Wearing a skirt that is 19 years old?

[Mellonsprite]

It’s my favourite summer item, but rarely worn as it’s so summery. It’s nearly ankle length, tiered cotton skirt, with broiderie anglaise and some scalloped edging. It’s lined so not see through. My DH has expressed surprise that I want to wear it as it’s so old. But it still looks ok and there’s lots of long length floaty skirts about which aren’t as nice as my vintage one IMO!
Will be probably be worn with black vest and wedges.

Nothing wrong with it if it still looks good! I have a top which I think is of a similar age... I rarely wear it but do occasionally and have received no shocked looks yet (not that I've noticed anyway, ahem). It's odd though how some things seem to wear so well and others look like crap after a year or two...

I also have a 2002 summer skirt that will be taking a spin soon. It's got the old Next tag! Always gets a compliment. Very handy for work in the summer - it's a more straight down style. Yours sounds gorgeous. Love broderie anglaise.

Do you also find that much older clothes have better quality fabric, and are better finished than new clothes ? (unless you start paying hundreds of pounds for an item of clothing these days). I've really noticed this.

Yes way better, although to be fair, there have probably always been badly made clothes - it's just that they haven't survived.
What I can't envisage is what the second hand clothing market is going to look like in 20-odd years' time. A lot of 1990s / early noughties Next and M&S is still in pretty decent nick but I can't imagine much from the present day high street lasting that long.

@barbrahunter

Do you also find that much older clothes have better quality fabric, and are better finished than new clothes ? (unless you start paying hundreds of pounds for an item of clothing these days). I've really noticed this.

I think it depends. I find higher end clothing and even some things from Mango, Zara etc is often still really well made.

There's no comparison with 20 or 30 year old GAP or Next and today's items. The quality has deteriorated. Next skirts and dresses for example usually used to be lined and lined properly whereas now they either aren't lined at all or the lining is cheap and badly fitting. I recently bought an everyday dress for about £40 from Next and the actual dress is the right size but the lining is about 2 sizes too small! And a GAP T-Shirt or Sweatshirt used to be made with such good material it would outlive you. I have a pair of 2000 GAP jeans that are amazing quality and still look brand new and beautifully cut. I went in the other day for a denim jacket and the quality in Primark is better these days!

Comparing fast fashion of 20 or so years ago, I think Pilot and Bay Trading were better quality than Primark, Boohoo, Pretty Little Thing etc.

True, quality was much better. Never found Zara to be good quality, always deteriorates quickly for me (tops/sweaters).

I have and wear lots of clothes that I have had since my late teens, I am 47 now! The quality of fabric is often far better than todays standards of fast fashion and the sizing much better also. A couple of items were my dm's from when she was a young carefree teen

Vintage is stylish now... I'd say 19 years qualifies it to be vintage rather than old. Plus the 2000s are back anyway.

I have a maxi skirt I bought the day Princess Diana died. How many years ago is that?!

I love the sound of your skirt OP. I think many summer styles are timeless and also you have less opportunities to wear them than, say, a winter coat, so they last longer especially if they're a natural fabric like cotton or linen.

I recently found a Laura Ashley skirt and jacket from the 80s in my parents attic. It is pure 'Lady Diana' style, I absolutely loved her in my teens. I'd say I was about 14 when I got it. Imagine my delight when I could still fit into it at 52 😂.

It's got a pale blue and green spriggy print, the jacket is cropped with leg o' mutton sleeves and a tiny frill around the collar. It's so pretty, I've been wearing it with jeans, or olive green joggers and I white t shirt. There's nothing like a favourite item of clothing to evoke memories.

White broderie anglais is timeless, I think the skirt sounds lovely. Well done for keeping it stain free for all those years! I had a similar one from that era with no embroidery which I wore until it was so thin from washing that it fell to bits.
I recently bought a corset top from the H&M x Brock collection which is almost identical to a pale yellow one I had when I was about 23. I love it and I'm 47!! It's so funny to see all this stuff from the 90s coming around again. I might pass on the cargo pants this time though.

Sounds lovely! There are so many things I wish I hadn’t given away. Still got a few things I wear from when I was a teenager though, including my favourite denim cutoffs. Too short for out the house but perfect for the garden

At the end of last year I had to ditch a floaty skirt from 1993 which I loved because the elasticated waist had perished and it kept falling down. Amazingly I found a pair of floaty culottes from White Stuff this Spring which are almost identical.

No, I used to buy new clothes all of the time when I was at uni/early 20s, I kept the pieces I really liked and periodically donated the rest, but plenty of the stuff I wear is over a decade old! I figure as long as it's not in tatters and still fits why not! Even for more expensive brands now I do feel the quality of even low/mid range stuff was a lot better then.

OP upload a pic of the skirt

A lot of my clothes are old but I routinely ignore the advice to ditch anything unworn in the last two years. if it still fits and you still like it, it will come around again, and generally look better than a poorly made modern equivalent version.

Ooh yes, please could we see the skirt?

No comparable summer items but I have coats I bought before I had DC - so all are over 30 years old
I also have a check tweed jacket that was part of a skirt suit which was DMs going away on honeymoon outfit from 1960

My Mum bought me a black velvet dress from a 2nd hand clothes market stall when I was around 5 or 6. She put on a white lace collar and I think I did wear it for parties a few times.
I’m almost 50 now and it’s last outing was 10 years ago when (then 6 year old) DD wore it to a Titanic themed day at school.
It still looks perfect but I can’t imagine it ever being worn again, no idea how old it actually is though.
My Mum has a few things from when the Next Directory first came out, when it was vair posh and had little fabric swatches on some pages. Must be 25 years ago or more

I bought a Laura Ashley dressy skirt, dark blue satin with a net underskirt in 2001 that I occasionally wear to weddings and always get lots of positive comments.

I’m loving all the stories about vintage clothing still in use!
I hope you don’t mind but I’m not going to put a picture on as It’s a bit rumpled now as I’ve had it on for a couple of hours (and I’d be upset if it got slated!) I do think the elastic may need replacing in the waistband but There’s a shop which does repairs to clothes near me so I’ll see what they can do.

I had a skirt just as you describe and I loved it. I was only thinking the other day that I wish I'd kept it now. I only threw it out a few years ago.

Wear what you love, whether that be old or new!

Don't blame you op. My 20yo one would probably get slated but it's early flattering and handy and I lays get complemented on it. Might wear it to my vaccine tomorrow

I have a skirt I bought from H&M in 2003 that I still love and wear every summer. Just got it out for this summer in fact.

Good on you OP! I used to love that style, the gorgeous boho floatiness..
I have a skirt that my DM wore to her prom (or whatever this type event was called back then). DM is in her late sixties. It’s a very dressy skirt, quite heavy fabric so I’ve only worn it to big events but it always got many compliments. It will not be making an appearance any time soon though, can’t quite find my waistline atm