Between Us: Three Products I'm Stalking the Restock On...

...and why they're worth the wait.

I spent much of my early adulthood buying “spares” of the things I really loved because I couldn’t imagine life without them. It started with some Whistles jogging trousers my friend Lauren had in 2006, that were just so comfy but also so chic: she bought multiple pairs in case they ever stopped making them (spoiler alert, they did, though it was two decades ago so it’s no surprise!) and so, of course, I panic-bought a couple of pairs too.

I did it with the towels I loved, also in case they stopped making them (spoiler alert, they did, it was back in 2009) and I even did it with a pair of Belstaff motorbike boots which were horrendously expensive even back in 2005.

Guess what?

I haven’t even worn the backup pair of Belstaffs. The first pair were so well made, it seems inconceivable that they will ever bite the dust. I’ve had to reheel them every few years (less now, because the heels are over an inch tall and so I don’t want to risk an A&E visit and three months in traction) but apart from that, and the obvious softening and creasing of the leather, they are fine and dandy.

Do not get me started on my collection of “spare” crockery for the dinner sets I didn’t want to risk being incomplete if someone smashed a plate, or a cereal bowl. Gah.

Anyway, all this to say that the things I should have bought in duplicate, this year, I didn’t. In fact, because I have been trying to be a little more discerning about my purchases, one of the items I did actually buy in duplicate but then I had a word with myself and sent the second one back! What an idiot! All those plates (one set has seventeen plates, nineteen bowls, sixteen side plates, it is why I invite so many people at Christmas, just to feel slightly better about what is a ridiculous situation) yet I’m having to speed-wash my favourite crop-top bra thing because I only have one, I’m constantly sweating, and there’s never a back-up version in stock!

Here’s the bra in question, and another (slightly different) bra that I require in order to be able to wear my neon pink Autumn Cashmere vest top, and also a duplicate of one of the best, comfiest things I’ve bought in 2026. Let me save you the pain of spending on the wrong thing, and guide you towards the tried and tested…