What proportion of your (working) wardrobe is over a year old?

[TheOGCCL]

I'm talking about the clothes you wear day in day out. Yesterday I wore some jeans (about a month old), a cardigan (about two months old) and a top (about five months old) with some ankle boots which pre date the pandemic at least.

I just can't seem to get together a wardrobe of clothes that I feel happy to wear for years and years which I'd ideally like for environmental reasons. My head is turned by new fashions, e.g. my skinnies feel very dated, I'm buying more oversized clothes lately, whereas a couple of years ago it was smaller things. Items lose their novelty value, they shrink or fade a little. I change my mind about what sort of neckline suits, I age. So I buy new and end up with a lot of churn in my wardrobe. (I am the opposite of a hoarder and do not have a lot of space so if things aren't being worn, they go).

I think lots of others must be like that given all the talk of buying new clothes on here and other forums and the influence of, er, influencers. My weight is stable and all my clothes fit me, can't use that excuse. I tend to buy mid range stuff, Esprit, M&S, Mango.

Any ideas??

I own a 9 month old pair of jeans and 2 newish pairs of pyjamas. Other than that, it’s all over 2 years old. My oldest skirt is 27.

Way over 90% and that’s from someone who loves clothes and fashion!! I just have a rotation of 3 pairs of trousers (Zara), a few tops and a cardi. Some of the tops are nice brands (donated by my friend who was doing a wardrobe clear out) so have lasted me well. I resent buying clothes for the office, work for the nhs and nobody there (patients or colleagues) has the slightest interest in fashion so as long as I look smart I’m not worried! Doesn’t make it interesting to get dressed on a morning mind….but weekends are my time to shine and it means I feel like I scrub up nicely 😂

i do a lot of clothes swapping with my friends so we tend to just raid each others wardrobes before holidays etc which saves a huge amount of money (only works if you have a similar style/body shape I guess). Ideally only spend on a few choice investment pieces throughout the year but some of these like expensive coats have lasted me over a decade now.

At least 80%, probably more. This season I’ve bought six new things:
-1 midi dress for work, because the one I bought last year turned into a favourite, so I knew I’d wear the new one loads as well
-2 jumpsuits for wfh/weekends- I had a lightweight one over the summer that I was really sad to put away for winter, so again, I know they’ll earn their keep. The second was naughty, but if I’d seen it first I wouldn’t have got the other one.
-1 cardigan in a material and style I’ve been looking for for years
-1 pair of casual weekend trousers that I’ve worn twice a week so far
-1 pair of evening trousers that is my Christmas treat outfit

Haven’t bought any shoes or boots this A/W and don’t intend to. Haven’t bought a winter coat for 3 years, and again, don’t intend to this year.

I just can't seem to get together a wardrobe of clothes that I feel happy to wear for years and years which I'd ideally like for environmental reasons. My head is turned by new fashions

How do you feel about 'classics' - shapes and styles that never go out of fashion because they are never 'in' fashion?
If you are serious about the environment, then you will have to just discipline yourself not to have your head turned.

I have a self-imposed work 'uniform' - trousers, shirt blouse, suit jacket. Several items of each, in colours that all mix and match. Same all year round, but with boots in winter and sandals in summer. Colleagues have seen the same items on me dozens and dozens of times over the years - but even if they have noticed I don't care what they think. It is only the workplace.

95%. I try and maintain a rule of nothing for more than 10 years because no matters how much I love some things - people can tell when something has 'had it'

Loads of it! All the stuff I'm wearing currently is at least a year old as I haven't bought any new winter clothes yet. My last new purchase would have been something summery for my holiday in August.

All of it. Some jackets and dresses about 10 years old.

I think all of mine? But I don't enjoy shopping and don't dress very fashionably! I prefer things that I think suit my body shape rather than are in fashion, I'm quite self conscious about my shape (size 10/12 but massive shoulders and tall) and often don't think things look good. I also don't like patterns and go for block colours (usually black), which might feel less of a time period?

The only clothes in my wardrobe that've been there less than a year are a few secondhand things from charity shops I bought when out with my teens after I found that I was lacking in good work clothes that suited the really hot weather we had this last summer.

I've pretty much figured out what I feel comfortable wearing for what situation and only add what fits into that after thinking it through for a while. I've been considering getting some lined leggings though as I've heard they're better walking in the cold weather which I'm likely to be doing more of. Those I may buy new, it'll depend on what I can find. .

I'm mid forties. I just like variety I guess, I don't wear the same outfit more than once (I wear the garment, just in different combos). I find the older I get the more I want to stay current and not just wear classics, eg a crew neck cardigan really suits me but feels somewhat dated now.

I'm surprised but impressed at everyone saying they have lots of older clothes - you'd think we were all knee deep in Shein and Primark if the media were believed.

I have never looked at Shein even and do not own anything from there or Primark.

