My intro to ethical and high quality came from r/goodyearwelt and r/rawdenim .

Unfortunately, and I'm sure you'll come to find out, that both of those key terms usually come at a trade off. Those being price to how ethical you want to be, quality and how much you want to spend. Etc. Etc.

In terms of ethics, I can buy a pair of Goodyear welt leather boots that are chrome tanned that will last me years and years. However, an animal still had to die, and chrome tanning is terrible for the environment. The other options mean footwear that will not hold up as well, meaning I will need to buy more often, leading to more waste. Or I can buy some veg tanned boots that will no doubt cost a lot more than chrome tanned, but will require more maintenance to keep them from drying and cracking. Well, maybe I can buy a cheaper version, but then the labor practices are questionable, and maybe the quality isn't there and means I will need to repurchase or resole sooner. A lot of the same points can be made for every type of garment. Cotton is notorious for using up a ton of water, and being sourced from non ethical, and potentially contributing to China's ongoing slavery/genocide in Xinjiang. Wool is harvested from sheep, which can be resource intensive, but not as bad as cotton. However, its still coming from an animal that may or may not have been treated ethically. Linen is an interesting fiber, I've yet to hear a lot of negatives about it in terms of resources and ethics, but in my experience, it doesn't hold up as well as cotton or wool. I've heard others disagree on that point tho. And tree fibers lead to deforestation, etc.

Anyway. Best thing you can do is buy used, thrifted, etc. Take thee money out of the big companies that exploit for profit. And mend your garments before purchasing new ones.

In terms of caring for them. Wash infrequently, preferably by hand or on gentle settings, using cold water and mild detergents. Hang dry. That alone will prolong any garment. And mend mend mend. Cheers!

Made in the US does not always equal ethical or quality. Just look up garment working conditions in places like LA. Also, a ton of miUSA garments use the same cheap-projectile loom- synthetic trash fabric as any other fast fashion brand. They just stamp the "Made in the USA" sticker on it and make a sucker of you.

On the other hand, there are a ton of awesome miUSA brands making the best quality stuff. Check out Carl Murawski's YouTube channel/website for a list of brands. He mostly reviews USA made stuff, and is a good intro/deep dive to solid brands: https://carlmurawski.com/

My Girlfriend disagrees on the latter.

Lighter colored woods show the least amount of scratches in my opinion. Hardness isn't really a factor if that's your main consideration, as all these woods will more or less take the same level of scratches/dings, etc. But they will be more noticeable in darker woods or woods with stains and certain high gloss finishes.

No footwear is going to last you that long. Especially without maintenance and resoling which will roughly cost the same as the price of the shoes each go around. $200 is relatively cheap for a pair of Goodyear welt shoes. But as others have pointed, r/goodyearwelt has a lot better options than solovair. You’ll get higher quality stitching, leathers, and craftsmanship that will go further in your 10-20 year wish, but again, maintenance is key to that.

Defs bifl, however make sure you look at what is in the set. Usually bulk pots/pan sets like this have weird sizes that you may not use. Making the set as a whole not worth it and you may be better off buying individual ones of the sizes you prefer.

Is she against a carbon steel pan? Lighter in weight to a cast iron but has similar cooking/caring properties. I’ve no first hand experience with hex clad but it does come off as gimmicky to me. Although, I have heard decent things about them in terms of cooking, doubt they hold up over time though, just like all non stick pans. My Oxo non stick pan has lasted me longer than any other non stick before it. Bought it on the recommendation of Americas test kitchen. But tbh, that’s probably due to me preferring my all clad and carbon steel pans.

That’s essentially where I’m at right now. But I have my eyes set on a jacket from Freewheelers in Japan. But I can’t justify it if I’m not at my goal weight. 45lbs down from the beginning of the year. 40 more to go 🥲.

Yeah, Himel Bros is the real deal. Check out some of the video breakdowns on their YouTube channel. David Himel goes through the construction, and history of the garment that is essentially being designed/replicated to high historical accuracy. They also use some of the best leathers in the world, including the sought after and legendary leather of Shinki Hikaku tannery. After all is said and done, the price is more or less justified in my eyes. I’ve just never had the actual money to buy one 😂.

