Submitted by TheFledge534 t3_yokekh in BuyItForLife
As the title suggests. I’m a minimalist person who would rather spend big on clothes once. I previously owned a pair of Karrimor Low Mounts walking shoes as daily shoes for 10 years. I replaced them last year with the same exact shoe.
Now with the same mentality, I’ve found myself with a lacking wardrobe as most of my clothes haven’t stood up to the punishment of daily life. So what brands in the UK are durable quality?
Patagonia is made to last IMO. I wash clothes on cold and hang dry and their stuff lasts. My husband has shirts that are 15 years old and they still look great. Their outerwear also great, and here in the U.S. you can get things repaired through them as well.
Camber is great- not sure where you can find them in the UK
Haven't karrimor been bought by Mike Ashley's empire of shit now? I noticed a massive drop off in their quality.
Isn't there a list in the sidebar?
My Duluth firehose cargo pants take a serious beating for years.
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Near zero brands are BIFL, so asking this question will lead you astray. Using shoes as example, imagine I make this post:
ZOMFGlolWFTBBQ, Clarks are the bestest shoes evAr!!!!!
Now you read this and go out and buy you some Clarks Gaskill Lace shoes based on the advice of an internet stranger. And they explode from normal wear in 6 months. You get supermad and DM me with a picture of a middle finger.
The reason for this is Clarks does make some BIFL shoes. They also make some shitbox shoes. Bushacre II shoes by them are basically shoes made from Nokia 3310s.
The other missing items are sex, budget and use case. Should I waste both our times discussing wool suiting featuring Norfolk jackets and shooting breeks when you are a female who works in a book store with a low budget?
If you are interested in this topic, step zero should be to visit the search engine and put in clothing choices such as jeans or skirts or jackets and see what pops up and if they can be found in your area or online. Clothes is too broad without sex, budget, use and specifics as to what article.
The owner just gave the company away to the environment too.
Dickies rule
What types of clothes are you looking for? Are you looking for men’s/women’s specifically? Are you open to used or vintage clothes?
Like if you’re looking at jackets, I’m sure you’ve heard of Barbour. Whereas if you want a cashmere sweater, you can look up 3-ply or 4-ply Scottish cashmere online and buy used (I’ve found more men’s clothes available in 4-ply).
Basically I think you’ll get better results here if you ask for BIFL dress shirts or pants or suits or jackets or whatever other item specifically.
I have a Patagonia fleece pullover that is approaching 30 years old. A few small holes from being too close to campfires but otherwise goi my strong.
I buy Eddie Bauer. Lifetime warranty that I have cashed in on more than one occasion. And the stuff just lasts. Lots of sales. I paid $25 for a pair of pants that I’ve been wearing for seven years.
they used to* i have a pair that is 4 years old, amazing and tough. but i’ve purchased 3 pairs over the last few years and they fall apart within 6mo. Big changes happened. Lucky to have some of the original cuts!
Colombia sportswear too. At least in my experience.
Growing up - North Face, Timberland, and Converse were all American made and made to last. Now they're utter trash, brands that are attached to crap.
Aero leather makes nice bifl jackets and are UK based.
Filson pants, shirts, bags.
Patagonia jackets, coats, sweaters.
Columbia coats, jackets, fleeces, pants
Pendleton blankets, shirts, sweaters.
Redwings boots.
Darn Tough socks.
ExOfficio underwear.
edit: It's worth mentioning that I have bought many of these brands used on Ebay knowing that they're warrantied for life.
Clarks used to be good until they changed all their soles from rubber to EVA, which wears out in less than a year.
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Keep an eye on where the Redwings were made. There's crappy ones floating around now.
Kuhl walking trousers have been pretty great.
I have a Columbia raincoat I bought in 2012 and it's in tatters now. Do they have a warranty or stand behind their products at all?
Filling out a claim right now to see if they stand behind it.
edit: why the downvote folks?
edit2: Columbia's warranty is amazing. They hooked me up!
They shortened the warranty period to five at the most.
