Great topic Angie! Well, in my case, nothing has survived for that long, probably because I moved to US 6 years ago for grad school, and brought very few clothes with me, most of which I got rid of, since they were of awful quality and completely outdated ( one does not tend to acquire great pieces while in college).

The oldest stuff from here is:

1. My Kenneth Cole black leather biker jacket. It is 5 years old and was my first big purchase. I wear it a lot and still adore it. It is starting to show some signs of wear around cuffs but i don’t think I’ll ever get rid of it.

2. My black wedge leather boots by Diba. They are 5 years old as well and the most comfortable pair of boots I have ever had. They have sadly been trough a lot ( in the first three years I have had them I wore them almost exclusively for 5 or so fall/winter months) and are now only wearable in dry weather. I can not bear to get rid of them even though I have other ones. I wish I could replicate them but they are too old. Here they are:

http://www.zappos.com/n/p/p/7192528/c/6.html

If anyone spots a pair somewhere in size 7.5 ( any color) I would be eternally grateful!

For me it is a five-year-old black background floral Ann Taylor Loft dress: lined, sleeveless, surplice bodice, v-neckline, slightly raised waistline, bias cut skirt ending just at the knee. I wear it year-round to church, dinner out, etc; when I worked in an office I would wear it there, too. I have gained 25 pounds since I bought it and it still works.

Not a designer name but a 25 year old Eddie Bauer tan full length (a coat not a jacket) raincoat/stormcoat, with leather buttons and dark brown small mouton collar. Warm at any temperature, completely down filled, but inside so that the outside is a totally smooth trenchoat. I still wear this and am happy with it. Is it IN style? Never OUT of style in my book. Probably the most expensive garment I ever bought.

1) Oldest item is the single-strand pearl necklace my dad bought me as a high school graduation present, 25 years ago. I have worn them constantly throughout the years, and they have developed a beautiful luster.

They may not be as “edgy” a style to wear alone (from what I’ve learned at YLF), but I often double it up with a newer (5 year old) strand of costume black pearls, which funks it up, so it still gets a lot of use.

2) Black & white tweed shift dress from Talbots, circa 1997 – 11 years old. Bought this dress when I was returning to the workforce after a 5 year absence to have babies. I wore it constantly to work, until things started switching over to more casual attire. It is a classic, timeless cut. It was the perfect dress to wear the first time DH introduced me to his gigantic rambling family, which was at a baby shower.

3) A Liz Claiborne red long sleeve empire waist cocktail dress. I’ve had this since circa 1997 too. It is the perfect “go-to” dress for parties around the holidays when I need to be a little demure and want my arms and cleaveage covered (i.e., for a work party).

4) A sexy cobalt blue cocktail dress that has a dramatic sequined neckline. It’s a “look at me” dress … especially when worn in a sea of black dresses. Gift from my mother… to cheer me up when I was going through my divorce… so also circa 1997. I’ve found it is the perfect dress to wear for a New Years’ Eve party… though we rarely go to any of those. Last time I wore it was at a small New Year’s Eve party we held at our house and we all decided to dress to the nines just for fun!

5) Two pairs of black pointy-toed pumps that have been resoled and tenderly cared for over the years. I don’t think any of them are older than 11 years (when I re-entered the workforce). But this is a classic style shoe.

6) Pair of Jcrew khaki flat-front shorts, 10 years old. Aside from exercise gear, these are the only shorts I own. I decided awhile back I was too old for shorts. But I held on to these because sometimes shorts are req’d…. like when we go rafting on the river or are just hanging out in our hammock.

Most everything else in my closet – particularly handbags and coats- are newer, as my tastes have evolved in recent years, and clothing budget has expanded. I have had black pants and skirts that got use for years and years before finally getting too tired I had to let them go.

Probably the oldest item I have bought new is a pair of black flats dating back to the eighties.

Second would be a black velvet scoop neck three quarter sleeve cocktail dress at 15, or my black beaded evening bag.

Like Vildy, the most expensive items in my closet are coats I expect to do me for decades. A black Burberry rain coat with wool button in lining, and a reversible Dominic Bellissimo shearling bought at half price.

Adding….

I do have a classic GAP jean jacket that WILL someday be on this golden oldie list!! It’s only a few years old though, so doesn’t yet make the cut.

I had wanted a classic jean jacket forever, but never had any luck because I’m so petite. Then I figured out – while shopping for my daughters – that I could sport a GAP kids’ size 14 for just exactly the right look.

I have this great demin jacket, cut in a nehru-style (?). I just love it, and have worn since 1995ish, and gets better with age and fits my shoulders perfectly. I wear with pinstripe black trousers, any time of year.

Think about oldies made me smile. I have two pair of cowboy boots, black and brown. They’re great with jeans or sometimes a skirt. They come out on cold days or when I’ve feeling funky. Keeping them in good condition has been the key to their longevity. I will never give them up!

I have cleaned out most of my stuff four years ago so I only have one piece that qualifies here, a black knee length A-line cashmere coat that my parents bought me 8 years ago. It’s soft, simple and well made. I wear it with dresses, jeans and work outfits. It makes me tall, slim and polished whenever I put it on. I will never let it go.

