Buy Me Once

Boots: yr humble author's daily kicks. Two years of solid wear so far.
A prime example of walking it like you talk it. 

I hope we all know the mantra by now. Choose Well, Buy Less, Spend More. It's a key tenet of sustainability, straight from Pier Crush Vivienne Westwood. This blog has a remit to cover clothes and fashion, and in particular the way fast fashion has changed the rules over what we wear and how and when we buy. But of course you can see that throwaway aesthetic in just about everything. If something is cheap, then it doesn't matter if it breaks. Just buy more. How many mobile phones have you bought in the last ten years? How many cheap pans that have lasted a year before the handle falls off? How many pens?

It's easy for me to roll my eyes at this Don't Think, Spend Less, Buy More way of life. But it's not easy to choose wisely. The internet is the great leveller, but with so much choice how on earth do you Choose Wisely?

Well, that was a question advertising creative Tara Button kept asking herself. So she went out and looked. Tara has spent the last year putting together a collection of the best in affordable homewear, accessories, kitchen goods and of course, clothes and shoes. It's not just about items that will go the distance, but classic, beautiful designs that simply shrug off the fickle wash of trend, staying true to themselves. The result: Buy Me Once. Tara gave us an idea of her mission:-

For some reason, we feel the need to change what we wear, what we use and what our homes look like – and we do this constantly. The fashion and home industries depend on us growing bored or ashamed of our old (often perfectly usable stuff) and throwing it away in favour of their shiny new offerings.
We're looking for the classic designs that will go the distance. They might not be 'bang on trend' but they won't be embarrassing next week either.

Buy Me Once is a fledgeling, but Tara's sharp eye for long-lasting classics shines through in the list of goodies she's gathered together. From LK Bennett and good old Doctor Marten's boots to La Creuset cookwear, I found myself nodding at the choices she's made. She's open to suggestions as well, so drop her a line if you know of a great sustainable brand that fits the remit. With hints and tips to help you take care of the things you love, Buy Me Once has the potential to become a great resource for those of us who don't mind spending a little more to get a lifetime's wear out of something great.

She has a long game too, and this is where things get interesting. Tara wants to change our whole culture, from "throwaway" to "keep or pass on", using the brand as a signifier of goods that will last and look good. She also wants to set up an ethical credit line, to help people spend wisely on goods that might otherwise be outside their budget, but would actively save them money in the long run. We can do no more than applaud. That, after all, is the Pier32 way.

Our View: keep an eye on Buy Me Once. It's an initiative that's been thought through sensibly, but has a real passion and urge to change our broken relationship with lifestyle products at its core. We're instant fans, and I urge you to check the site out, show Tara your support and hell, maybe even use it as an excuse to snag that pair of oxblood Docs you've always wanted.

Get your ass over to Buy Me Once. Take that first step to a more ethical home.