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Is BIFL Still Possible Today? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)
submitted 3 months ago by rosahaj@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/buyitforlife@slrpnk.net
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Hi there, I came here to the BIFL Lemmy out of suspicion that the reddit posts are just unlabelled marketing, and I was wondering the possibility of sourcing goods that are more to a BIFL standard? In my area, second hand goods tend to be really quite poor in quality (reselling fast fashion) or otherwise not present, and I have not inherited anything that does last. So I would apprecite advice or reccomendations for finding goods at a BIFL standard. I was also wondering if maybe there would be anyone with good advice for finding sustainable, local textile production so that I may be able to tailor what I need without having to buy from the poor selection aforementioned, does anyone know of any of this?

TL:DR I am suspicious that a lot of what is claimed as 'BIFL' has been enshittified, and would like advice on being able to search for sustainable goods for a local area (not specified because I'm hoping for advice with searching, not exactly for specific reccs)

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[-] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 26 points 3 months ago* (last edited 3 months ago)

I think it depends on exactly what item you're looking for. Plenty of vintage coats out there, I just bought two 40+ yo military wool coats this season since my old jacket is wearing out and isn't that stylish. There's probably local jeans manufacturers that also recycle fabric, like Jeansverket in Sweden. Rose Anvil on YouTube is a good source for finding boots that will last decades.

There is definitely enshittification out there, but it's not impossible to find BIFL out there.

[-] rosahaj@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 3 months ago

Recycled jeans is actually a really good suggestion that I hadn't thought of, I'll look into it, thanks :). May I ask where you bought the military jackets, even if it was just ebay or something? I'd like to expand my knowledge of storefronts, and I am horrid at searching for them.

[-] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 3 points 3 months ago

yeah, the jeans I bought weren't recycled, but they do have a system for recycling them when they're worn out.

I bought a 1942 army great coat off of ebay, lots of them up there. I bought a 1980's navy peacoat at a random vintage store somewhere around Alphabet City in NYC. Be aware that most people size those coats 4-6 down because they're meant to go over multiple thick shirts, blouses, and midlayers in military use, but with a normal shirt and sweater you don't need them so large.

[-] rosahaj@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 months ago

do you have advice for finding stuff on ebay? when I try it tends to seem like a lot of 'not what I searched for' listings

[-] jlh@lemmy.jlh.name 2 points 3 months ago

yeah you just have to find words that are unique to the thing you're buying.

I usually searched for 1942 army greatcoat, since those words are pretty unique.

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this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
181 points (98.4% liked)

Buy it for Life

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A place to share practical, durable and quality made products that are made to last, with an emphasis on upcycled and sustainable products!

Guidelines:

Things that are well-made and durable (even if they won't last a lifetime) are A-Okay!

Unlike that other BIFL place, Home-made and DIY items are encouraged here, as long as some form of instruction is included in the body of the post.

Videos links are not allowed as post titles, but you may use them in a text post.

A limited amount of self-promotion is accepted, IF the item you are selling aligns with this criteria:

  1. The item must be made with sustainable or recycled materials.
  2. If electronic in some way, the item must be open-source.
  3. The item must be user-serviceable (if applicable).
  4. You cannot be a large corporation.
  5. The post must be clearly marked with a [Self Promotion] tag in your title.

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