How long do you expect your clothes to last?

[Frog253]

In my unending quest to sort out my wardrobe (started circa 1983) I have found that my clothes don't seem to last very long. I don't mean that they fall apart I mean that they look scruffy after a few wears. So am expecting too much from my clothes? Should I stick to synthetic / synthetic mixes as these seem to last longer? I like the idea of wearing only natural fabrics BUT it seems less eco-friendly to wear clothes for shorter periods of time.
So do you buy say a cotton t-shirt and chuck it at the end of summer and a lambswool jumper for a winter? OR do you buy natural fabrics but quality (if so where from?) and expect your clothes to last 2 + years? If you buy quality how much more (than say M and S) do you spend on your basics?

Also if you buy a synthetic mix are there any you avoid? I wouldn't wear 100% acrylic again cos it makes me very smelly.
Bit of a ramble but interested on others' take on this. Quality vs Longevity vs Cost vs Synthetic

My clothes seem to last ages. But it all depends. I don't buy synthetic except for maybe a viscose mix for tops and dresses.

I get 2-4 years out of wool jumpers- wash on hand wash cycle or actually by hand, white T shirts seem off white after 1 summer so after 2 they tend to be for gardening in, but trousers and jeans last for ages.

My knitwear is from Boden, Jigsaw, White Stuff ,( bobbles easily) White Company, mainly.

I actually think natural fibres last longer but you do have to look after them. My clothes generally last - a few years for things like jumpers, dresses and jeans. T-shirts don't tend to last so well.

i think shops aren't making clothes aswell as they used to in order to keep prices down, i have jeans and vests from next from a couple of years ago which still look good and yet the jeans and vests from the last years haven't washed aswell.

About 8-10 years.

I have no idea how old my clothes are, most of them are from Ebay or charity shops. I have clothes that are older than my children and my eldest is 10.

My stuff from charity shops generally has lasted well, maybe 5-10 years - but I guess that's why its in a charity shop in the first place - because it's lasted well enough to be passed onto someone else. Cost isn't necessarily a good indicator. My expensive jeggings from Debenhams have only lasted 6 months of kneeling/bum shuffling/crawling around the floors of our house after my daughter! Trousers used to last me at least 8 years but generally they don't seem to last me long at all now - I wear the knees out very fast with so much kneeling with my 15 MO. I'm lucky to get 6 months with any trousers at the moment I think. Tops are better for wear as they don't suffer abrasion from being on the floors, but even my very expensive jersey BF-ing tops only lasted about 9 months before they went bobbly. I had three and alternated the constantly for that time though so I guess that's OK as they were each worn and washed every third day for 9 months. I could only wear them one day before washing for the first 6 months as they would be soaked though with milk several times a day as I leaked ridiculously despite three breast pads in each cup! Luckily by 9 months I didn't really need BF-ing tops anymore as LO wasn't breastfeeding any more during the day time so I just binned all three tatty looking tops.

The length of time your clothes last depends on how many you have/how frequently you wear/wash them, as well as the abuse they get not just how they are washed. I have worn the same three dresses and cardies for work for 5 years and they are still going strong. I have had to replace one dress recently as it's gone a bit white around the arm holes from deoderant/sweat, which is not a good look! Work clothes don't suffer the same abuse as the clothes I wear at home though as I'm just sitting at a desk all day at work, not shuffling around floors with my child, cleaning, walking in muddy fields, cooking, cleaning bikes etc.

I expect years out of mine, although obviously not in pristine condition. Even cheap knitwear and nighties from Primark last at least 2 years. The only things I don't expect to last much longer than a year are knickers and socks. Oh and cheap ballet pumps that you wear nearly every day and then chuck at the end of Summer.

What gourd said about how many clothes and the abuse they receive is true. I have been pregnant/BFing/TTC on and off for over four years now and have gone up and down so much that I only have a handful of clothes in each size, and when you only have 5 tops that fit, they wear out fast. Also rushing around after toddlers/playing on floor/going to park every day is much more wearing on clothes (and on me ) than sitting in an office.

Saying that, I really believe in buying better quality stuff. I have Brora cashmere that is 5 years old and worn several times a week that looks absolutely perfect, and I refuse to deviate from it at all. I buy one cashmere thing a year and look after it religiously (hand wash in wool shampoo, delicate short spin in machine, over radiators to dry, never pegged out). I hand wash lot of my knitwear, even if it claims it can go in the machine, which I think helps it last. I do the same with the DCs' nicer jumpers. [bonkers]

T-shirts seem to wear out no matter how much you spend, so I tend towards H&M, although occasionally splash out if something is the perfect colour. I am loving the quality of these tops, they seem to wash really well so far (have only had them a month though).

Likewise trousers seem to wear out reasonably quickly, but a crap cut is so obvious that I think you have to spend some money on them.

Oh, and I try to stick to natural fibres as I am really sweaty in anything manmade, but viscose mix seems ok. I am a big believer in wool if you are at all sweaty. It is magic.

Well I am hard on my clothes, they are dirty quickly and so are washed regularly. DH's clothes look better for longer and are subject to similar wear and tear. Still I am frequently disappointed with my saggy appearance. Even buying slightly more expensive doesn't make much, if any difference.
Charity shops around here are not that great and don't often have my size.

All I want is one shop that stocks quality clothes esp. basics at reasonable prices. It used to be NEXT but my heart sinks whenever I reach for that catalogue now...