Friday Favorites: Brands

I like things that are well made and look stylish but don’t stand out. So, I don’t like “labels,” even the few I can afford. On the other hand, I don’t like “fast fashion.” I would prefer to save up for an item that’s going to last rather than going for a quick fix that’s going to end up in the landfill. I like my shoes to last a minimum of 15 years (with resoling) and my nice work/party outfits at least 20. It frustrates me to no end that appliances are made to last only 6-10 years now, using cheap, plastic parts and one-way assembly so you can’t repair/replace those parts, when not that long ago my mom was using a 30-year-old dryer…. Here are some brands I have found so far that hit that sweet ROI spot, in a variety of areas:

• Campomaggi: stylish Italian leather bags with a cute fish motif that are made to be repaired by your local boot/shoe repair person if a rivet breaks or something (which happened after some unauthorized use of my shoulder tote as a backpack…).
• Clarks shoes: A good combination of comfort and style (for me). I have a pair of their shooties that have been repaired twice and resoled once and are still going strong (and looking good) at 20.
• Giesswein: They use breathable, sustainable merino in their cute sneakers, and I love their slippers.
• Keens sandals, but not all of them—specifically their Waimea flip-flops with the toe guards, which have saved my toenails from so many curbs and weird table feet that stick out. I guarded my two pairs obsessively for YEARS b/c Keens quit making them for a while. But they’re back, baby! Buy five pairs, please, so they never stop making them again.
• Icebreaker: I love how light, breathable, and stain-and-odor resistant their merino underwear is. It’s not super durable b/c any featherweight wool knit is prone to snags. But I watch for sales and stock up–and compost the old stuff (yep!). Their heavier weight stuff is very durable: I own several outerwear pieces that are going strong a decade later.
• Diptyque: Pricey, but their candles and perfumes last a really long time.
• Weleda for skin care.
• For make-up, I don’t wear a lot of it, so I just need the basics: a tinted SPF serum, concealer, mascara, eyeliner, and lipstick/gloss. I’m leaning into ILIA at the moment for clean beauty (I’m not a puritan or anything, I just don’t think it’s necessary to rub eyeshadow in rabbits’ eyes).
• I love Iittala’s dishes and glassware: super stylish and high quality.
• For backpacks, it’s always Osprey for me. Honestly, I think I have a backpack problem. I keep thinking of another niche application (“what if I’m flying for a trip that also involves backpacking but I don’t want to check?”) that requires another specialized backpack; it’s a habit that Osprey is totally enabling–they should be ashamed of themselves.
• I’m a Mazda girl: have been since our 1977 Mazda Mizer. I’m in love with their KODO design philosophy.
• For motorcycles, it’s Honda as far as I’m concerned. I’ve owned 2 and hope eventually to get an 80s café racer (right after I learn how to maintain them myself, because finding a reliable motorcycle mechanic is like finding a needle in a haystack).
• Holzkern watches are made with waste products from the lumber and stone masonry industries and are really eye-catching.
• Papinelle makes my favorite pajamas. They’re unique, pretty, and well made. I found them on a trip to Sydney, but they’re easy to order from the U.S. and arrive pretty quickly.
• Zalto for wine glasses. I used them for the first time at Credo when it was still in Trondheim, and they are just miraculous–so light it’s like the wine is floating.
• There is simply no better hairspray than Kevin Murphy’s Session Spray. It’s weightless, smells great, and you can sleep on it and your style will still be (mostly) there the next day.
• Gap jeans: they’re inexpensive, fit great (especially if you have some curves on you), and last a decently long time.