We've written about a few different recycling efforts to counter the forces of "fast fashion" and give used clothes another life. Welsh clothing brand Howies, however, is taking a different approach to the discarded-clothes problem by designing items to do a better job of withstanding the ravages of time in the first place.
Howies' Hand-Me-Down line includes jackets and bags that have been designed specifically to last for 10 or more years. To achieve that durability, the company crafts its products painstakingly, and using very high-quality components. Its GBP 400 jackets, for instance, are made from organic tweed and organic ventile—an extremely tightly woven cotton fabric that's inherently water-resistant and uses 30 percent more yarn than conventional fabrics. With 24,000 strands of cotton, it takes 16 hours just to prepare the machine that will weave the fabric, the Hand-Me-Down site says. The company's line of bags, meanwhile, includes a GBP 195 backpack, a GBP 185 messenger bag and a GBP 125 satchel crafted from heavy waxed canvas, die-cut leather, and rust-proof aluminium zips and hardware.
Of course, whether consumers actually *want* to use the same jackets and bags for 10 years or more remains to be seen. Nevertheless, it's a compelling twist on sustainability, and Howies' emphasis on product stories and the unique features of its Hand-Me-Down products only add to their (still) made here appeal. One to watch, learn from and maybe even emulate—elsewhere in the fashion world or beyond...?
Website: hmd.howies.co.uk
Contact: info@howies.co.uk
Spotted by: Danielle Bellomo via PSFK
Karrimor guarantee their products for life. I bought two rucksacks in ~1993, they are still almost as good as new. A few years ago I tore a small hole in one, told them about it, and they sent someone round to pick up the bag, sew it and bring it back to me, for free.
Many of the old bespoke tailored suits used to be made to be passed down through generations.
You can spot a tailored or high quality suit jacket by the functional buttons on the cuffs. High end bespoke tailors will leave at least one button *non*-functional so the sleeve can be adjusted when the garment is passed down to the next generation.
Good to see a rejection of the recent trend for semi-disposable clothing.