Have you got a cheap yet irreplaceable workhorse item of clothing?

[Apologynotaccepted]

Today I am wearing my perfect dress- I’ve had it over 26 years- and it was actually free in a donations box - I grabbed it as I needed something plain and black for a play I was in. It was vintage even 26 years ago and its literally a boat neck A lline knee length tunic. It’s a weird fabric somewhere between scuba and crimpolene. It dries in about an hour after washing. I’ve scrumpled it up in a backpack when I went interrailing years ago and I have worn it everywhere- on the beach, i wore it to a wedding once with a detachable lace collar on (it looks like a Bella Freud number when I do that) I wear it in the winter with a polo neck underneath and I must wear it at least twice a week. It’s somehow the perfect cut and weight of fabric and hasn’t aged at all- no bobbling etc

The other thing I have is a really light floppy men’s silk shirt which is paisley, it’s oversized, soft and gorgeous. It was on the pound rail outside a charity shop when I was on holiday in Cornwall about 16 years ago! Again, I have worn it everywhere and very very often

Have any of you got a similar item?

Oh, now I am mourning my £2.99 ebay denim jacket that I wore for at least fifteen years and finally ripped at the collar seam last summer.

Black trousers from h&m which are incredibly versatile. Smart looking with fake gold buttons at the top (3 vertical on each side) but they're elasticated so are as comfy as joggers. Just the right amount of wide legged. Really flattering no matter how high up my tummy I wear them so can be worn with heels or flats. They wash so well and dry in about an hour and I can get away without ironing them. Cost £20. Seem to magically flatten my tummy.

Annoyingly I bought the exact same trousers in the tan colour online and they were awful. The length was completely different, the material felt cheaper, was way less flattering and it clung to all my lumps and bumps. So disappointing. I find that often happens with jeans as well - you buy two of the same in different colours yet one looks and feels very different to the other.

I wore an oasis sheer silk blouse casually opened over a strappy cotton vest top to a party on Saturday.
It's probably 25 years old. I cannot part with it so it comes out very occasionally as though to justify still having it. I don't hold on to much for that length of time.

I think I also have that Primark blouse! The dates fit!!

Brown leather boots that my sister bought but took against. I might have bought her a coffee in thanks, so maybe cost to me of €2.50. They’ve seen me toastily through 11 winters with a few re-soles in between. I will be buried in them.

do it!

Oasis did these t-shirts that were a perfect fit. Hard to explain but the front was sort of a panel that curved at the bottom and kind of drapes nicely. I had a stripy one that was the perfect stripy T - I saw another in a charity shop and snapped it up. Also have another, same cut but different print. It's faded now but I love it.

Have never found basic t-shirts since then that fit so well. I'm absolutely intending to take them to a seamstress one day for the pattern!

A pair of Black leather Ugg knee boots I bought 13 years ago. They were expensive (for me) at the time, around £150. Still going strong and I wear them loads every winter. Not looking as good as new by any means but am always complimented on them. Hope to get a few more winters out of them. Best £150 I ever spent on footwear.

Ugg did a pair of waterproof Chelsea boots about 10 years ago, I bought a pair from Next clearance for about £60 and still get them out each winter.

ah @RedRiverShore6 you've reminded me about my Blundstone Chelsea Boots!!! Red stitching version.

8 years old - I wear them most days all winter long, to festivals, hiking, I could walk around the world in these boots.

In 8 years I've cleaned them once. They feel like slippers on,and 8 eyars solid wear and the soles are still unworn.

Incredible!! Many years of wear left in these marvellous boots. Pricy upfront but worth every penny.

Not cheap at the time, but I have a classic cream trench mac from Hamells Petites, and a cashmere jacket tie belt, both around 40 years old. Mac is cleaned and re proofed every year. I haven't even had to re sew a button. It's beautifully made, quilted lined and brown corduroy sleeve edges.

I need to track these trousers down on ebay! Is it possible to post a photo please 🙏?

Love this thread.

I have two dresses I bought at a charity shop that are my favourites. One is H&M divided and a size 14 (I'm a 10!), nice thick cotton, fitted at the waist.

The other is a light cotton button up dress by Olive clothing - an expensive brand I think but this was like £5. It has an amazing shape.

