Heritage / BIFL / Iconic Resources
Looking for resources on finding iconic staples and brands for purchase?
Think of ones like the Redwing Iron Ranger, Barbour Beufort, Baracuta G9, etc
I'm looking for pieces that defined a clothing style / are durable / repairable that I can hopefully pass down to my kids. Open to buying new or used, but is there a website that collects / groups information on pieces like this?
23 Replies
You can pass anything on to your kids, depends on what styles you like
Redwings, barbours, and so on are ironically from a trend of BIFL-labelled things that a lot of people ended up moving past because they fell out of fashion in the late 2010s
You can repair and reuse anything until it disintegrates if you care about it enough, but if you want to like knowingly consume false marketing info just use google
To add on, lots of these are heritage to specifically the 2010s era and are iconic only for the era. Kinda like the Sambas of today
It's better to think about things you like and then try to find the best version of that; whether that's 'durability' or 'style' or 'quality' of materials, however, will always be subjective and up to the wearer.
Do you like those pieces you listed, or are you simply interested in them for their implied longevity?
I do think there's an inconsistency there if so, I don't know that the Baracuta is known for being a tank so much as its a style that has really persevered, whereas the Barbour will last a life time if you take care of it, re-wax, etc.
This was kind of my thought process and how I found these items I listed. I really liked a pair of boots, so I went and researched boots and came across the Wolverine 1000 mile, and then compared it to other options and quality is better with Red Wing. So I drove to my local Red Wing store to check them out.
Needed a waterproof jacket, so I researched and came across natural materials rather than goretex and low and behold beufort...
I really like the designs and apparent quality. Most of the time if something is famous, it's famous for a reason. Perhaps I might be buying into marketing somewhat, but I'm kind of tired of my clothes falling apart on me despite gentle wash cycles and babying them. Most things aren't designed to be repaired / resoled
I think that's the way to go about it, I think we're just really cautious of terms like BIFL because as Sal said, that means different things to different people.
And I also just, really like researching stuff and talking about things. It's great fun for someone to say "that's a cool jacket, where did you get it" and then actually talking about it being significant or remarkable. Just wasn't sure if there's a site that collects info / recs for this kind of stuff. I'm okay with it being 90% marketing, I'll do my own research on top of it anyways
I think most clothing past a certain price point from a workwear or outdoor lifestyle brand will last a similar lifetime
i enjoy the "story" behind clothes which is why i often buy vintage or secondhand, because you not only get the possible brand recognition but the actual lived experience(s) of its previous owners
For example your red wings and wolverines dilemma probably will have them last very similar amounts of time and you should see which is more comfortable or which you like more than someone on the internet saying one boot lasts longer than the other by x amount of wears
as others have said i'd focus on which one you like more or which one feels better to you even if it's not a perfect optimized option. the fact that you chose it, and lived in it, and had memories in it, and the item endured is what you'd hopefully be passing on
I did actually compare them both in person and was more impressed with Redwing, but I 100% agree, both would have been similar.
But I wouldn't have came across either without doing substantial research first, the boots I had liked were from Banana Republic that I saw and the reviews really weren't great. Durability likely probably wouldn't have been either
I'm really looking for a compilation website, blog, YouTube channel, etc. Idk, anything that can showcase major or notable examples of heritage brands or high quality brands that have a history. It's a good starting point for me as I've been so impressed with the few products I've already bought
Melton wool coats last a long time, I have seen 40 year old coats that the father wore for years and now the son is enjoying.
Yeah, leather products. 100% thicker cut wool, 100% cotton at a high enough oz, etc. A lot of options.
I take it, no one knows of any resource for this / a collection?
Heddles, Die workwear and put this on cover this kind of stuff.
Maybe permanent style too, but that's more tailoring and British focused.
@The Rad Lad I’m of the thought that there’s VERY few clothing items that are actually life long purchases. Good leather jackets and solidly constructed wool stuff that get worn infrequently but not infrequently enough that they molder away in a closet (overcoats, suits), are really the only things I’d tentatively put in the BIFL category. Boots and shoes can be if they’re cared for, but there’s only so many times a boot can get resoled. Leather wears out and when it’s on your feet it’s getting the most wear out of anything you own.
I know, but i will tell you that my 45% cotton and 55% polyester bomber jacket is literally falling apart after a year and my new balance shoes are literally deaminating.
Maybe not forever and a day, but long lasting is something to strive for, my expectations aren't that high, I just want something you can look at and go "damn, there was some thought and care put into it"
does that need to be a heritage-coded brand?
^
No, that's just a plus
guidi boots come to mind as a well-made boot but aren't in the same domain as stuff like redwings or filson, for instance
If you’re just looking for long lasting—Wrangler is probably the best bang for buck in terms of “heritage” ish
I don’t think guidis are good value proposition if you care more about long lasting quality vs looks