Everything. I bought a pair of trousers when I switched from clinical to office based work 3.5 years ago. I'm wearing them now. I'm not interested in clothes and wouldn't notice your clothes neither - all your new outfits would be wasted on me! I've no idea which media you mean but I don't go to Primark ever, and I've never even looked at Shein. Partially because I care about the environment and the working conditions in the clothes factories, but mainly because clothes just aren't my thing

I have 3 things new from the last couple of months. I have been aiming for a no/low buy for the last 3 years as I absolutely love shopping and it's workrd well for me. I have a set of rules now before I buy although I have breached it this week with a primary trip to buy something for Christmas day. I have a colour palate which I have to stick to for anything new (but it's generous as they are all colours that go with each other) ideally it has to be on offer or through my discounts at work and I must be able to pair it with something I already own. I also aim to get rid of something for everything new I buy whether that be to the rag bag or the charity shop. I find having a structure has really helped me control my buying

I don't have workwear vs other, I just wear the same clothes for everything.
It's 90% older than a year, shoes included.
And probably 70% older than 3 years old.

Almost all of it. And I like clothes/fashion. I realised today I was wearing a dress I bought from Boohoo in 2012! Got loads of compliments from colleagues this morning too. I'm sure the quality has gone downhill now (not bought from Boohoo in years) but that dress has lasted me well.

I'd say at least 80% of my wardrobe is at least 2 years old. And the new stuff is also "old" cause I mostly buy second hand.

I'm 31, wfh half the time and not terribly fashionable. Or at all

I bought 2 t-shirts and a bra this summer and got a jumper and some socks for Xmas. I would guesstimate that the average age of my clothes is around 5-7 years. I could do with a new pair of jeans, some knickers and some walking boots and will be getting those within the next 6 months or so. I wear a uniform to work which I got when I started so that’s 7 in January. We can just order new ones if they get stained or damaged or we get too fat.

I have plenty of work and non-work clothes that pre-date being pregnant with DC1
so at least 7 years old.

Last 6 months or so I have bought so far a new wool coat, black heeled ankle boots, two dresses in the sale from LK Bennett, matching separates from Libby of London, I think that’s it. Last winter I bought 2 blazers, 4 silk blouses/tops. But that was the first stuff I’d bought since early 2019 due to babies and pandemic.

All of this stuff I expect to last.

Most of the clothes I wear are at least 5 years old and sometimes 10 years old.

This includes Breton t-shirts, other tops, shirts, cardigans and work dresses, jeans etc.

I buy decent quality (usually in the sale) and find they last for years and I still like them.

I might buy 2 or possibly 3 new items per year.

Shoes or boots normally last me 5-10 years. Some won’t have been worn lots but I often then return to them. I think I buy 1 pair of shoes per year.

I have got things in my wardrobe that won’t have been worn for 10 years. They need to go, but sometimes I look at them and think they are still good quality and I used to like them. But if I haven’t worn them for 10 years they do need to go, don’t they!

Disposable fashion isn’t good is it!

I wouldn’t buy a coat if I didn’t think I’d wear it almost every day for 6 months a year for several years. Who needs multiple coats? I have a waterproof longer coat which has a little bit of padding in it (dog walking or school run type coat) and a warmer down filled coat for very cold weather. Both coats are at least 6 years old. I’d imagine one might be replaced in another year or two.

Most of the clothes I wear day in and day out are younger than covid - I lost weight, work got more casual, I'm like whatamess and things end up stained!

I don't buy masses though - always striving for a perfect capsule wardrobe - and most of what I get is "good" brands (baukjen, kin, etc) from vinted.

At least 90% of it. Plenty of it is over 10 years old. I don't tend to wear things that are at the cutting edge of fashion, so they are less likely to go very out of fashion. Plus I don't really care about being fashionable anyway.

Most of it.

I’ve fallen out of love with clothes shopping over the past couple of years, as there is so little that I like in the shops that I can afford to buy from!

I would say most of my wardrobe is at least 2 years old, some of it even 10-15 years old. COVID and having a baby meant that a lot of it did not get worn for 3-4 years and only now do they fit right post baby as previously tiny size 8.
After several house moves and being in mid forties I have whittled down my younger going out wardrobe and now only buy higher end pieces that will last. Even previously top end high street stuff is now ridulously poor quality.
in fact the pieces that get the most compliments are Karen Millen from 10/15 years ago!

Probably 80% of what I regularly wear is over a year old. I but a few new things every year, but not a whole wardrobe. Basics like work trousers and Jeans I replace when they look worn, I think most of my work trousers are pre pandemic, as are my favourite ankle boots.

This year I have bought a classic ME&EM blazer
A gym outfit (leggings & top)
A pair of Jeans, although I now don't like the Jeans, they have too much elastane and seem a bit thin after the first couple of washes.
I try not to buy too much and try to focus on good quality.
The only thing I will be looking to buy in the next couple of months is a better quality pair of Jeans.