I bought some cargo shorts that lasted probably four years but I was tough on them. I felt like I got my money's worth but I was expecting a longer life span.
Over the last 1-2 years I loaded up on more shorts and cargo pants (that don't look like cargo in the least)and I have high expectations of them. I really like EB when they're on sale. If I paid $100 for pants I would be ticked off if they went early. At $45 I can live with a shorter life span.
No he didn’t, avoiding taxes like the rest of them.
Can you please elaborate?
I loathe this. I would happily pay more for the quality of their old gear. Every pair of pants in my dresser is from Duluth, I basically rely on their pocket system and I haven't found anything to match.
Yeah, sports direct owned now.
If possible, buy karrimor SF. Their gear is bomb proof and not owned by Ashley
No clothes are BIFL. If you wear any piece of clothing enough it will eventually wear threadbare.
Best idea is to buy sustainably made and ethically made clothes of high quality.
To wit. Howies is a small clothing company based in cardigan, wales. They source ecological materials and make their clothes in Portugal.
They always have classic/timeless items that will serve you well.
Howies.co.Uk.
Definitely Kuhl - i wear the short sleeve shirts and hiking pants as work clothes and they have held up beautifully - not even showing wear.
Yeah I want to like Duluth so much but I had a pair of shorts start coming apart at almost ever seam in one summer of wear. At this point I just buy their 40 grit series, much cheaper stuff with less advanced materials but I find they actually hold up as well if not better than the original line. Duluth underwear are the best though, I'll always speak highly of those.
I've got some Columbia shorts handed down from my dad that are like 15 years old and they're in perfect condition minus fading. Columbia has quickly become my favorite clothing brand over the past couple years.
Flint and Tinder from Huckberry. Been slowly replacing all my clothes with the brand and I am in love with the quality and fit. Edit: should mention Redwing for boots. I have 3 pairs I use for different purposes and they have lasted me forever. Nike for stylish yet surprisingly durable. A mistake a lot of people make is having just one pair of shoes and wearing it until it implodes. Buy several pairs of shoes and rotate them throughout the week with different outfits. I GUARANTEE that you will end up spending much less money in the long run.
Are Filson jeans better than the Carharrt ones?
I cannot recommend anything more than (the surplus line of) Gloverall. Really well made, great looking and built to last.
House of Fraser in the UK
Literally slid about 300-500 feet down the side of a mountain in my Kuhls and the ass didnt rip. Theyre great
I bought a couple pairs of the ballroom jeans last year and they've been holding up great to daily use and are very comfortable.
I'll suggest to look into this company here for technical clothing:
I have one of their hoodies and I'm still using it after many years.
They are really expensive tho.
What an end-arse-ment!
They are made in USA of much better quality (stitching, fabric, et al) and they're lifetime warranty. I've never tested it as their products are bar none. I've gotten some nice wool pants used on ebay and a pair of new denims I caught on sale. Really nice stuff.
I'd test their warranty with those small holes, you may end up with a brand new pullover.
Actually he took a HUGE tax hit.
10 years is pretty long for a rain jacket though.
Did you happen to launder it with normal detergent (which would ruin it), or not at all?
Or did you annually apply a technical wash specifically for hard-shell care and rewaterproofing as is best practice?
Neither washed or extra treated. I used it solidly for about 5 winters as well as worked hard using it during harvest time in the rain.
Today I filled out a warranty claim and mailed it in so we'll see. I'll be stoked if they repair/replace it.
I just recently bought a used Patagonia raincoat to replace it.
RM Williams boots in Australia.
Great to know. Thanks!
Not for life . Maybe for a decade.
You're welcome. I think the extra cost is worth it for the quality and supporting a US, PNW company. Plus the style and fit are great.
Due to the extra cost I keep an eye out on ebay for my sizes for the more expensive stuff.
I walked into their Ventura store with a 10yo shell that was peeling around the neck (sunscreen + bug spray) and walked out with a brand new, even better shell in less than 5 mins. No questions, no paper work, no receipts. They said I had the pick of the litter and the guy pointed to the one I should get (the most expensive one lol). Picked my color, grabbed a couple free stickers, and was out!
