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

If people really think like this it shows how successful fast fashion and consumerism has been, making people think they need new stuff all the time. I understand the appeal of new stuff but I hadn't realised anyone would think it was actually bad to be wearing something 10 years old!

I have jeans, jumpers, dresses and coats much more than 10 years old because they're good quality and I look after them - when I buy something I want it to last. I also have things from ebay and charity shops that could be any age.

It doesn't have to mean you look unstylish, if your old things are classics or just your own style that you love. And of course things come back around.

It's your colleagues who need to wake up!

I have vintage clothes that are 70/80 years old. 10 years is nothing!

I have plenty of 'modern' clothes that I've had for years. I keep them until they wear out, don't fit or I no longer wear them. The former go to be recycled, the latter get sent to charity or sold.

I'd say your colleagues are in the wrong - people buy and throw out too much clothing.

SofiaMichelle I didn’t think they were suggesting I’m poor, more like tight I think (which I’m absolutely not). It was the looks on their faces

This has made me see that it’s their problem though and not mine, thanks everyone 😊

I am sat here wearing a kookai top. I love my kookai top.

I bought it in Manchester when I was a student.

I'm 42.

There are lots of things in my wardrobe which are easily more than 10 years old. The tshirt an ex bought me for my 21st birthday. The dress I wore to SILs wedding. Oh god the more I think about it, the more I realise I probably have more stuff thats over 10 years old than under!

If I'm buying something expensive I like to buy classic cut, plain stuff that doesn't date too much. But the same holds true for most stuff. I hate most fast fashion for this reason alone.

I certainly don't buy things to wear once or twice then never again. It kind of seems pointless and a waste to buy things you just don't love so much, you want to wear multiple times.

They're the strange ones, really. Haven't they heard of eco chic?

I've got a vintage tan suede jacket that I'm pretty sure is much older than me. It's been in my ownership for about 20-odd years and I'd never part with it although I don't wear it often. I buy mostly from ebay and if I move something on it goes to a charity shop for someone else to enjoy.
Some people are happy to chuck out perfectly good stuff, apparently without thinking about it at all. It's like a strange badge of honour, as if it indicates how wealthy they are to be so careless with things. Thank god we're not all alike.

I would think maybe collegyes either older women who gain weight every year. Or young ones who are into fashion

Whenever my dd did dressing up, we always raided my old clothes. Some from when I was a child. Princess Leia, Victorian child etc. Not a problem. Most of my old clothes are too small for me. I live in hope dd may wear them at some stage… probably not though…

iv kept and worn clothes for years , until they are getting holes in literally , then that item is worn indoors only , i havent got the money or the inclination to buy new clothes constantly , and the crap in the shops never inspires me much anyway , so when i find something i like thats why its kept and worn for ages

My oldest garment was bought in the summer of 1992. I have a few clothes from the 1990s that I am currently too fat for.

If I like something I will keep it until it wears out, which can take ages for seldom-worn things such as cocktail dresses.

I also follow a downgrading process - if casual clothing gets shabby I'll downgrade it to lounging round the house/going to the supermarket wear until it actually starts falling apart.

Of course I have impulse buys, mainly from charity shops, that I regret soon after, and they go back to the charity shop fairly quickly.

That is completely normal! I have a Max Mara coat I bought 20 years ago, still love it but only wear it occasionally. I also have a pair of Dr Martens I bought when I was 15, I am now 43!

If you buy well made stuff, they last forever.

More than half of my clothes are definitely over 10 years old :-)

Daughter has just pounced on a 1980s wool jaeger suit from my wardrobe. (Haven’t had to dress for the office for years)
“You’d pay a fortune for this on Depop “ was the comment.

I’m just impressed you have clothes that have lasted that long, kudos to you. Ignore the rude colleagues.

I have clothes from the 1960s. Many of my clothes are 10 years +. I don't like disposable fashion. Like others my clothes go through stages - from smart, to casual, to mucking out, to dog blankets. I buy things which are stylish and/ or practical rather than fashionable so I never really look out of fashion, mainly because I'm not particularly in-fashion either.

I’m 35 and the other day I wore denim shorts I made myself from a pair of jeans 15 years ago.

Much better for the environment to hang onto clothes

Until it has fallen to pieces. I have a skirt in my wardrobe which I wear regularly and was bought in Warehouse in 1998, in the sale. So that's what, 23 years ago?

Fast fashion is killing the planet. Wearing stuff a couple of times and chucking is so irresponsible.

I have a couple of evening dresses that are 35 years old. I have a lot of evening/cocktail dresses that are well over 10 years old. Thing s like that are pretty classic in style and don't get worn often enough to get tatty. I also have 2 pairs of PJs that DH bought me when I was in hospital having DS1. I wear them regularly. He turns 29 next month. I also wear a pair of trackie bottoms we bought for DS when he was in his school U-14s football team. There's a lot of wear left in them!

If I love something I wear it until it falls apart. If I go off something I recycle it very quickly.

I have band T-shirts from 1994, and jeans from 20 years ago (not that I can get into them atm!) Always surprised how well some items wear, even if not that expensive.

Yes, I have a denim jacket that is over 21 years old that I still wear.

Thank you so much for this thread everyone, I have been lusting after a. Dress costing £100+ but you have all made me realise that a) I have plenty of clothes, mostly at least 10 years old and a lot older and b) I don’t need another dress. Website closed.

My bank balance thanks you!

Also, this probably doesn't strictly count but I have custody of the Family Christening Robe, which is about 170 years old! My sister and I don't have children, and my dad whose side of the family it comes from is an only child - plus we are all atheists/agnostics grin - so I don't think it will ever see another Christening.

@FrenchFancie I still have a towel with my name tag on from boarding school too, it must be at least 25 years old

I was wearing a dress the other day that I was wearing in a photo of a holiday we went on when I was 10 (big holiday, only went once so I was defiately 10) so 23 years old.

No reason to throw out good clothes, I get called a horder but I honestly dont understand how people are so blase about ditching perfectly usable stuff.

But then I dont care about fashion trends and most of my stuff comes in and out of fashion every 5 or so years. That dress from the other day would be fashionable as its very casual 90s grunge style.