What items don't date?

[candykane25]

My first thought was a sixties style shift dress. Something simple, sleeveless, round neck, a line ish and above knee.
A black polo neck doesn't date.
On another camel coat thread there are opposing views about whether they date. I think buttons and detailings date but some cuts don't.
What would you say doesn't date?

[LaurieFairyCake]

I loved the 'Daily News' Dior dress and the Oscar de la Renta dress - you could wear both now easily

[candykane25]

I think of Herve leger as 90s with the supermodels.

The dolce and gabana corset dresses and the leger bandage dresses are probably classic enough not to date.

Leopard print (the pattern) doesn't date. But the cut will.

Breton tops?

[LaurieFairyCake]

Elderly ladies are still wearing their Chanel suits from 40/50/60 years ago

Maybe they shouldn't

[Floisme]

Ok if I had a Chanel suit I would wear it every day for the rest of my life

[expatinscotland]

V-neck wool jumpers
Cowboy boots

[andintothefire]

Floisme - but I don't really get the concern about skinny jeans going out of date. They are flattering to some people, just as flared or bootcut jeans are flattering to others. I think that jeans are now a wardrobe staple that have many different cuts. The only way I see skinny jeans going out of fashion is in the sense that people feel they have to wear them because they are "in fashion" even though they might not suit a skinny cut, and therefore might look back in future years and cringe.

I think the boho trend can still be worn, for example - just not top to toe.

[candykane25]

Yes the Dior new look. The midi full skirt as Audrey Hepburn used to wear still looks great. Often seen at weddings and looks rich.
The Jackie O sixties look doesn't date.
Grace Kelly twin sets.
I have skinny, straight leg, boyfriend and boot it jeans and wear according to the top I want to wear.
Skinnies with longline tops, straight leg with everything, boyfriend with loose t shirts, boot cuts with waist length fitted jumpers.
Mostly in dark denim.
Ankle grazers/ 7/8ths / cigarette pants whatever the different name is each season, always look good.

[Floisme]

Jeans are a wardrobe staple but I don't think skinnies are.
The Jackie O look was dated for years and years.

With things like V necks and bretons, it's the shape that changes e.g. in the 90s they were slimline and fitted as they were worn with flares, now they're looser and slouchier.

All I'm saying is that everything dates in some way. Some styles come around again time and again whereas others are one-season wonders but you can't always tell which is until you look back years later.

So my view is that it's best to just buy things because you like them and not worry about whether they'll date (cos they will). And to be very suspicious of any item of clothing described as 'an investment buy'.

That's my opinion but I can sense I'm becoming annoying so I'll back off now.

[andintothefire]

Floisme - actually, I agree with everything you say about buying clothes because you like them and not worrying about "investment buys". That is my philosophy too. Maybe I just care more about clothes than fashion, so I tend to find that I want to wear my clothes regardless of how fashionable they might be, just because I really enjoy wearing them!

I think my "anything goes" comment was perhaps in the same vein - if I fall in love with something that might be considered identifiable with a particular decade or not quite in fashion then I will still buy and wear it.

[andintothefire]

Ps and you're not becoming annoying at all - I find this a really interesting discussion and think your views are very informed and valuable!

[LanaorAna1]

Anything that's clearly old already ie vintage. But the period the item is from will swing in and out of fashion.

The only other thing I can think of is Liberty scarves and fabrics, for instance - some are such old designs (1870) that they have survived various style holocausts and come up smiling.

[LanaorAna1]

Flo - you are brilliant, keep going, please.

[frikadela01]

Interesting thread. I think everything dates eventually. Or rather the way things are worn or the cut dates.

Agree with a lot of what Floisme has been saying. Especially about so called investment pieces. I have a coat in my wardrobe that I spent far too much on 5 years ago after my friend convinced me it would never date and would go with everything. I wore it one winter and have barely worn it since because it just doesn't feel like it goes with any of my current clothes.

[candykane25]

I think what I do is buy updated versions of the same things. So I've always had a black zip up leather jacket. I've always had a denim jacket. I've always had black opaques. I've always had a shift style dress. I've always had a grey marl t shirt. I've always had some form of jersey fit and flare dress. Different lengths, different colours, different neckline and sleeve length maybe. I've always had denim shorts, usually knee length. I've always had black ankle boots.ive always had knee length boots.
I always wear velvet in winter.

[Trills]

Hermione the opera singer wears a lot of Chanel suits in Jilly Cooper's books.

