This is the only company, as far as I know, that will make that guarantee about their goose down products.
    
    Nevertheless, I don't want to be a walking billboard for Patagonia, or anybody else.  

    In my early New York days, I had a great band with Benny Green, Lonnie Plaxico and Clifford Barbaro.  I remember Benny would never wear any clothes that sported a label or a logo on the outside.  He was an early adopter in the War Between the Corporations and the Customers.  The funny thing is, the Corporations have bamboozled customers into advertising their products without compensation.  Not only that, customers actually PAY THE CORPORATIONS for the PRIVILEGE of wearing clothing that displays the Corporate ID.

    "All Patagonia-ed out", huh?  I had to put my LL Bean-slipper-moc foot down on that one.