Good to know

I’m looking at buying a similar type of sweater online. Are these itchy? I can’t tell from photos.

Thank you! I don’t even trust warranties, but this is useful because it often means the brand cares about quality.

I bought an innesbag and I’m very satisfied with it.

Crazy horse leather, German buckles, British cotton canvas, durable construction, and thoughtful design.

They have lots of backpack/messenger bag designs for the city.

I abuse mine by overloading it with weight and taking it backpacking. It has held up well.

Agreed. I would also like to add when buying online I look at the one star reviews. Most of the five star reviews are for fast shipping, good customer service, and the item being what they expected it to be.

One star reviews gives you a good picture of everything that could go wrong and then you decide if you’re ok with that.

I’m currently studying this for clothes. There are some studies from dry cleaners.

I’m also researching what makes quality construction. For example, Corduroy is more durable the less number of wales per square inch. 10-12 is normal.

I’m also doing my own experiment comparing boots’ longevity and price. (Not done yet)

If you are interested in studies for specific brands, it would be good to look for brands that do stress tests for their products. They will simulate wear and tear by applying repetitive motions that mimic normal use. For example, they will shine bright lights on a product to see how quickly the color fades. This allows them to test their quality without waiting a lifetime. There are also YouTube channels you might like that do these sorts of experiments with popular brands.

That being said, this sub is very diverse:

Most people respond with testimonials. They will tell you what product they bought and how long they have had it.

Some people circle jerk certain brands.

Some people tell you what materials or construction to look for without giving a brand. For example, people often recommend latex mattresses without stating a specific brand.

Some people recommend brands with lifetime warranties.

There is always one person who gives the obligatory, “there is no __ that is buy it for life,” comment.

There is always a person who recommends buying Walmart brand.

There is always a person who mocks the person’s request saying they are dumb for wanting BIFL or that the people of this sub need to learn about value.

In summary, we have all kinds of people here.

1990s Honda Civic hatchback. They run forever. Just keep replacing the parts and give them regular maintenance.

That’s my example for a non bifl item turning bifl.

Thank you! I’ll add yours to my list!

I second this!

I tried wool and down. Both of them compressed ~30%. I am now converting to 100% natural latex. You can choose how soft or firm because there are different options. I have had a mattress topper for three years now and it is the same as when I bought it.

This is a list of all the clothes/bag stores I follow on Etsy for quality clothes. Most of them are Eastern European, but there are some other countries mixed in.

Sure! 😊 One thing to keep in mind is that the majority of shops on Etsy have long shipping times. Expect to wait one month to receive the item. (3 months if it’s custom made or made to order.) I pay through PayPal, so if the package gets lost in the mail and never arrives, I will be refunded through PayPal.

Vintage clothes store with high quality fabrics!

Beautiful silk dresses

A high quality coat shop

Sells a variety of women’s clothes that are hand made and custom tailored

Shop that specializes in making clothes that look retro.

Variety of handmade clothes with high quality materials.

A shop that specializes in mohair wool.

Variety of clothes (Check the product description—some items are nylon)

Variety of clothes (Mostly linen skirts and dresses).

Shop that specializes in knitting lama wool and rabbit fur from her farm. (This is New Mexico, not Eastern Europe)

Big, Fuzzy Mohair sweaters and leg warmers.

Mohair Sweaters

Wool sweaters, scarves, leg warmers, and headbands.

Linen Clothes, Bedding, and Towels

Variety of clothes from Luisiana(Not East Europe).

Linen suits and Blazers from Vietnam (not Eastern Europe)

Variety of linen products: clothes, bedding, curtains, and bags

Designer fashion made of high quality materials. (Australia not Eastern Europe)

Variety of clothes made from high quality materials.

Vintage shop that specifies the fabric material—some high quality. (UK, not Eastern Europe)

Variety of linen clothes

Variety of linen clothes( Ireland not Eastern Europe)

Variety of linen and wool clothes. Lots of pants options.

Variety of linen clothes, bedding, towels, and table clothes.

A bag/ backpack shop made from some of the highest quality materials you can find!

Glad it helped.

I am not sure what stores are accessible in the EU, so I’m sorry if I recommend something you don’t have access to.

I found a discussion on another subreddit for women looking for quality clothes that would last a long time. They were specifically discussing buying wardrobe staples that won’t go out of fashion.

In summary, they concluded great brands to buy for longevity are Everlane(just the pants), Uniqlo(specific items), Djerf Avenue, Oak+Fort, Frank and Oak, Anine Bing, and buying vintage on Etsy.

I am going to start shopping at the places above, but haven’t yet.

On a personal level, I like REI because of the 1 year return policy. I bought a pair of REI brand yoga pants that have lasted me 5 years now and look brand new! I will buy some prAna brand joggers soon(sold in REI stores).

I shop at Nordstrom because they have so many high quality pieces to choose from. I filter the searches by material and select 100% for the following: wool, silk, cashmere, linen and cotton.

I also love Etsy and find that Eastern Europe makes so many high quality clothes, bags, and shoes to choose from. I also buy vintage on Etsy. This is a great way to get large discounts on high quality fabrics.

I thought I would give you an update. I was doing some shopping on the REI website and I now see A LOT of bad reviews for Vuori! They are all confirming that the fabric has changed.

I think I’m going to try a pair of prAna (also on REI). The only bad reviews I see over multiple pants options are that the waist bands tend to run large and that they aren’t good for hiking or mountain climbing because they snag on rocks. I haven’t seen any reviews that mention pilling, holes, or seams unraveling. I only looked at the reviews for the pants.

Here is a coat shop on Etsy with fantastic reviews for quality.

I’m glad it helped.

Two name brands that have this style of coat are: Oak+Fort and Anine Bing. This isn’t my style of coat, but I have seen women vouch for these two brands’ longevity. They claim they have had items from these stores for years and there is no pilling. If you select a coat and click on “materials and care,” the websites will show the fabric material composition. Some are 100% wool and some are not.

On a side note, I have had incredible good fortune with Etsy. I find everything I buy from Eastern Europe is well made. You can read the description to see if it’s 100% wool and look at the reviews to see if people say it’s quality. When looking for quality items, I always look at the 1 star reviews.

1. Do you have a budget? Edit your post so people can see what the budget is.

2. For pillows and toppers, 100% natural latex lasts a long time because it doesn’t compress easily. This will solve the pillows going flat problem. There are firm options available for toppers.

3. I don’t have any advice for fixing the problems with the mattress.

4. “My pillow” sucks. My mom has one. It wasn’t long lasting. The filling is all clumpy and hard now. I don’t recommend.

5. I have never tried purple pillow.

I think the company is only a few years old, so no-one can say how long lasting they are.

I’ve also seen mixed reviews, but I’ve only seen complaints about pilling so far.(only two online complaints) One online complaint said the fabric has changed recently. A woman I met in person said the joggers are the best thing on the market for all activewear brands. She bought them a couple of years ago.

It could be that within the past year quality has started going downhill.

I haven’t seen anything about holes or stitching problems.(problems I have had with recent Lululemon purchases.)

My plan is to buy them at REI and if they start pilling after a couple of washes, I’ll return them. With REI, you have one year to return them.