[RemusLupinsBiggestGroupie]

I think things that are noticeably a certain designer, but not noticeably of a particular period, can be good investment pieces. Eg: I've got a couple of Vivienne Westwood things - because they've never particularly been 'in' they've also lasted well. She's still selling pretty much identical items, even though mine are a fair few years old now.

[FrustratedFrugal]

I'm a clothes hoarder and I have items from 10 and 20 years ago plus some vintage and my mother's shoes and clothes. Everything dates, but even ridiculous things (legwarmers, bodysuits, shapeless coats, tie dye and acid wash) cycle in and out of fashion. What slowly changes is clothing technology and materials - really old items have generous seam allowanced but no stretch, and nylon shirts and terylene pants feel dire.

Great tailoring and high fashion has more longevity but I just saw an older lady wearing an YSL outfit that looked totally off - early 1980s shapeless shapes and shrill patterns.

I have a lot of fairly timeless items but clothing has definitely become more casual. I wore running leggings to work today and nobody noticed. And I used to wear suits to work!

[RebelandaStunner]

Classic items take much longer to date but I think they do eventually. I would generally spend more on these pieces and choose better quality knowing that they should last longer but agree that clothes aren't investments.
High fashion items can date very quickly and most people know the kind of things that will when they buy them that's why people shop in cheap places like primark for these things. I rarely buy this category, it's just not usually my style. On the other hand I don't possess anything more than about 5 years old. Most clothes start to look worn out by then if not dated anyway imo.

[Floisme]

Aw thank you folks

to just buying whatever clothes you like.

[EnquiringMingeWantsToKnow]

The ultimate comeback to "classics don't date" is the double breasted jacket for women. I used to wear navy double breasted blazers with metal buttons to work, and at the time they were the epitome of classic. Presumably at some point they will become wearable again, but who knows when.

I do think that some vintage looks, eg the Dior New Look skirt, now transcend time but it's possible that people more clued up that me would be able to identify the subtle changes of emphasis that would mark out the difference between an 1950/1970/1990/2010 version of that look.

[andintothefire]

Out of interest, is the double breasted jacket ever flattering on women? I quite like the look but I think that with my breasts it just doesn't work on me! So I do wonder if one of the "rules" about clothes not dating is that they need to look objectively good and flattering rather than simply being worn because they are in fashion. Which sort of comes back to Flo's point about buying clothes you love. The Dior New Look skirt is so gorgeous whatever period it is from that I can't imagine it feeling dated if I wore it now (I should be so lucky!)

[JohnCheese]

I'm in the 'everything dates' camp. And vintage is quite different to dated.
Even trousers I would have considered dateless seem to date somehow after a couple of years - the length, waistline, something dates them. I do not believe in investment pieces. It's an investment if I plan to wear it loads, but I no longer expect it to last years.
I remember in the good old days buying an eye wateringly expensive Armani black dress (disposable income got a rude awakening with kids) and being convinced it would last forever and be always wearable. My everlasting LBD, if you will. Nope. Did 4, maybe 5 years at a push. And that was pushing it. It dated.

Just looking at your last post OP. I'm wondering how old are you, because I do remember a time before opaques!

[Floisme]

There may be different timescales going on. I'd want to get 10 years out of something (although not necessarily in a single fashion cycle) before I'd call it an investment. I do have clothes like that but they're mostly flukes, like the karate trousers I bought 30 years ago. I've long since given up the karate but I was wearing the trousers on holiday last week; the shape and length look really modern at the moment and the relaxed fit is very forgiving!

And I do sometimes buy expensive but whenever I've shelled out 'because I'd wear it forever', it's turned out a dud. Maybe I have poor judgement but I think it's more that stuff changes - and not only fashion. I'm through the menopause now and, although I'm not much heavier, I'm a different shape. And life moves on. I now have a job where most days, I don't need to look smart. I wouldn't have predicted that 5 years ago.

[candykane25]

I'm 42 John, I do remember the 70s befire opaques but by high school in the 79s I was wearing them and they've been constant since then. In winter I go a bit rock chic with boots tights leather jacket. My current black biker is about 3 yrs old and not dating yet.

[ShellSuitonBonfireNight]

I keep wanting to buy a biker jacket but they are so ubiquitous now that I'm worried I've missed the boat and it will date really quickly. I've had a leather jacket for 15 years now I'm thinking the style is nearly retro so might be back in soon!?