A Life Less Throwaway: The lost art of buying for life. Tara Button

      

Copyright

      While every effort has been made to trace the owners of copyright material reproduced herein and secure permissions, the publishers would like to apologise for any omissions and will be pleased to incorporate missing acknowledgements in any future edition of this book.

      This book reports information and opinions which may be of general interest to the reader. Neither the author nor the publisher can accept responsibility for any accident, injury or damage that results from using the ideas, information or advice offered in this book.

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      First published by HarperCollinsPublishers 2018

      FIRST EDITION

      © Tara Button 2018

      Tara Button asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

      A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

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      Source ISBN: ISBN 9780008217716

      Ebook Edition © December 2018 ISBN: 9780008217723

      Version: 2018-12-23

Dedication

       For my great makers:

       My parents, who made me,

       Mark, the one making dreams come true,

       Juliet, the best maid of honour,

       and Howard, who makes me happy every day

      Contents

       Cover

       Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Introduction: Or why I want my grandmother’s tights

List of Exercises

PART I

       BROKEN BEHAVIOUR

1 Mindful Curation: Or how to resist a world that’s trying to make us broke and lonely

2 Planned Obsolescence: Or why they don’t make ’em like they used to

3 Psychological Obsolescence: Or why no one wants their parents’ old settee

4 Advertising: Or how many people does it take to sell a lightbulb?

5 Marketing: Or the ten tactics that make us spend

       6 Fashion and Identity: Or why everyone should dress like my friend Ben

       7 Faster and Faster Fashion: Or how to get off the trend treadmill

       8 Born to Shop: Or how our monkey brain influences what we buy

       PART II

       LIVING A LIFE LESS THROWAWAY

       9 Becoming a Curator: Or how to begin buying with purpose

       10 Taking Stock: Or where did all this stuff come from?

       11 Before You Shop: Or ‘A Tale of Two Shoppers’

       12 Out at the Shops: Or how scents, shelves and salespeople get us spending

       13 The BuyMeOnce Buying Guide: Or how to find the best stuff on the planet

       14 Keeping and Caring: Or how to hold on to the things you love

       15 On Money and Happiness: Or how to be happy in a cash-mad world

       Conclusion: Or what does success look like in a life less throwaway?

       Ten Steps to Master Mindful Curation

       Appendix I: Care and Repair

       Appendix II: Choosing Materials for Clothing

       Appendix III: Brand Values

       Appendix IV: Know Your Warranties