8 status symbols that last a lifetime, from Herman Miller chairs to the royal family's jacket of choice

Business Insider

7 hours ago

Buy It For Life is a community on Reddit that highlights durable, high-quality products worth investing in.
For some, that means splurging on expensive items known for their craftsmanship.
Pricey items like Rolex watches and Le Creuset cookware can be seen as lasting investments.
How much would you spend on a handmade comforter for your bed? For some, $5,000 — the price of some eiderdown bedding — is worth the splurge if it lasts a lifetime.
This concept of buying something for life is a consumer movement with a thriving Reddit community of 3.1 million members. The r/BuyItForLife subreddit serves people searching for products that will outlive them, or at least that they won't have to replace for a decade or more. The subreddit says it was created to showcase "high-quality, durable, and practical products that can be bought once and used for life."
High quality and durable don't always mean expensive, but Business Insider set out to find long-lasting items worth investing in. Many are pricier than the average person might pay.
"Quality lasts, and when it comes to these investment pieces, you're not just buying an object, you're shaping how you live," Niki Cheng, designer and cofounder of 18th Street Design Collective, said.
Here are eight items with a reputation for being symbols of wealth or good taste that have appeared in the BuyItForLife subreddit. Stylists, interior designers, and the makers themselves explained to BI why they stand the test of time.
Fashion
Apparel can be tricky to buy for life, stylist and content creator Timothy Chernyaev said. Trends change, people grow, and clothes endure everyday wear and tear. Quality clothing can still last a long time, though.
"Generally, as a rule, you get what you pay for, and a quality item, especially clothing, should last you 10 years," style consultant Reginald Ferguson of the NY Fashion Geek told BI.
Meanwhile, accessories, like a high-quality handbag, can outlive you.
The highly exclusive and expensive Hermès Birkin bag, for example, can be passed down to family or sold later in life. The prototype Birkin, first worn by Jane Birkin almost 40 years ago, is coming up for auction this summer on Sotheby's.
"Buy the jacket that outlives seasons, the watch that feels like an heirloom the moment you fasten it," said Nicole Pollard Bayme, stylist and founder of Lalaluxe.
Here are four other fashion items known for their quality and longevity:
Viberg boots - $800+
Viberg, a family-run Canadian brand that has operated since 1931, is frequently recommended in r/BuyItForLife posts asking about boots with a long shelf life.
The full-grain leather boots sell for around $800 or more. Pollard Bayme says it's worth it if buyers intend to wear them "a thousand times."
Loro Piana
Loro Piana is a textile mill that manufactures wool, cotton, silk, and more for brands throughout the world, Ferguson said. It controls its supply chain from building relationships with cashmere farmers in Mongolia to placing a $3,500 sweater on its shelves.
"A Loro Piana coat isn't expensive if it's worn a thousand times and makes you feel powerful every time you slip it on," Pollard Bayme said.
Rolex - $4,000+
The Swiss-made watches are known widely for their craftsmanship, exclusivity, and materials.
For some, watches are an introduction to luxury shopping. Their longevity can make them an investment more than a purchase.
"A Rolex isn't just a watch — it's one of the rare luxury items that can be worn daily, handed down through generations, and still hold its value," Bob's Watches CEO Paul Altieri said. "It's not just something you own — it's something you pass on."
Barbour waxed jacket - $400+
Barbour is an English family-owned brand beloved by the British royal family. Snapshots of various royals in the rainy UK throughout the brand's 130-year history are all over the internet. Its iconic Bedale and Beaufort wax jackets are made by hand in a North East London factory,Barbour's website says.
Customers can have their $435 jacket re-waxed and repaired over the years to keep it in good shape.
"A Barbour is certainly an investment worth owning. Strong, durable, water resistant," Ferguson said. "If it's good for the royal family, it's good for me."
Barbour declined a request for comment from Business Insider.
Lifestyle
Unlike apparel, lifestyle products must be functional in addition to long-lasting. An office chair must endure hours of pressure and movement for years, while cookware withstands 400-degree heat.
"The 'buy it once' approach isn't just about saving money over time, it's about surrounding yourself with objects that hold up and hold meaning," Isfira Jensen, interior designer and CEO of Jensen & Co. design firm, said.
These four lifestyle products stand the test of time, according to interior design professionals:
Herman Miller office chair - $1,800+
Herman Miller office chairs are "ergonomically flawless and visually timeless," Cheng said.
To hold up during eight-hour days at your desk, Herman Miller told BI that it does extensive testing. It runs over 2,500 different tests on its furniture — "ranging from staining, cleanability, UV exposure, scratch and dent, to structural component durability" — to make sure it lasts, a spokesperson for Herman Miller said.
Outside office chairs, Herman Miller produces the Eames chair and ottoman, a status symbol highly coveted by young, wealthy men in particular.
Le Creuset Dutch oven - $200+
Is a Le Creuset Dutch oven worth the up to $800 price tag? For some members of the BuyItForLife subreddit, the answer is a resounding yes.
"Le Creuset is definitely BIFL. I've been using my dutch oven every week to bake bread for years and it still as good as new," one user said.
The cookware is crafted in France with a porcelain enamel glaze. It can also be a popular heirloom among families.
"Many people find that their first Dutch oven turns into a go-to kitchen companion, eventually passed down to the next generation," Jensen said. "It's less of a splurge, and more of a lifelong relationship."
Montblanc fountain pen - $200+
In a world where texting and emails are the standard for written communication, handwritten notes hold more weight.
"When you write something on a handwritten letter, you don't just pass on the content, you are actually passing on meaning," Zaim Kamal, former creative director of Montblanc, told BI in 2020.
Montblanc provides long-term services and restoration for its artisan-made fountain pens that retail for over $200, making them ideal family heirlooms.
"A Montblanc pen is about legacy," Cheng said. "My first pen was given to me by my dad. It's not just for writing for me."
Eiderdown duvet - $4,000+
Eiderdown duvets and comforters are hand-crafted covers that are made using feathers from eider ducks in subarctic and arctic regions. They're scarcer than gold, diamonds, and platinum, retailer Icelandic Down told BI.
"Eiderdown is painstakingly collected from the abandoned nests of eider ducks. It takes around 50 to 70 nests to make 2.2 pounds of eiderdown — involving dozens of hours of manual labor," a spokesperson said.
The duvets and comforters at Icelandic Down retail for $4,000 or more and, when treated well, can last up to 50 years, according to the company.
"Great bedding is like a bespoke suit — you feel the quality every single day," Cheng said.