3 ms·

I have an extremely nice Crombie overcoat that cost north of £1000. I wear it every day. I've always liked to have a coat of that sort of style in the winter,

I have an extremely nice Crombie overcoat that cost north of £1000. I wear it every day. I've always liked to have a coat of that sort of style in the winter, and have usually ended up buying a new one each year. They get a beating, as I wear them throughout the winter, workdays and weekends, and I generally only have one. It's a second skin. Coats usually can't stand up to that for long. I'm reaching the end of the third winter with the Crombie and it looks as good as new. It has always looked way better than any coat I've had. On several occasions random passers-by have commented on it, and I live in London where people generally don't do that sort of thing. It is a really rather fabulous coat, and I love wearing it. The thing is, after 3 winters the average cost of this coat per winter is now about the same as that of all the other coats I've bought over the years. Probably a bit less. As it weathers a few more years, which I'm confident it will, it will become cheaper than them. My father has a Crombie that I think he's worn like twice. What's the point? Buy well made, hardwearing clothes (if you can find them), and wear them. You and the world will be better off for it.

adammarples 4y ago
I think the hard wearing thing gets overplayed somewhat. I've never had a coat get destroyed in one year, except a cheap one once on a hard ski season. Pretty much any old thing lasts years and years if you're just walking around in it, maybe needing elbow patches or patched lining after a few years. I see people buy these "bag for life" overbuilt things with leather and toggles and stuff and yet my £10 polyester backpack has never broken. Shoes/boots are the exception, you will wear through the sole quickly.
- omnicognate 4y ago
  That depends on what you want from your clothes. I like to dress smartly and prefer not to wear a coat that is visibly battered, even if it's comfortable and warm. You can make a valid moral argument that one should sacrifice sartorial preferences in favour of giving a garment a long life, but I get the same environmental benefit without making that sacrifice by buying a well made coat that continues to look new for years. Those who don't much care about appearances won't make the same choice, and that's absolutely fine. There is of course a prominent contingent on hn who think dressing smartly and spending money on nice things are both somehow immoral in and of themselves, but I have no time for them.

adammarples 4y ago

I think the hard wearing thing gets overplayed somewhat. I've never had a coat get destroyed in one year, except a cheap one once on a hard ski season. Pretty much any old thing lasts years and years if you're just walking around in it, maybe needing elbow patches or patched lining after a few years. I see people buy these "bag for life" overbuilt things with leather and toggles and stuff and yet my £10 polyester backpack has never broken. Shoes/boots are the exception, you will wear through the sole quickly.

omnicognate 4y ago
That depends on what you want from your clothes. I like to dress smartly and prefer not to wear a coat that is visibly battered, even if it's comfortable and warm. You can make a valid moral argument that one should sacrifice sartorial preferences in favour of giving a garment a long life, but I get the same environmental benefit without making that sacrifice by buying a well made coat that continues to look new for years. Those who don't much care about appearances won't make the same choice, and that's absolutely fine. There is of course a prominent contingent on hn who think dressing smartly and spending money on nice things are both somehow immoral in and of themselves, but I have no time for them.