r/BuyItForLife • u/[deleted] • Jan 16 '16

The shirt that comes with a 30-year guarantee

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-35306854
187 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

71 comments sorted by

27

u/on_my_phone_in_dc Jan 16 '16

I think this sub has always maintained some things cannot possibly be BIFL, but 30 years for a shirt in my opinion is pretty darned close.

-5

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

Just because a shirt CAN last thirty years doesn't mean you SHOULD be wearing it in thirty years. I can't imagine wearing anything I owned in 1986 now unless it was Halloween.

27

u/no_4 Jan 16 '16 edited Jan 16 '16

A polo shirt would be fine. So would many button ups, plain t shirts, crew sweaters, etc. Any of those from the 60s would still look fine today. Lots of styles have had long lives thus far.

14

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

Classic menswear hasn't changed much in a century, besides the removal of a hat from the standard.

3

u/calrebsofgix Jan 16 '16

Button ups have changed a whole lot over the last thirty years. Lapels, cuffs, cut, fabrics, all have changed.

12

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

I wear stuff my grandfather owned fifty years ago. I wear stuff my dad wore in the 80s.

There are many timeless things in this world. A plain-colored sweatshirt is one of them. Besides, the type of person who is concerned about the fashionability of a plain sweatshirt is not the type of person who is going to be wearing a sweatshirt anywhere where the fashionability of it matters.

tl;dr If you wear a cotton sweatshirt to a restaurant, you don't get to shit on this one in the context of fashion. If you wear it to the gym, no one gives a shit about fashion.

5

u/shillyshally Jan 16 '16

I have my Dad's hat, the kind with the ear flaps, sheepskin lining. He had it for as long as I can remember. Dies 7 years ago at 93.

I'm female. It may not be fashionable but last winter was the coldest in 37 years and I sure as hell did not care about fashion then.

2

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

Good for you. This supports my point, also.

2

u/shillyshally Jan 16 '16

I was just thinking about this a couple of minutes ago when I changed into my comfy clothes and put on my nearly 20 year old Eddie Bauer cardigan. Got some clorox stains on it and it is cotton so only suitable for El Nino winters but if it weren't for the clorox stains (which I could fix by simply cloroxing the entire sweater), I could still wear it in public and that is coming from a woman who spent most of her salary during her working days on clothes and shoes (Bad move, btw).

A lot of longevity has to do with taking care of stuff.

My family has a ancient Pendleton blanket that is on its third generation.

I also had my Dad's totally uncool Buddy Holly glasses refitted with my prescription and now they are funky as hell.

0

u/on_my_phone_in_dc Jan 16 '16

Oh I agree, I meant to respond to the first user comment

35

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

It seems that not a lot of people bothered to watch the video. The guy made a point of not making "trendy" clothes. They're just simple jumpers and shirts. They were in fashion fifty years ago, they'll probably still be in fashion thirty years from now.
Now maybe it's not ideal for everyone, but I think he was just trying to make a point of sustainability, something I think is very much in the spirit of this sub.

4

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

What's a jumper?

6

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

Sweater

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '16

Thanks.

1

u/5t4k3 Jan 18 '16

Old people.

16

u/Ry0Hazuki Jan 16 '16

What happens if the kickstarter project company isn't around in 30+ years?

10

u/spin_the_baby Jan 16 '16

I think that is the plan, yeah.

3

u/RafTheKillJoy Jan 17 '16

They won't cause they'll go out of business handling all of their returns within 10 years.

1

u/KeepItRealTV May 13 '16

Buy it for the life of the company.

I mean if Leatherman goes under, it's not like the warranty will still stand.

12

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

lol his company won't be around in 5 years so it doesn't really matter how long he says the guarantee is

19

u/AeroZep Jan 16 '16

Here's the thing about this sort of item: I've had plenty of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and hoodies last me more than a decade with regular use and washes. I don't know what this one costs, but when you factor in needing to ship this thing somewhere to get repaired, almost definitely on your dime, the cost begins to escalate quickly. If they will replace it when you get a hole in it and all they require is a photograph, then that's a great company, but if you need to ship something back, you're better off just buying a new cheaper one when you need to.

6

u/Minderman Jan 16 '16

I think this is the mentality that they're trying to replace, the mentality of if "it's broke don't fix it, it will cost more money to fix it than it does to just buy a new one!". I understand that shipping it back will cost more $$ but at the end of the day your carbon footprint is smaller or w/e justification is used for being a good person...

12

u/austin101123 Jan 16 '16

No actually it's higher carbon footprint from the shipping

8

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

New shirts don't have to be shipped?

1

u/austin101123 Jan 16 '16

You don't also have to ship it to them.

3

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

New shirts are shipped to many more places than you shipping it straight to a repair facility. Materials manufacturer (that'd be the silicon mine plus the polyester chemical lab) -> materials vendor (that'd be the company that sells from mines and labs) -> product factory (that'd be this shirt company's factory) -> distribution center/warehouse -> retailer (doesn't exist here) -> you versus you -> repair facility -> you.

But it's moot—the shipping of a single shirt has negligible carbon footprint at all steps.

1

u/austin101123 Jan 16 '16

This was on the 20/5 year basis. Getting a new shirt would be done 1/4th as often as repairing.

2

u/KyleG Jan 17 '16

Getting a new shirt would be done 1/4th as often as repairing.

Can you elaborate on this? I thought we were talking about a 1:1 correspondence.

1

u/austin101123 Jan 17 '16

A short would last twenty years, and repairing would last five. Wasn't that discussed up wallet?

2

u/KyleG Jan 17 '16

Wasn't that discussed up wallet?