I highly recommend Patagonia if not for the quality, for the warranty. It lets me use my stuff the way it was meant to be used and if it “breaks” I have no worries that it will be replaced.
I just bought a used Patagonia raincoat on ebay to replace an old Columbia. After seeing so many great responses and posts about Patagonia it was a no brainer.
Cheers!
Dude. This is THE list. Haven’t tried Darn Tough socks though, but you better believe I will!
Very little made in China is durable. They manufacture as cheaply as they can with the cheapest of fabrics to maximize profits. On the other hand, China uses polyester extensively and since polyester is basically a plastic made form petro-chemicals it never breaks down.
Go with 100% cotton or other natural fibers, & brands that use those.
Seriously this is the list.
And DT socks are absolutely amazing and crucial, been using them for last 6 years solid. I haven't had stinky feet since then btw, only socks I wear. Just today I sent in 6 pair for warranty because the ankles are a bit loose for my liking. The warranty is bar none, almost a sock club where they credit the value of the socks (even if you bought used or on sale) and you get to replace with whatever you want. Check GoBros to see if they're still on sale and definitely check around black Friday.
Good hunting!
Diesel jeans. I’ve had some for over 20 years. They never break down, fade.
Buy the “normal” ones, not 50 holes, etc. and get them on sale.
They also make them in proper inseam lengths, not just 32” and up. No I don’t want to tailor my jeans. My 30” inseam jeans fits perfectly in the crotch, so I don’t have a baggy crotch, shortening my legs even further.
Belt loops are doubled. And never break down.
I have a tweed coat that is at least 70 years old and still looks good. I was told my uncle purchased it about 5 years before I was born (I'm 70). He wore it for 50 years. 20 years ago (when my Uncle died), my Mom had the coat tailored so she could wear it. My Mom wore the coat for 20 years. She passed last year and now I've had it tailored to fit me. The label says: Woodward and Lothrop.
Project farm recently did a Jeans video that is worth checking out.
The Clothing links are from 6 years ago. Might be time to update them.
Great info, thanks! Will definitely check them out!
Fjallraven is incredibly durable, sustainable, and also does repairs
Fjallraven and Haglofs
I'm happy if clothes last 10 years. Let's be honest - after a decade somethings going to be different - my size, style, trends. A decade is bifl quality for clothing.
Bombas for socks. They will replace socks that got eaten by the dryer or the dog.
Yeah someone's gotta put a 2022 update on those list
Wash clothes on cold and hang dry- this! Make a huge difference
Personally prefer Thorogoods for boots, everything else checks out.
I haven't tried Thoro's and will keep in mind when/if I need more shoes/boots.
Everything on the list is firsthand experience.
Once I discovered Redwings I stuck with them (have 3 pairs).
I'm also a big fan of Fluevog's for shoes, more so for style than durability.
Good hunting!
I like darn tough but fell in love with Cloudline. Similar warranty but they just require a picture of the damaged sock. Darn Tough asks for the sock to be mailed back I think.
Correct on the mailed back part.
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Khul's are nicley styled yet fall apart (especially the crotches) fairly quick comparative to similar brands. And they have no warranty.
I was on a Kuhl kick for a few years but did not last as the pants did not last.
I went from throwaway Kuhl's to forever Filson's.
I've been wanting to check them out and will do for sure, heard lot's of great things about Fjallraven.
Second cloudline - quality socks with a true hassle free lifetime warranty.
Look into cloudline socks, they have a true hassle free lifetime warranty that doesn't require mailing them back. Darn tough is a solid brand, but the warranty and alternate styles of cloudline are what sold me in the end.
DT socks are great. I also love icebreakers
Fjallraven has worse cotton pants. It shrunk 4 to 6 inches in-spite of washing in cold water and air drying. They also don't cover shrinkage under warranty.. I will never buy them as my investment of $250 to buy 2 pants was a waste.
