Living a more sustainable life doesn’t mean giving up the shopping.
Slow consumerism means ideally ‘buying it once’: choosing what you buy more carefully and opting for brands that offer lifetime repairs or guarantees.
Put another way, it means buying products that will last and taking good care of them.
We’ve partnered with BuyMeOnce, the online shop challenging planned obsolescence, to come up with our favourite brands that you’ll buy once and love forever.
Buy It Once: 10 Of The Best
1. Solidteknics
Want to get serious in the kitchen? Aussie brand Solidteknics combine professional chef quality with a multi-century guarantee.
These woks, skillets and griddle pans will last your family several centuries, so if you’re looking for a modern heirloom or something to up your cooking game, these pans are culinary masterpieces.
2. SoMo
Interested in sustainable fashion?
Update your wardrobe with SoMo who make capsule shirts inspired by minimalism. It’s not just about fashion here but also function, as their signature dri-tech cotton poplin retains moisture-wicking and crease resistance properties – what does that mean in reality?
It means you don’t need an iron, that’s what. Pick up a traditional shirt or shirt dress and you’ll have casual chic conquered. What’s more, SoMo will contribute £20 toward the cost of each repair for the lifetime of the garment.
Related: What’s Wrong With Fast Fashion?
3. Black Horse Lane Atelier
Blackhorse Lane Atelier are the only craft denim makers in London. They use decades of tailoring expertise, and they train local people to help make each pair.
Their denim varies from selvedge and organic to raw materials while their considered and refined designs give you a sturdier pair of jeans with fewer failure points.
While these babies need to be broken in (like a good pair of leather boots), you won’t be replacing them any time soon. And they come with a lifetime repair guarantee. Hence why you only need to ‘buy once’.
4. Duralex
Fed up with cheap wine glasses smashing? This French firm has been turning out glasses than are 2.5 times stronger than other brands for over 70 years. Their tempered glass tumblers are what you think of when you think of cafe culture, sitting and sipping cool drinks. Everything is still made in France and each glass is hand-checked.
5. Starseeds
Recycling has a place in every industry, even in activewear.
Starseeds upcycle coffee grounds with recycled polyester into a new fabric, one that’s tough and durable. The coffee in the fabric has other benefits too. Natural sweat-wicking and odour-control properties will support you through the sweatiest of workouts. The Aeropress leggings and activewear are designed in London, ethically made in Portugal and built to last.
Related: Coffee Delivery: The Best Ethical Coffee Brands To Order To Your Door
6. Richmond Kettles
You’ll love making time for tea with one of these Richmond Kettles. The copper tea kettles have been produced in the UK for over a hundred years and it’s easy to see why you’d want to hang on to one of these for another hundred.
Richmond only use the highest grade of pure copper and each kettle is hand-spun to order using traditional Edwardian hand-tinning techniques. The delicate craftsmanship takes weeks to perform and each kettle is considered a piece of art – your whistling kettle is yours alone. Suitable for gas and electric hobs, take pleasure in the small things and take the time to make tea right.
7. Risdon & Risdon
Do you have a keen chef or crafting genius at home? A Ridson & Ridson apron is a thing of beauty in its own right, made from a robust cotton canvas and trimmed in your choice of either full grain vegetable tanned Italian leather or strong and supple Portuguese cork for a vegan option. Each one comes with a lifetime guarantee but it’s the details that you’ll fall for every day, such as the reinforced corners and riveted pockets.
8. Lowie
Sustainable slow fashion has never looked better and neither will you in one of Lowie’s subtle, stylish dresses, tops or trousers.
The small, ethical boutique in south London uses heritage inspired designs, which are ethically made in accredited factories.
They offer free repairs, keeping your clothes in circulation longer, which you’ll appreciate when you fall in love with your purchase.
9. Maxwell Scott
Forget fashion trends and embrace timeless style with a Maxwell Scott handbag. The quality leather designs that won’t date mean that you can invest in a bag that will last a lifetime.
Looking for a capsule wardrobe piece? The Lucca bag is a perfect example; this minimal, compact bag has a strap that can be worn on the shoulder, across the body or removed entirely, taking you from brunch to evening glamour with ease.
Related: Waste not, wear lots: Luxury handbags that don’t come with a side of guilt
10. Mini Bili
Vintage fabrics and end of line cloth from Savile Row tailors are just a couple of things that make Mini Bili’s kids clothes a fabulous ethical choice. The London based founder uses traditional skills inherited from generations of tailoring expertise and combines them with clever ways to make the clothes more durable like double turned hems and reinforced necklines. There’s a circular design element built into everything from romper suits to party dresses; customers can return the pieces and get a 30% discount off their next purchase.
Related: How To (Successfully) Shop For Vintage
