How long do you keep clothes for? People at work have made feel a bit shit

[TeapotCollection]

Work colleague was talking about her nephew earlier saying he’s started to get a bit mouthy. She said he’s 10 though so I guess it’s fairly normal. I said I’ve got clothes older than him and the 3 of them all looked rather shocked and said they can’t believe I’m wearing stuff that’s so old

Please tell me I’m not the only one

Yes, I may have been a bit embarrassed a few years ago about hanging onto old clothes but nowadays it's the in thing to be environmentally conscious. Next time reply you can't believe they think so little about the planet.

I’d still be wearing plenty of clothes from the 90s if I hadn’t hit the menopause and had to get rid of them all last year. Even so, some bits went to my daughters.

I have clothes that have come back in fashion. My favourite jacket which people often compliment me on, was bought second hand from a charity shop over 20yrs ago.

I still have a lot of work clothes that I bought more than ten years ago and a couple of cardigans in a 'hairy' type of wool that my brother used to jokingly ask if my cat had slept on them. Cat died 15 years ago.

Well that’s unanimous then LOL thank you all

My clothes aren’t expensive either, same as BobbinThreadbare123 mostly Primark/Supermarket but they’re still fine

BritishSummertime about £50 a year here too, probably less sometimes

I've still got clothes that I bought before DD was born and she's 35 this year. I try them on regularly as a way to check I'm not getting too fat. Works better than scales for me.

I've got clothes older than many of my colleagues let alone their children.

Disposable fashion is wrecking the environment.
I have some items I was wearing as a student. I'm in my 50's
I wear clothes until they fall apart! My DD and my SC's all buy (out of choice) second hand.
There really shouldn't be a stigma for old clothing that's still perfectly usable.

I have a jacket, a t-shirt and a jumper all of which are coming up to their 30th birthday soon. I know this because I bought all 3 for a particular UK summer holiday that year.
My walking boots are 23 and so are the boot socks.

I find it really weird to get rid of clothes that fit (which you like) just because they are a couple of years old. I'm the sort of person to wear things until they are too far gone even for gardening duty.

@Scarby9

If they weren't just being thoughtless, I'd be tempted to comment that I was surprised they were part of the throwaway society. Reuse, repair, recycle... in that order.

Absolutely this. I certainly have a couple of cashmere jumpers from the mid 1990s, and some Margaret Howell shirts and a coat that I got in a sale, also in the 1990s. They were comparatively expensive, but are well/made, not made in a sweatshop, and are going strong with care.

atlastifoundit yes that’s us! Goes in the ‘scruffs’ bag for decorating/gardening until it falls apart

Still wearing the Levi Trucker jacket I bought when I was 19. I’m 43. —It’s a bit tighter—

Strike through fail. 😄

Every autumn I start wearing my rugby shirts, they're a really good quality cotton and I've had them 34 years (so far), I wear them at least once a week.

Not the only one.

I have a coat older than our 17 yr old.

I had a jacket that I had before one DC was born that I wore every spring/summer because it was the perfect weight & not too warm. In the beginning of his yr 6 DH suggested it was time for a new one. I still miss that jacket.

I have a cotton summer dress that’s around 18 yrs old too!

Actually I still have the top I wore on my parents 25th wedding anniversary. It's their 55th soon. I might wear it for that :)

I just keep them until they're no longer any good. Why throw away perfectly good clothes?

my coats scarves and shoes are older, also some of my (very small) posh stuff wardrobe. I wear the everyday stuff out

I still consider any clothing less than about 5 years old to be new!!

I have a beautiful skirt I purchased 40 years ago , wore it last week and got compliments. I'm proud I look after my clothes & can still fit in them ( some !!)

My goodness don't feel bad at all.

Totally normal to have clothes for that long. Fast fashion is damaging to the environment and just a weird depressing culture that people have seemed to get into where they just want more more more.

I was wearing a jumper last winter that has my name tape in it from boarding school and in 41, so it’s a minimum of 23 years old - and I have the towels I went away to school with age 11, so 30 years old (definitely second best / hair dying towels now but still….)

Lol, I have clothes older than several of my colleagues!

In fact last week while WFH it got a bit chilly so I popped on an old jumper. It was bought from Primark in 1992, today I am in a Primark jumper from 2003 so I am feeling quite modern 😂

Why chuck stuff out if it is still in good nick? I hardly ever get rid of anything that is still in one piece. One of the rare things I got rid of was a pair of DM boots which I sold in 1995, really regret it now as they were much better quality than the ones you can buy now.

I only recently threw away a hoodie I bought in America in 2001 as it was so full of holes it was more hole than hoodie. I'd been wearing it for decorating / gardening for a couple of years

Yesterday i wore a M&S skirt i bought in 1994. When i was going through my Dad's hall cupboard i found a coat that i thought i had left in a hotel, i had last seen it when it was 4 years old in 1989. I gave it a wash and i now wear it most days, it was one of my best buys from Kays catalogue.