Mission Statement
You get an extra button with a new sweater – you should get a fabric patch when you buy your gear! At NoSo, conservation is in our DNA. We seek to uplift community and patch the planet for future generations to enjoy. We believe that your gear and garments hold power and meaning, and that adventure is an important part of human connection. Even the most durable outdoor gear can suffer snags, rips, and tears. That’s why we invented NoSo. We are committed to ethical manufacturing guidelines and sustainable practices, and we love discovering new ways to improve upon both. We are committed to diversity and inclusivity: in our hiring practices, our product sourcing, our visual content, and our core values. We welcome feedback, suggestions, and opportunities to educate ourselves and grow our values.
Sustainability
As of January 2020, we are focusing as much as we can on sustainable measures, especially when it comes to the main byproduct of retail sales: packaging. We are now sourcing FSC certified, compostable, biodegradable, and recycled packaging materials.
Our patches are proudly made in the USA. We design, develop, prototype, and test our products in Jackson, Wyoming. Most of our products are made in our factory in Southern California. We source some of our textiles deadstock – leftover fabrics at mills. Sometimes we score rolls of fabric destined for the landfill that we upcycle into patches! Even if we have to use new materials, our patches last for years, keeping your gear out of the landfill too.
needed for dyeing – whereas screenprinting uses mass amounts of water to dye which results in polluted water wasted and ground contamination.
Do not sew. Do not iron. Our adhesive is eco-friendly, and easy to use. No messy residue.
Diversity
Our goal is to the honor the lived experiences of our staff, customers, artists, friends, vendors, and community. We aim to source from suppliers that are committed to diversity and dedicated to racial justice. As you know, our company highlights women adventuring outside – we know gender is no barrier to outdoor prowess. We welcome hearing from you if there are ways for us to broaden representation.
Sustainability is not a luxury
At NoSo, we know outdoor adventure is not a luxury to be enjoyed by an elite few. We invented our patches to protect your investment in your clothes and gear. We want playing in the outdoors to be accessible to all, no matter what your income is. Our founder, Kelli Jones was raised by a single mother in a home without frills. She knows what it’s like to have economic disadvantages. As a young person, she lived in her van to save up for her first down payment on her glorified tent (aka yurt) in Kelly, Wyoming.
The challenge of manufacturing in the USA with ethical guidelines means margins are slim. Our price points are never going to compete with legacy brands. This is something we try to reconcile as best we can. We strive to offer a fair price on our patches that enable you to be eco-friendly and practice a sustainable lifestyle. If you are a major ski bum or dirt bag we understand. We think of our patches as sacrificing one apres beer for a patch instead. Win win!
We have a free “seconds” bin (still good but not perfect for retail sale) outside our HQ, and we try to throw up quarterly sales online. These are great opportunities to stock up at reduced prices. Sign up for our newsletter and look out for these specials.