Style
Forever Fashion: 5 Brands Whose Clothing Lasts A Lifetime
From the high street to haute boutiques, forward-looking fashion brands are turning their ethics into action in the form of free repairs, replacements and returns – forever
Trends come and go, but some staples, basics and investment pieces are forever – or at least they should be. After all, there’s nothing more frustrating than retiring a trusty handbag, your favourite pair of jeans or the perfect coat when you still like to wear them.
Sadly, the rise of fast fashion and rapidly revolving trend cycles have rendered clothes disposable in the popular imagination, and garments are no longer made to last. But there’s hope for conscious consumers: a burgeoning resale market that helps keep fashion purchases in rotation longer, as customers seek out brands whose emphasis on quality over quantity aids them in reducing the carbon footprint of their wardrobes. Here, we consider five labels that are going against the grain by making fashion that lasts a lifetime.
UNIQLO
The Japanese high-street giant stands out among mainstream fashion companies for its RE.UNIQLO studio. The service, available in 19 stores across Europe and more than 60 worldwide, is geared towards extending the lifespan of clothes bought from the brand by offering repair services, including the unique sashiko visible mending techniques, as well as alterations and embroidery. The latter can be used to customise new purchases, but you can also strategically place cute and colourful stitches to disguise stains or minor tears.
The company still has some way to go regarding supply chain transparency and more concrete sustainability commitments, but an easily accessible service encouraging consumers to make their clothes last is a welcome initiative in this market segment.
Patagonia
Brands that are new to the sustainability game often have to work hard to disprove greenwashing allegations, but not Patagonia. The Californian outdoor producers have been doing business ethically for so long that they literally invented some of the rules. The impact of their products has been a consideration since the company’s foundation in 1973, with environmental protection becoming company policy in 1985.
Patagonia openly acknowledge that any garment, no matter how sustainably produced, extracts value from our planet (most famously in a full-page Black Friday ad telling people, “Don’t Buy This Jacket”), but they also offer services aimed at mitigating the impact. Their Ironclad Guarantee prioritises repairs, which are usually free and often done in-house; items that are beyond repair are exchanged for store credit. When a garment has outlived its purpose in your own wardrobe, find a new home for it through the Worn Wear programme, where you can trade in pre-loved gear.
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Barbour
Although its aesthetic and target groups differ from those of Patagonia, Barbour is another heritage brand that has long produced apparel to last a lifetime. In fact, a patched and repaired jacket is worn like a badge of honour by aficionados, as proof of the outdoor adventures it has joined them on.
All of Barbour’s waxed cotton products need a new finish every now and again, both for waterproofing and durability. This can be done at home, or you can send your jacket in for professional re-waxing – which is still completed, for a fee, in the headquarters in South Shields in the Northeast of England (although the company also works with authorised service partners internationally).
If a jacket needs repairs or patching, or if you want any alterations, you can have it all done in one go with the brand’s Repair & Re-wax service. If you’d prefer a new style or a pristine, unrepaired model, you can return your old pieces in exchange for a voucher. Garments are then cleaned, re-waxed, repaired and resold through Barbour Re-Loved.
Nudie
Denim is a durable fabric that’s particularly easy to repair. If you’re happy to sport the same style year in and year out, and are willing to embrace the worn-in look, jeans with a lifetime guarantee are a worthwhile investment. Nudie Jeans invites its customers to “create tomorrow’s vintage” by breaking in and wearing the brand’s jeans before making use of its “free repairs forever” promise. You do have to hand them into an official Repair Shop, which may not be feasible for everyone, but the Swedish company is addressing this by working with repair partners and its own mobile repair station. Nudie Jeans can be fixed free of charge over and over again, as needed, acquiring an extra bit of patina with each repair. Repair Shops also accept trade-ins, which receive the same treatment and are sold under the Re-use vintage line.
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Bottega Veneta
Customers are likely to expect quality, longevity and a highly accommodating return policy from luxury brands, but Bottega Veneta are perhaps the first in the sector to put their lifetime warranty front and centre. Their “Certificate of Craft” covers a wide range of bags purchased directly from the brand and authorised retailers. A metal card engraved with a serial number and QR code in a sleek leather card holder entitles customers to unlimited repair and refresh services. Keeping the signature woven leather bags well-pampered will make the leather last longer and help owners enjoy “value over volume”, as the brand puts it.
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