Great items of clothing you've not been able to replace

[Echobelly]

A few years ago I bought some rather unlike-me off-white crepe culottes on sale in Warehouse, wasn't sure if I'd get much use of them but they turned out to be super useful. They were cool in hot weather but covered my legs from blasting office air conditioning when it was hot outside. But they finally got stained last year and I haven't been able to find anything like them.

What really useful or beloved items haven't you been able to replace?

I had a lovely navy blazer from primark! It was cheap but lovely material, stylish and went with everything don't know how or where I lost it! I can never quite find one to match up to it 😂

Many, many years ago I had a lovely pair of size 8 white jeans from Principles in their sale for £5. Then I got fat.

I had a lovely pair of black jeans from la redoute that weren't skinny but just a slim fit, really flattering, black never faded. Put on weight and couldn't get into them and never found anything right. Got black skinnies from Mango but they slid off my hips and faded, and never been able to find that same slim-not-skinny shape anywhere.

Black yoga pants from Peacocks. Cotton lycra mix, straight legged and the perfect length. I had three pairs and after years of regular wearing they developed holes in the bum. That don't do them anymore.

A dark browny black faux leather jacket from Primark with wool bits on the wrist, the fit and feel was perfect
It melted after someone dried it on the radiator ☹️😂

It's mad how there are tons of clothing items in the world but how different they all can feel and look.

A heavyweight merino rib cardigan/jacket from Laura Ashley. It lasted years but finally disintegrated (I darned it as much as I could). It was the perfect cardigan, long-ish and straight-line, small lapel-like collar that made it a bit smarter so good for work, but so comfortable and warm. A go-with-most things charcoal colour. Machine washable too. The sort of thing that just doesn't exist any more 😭

In the eighties I bought a blouson style soft leather jacket. It had a padded interior lining and came in tight at thigh level. I loved that jacket and wore it until it literally fell to pieces. I've never even seen a similar one.

The Free People Fable dress - I fear they are phasing it out and yet it’s just so flattering and easy to wear on all shapes and sizes… 😩

A knee length denim coat with what looked like alpaca fur in the lining and cuffs and collar, which I think was from Next. I called it my 70s pimp coat and I loved it!
It went to the same charity shop as all my other lovely clothes that 'I'll never fit into again'. Newly dieted me is kicking herself!🙄

A plain basic black 100% merino machine washable dress from Uniqlo - long sleeves, round neck, just above knee length. They only do weird ankle length rib knit ones now 😔 and nowhere else seems to do truly machine washable merino dresses, unless I want to spend £100+.

Oasis chocolate brown bomber jacket in the 00s. I've actually bought it twice off ebay so technically still have it. Its had a fashion resurgence.

TopShop Baxter jeans
A Warehouse coated black denim jacket that looked like a biker
Allsaints Oedipus dress

The perfect fitted white t shirt from Tesco around 12 years ago.
Thick material and 2 cute dark buttons on each shoulder.
Went years ago but I still.miss it.

Faded black, sort-of-corduroy-but-not, flared jeans from River Island about 20 years ago. They lasted ten and then got a hole in the crotch.

They were so comfortable and made my bum look incredible. Never found anything as flattering.

That sounds like the coat Natalie Portman wears in Closer, which I’ve always coveted. Etsy do some nice vintage coats that are similar.

Gentle pale grey off-the-shoulder top with romantic sleeves from AllSaints

Two lovely midi length (past the knee but not quite maxi length) from M&S that I bought in the 90's. One was a burgundy pin cord skirt cut in panels on the bias so had a lovely swing to it and the other was as far as I can remember stonewashed black denim with godet panels and a dropped waist (though I might be misremembering that one) they were both really comfortable on but one day as I was doing a clear out I decided I wasn't likely to wear either again so I donated them to charity. I've not seen anything similar since and definitely nothing of the same quality of material and stitching!

A grey cashmere knitted biker jacket bought in the sales from Wrap. I've tried for years to find other colours on eBay/Vinted to no avail.

A navy blue heavy jersey coat with 3 quarter sleeves from M&S. Not a blazer, a proper coat. People used to stop me in the street to ask where I got it from. It was just so well made. I've never found anything similar.

A faux leather black biker style jacket it had a centre zip though &two angled front pockets & fitted as though it had been made to measure, it started to peel after a couple of years was bereft haven’t found anything that comes close to fitting so well, oh was from M&S in the sale so was a bargain.

A beautiful Oasis blouse - luckily I’ve found another 2 exactly the same on Vinted and snapped them up

A really fab Betty Barclay grey denim and leather bomber jacket. It was stolen at work.

Just think of all these coveted items probably collecting dust in someones wardrobe.. ☹️😂

@Echobelly have a look in M&S, I have a slim black pair, I think they are called the Lilly

A pair of pink leather, jewelled, flips flops. The sole, inner and upper were leather. They had mirrored jewels and beading and they were the perfect pink. The toe post snapped and I was unable to fix them. I’ve spent the last 20 years trying to replace them. Aspiga and laid back London have come close, but I’m still looking for these perfect flip flops. I think they were from Etam or Tammy Girl! Really showing my age