Patagucci stuff is actually really nice
This, lots of their work boots are made in china/overseas now.
Their heritage/fashion line is still made in the US though and are still built to last.
Orvis make really really good button up flannels and shit. I’ve only had one but all the other products from them that I’ve had are wonderful and they donate a bit to the environment. Also everything Patagonia I’ve had has taken a serious beating and been solid but that’s only tshirts and hats ya know
Why not?
Op is looking for stuff available in the UK
Pendleton. Dr. Martens. Portland Leather. Birkenstock. Danner Boots. Sanita. Cathartt. Columbia.
EB is available.
Karrimor are owned by Sports Direct now, they're not BIFL
Arborwear makes about the toughest basics such as hoodies. Originally Made for linemen/arborists/tree climbers. Their clothing is similar to carhartt but dialed up. Their stitching and construction is all made to be as tough as possible.
> Darn Tough socks.
I must have darn tougher toenails, as always seem to get holes in the socks regardless
I will chime in here and mention that Pendleton new style does not last a lifetime. I’ve noticed a huge downturn in quality once their woolen mills moved overseas—I’d suggest instead to buy filson flannels for a lifetime buy. Incredibly thick, well made, but pricey.
I dont understand the hype of Patagonia. So much nylon/polyester/polyamid in their clothes and all of their products look alternative as fuck. I would rather stick to british or Italian craftship and brands like Alan Paine, John Smedley, Loro Piana, Lanificio Colombo, Harris/Donegal Tweed or BurberryS, Gloverall, Private White VC, Drake‘s, Gieves Hawkes etc..
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I really like unbranded jeans. Solid fit and quality without being over the top in price. https://theunbrandedbrand.com
In order to get a permanent tax break: it's an investment, not an act of charity.
Really? Mine are all 4+ years old.
Yeah so he could dodge taxes. Not saying Patagonia is a bad company but the owner is still a billionaire.
Screw that, if you have 30 year old clothes just buy new ones and support the company.
LL Bean stopped their warranty due to such abuse.
Otherwise instead of products we'll end up paying for clothing-subscriptions.
Both are great and will last, especially the classic moctoes. Thorogoods are a little cheaper and have a synthetic welt, while the redwing moctoes are totally traditional all-leather and cork.
The synthetic welt eventually does crack if it's old and bent enough times. A leather welt won't crack if it's regularly conditioned.
Thorogoods are better for work simply cause they're cheaper and will also last just as long as redwings if you really work in them. For more casual use, neither will wear out but the welt might crack as it gets brittle with age (talking about 7+ years...).
I really really recommend tryng Jim Green. They're amazing for the cost.
They seem like the kind of brand everyone'll regret not buying once their quality takes a downturn like it happened with all brands that eventually got big enough.
They're surely better, but you get 4-7 pairs of Carhartt jeans for the same cost (depending on which models we're comparing).
Carhartt work jeans are far from best but they are pretty good and miles better than fast fashion.
So, it depends on how you look at it. Filson might or might not be more bifl, depends on how it's used. Sometimes you'll tear your pants no matter how good they are.
Personally, I'd rather get 5 pairs of Carhartts and they'd probably last me for more than a decade of daily wear.
Fiber wise, linen lasts as close as forever as possible, and is greener than cotton or synthetics. Vegan too, if you're concerned about that.
It’s a tax loophole so his kids don’t have to pay inheritance
Yeah, this is exactly what I was thinking. Buy Carharrt or Wrangler jeans. They will not last forever, but I can buy many of them for the price of 1 par from Filson.
Filson will repair or replace if you "rip" your pants.
These days Cartharts last no longer than 5 years until they start to tatter.
And you get 2-3 pairs per comparable Filson, not 4-7. I have 3 pairs of Filson's, one used and two brand new. I have not paid more than $80 for any of them. Knowing that Filson will repair/replace it's a waste of money to buy something less that's basically disposable.
BTW blaming consumers/customers for the brand backpedaling their warranty is exactly the narrative they prefer as opposed to cutting costs to further profiting their enterprise.
