My 5 long haul items

if you could only buy one

Mar 09, 2025

There’s something comforting about wearing holes in a well made item. It means you worked it hard and wore it well. It did what it was supposed to do and chances are, it did it for a very long time.

It takes discipline (and values - see this post) to commit to a long haul item, especially as there is a constant inflow of “what are we buying this season” lingo floating around the internet. I’ve seen influencers who specialize in seeking out “the best Amazon finds” so you don’t have to. I read a great Substack (no idea where that post went now) talking about this concept of: do you like it or is it just everywhere?

A great example for that concept are THESE types of sunnies. I like them… but is that just because e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e. has multiple variations of them so I’m seeing them all the time? Perhaps! I do know it makes me not want to buy a pair out of sheer stubbornness….

Naturally, this social media post got me thinking:

My gold standard for research, Reddit, came in hot when I queried:

In the 1830s, most people “made do with one outfit for everyday, one for Sunday best, and perhaps one other, or parts of another, for seasonal change. Even wealthy people didn't necessarily have lots of clothes, although their money allowed them to purchase ready-made items from the storekeeper, or to hire custom sewing done outside the household, or by a temporary live-in seamstress.”
In colonial Virginia, records show folks rarely had more than 3-4 outfits of clothing.

Somewhere along the way, we started amassing more clothes, clothes themselves became cheaper, and we lost the core idea of less is more.

In today’s world, modern stats tell us that 80% of the time, we only ear 205 of our clothes. I’m sure if you think about your closet right now, you’ll know exactly what pieces are on heavy rotation and which you rarely wear.

When I was mentally sorting through my closet for what would land on my long haul list, most items actually ended up there by accident. I didn’t buy them thinking: “I’ll have this forever” (we know how I feel about THAT concept).

But I did make the purchasing with awareness that it was something I liked, wanted, need and passed at least one of my values tests. They are items that I knew would check both form and function and came with a history of being well made. They proved their ranking on my Long Haul List by virtue of, well, being around for the long haul.

Here are two other ways I think about what makes a long haul cut:

It’s a feeling of satisfaction and fulfillment - this one specific item will do me. I can stop looking for anything else in this category because it checks all the boxes.
If you can only have one (IYCOHO), what would it be? I first heard this concept from Hillary Kerr and it works brilliantly when thinking about your long haul items. Options are great, but if you could only choose one item to buy and wear in each clothing category, what would it be?

These are my Long Haul / Only One items.

also ps not related to fashion at all, but because this is my IYCOHO for kitchen items - the GIR sets are amazing. I have the 5 piece one in slate and I promise it’s all you need.

1. Birkenstock Arizona Oiled Leather in Black two strap sandals - $135.

It took 10 years, but I have absolutely destroyed these I’ve worn them so much and so often. As it turns out, cork + rain don’t mix, but they have managed to put up with me long after their Target counterpart would have bit the dust. While Birkenstock will do repairs, this is limited to European customers as their workshops are based in Germany. I added the brown suede option to my shop list as a consideration (yep, it’s been on there for about a year now), but seeing how well these served me, I may repurchase the black leather.

I apologize in advance for the state of these shoes. They are well and truly destroyed, so now I just wear them to do chicken chores and bum around the yard.

2. Darn Tough socks - $26

I am very hard on shoes (evidence above) and socks. A few years ago, I took a darning class so I could learn how to repair my beat up socks my own. For me, the worn places typically come at back of the heel, on the heel, and the underside of the toe boxes. However I found the Darn Tough brand, they are my long haul socks and I’ve been wearing them for more than 5 years. They come with a lifetime guarantee to replace any worn out Darn Tough sock with a brand new one. A guarantee I’ve taken advantage of - sending in one destroyed sock to get brand new one in return. This alone makes these a long haul item and I don’t need to look at another sock brand. The Micro Crew (see below) are my go-to hiking/outdoors sock. They are the perfect height to go with my Blundstones or other hiking boots, just peeking up over the edge of the shoe and being oh so cute. For about 4 years I asked for a new pair each Christmas, but didn’t this year as I feel like 4 is more than enough. Although the color schemes they keep rolling out tempt me. I’ll just have to wait till the holes are coming through (it’s close on the blue pair).

THE greatest socks in the color-ways I have (left). The sock darning workshop. You can probably google this and all you need is a lightbulb (seriously), embroidery thread and a needle.

3. Wool scarf knit by my Aunt - free to me, but whatever materials cost 30 years ago!

My sister tried to buy this off me it’s that good. If I could only keep one of my scarves, this would be it. It’s warm, goes with anything, and still acts brand new.

the scarf in Colorado! The black/grey of the main wool with the speckled red, white and purple flecks really works for me. Any hand crafted wool scarf can be a long haul item. Yes it’s wool so it’s scratchy. This does not bother me. If that bothers you, just get a long haul scarf in a fabric you do like.

4. Cuyana Tall Easy Tote leather bag - $268.

It’s rare that I purchase something new from a retailer. And when I do, I’ve put a lot of thought and consideration into the purchase. When Cuyana first came on the sustainability scene 2011 I was hooked and purchased a black leather tote for $150. It’s a brand I have recommended to all of my clients when they add a leather bag to their shop list. I am only. just now noticing some wear on the corners and it was my daily go-to for 7+ years. Tastes and trends shifted during the pandemic when we all went fanny pack, but the past year or so I’ve brought this girl out for travel and daily wear again and she’s just as good. This is less about the brand, than it is about worthwhile investments in quality.

The bag in Italy (left) and in New York (right). TBH it can hold a lot and gets real heavy when stuffed to the brim. It's better as a personal item for traveling vs. toting around the city but a girl does what she does and this bag can handle it.

5. Vintage silver hoops - $16.

I consider these to be my signature hoop. They have a “go big or go home” vibe with just the right touch of vintage. I got very lucky and purchased them via an Instagram story sale from one of my fave vintage deals The Edit out of Canada. If I could only wear one pair of earrings for the rest of my days, it would be these.

Reflections

A few things I noted about these items while working on this list:

They are all items that can still be worn wherever my “right now” body is. Unlike clothes, I won’t physically outgrow any of these pieces.
3 retail items, 1 handmade, 1 vintage. Even after saying how I rarely buy new things from retailers, it’s interesting that 3 of my 5 long haul items were purchased new.
3 of the new items pass my values test in terms of sustainability as a brand. So I felt good about making those purchases and will continue to purchase from the brand (even if it’s 10 years in between purchases) and recommend them to others.

I would LOVE to know what’s on your own Long Haul List. Friend of the Sub, Rebecca, shared hers were: a cowl neck sweater and handwoven scarf. Tag me on social @sydneypagebass or leave a comment!

Vogue [ish]

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