Want to shop less? We've created The Buy Once List for exactly that

I’ve been thinking about how people shop for more than a decade. Not just because I wrote about products for giant eCommerce business for years, seeing thousands of designer clothes and the varying quality and hype amongst them. But also because, in working for small fashion brands in London early in my career, I noticed one common thread among the top creatives: they all had a uniform. Trends came and went, but those at the head of the design table arrived to the studio wearing variations of the same thing day in, day out. 

It seemed like they knew a secret: what separates “style” from “fashion” isn’t buying the latest trend as soon as it hits the shelves, it’s knowing what you love, what works for you, and then trusting yourself to only invest in that. 

It’s not easy though. There’s the social pressure to shop that is amplified if you work in the industry or, really, if you have any kind of social media. And then there are the practical limitations. Cost. Materials. Size availability. Avoiding virgin animal materials and synthetics, as we’ve outlined in our editorial policy. 

These challenges became even clearer when JD and I curated anxiety.eco’s very first Buy Once List. A selection of items that we genuinely want to wear forever, from brands whose values we believe in and have researched. But style is about creativity, and creativity thrives under constraints, as JD told me when I lamented just how difficult it is to find a pair of practical shoes that aren’t leather or PVC (spoiler: we found some). 

The Buy Once List isn’t a shopping list packed with products a PR emailed us. It’s a list to help you buy less, from the personal taste of JD and me — co-founders and friends but with very different aesthetics. Your taste might not be the same as ours and that’s cool (in fact, that’s great), but we hope these stylish, beautifully made items will inspire you to seek out the items you truly love and can see yourself wearing regularly, and to build your wardrobe from there. 

We’ve verified everything in this list using Good On You’s sustainability ratings, who we’ve worked with for years and know the methodology inside and out; we’ve followed our editorial principles to avoid virgin animal materials and synthetics (no easy task, even with so-called “sustainable” brands); and we checked user reviews and compared that to the feedback we’ve gotten from friends. We’ve also tried to select items from brands with more inclusive sizing (with an extra list of brands at the bottom, too, since items often come in and out of stock) and offer options for tall and petite. To be clear, we can’t vouch for every item a brand sells, but this list is based on the businesses we’ve bought from ourselves, heard consistently good things about, or have gotten to know — and trust — the founders of through our years of recommending them.

We've tried to include brands in this list that serve a wide range of body types, but let's be honest: size inclusivity remains ethical fashion's biggest blind spot. Most of the outerwear, knitwear, and tailored trouser brands we researched stop at XL, and that's a problem the industry needs to reckon with. And even when there are better options, model images remain limited, meaning it’s hard to see what a garment actually looks like on a variety of body types. These are some of the brands we love and have good representation.

We also recommend the following brands:

If you’re avoiding virgin leather and synthetics, shoes is an area you’ll have the hardest time finding something that’s values-aligned and comfortable. So many of the footwear on offer today is plastic. But here are some the options we share when people ask.

As a committed member of Issey Miyake’s Pleats Please fandom, JD knows the friction between appreciating design and being frustrated by the use of polyester. Petit Pli, however, is the cooler, more thoughtful option with material engineering derived from aerospace expertise, all using recycled fibres. 

Needs no introduction, really. 

What separates a middle-of-the-road shirt from something you’ll only buy once? Stitch count, seams, cut, and fabric quality, as you’ll see in these four options from brands we always return to.

Coats might be the only area where JD and Amy’s styles overlap. We’ve both been eyeing up this oversized drapey number from low-waste label Zerobarracento forever.

Secondhand and vintage shops are the best places to find out-of-the-ordinary jackets, but if we’re sharing recommendations with a friend, we’ll send these:

Cotton. Hemp. Linen. There are many good options that don’t require animal fibres. 

Our report on underwear waste showed how fibre blends, synthetics, and hygiene all contribute to big challenges in recycling, so we sourced a selection of non-synthetic options that are breathable too. The only exception is Wama’s hemp and cotton boxer briefs, which are mixed with a small amount of elastane. Unfortunately there is no viable, scalable alternative for achieving stretch qualities right now.

On JD and Amy’s very first meeting, JD announced they are a shorts-person. Even in deepest winter, you’ll catch them in a pair of much-loved secondhand cargo shorts from Rick Owens, and probably Bottega Veneta’s biodegradable rubber Puddle Boots (also secondhand). This, reader, is what style is about. No matter the season, the trends, you do you. 

Amy lives for a bootcut jean to show off her vintage cowboy boots collection, and JD obsesses over literally anything that E.L.V. Denim does. 

Fabric always matters, but tailored trousers is one category where it can make or break the look of a garment — particularly if you’re short, like Amy. These recommendations are all made from materials that drape beautifully.

JD recently had their favourite secondhand Liberty tote bag stolen while at a cafe. Luckily, it was recovered, but the incident raised the prospect of having to find another one that is at once sturdy, made without virgin leather or synthetics, goes with most outfits, and will hold at least a laptop, water bottle, and a book. It’s not easy, reader.

When we asked readers what keeps you up at night, many of you told us you’re worried about the impact of toxic chemicals in clothing on your children, not to mention the cost and consumption that go with buying things they quickly grow out of. These four brands are addressing those concerns.

This is a living resource for our Founding Members. We made this for you, inspired by our own tastes, but with a plan to keep on building it according to what you tell us you want.

We’ll keep on researching the best brands and products to help serve your needs in finding stuff you love and that aligns with your values. 

Tell us: what else do you want to see in this list, and in your membership perks? Email [email protected] to let us know.