I think it's interesting the way climbing apparel makers have gone on to assume such a dominant presence in retail. I recall going into mountaineering shops in the mid 90s when North Face and Arc'teryx were boutique manufacturers that only catered to hardcore alpinists and climbers.
Now, if you go to the mall on a cold day every second yuppie is wearing a jacket from one of the big climbing apparel retailers. Initially they were motivated purely by utility, fashion played no role in their design choices.
If you buy a puffy or a goretex jacket from a non-climbing company it may appear technical, but they're just not as well made.
climbing apparel makers have gone on to assume such a dominant presence in retail
This isn't because the mass market started buying climbing apparel; it's because North Face, Columbia, Patagonia, decided to leverage their brand into the mainstream. You can now buy all manner of cotton citywear with a cool outdoorsy chic from any of these brands, and they're probably making 10X more money. But I wouldn't assume folks are buying more actual climbing apparel.
Whether this dilutes the brands long-term is something we'll see in another decade or two.
Now, if you go to the mall on a cold day every second yuppie is wearing a jacket from one of the big climbing apparel retailers. Initially they were motivated purely by utility, fashion played no role in their design choices.
If you buy a puffy or a goretex jacket from a non-climbing company it may appear technical, but they're just not as well made.