30 year old sweater has had a long life, and it's still a Patagonia and it's still under warranty and this is precisely why I made the initial investment to begin with.
Afaik there's no lifetime warranty in Europe and people still buy stuff from top end brands, so that can't be the reason.
>and people still buy stuff from top end brands, so that can't be the reason.
Not sure what you're suggesting. Buying a high end bifl product in a country not covered under warranty still makes sense knowing that the company produces high quality stuff.
Provide an example please.
Cheapest Filson jeans cost 300€, and the most expensive ones are 400€. Cheapest Carhartt jeans are 65€ and the most expensive are 80€.
So in 'best case for Filson', comparing most expensive Carhartt to cheapest Filson, you get nearly 4 Carhartt jeans. Otherwise you get nearly 5 or 6 cheapest Carhartt jeans for one Filson jeans.
By their website Filson offers a 2 year warranty and nothing more. Besides, that warranty/guarantee only covers manufacturing defects and material defects but excludes instances of 'extreme wear' or 'abuse'.
So as I see it, their guarantee only covers as much as is their good will at the time.
I checked the US sites too. Filson jeans are above 200$ apart from one model that's 165$. Carhartt start at 35$ but the average models are 50$. So yeah, Filson is a bit cheaper, but you still get at least 3 Carhartt pairs, or 4 if you don't choose the cheapest Filson model they sell.
Edit: The US site does not state a 2 year limit on the guarantee, but they still have the exceptions so if the deem it was worn out due to extreme wear then I guess that's it? I'd still rather have 3-4 pairs of quality jeans instead.
Though Carhartt seem to also offer a repair service which is pretty neat.
For clothing, for example Filson. Heck, even for Patagonia I don't think there are any concrete warranty conditions on their website.
For other stuff... e.g. Knipex comes to mind first. Any tool brand, really. Tool lifetime warranty seems pretty common in the US.
Like I said I've only used ebay to invest in my Filson's to save money and have paid no more than $80 per pair.
Also look at the "Repair" section. Their products can be repaired by them to increase the lifespan.
To me it is worth it.
I'll be honest, if it's work pants meant to get dirty and worn I'd go with Carthart. Since I no longer do much manual labor (except around the property, where I use my old Cartharts) it's more for durable daily wear with style and the side pocket for my phone to keep front pockets clear. So I use both Filson's (style & daily wear) and Carthart's (dirty work).
To each their own.
Good hunting!
I can totally understand that.... And Filson workers are paid a first world country wage too.
Awesome question, especially in sifting out brands that promote as durable but often aren't or have some products that are exceptional and others that are pretty abysmal. Most of my opinions come from working as a forester and traveling extensively around the globe to build trail.
Stuff that works:
Patagonia - Bizarrely lasts forever - I've worked in my Wanaka Down for 10 years in the woods. For whatever reason all my Patagonia stuff just lasts .
Some Filson Products - I've worked in a ton of Filson from Tin Cloth Pants to the Cruiser to all the Mackinaw stuff. Much of the brand these days isn't made for the long-haul. Filson lost some of its old-world charm and with that the overall quality went with it. Products that still hold up - Mackinaw Wool Lined Work Vest, Tin Cruiser, Field Jacket (my old one is almost 15 years old and is barely damaged), that new Wool Work Jacket. With Filson you need to really pay attention to materials, cost and rarity. The Western Worsted Wool shirt is one of the best Ive ever had in terms of durability but the more accessible shirts are expensive and nothing special, the Scout shirt is amongst the worst purchases ever.
Some Fjällräven products - Pants are repped as ultimate outdoor pants, I disagree. That G-1000 stuff falls apart pretty quick, especially considering there are a multitude of weights to it. Vidda Pro pants? Meh - Gaiter Trousers No. 1 - Amazing. Keb's are pretty good but seem cheap these days, the old cut was heavier. Their canvas down jackets are bombproof. The Numbers line is BIFL, the rest depends piece by piece.
