Reviews & Articles

Protect and condition - these are the two main things you need to know when it comes to leather shoes and bags.

“Upcycle, verb: Reuse (discarded objects or material) in such a way as to create a product of higher quality or value than the original.” Reusing things is a surefire way to minimise the amount of rubbish you send to the landfill.

Thought experiment time: with realistic funds and resources, can you theoretically build an invincible bike? One that could last hundreds of years, used by great-grandparent, grandparent, parent and child? This week we spoke to Victor Duchêne of Auguste Handmade, the maker and mender that created Tara a “BuyMeOnce Bike.” 

The stalwart BuyMeOncers among you may remember that back in the autumn we tackled the sustainable wardrobe. For part one of our series we looked at building a sustainable capsule; for this next installment, we want to take it a step further (or several hundred steps… but maybe that’s just how it felt to me) by combining the principles of building a sustainable capsule and wardrobe de-cluttering in one terrifying experiment involving my very own shoe collection. 

The brilliance of Solidteknics will not have escaped most BuyMeOncers. We’ve told you about their professional chef quality, their ability to last your family several centuries (our favourite fun fact) and of course their perfected, considered design. What more could there possibly be to say about these meticulously engineered metal pans?

April 24–30th marks Fashion Revolution Week. This is the fashion industry’s chance to show what it’s made of and champion meaningful change. Fashion Revolution and its message extend beyond brands and their responsibility to operate in a fair, safe and sustainable way; the idea is to galvanise us – the human consumers of the world

 It’s important to put on that sunscreen and protect your skin from those harmful UV rays, but what’s in that cream? Certain ingredients in sunscreen have the potential to not only damage your skin but the environment too.

As you slink back to your campsite, as the clock ticks past 3am, and as the last glory of Sunday night fades into a weather-beaten Monday... the last thing you want to stumble into is a half-collapsed, sodden seamed, waterlogged tent. We discover the dos and don'ts of festival going.

For a fantastic lifetime gift, you can’t go wrong with a good book. Books stretch the imagination, inspire new ideas, encourage creativity and educate. They make great heirloom gifts – they never go out of style and can be read again and again. This year, give someone you love the gift of inspiration and wisdom.

 A LIGHTBULB MOMENT Have you seen The Lightbulb Conspiracy? If you haven’t, consider adding it to your Christmas film list. Maybe you’ve already had your fill of outrage for the year, but persevere – take a deep breath, absorb the information and you can always fix yourself.

Six months ago, I arrived in London with everything I owned – my DSLR, a carry-on bag of travel essentials and a single (extendable) suitcase filled with my clothes and important possessions. Seems minimalist, but I assure you it took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to make it a reality.

If you’re buying for my fellow practical-minded ladies out there, who want long-lasting gifts we can love for life, then this is the list for you. Everything in this edit of Buy Me Once gifts is not just hard-wearing, but also a little unusual - because no one wants to give or receive something boring!