I have a vest/t-shirt that I bought from TopShop in 1983 as part of a collection, so it is 42 years old!
I had a cotton twill mini skirt and trousers with sailor style fastenings, a boxy style wide striped shirt with the most massive shoulder pads and a denim jacket , all in the brightest pink or denim with pink stitching...
I adored them all but all that survived in my possession is this little vest in soft denim blue with bright pink double stitching. The material is still so soft, it brings me pleasure every summer.
Many of my clothes are over 15 years old, my favourite is a wine coloured dress with a fitted bodice, long sleeved and a full skirt.
The material is very warm so I save the dress for crisp and sunny winter days when I go for a long walk to a pub or cafe for lunch. I wear a lovely needle felted purple collar and a hooded, black Bohemia coat.
I feel as though I channel the Scottish Widow but as I am a little dwt I probably look more like a moving toadstool. I really don't mind, all of my clothes bring me joy or I pass them on.

I have a blue Roxy hoody that’s still going strong and worn since 2002!

A black mid weight cotton black shirt that is the perfect over shirt. It looks heavier weight than it is so great for nights out. It was less than £20 from Dorothy Perkins. I will be heartbroken once it wears out or fades. It’s about 15 years old now. I keep buying shirts like it but they are never the same.

Two things:
A bright pink jersey top with scooped, pleated neck, M&S (discounted so heavily that the label was cut out) Brilliant for work with suits, for at least a decade.
Two Danes grey knitted wool jumper from a local independent shop around 2005. Wide body, batwing sleeves, bit shapeless really but just the right length for me, it was so warm. Regularly patched &
still in my wardrobe despite the sleeves virtually hanging off.

Third item was a 10+ year old cashmere coat that I gave to a homeless lady on a freezing December night around 5 years ago. In my defence I was very drunk, but she was clearly very cold, God bless her. I wonder each Christmas how she & it are - I hope she is safe (& somehow still has it).

eta - I love that clothes can have such special places in our lives & that we care for them for so many years.

A dark navy wool crepe coat. It is slightly fitted, single breasted with two buttons and a revere collar. It is perfect for me.

Best thing I've got is a pair of navy work trousers from Next. Super flattering, wash easily, dry just hung on a hanger, don't need ironing, go with absolutely everything.

I have a pair of DM engineer boots with a western block heel which I've had for years. My DD is 15 years and I feel.like I have had them longer than that! In the era of ankle boots I didn't wear them for a couple of winters but have worn them loads this winter. I have tried to get similar but nothing else is quite the same.

I have a black a line skirt that I got from Morrisons of all places for a tenner years ago. It’s comfy and goes with so much. I wear it for work loads and not sure I’d be able to get the same fit, material, price and longevity from anywhere else!

A thick but lightweight cardigan from M&S Weekend. I bought it about 13 years ago from charity shop for less than £5. It seems me through every single winter and looks as good as new.

An M and S padded jacket from again the charity shop for about £8. I've worn it almost every single day for since I bought it about 4 years ago. I wear it in every weather except for summer.

A heavy cropped cardigan from Peacocks that was a present in 2011 that is great for winter and I've had so much use out of it.

A long black Kookai cardigan I bought when I was 16 with my first wage. It cost me £35 and I only earned £50 as a junior. I'm 47 now and still wear it occasionally. But my daughter went through a phase of wearing it on nights out and said that everytime she wore it she got at least one compliment. It still looks brand new. Its a slinky yet heavyweight kind of fabric and it hangs beautifully. You can wear it as a dress or as a long cardi.

Black wide leg trousers with a thick waistband from H&M. So comfy, go with everything and dry in about an hour. I’ve had them for about 5 years and washed them a million times and they still look new. I put them in storage during my pregnancy back in 2025 and was missing them so recently bought a pair from Vinted in a larger size. I then went into a charity shop a few days later and another pair in the size I needed was sitting on the hanger staring at me - meant to be.

My second one would be a pair of black heeled mules from Matalan, bought close to 7/8 years ago for a few quid in their sale. I wear them every summer and they’ve seen me through all smart events including awards, weddings, birthday parties, work dos since.

I have a perfect top which I bought from Shein of all places, before I discovered the slavery and pollution problems .

Anyway - it is perfect, goes in and out of the wash likes it’s brand new, it’s flattering and people always say I’ve lost weight when I wear it (somehow it minimises my too-big post baby boobs).

I wish I could find a non-slavery alternative supplier as I’d buy six more like it if I could!