1620 Workwear - The pants are all amazing. Double Knees have lasted forever - logged in 'em, built trail in 'em and I can still wash them and dress them up. Truly all I wear for pants anymore. I mean forever as in forever - they still look brand new after 3+ years of working on them.
Kenetrek boots - Italian made ones - amazing quality and durability.
Nicks Handmade Boots - Cool as shit and so damn solid
Red Cloud Collective - good waxed gear, takes a beating, thus far has lasted me.
Norrøna wool - The baselayers and underwear
Woolpower (Swe) - all the woolies I got from Woolpower have lasted nearly 10 years of 6 months a year wear working in the woods.
Triple Aught Design - F10 pants I've used backpacking around the world. Jeans are exceptional. Some of the synthetic stuff is just terrible and the fits are all over the place. All their technical gear is debatable in durability, sometimes customer service is exceptional, sometimes not so much. But the core of the companies clothing is what I reach for the most when Im not working. That Special Service Sweater is the shit.
Blundstone work boots - the steel toe version
Bedrock Sandals
Darn Tough Socks - Those Steely socks are the jam.
Some Carhartt - Especially the jackets have done me so well. Cheap enough to beat up but durable enough to keep on going.
Barbour - Wool Sweaters, especially the Tyne have lasted me quite a while.
I'm sure there's plenty more. Seems like many brands out there go for the durable heritage thing and don't really nail it, but there's plenty out there that does.
> Dr. Martens.
Nope they're sadly a lifestyle brand for the last 20 years. There are a bunch of way better choices out there. At least for the same style, there is Solovair, but if you want better quality something like thorogoods are way better made.
I've worn my Doc boots consistently for 3 years, still going strong. Sorry you haven't had a good experience with them. Seems like every brand is a lifestyle brand. That's the point of having a brand. Never heard of Solovair I'll check them out and maybe I'll join their lifestyle myself.
With lifestyle brand I meant that their image and perception is such that people buy them regardless of quality, and ultimately this led to a big decline in quality since the 90's.
These were cheap but durable work boots when they were first made. Today they're just cheap boots, they use cheaper leather, cheaper soles, don't even include a shank, use a lot more of cheap foam instead of felt, they outsource production so they're made in chinese sweatshops so the company stuffs as much profit as they can from selling their overpriced product...
For the 200$ you can get a much higher quality product. Docs don't sell for their quality, they sell cause they're Docs.
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Makes sense. All mine have held up really well. I guess I got lucky.
In the end, that's all that matters :)
Sorry if I ranted a bit too much.
No worries.. I enjoy the conversation. It definitely sucks when quality goes downhill and I appreciate you mentioning the Solovair boots, I didn't realize they were associated with DMs. I'll have to get some to do a comparison. It's akin to the Sanita and Dansko relationship in the clog world.
Yeah DM was huge back in the day, but the town they made them in (Northamptonshire) was historically the centre of shoemaking in the British Empire, lots of manufacturers were there... Solovair was one of them, and they made lots of boots for DM but also their own stuff.
Alternatively, something like Redwing Iron Rangers is way higher quality. Or in the US style but more affordable, the Thursday boots are pretty decent too.
And lately I really love Jim Green. Amazing quality for the cost, and they seem to be a very transparent company with some good goals. They even show the whole production process. On those boots everything is both glued and stitched... These are actual work boots in SA, not the heritage or classic fashion boots they sell in the US or Europe nowadays.
For real I look at their material and I’m like what? Why is everyone so in love with this brand?
Hanks Belts, and Bulletprufe Denim come to mind.
Very disappointed by north face. Bought winter gloves and only got two seasons out of them before the stitching started separating.
GoBro's Black Friday deals are on, 25% off DT's yo!!
Thank you for the Columbia tip! Their warranty and CS is amazing. They actually credited me over 3x what I paid for my raincoat originally. Xmas coming early for me this year. Cheers!!
Columbia hooked me up fyi!!
SigSeikoSpyderco t1_ivejejn wrote
Lots has been said on this subject if you use the search bar