In 2014, REI redesigned its iconic Green Vest, the uniform worn by 13,000 retail employees across the country. As part of the redesign, we decided to weave the story of REI’s history directly into the vests. We called the concept 38 Stories (a nod to REI’s founding in 1938). The idea was that each employee vest would feature an interior patch highlighting a milestone from REI’s past.

I developed the content plan and then wrote the 38 Stories. This involved an in-depth research dive into REI’s substantial archive of original documents and artifacts.

The resulting history went on to become an inspiration for many other areas of the business as the co-op increasingly began to celebrate and embrace its heritage. Check out a selection of the stories below.