THE LAST MENTALITY
September 2025: Five years ago, we launched The Last. Since then, 918 jackets and 1,020 pants have found their way out into the world. Our ambition was never just to make a product. We wanted something more. It was about holding on. To what lasts. To a lifestyle where you care for and repair. About wearing the same garment on your way to work and on your way to the mountaintop. About what gets better with the years. About shifting pride from buying new to using longer. A whole different mentality. The Last Mentality – can we call it that?
THE REAL POISON
The starting point for The Last project was our philosophy: The real poison in the clothing industry is the pressure to buy new things every season. We wanted to challenge that at its very core. Roll film.
We asked the users
And we asked the repairers. Have we managed it? Do the garments live up to the bold ambitions? Do the users live up to the ambitions? Can the garments last another 20 years?
At the bottom, you’ll find our conclusion.
HENRIK
Serial number: 929
Use for many things? Using one garment for many activities is one of the best things about The Last. The pants especially work just as well around the camp stove as they do at a three-course dinner with friends.
Good story? Absolutely! I wore The Last on my first hunting date with the woman who became my girlfriend – and now also my co-mortgage holder. I think it attracts women.
SOLE
Garment: The Last Pants
Repair? I like it. The pants have been repaired. Most of the damage has come from careless use of crampons. I can only say that every time something happens, the pants feel “a little more mine.” They get a kind of character that I like.
Highlight? These pants have been through it all and handled everything from chilly nights at minus 28 on the Amundsen expedition across Hardangervidda, to pouring rain over the Hemsedal mountains, to perfect weather crossing the Seven Sisters this summer. In my opinion, you (NP) have refined a concept that’s hard to improve. The pants are functional, and very, very spot on. On top of that, they also look good, with a clean aesthetic. I feel good wearing them.
SUNNIVA
Serial number: 405
Good jacket? I love that the jacket is made for Norwegian conditions, where we often experience four seasons in a single day. I love that it’s the easy choice when I’m unsure what today’s weather will bring. Most of all, I love that it’s made from a comfortable natural material that moves quietly – perfect when you’d rather hear the wind in the treetops on a forest hike than the rustle of plastic garments.
RUNE
Serial number: 382
Worn it a lot? I’ve worn the jacket almost every day in all kinds of weather (I have a dog that needs a lot of walks). I do have another jacket as well, but honestly, I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t use The Last for absolutely everything. For those who don’t outgrow the jacket, it won’t stay 100% waterproof forever, so you’ll need another type of jacket to switch to (for example, if you’re heading into town after a mountain hike in pouring rain).
Highlight? I like wearing natural materials. And that you can fix it yourself. I believe it’s possible to keep using it for at least another 20 years.
JOACHIM
Serial number: 292
Have you repaired it? At the end of November 2023 the zipper stopped working properly, but I contacted you and it was fixed without any problems. I think that’s absolutely fantastic!
Waterproof or not? I’ve got a little story from when I really put the jacket to the test. I knew it was somewhat water-repellent, but had no idea how it would handle real rain. One weekend, with rain forecast from Saturday morning until evening, I packed my backpack with a tent and went hiking. I knew I’d get wet, but the same would have happened with a shell jacket, and I had to bring a change of clothes anyway. The first thing I noticed was that it held out longer than expected, and once it did get wet it absorbed less water, and with wool mesh underneath I felt the warmth stayed in quite well. What really surprised me was when I packed up and headed back the next day. The rain had stopped. The jacket was still wet after a night drying in the tent, but as I started walking downhill, my body heat and the wind dried it in under 30 minutes. By the time I reached the car, The Last Jacket was dry – while my shell pants were still a bit damp.
Do you like the pants too? Pants made of natural materials wear out faster than the jacket, since they’re always on and in more contact with the ground, rocks, and other sharp surfaces. For me, that means I more often choose pants made of other materials with a bit of stretch when I’m out hiking – or The Chinos for everyday use.
Mansoureh Rousta (Mina) - Repairer
It’s relatively easy to repair The Last. That’s both because cotton is easy to sew and doesn’t require taping or gluing like Gore-Tex, and because the garments are designed for repair. I can replace parts. Many more pants have come in for repair than jackets. And the damage on the pants is often a bit larger, making it hard to fix without it being visible. What I have to say about the pants is that customers love them, and when I meet those who want them repaired, they’re very eager to get them fixed. That’s a lot of fun.
Jorunn Heggdal - Designer
We’ve continuously improved The Last over the years. Now we’re on the 5th generation. The concept is the same, the materials are the same – there’s been no reason to change that. With ongoing input from users, producers, repairers, and our own experience, we keep making small improvements to details and stress points. We’ve learned a lot about designing for repair – for example, how to sew zippers so they can more easily be replaced over time. That’s how we’ll keep going, and that’s what makes this project so fantastic.
I’m quite certain the jackets that have been sold will still be in use 20 years from now. Of course, it requires a little love from the users. The pants are more challenging. Thin cotton in pants simply doesn’t withstand heavy use over time. They’ll have to be repaired many times through the years if used hard. Pants take much more wear than jackets, especially since many people use them for skiing and other outdoor activities.
What both garments have in common, though, is that they age beautifully. And both we and the users love that.
CONCLUSION
The Last isn’t perfect, but it is different.
The cotton pants, hand on heart, can’t really be called “The Last.” They’ll never last forever, and frequent use means repairs and patching along the way. Still, people love them, and many choose to fix them again and again precisely because they feel personal and unique. Maybe that’s the point: that we grow attached to garments that carry our stories, even when they collect scars along the way.
The jacket has proven to live up to the ambition. It’s used in daily life, on expeditions, and on trips in all kinds of weather. It ages beautifully, is designed for repair, and with the right care can last for decades to come.
So do we live up to the name The Last? Maybe the answer is this: “The Last” isn’t just about a garment that lasts as long as possible, but about a mentality. A pride in using for years, repairing, and carrying the stories that settle into the fabric.
It’s not the clothes alone that decide if this becomes “The Last.” It’s the people who wear them.
