Known originally for climbing gear and outdoor clothing, Patagonia is now a leader in the area of sustainability practices. In this qualitative study, we examined the content of Patagonia’s blog “Stories We Wear” (SWW) that features customers’ stories about Patagonia apparel items worn and repaired to extend the product lifecycle. Patagonia encourages its customers to take part in a dialog of anti-consumption via the blog in which readers and authors of the posts can both engage with the brand and create their own sustainable identity. The overarching research question for the study was to determine the major reoccurring themes of the SWW blog posts. Five key themes identified in the blog posts were: (1) the emotional attachment to the apparel item; (2) outdoor adventure travel connecting to escapism; (3) the imagined future of the item; (4) valuing the item as an investment or the mark of a turning point in one’s life and identity; and (5) the act of repairing the item. The reasons SWW writers keep their Patagonia apparel items include quality and comfort, as well as the emotional attachment to both the apparel item and the brand. Carroll and Ahuvia’s (2006) concept of brand love is embedded in SWW stories. The repairs promote sustainability, a brand, and societal value. Customers did not discontinue purchase of new items; instead, they viewed purchases of Patagonia apparel as an investment. Through SWW, Patagonia encourages emotional attachment to its brand and promotes sustainability, while offering customers an opportunity to embrace a shared identity with the brand. The findings demonstrate that the SWW blog is a positive marketing strategy (Gopaldas, 2015) that promotes company, customer, and societal values of sustainability. The themes found in Patagonia’s SWW concept can be utilized by other companies seeking to enhance their sustainability practices and customer engagement with their products.

Effects of superheated steam (SHS) temperature (120, 150, 180, 220°C) and time (2, 5, 8, 10 min) on physicochemical properties of garlic chips were examined. Higher the SHS temperature, a faster drying rate was observed due to the lower extent of water condensation on the garlic chip’s surface at the initial stage of treatment. Garlic chips treated at 220°C for 10 min showed the lowest water content and water activity. However appearance of these was inappropriate due to burnt spots on the surface. Scanning electron microscope analysis showed that garlic chips treated at higher SHS temperature showed compressed smooth cell layers at the surface with more compact internal structure due to higher degree of dehydration when compared to chips treated at lower temperature. These results confirmed that SHS could be utilized as an effective drying method for the production of garlic chips. Moreover, it is recommended that SHS treatment combined with other conventional post drying process would result in garlic chips with better quality in terms of color.

The present study explored the experiences of six elementary teachers as they had strived to develop expertise in teaching English since it was introduced as a regular subject in 1997. The focus was on what they have done for their professional development, what they perceive to have influenced on the acquisition of expertise, and how they reflect on their professional growth over time. Two rounds of life story interviews were conducted with each teacher, and they were all recorded on digital audiotape and transcribed verbatim. Interviews centered on uncovering teachers’professional histories, teacher education experiences, past and current work with children, conceptions of themselves as an English teacher, critical incidents in their teaching careers, and their future career plans. Five themes emerged from the content analysis of the interview data. They include teacher development as social development; the unique challenges of being and becoming an English teacher; learning for and from students; developmental concerns and needs in teachers’ career cycle; and the impact of policy changes on teachers. The study concludes with some implications for educating in-service teachers.