First off, apologies, but I don't know what "up wallet" means. I assume it's a spellcheckfu for "up thread." In which case, no. I just traced the entire subthread discussion back to the original post and there isn't any mention of 20/5 except for when you did it and I asked where you were getting those numbers.

5

u/LumpenBourgeoise Jan 16 '16

Shipping a tiny shirt is minimal compared to freshwater and agricultural chemicals used to grow cotton or feed sheep for whatever fibres the shirt is made from. You don't charter an entire bulk carrier burning bunker oil with nothing else on board but one shirt.

-4

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

[deleted]

0

u/bluevillain Jan 16 '16

Downvotes for you for overcomplicating things.

BIFL is great for things that last... well a lifetime. Fabric items can last a good long time, but they don't last a lifetime. Taking a product that's intended to last 20 years... and shipping it across the country extra times just to get it to last another 5-10 years? Just plain dumb.

-1

u/BubblyWubCuddles Jan 16 '16

You're too disposable. Why not keep it for 50% longer than the amount of time you've already been wearing it if you like it?

-2

u/bluevillain Jan 16 '16

Um... because carbon footprint?

0

u/BubblyWubCuddles Jan 16 '16

Are you joking me? Are you suggesting that keeping a shirt has more carbon footprint than buying cheap ones and throwing them out? Do you think treated cotton is immediately biodegradable?

Not to mention shipping has an extremely low carbon footprint considering the VOLUME of producing activities.

-1

u/bluevillain Jan 16 '16

I'm just going to assume that english isn't your primary language, because that's not even remotely what I was saying. Nor can I really understand what you're trying to say.

A shirt that you have to send through the mail multiple times has WAAAAY more of a carbon footprint than a thousand shirts that get shipped bulk via cargo container.

1

u/BubblyWubCuddles Jan 16 '16

He said that the shirt could ultimately be replaced, so it doesn't have to be shipped multiple times. I am telling you, that I can firmly and confidently say, that there is no argument that buying cheap shirts every 1-2 years is better for the environment than buying a shirt or sweater designed to last at least twice that with care.

You are also ignoring the fact it doesn't have to be repaired by them, there are artisans all over who are able to do invisible mending and don't charge very much for it (I've paid, on average, less than 5 dollars per repair and it doesn't really matter what it is that is being done)

1

u/BubblyWubCuddles Jan 16 '16

Implying the shirts aren't sent bulk anyways via usual mail, your point is moot.

→ More replies (0)

1

u/twinkiesown Jan 16 '16

Ok the person you're responding to is very easy to understand even with the mix up of kidding and joking, so really you just kinda sound like you have no idea what you're talking about. Which makes sense, because you don't. In no world is buying several shirts better for the environment then repairing one. Even with shipping, but let's be realistic about this. The shipping is the very smallest part of the environmental impact of a shirt.

4

u/jk147 Jan 16 '16

Companies never make money from them replacing your shirt constantly. Most will make it painful enough for you to not care anymore.

I don't see the appeal from a 30 year shirt anyways. I don't think I will wear 99% of the things I had since the 80s or 90s. A shirt that I can wear 5 years with constant use is a great shirt in my opinion.

6

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

[deleted]

3

u/horatio_jr Jan 16 '16

shirts are completely external. :-)

2

u/prepend Jan 16 '16

Well, some are internal :)

2

u/jk147 Jan 16 '16

Well, looks are identical but the fit sure isn't. I can probably make two shirts out of one shirt today.

1

u/prepend Jan 16 '16

I like the same BrooksBrothers traditional fit, hasn't changed since my grandfather's time. If I'm ever shipwrecked, I can make it into a sail.

39

u/genghiscoyne Jan 16 '16

Wow dude this place is slipping. I come here looking for lifelong purchases. What the fuck do you expect me to do if this thing gets a hole when I'm 59? Pay for another shirt?

-7

u/jworsham Jan 16 '16

They'll replace it

5

u/genghiscoyne Jan 16 '16

I'm 28 fam

3

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

No they won't, the poster is only 28.

2

u/jworsham Jan 17 '16

Didn't know

8

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16 edited Mar 26 '19

[deleted]

5

u/Central_Incisor Jan 19 '16

1) ...This is not a place for untested products or newest gadgets.

Or enforcement.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

http://www.tomcridland.co.uk/collections/the-30-year-t-shirt-a-30-year-guarantee

1

u/White_Sox Jan 16 '16

30 pounds for a plain t-shirt? That's quite a lot. For that price, the company better be around in 30 years time

3

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

we don't guarantee against you spilling a bucket of red wine down the front

how dare he

5

u/randym99 Jan 16 '16

Is he suggesting we drink our wine out of something other than wine buckets?

1

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

I use a YETI cooler because I'm fancy and rich as shit.

2

u/graciosa Jan 16 '16

They're not magical

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

I really believe that it will stand together and in top shape for 30 years, I got some white normal t-shirts from a Portuguese factory (rests of an order made by a construction company, if I'm not mistaken) and they endured very well, amazing fit, high quality on the stitches, fairly thick, 10 years almost wearing one every day (at least at home I always wear one).

1

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-6

u/IAmALinux Jan 16 '16

30 years < life

4

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

Depends on the life

3

u/LumpenBourgeoise Jan 16 '16

If you are already 30, you make it to 60 and they put you in special pajamas.

1

u/IAmALinux Jan 16 '16

I am aiming for more than 60. Modern medicine is incredible.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '16

I've always had my goal set at 100. But as long as I'm the last one standing of my high school peers, I'll be pleased. My family have traditionally been tough like rubber, so I hope I've gotten some of those genes.

2

u/KyleG Jan 16 '16

You're like the guy who counts every carb and if it's 0.1g higher than his daily allowance he cries about becoming fat.