Never heard of a warranty with used clothing. Otherwise thrift stores..

Good job man. Too bad I gave OP a recommendation already. But this comment was very wrong, so I responded. Also just gave OC a list too. Cheers.

Thanks for asking. Red Cloud & Co is one that comes to mind. One that many have recommended on this thread is the Unbranded brand, which is a great entry level sub brand of Naked & Famous. I believe MotivMfg makes denim, but if not, all their other stuff is amazing quality and some of the best I've seen for garments in general. I think Doublewood is still around, and are based in SF and made in China? Not 100% sure on that one. One that Ive only seen in pics but look promising is SauceZhan, and is very affordable considering the offerings and reviews I've seen

If you're looking for MiUSA I'd go with Freenote, 3sixteen (Although they moved a lot or all? of production to India), Rogue Territory, Tellason, or Railcar Fine goods. Cheers!

There are many jeans produced in the US. Some are good, others aren’t. There are many makers in China that produce some of the best constructed denim in the world. So this comment isn’t very helpful.

In the future, you’ll need to account for shrinkage especially if it’s an unsanforized pair. Most raw denim retailers will have a disclaimer on how much shrink to expect. Also, never machine dry as that’s where most of the shrink happens in my experience.

r/rawdenim won’t steer you wrong

I’d spend $100 more and go with some redwings if you can find them on bezos land.

That $100 usually gets you a hell of a lot more boot.

Masterpiece Bags from Japan.

Comfort is subjective, so I won’t say much about that. However, coming from a man with thigh thighs and cheeks, I can say, without a doubt, that the fit is the single most important factor in pants longevity. If you are getting crotch tears/blowout, then you need a pair with a higher rise and wider thighs. Measure your best fitting pair, and add a few inches to the rise and thigh. And look at sizing charts to find a pair.

Steer clear from skinny fits, or look for pairs with wide thighs and a taper from the knee down.

In terms of brand suggestions, check r/rawdenim. Some people have suggested nudies, but tbh they’re known for using material on the thinner side, which is good if you’re looking for comfort. But none of their cuts are necessarily ones I’d say have a wider thigh, some do have a higher rise tho. My biggest gripe with them is their price. There’s a lot more brands out there at that price range that most would consider higher quality in terms of fabric and construction.

I would suggest Sugarcane 1947 cut. Iron Heart 888 cut (most bifl option but $$$), or check certain retailers and their sizing charts to compare. For retailers, check r/rawdenim buying guide.

I’d do a lot of research on quality leather brands. The vast majority are, for lack of a better word, trash. Unlike a lot of garments, when it comes to leather jackets, or most leather goods, the price usually reflects quality (diminishing returns after about $2k usd) You can’t really get a bifl quality until you reach about $5-700USD. I’m sure there are some that can be found a bit lower, especially if you go second hand.

Sounds like you need a pair of iron rangers, or anything else from redwings heritage line. $500 can get you in on a few other brands. Consider asking r/goodyearwelt.

I’d say, grant stone, some Japanese brands (currently cheaper due to the yen being low) like motor, zerrows boots, rdt. Or you could get an Indonesian boot from makers like benzien or sagara.

r/goodyearwelt

I’ll start with saying boots/footwear aren’t considered bifl to begin with. That being said, steer clear from anything vegan leather. They will wear down faster than the soles and will not be repairable/resoleable, which defeats the purpose of looking for non leather welted footwear.

Aside from buying second hand, I doubt any companies are using recycled leather. I’ve only heard of one instance thus far that has used hides from naturally deceased bears found in the forests of Japan from John Lofgren. And those were sold in tiny quantities and are doubtful to show up again.

If you’re looking for the least environmentally impactful leather, go for a veg-tanned leather. They’re still made from cow or horsehide, but will decompose a hell of a lot faster than anything chrome-tanned. Even better, look for brands that are small, independently owned, and great only a small number of boots a year. That way you’re not contributing to any waste that the big companies produce for unsold products.

Check out r/goodyearwelt for brands. Cheers.