In 1986, when I received my first big bonus check from my cosmetic business, I went to I. Magnin in Seattle and bought a Louis Vuitton bag for $275. It was a major purchase for me and I still have it today. It has had it’s zipper replaced three times. I stuck it way in the back of my closest and was surprised 5 years ago when my then teenage daughter had resurrected it for herself. I had to chuckle.
Linda

I’ve got quite a few oldies in my closet that I don’t expect to ever give up:
1. Red Saks 5th Avenue winter coat (1996): Until about 5 years ago (when I gained weight), I wore it all the time in winter. It’s a very classic cut and is just the shade of blood red that I like. Since I have been making lots of progress losing weight, I’m looking forward to being able to wear it again this winter.
2. Black Lancel bag with a big buckle (1994): This is a very structured, rectangular tote. I bought it on a trip to Paris and still get compliments whenever I carry it. It’s one of the first major purchases I ever made.
3. Three sleeveless wool crepe knee length classic shift dresses (1998): They’re fully lined and in solid colors (black, pink, and red to match my coat). Like the coat, I’m looking forward to resurrecting these once my weight is back down again.

My oldest piece is the ankle-length bias-cut black and garnet burned out silk velvet dress from our rehersal dinner. It is beautiful with its dark colors and square neckline. I wore it to a black tie party last year. I am really thinking about getting it shortened to just below knee length so I can just use it as a cocktail dress.

I forgot to say that we will be celebrating our 10th anniversary in December.

Wow, wow, wow! Such fab stories about “priceless” pieces. I have a strand of pearls that’s 15 years old. I haven’t worn them for years though. But they started my pearl obsession and are a gorgeous memory. They keep my other pearl necklaces company.

Vildy and Wendy, I’m intrigued with your ‘80’s pieces that are still in stylish circulation. Do you wear them and are they still stylish?

I cleaned out a closet of a 64 year old client a few weeks ago. She had beautiful belts dating back to the early 60’s and was still sporting them. They are beautiful. It blew me away how stylish they still looked today. I wonder if my golden oldies will be stylish in 30 years?

Does anyone remember when Ann Taylor was just a store on 57th Street in New York that carried all sorts of fabulous brands? I have a red, fine wool swing coat with large lapels from the early 90s (it’s an Italian brand) that has a wide belt with a matte gold buckle. Worn without the belt, it is still fab!

I also used to visit Banana Republic’s store on 6th Street in the West Village when it sold only safari clothing – the real deal.

Ah, those were the days …

-I also have a denim jean jacket from the Gap
-An Ann Taylor LBD worn to too many weddings, cocktail parties etc.
-Grey wool trousers from Banana Republic
This has now promted me to clean out my closet!
Great post!

I think I wore something few weeks back and realized that it was 10 years old. (I’m 25 so I bought it when I was 15). I can’t remember what it was though…I will have to go home and look

My down filled raincoat wasn’t 80’s in the 80’s. Shoulders are normal, sleeves
normal, length below knee but I’m 5 feet tall. So it was never in style and is just unidentifiably classic. I don’t wear it every day in the winter but I do wear it sometimes every winter. I also have, but not purchased new by me, a friend’s father’s burburry raincoat. Her father is a very short man. Who knows how old this is. She had a yard sale and I bought it from her for two dollars. I wear it a lot and feel great in it.

A pair of black granny boots that I can no longer wear outdoors when it rains as the leather is just that thin [took them to the cobbler twice...they refuse to fix them a third time] and a long black leather trench I inherited from a friend. It’s too big now as I’ve lost some weight but I’ll probably go to the trouble of getting it taken in. I love that coat and how I feel in it!

I still wear a belt I purchased from Banana Republic back when BR was all-funky, all-safari, all-the-time. Remember the catalogues that were the first to have pencil drawings and travel stories in them?

It was called “Save the Tiger” because it closes with a “tooth” that is actually seasonally-shed deer antler. The leather has a beautiful patina and the tooth is worn to a smooth polish.

(My secret: It was purchased as a slouchy hip-belt twenty years ago. I’ve added a loop to lengthen it and wear as a waist-cincher. I can’t imagine how the leather shrunk so much…wink)

I think I’m too young to really have anything that all that old. I have no shame regarding how I dressed as a teenager. It was fine to buy cheap throwaway items from Wet Seal, Delias, and Contempo then. My adult wardrobe is pretty young and I had pretty substantial change in body type/size since starting, so there are a lot of clothes I probably would have kept but just couldn’t.

I think the oldest thing I still have is a jailbird striped top from when I was 13! It still fits, but before anyone has an apoplexy, I only wear it for quick trips to the convenience store and around the house sometimes.

My Banana Republic bootcut jeans are about 4 years old. When I first got them they were too big and I considered exchanging them for a 00, but I decided to just sew the waistband up a little bit because I somehow knew I wasn’t going to stay that thin. And now, 4 years later, the stitches are all out and I fill it out and some days it even feels a bit tight.

1999 was the last time I bought “good” dress pants (apart from maternity and transition stuff) and I still wear those black trousers -they fit fine and are pre hipster which is great.
From the same year and shop (Portmans) (I was re-entering the workforce after beeing overseas) I have a grey sheath dress with a high neck and tiny straps, that I still plan on wearing (only not wearing it now as not Breastfeeding friendly) and have also worn it tops underneath as well

I hadn’t thought of jewelry until Shiny mentioned it. I have a baby girl pearl necklace. This is a necklace that my parents bought when I was a baby girl and gave to me when I got older. I also have a barrel Hawaiian heirloom bangle that my parents gave me when I graduated high school. Both were traditional gifts.

With regard to clothing, I have a very black soft leather coat that falls just below my bottom. It is perfect with jeans and slacks. I purchased it about 10 years in a leather shop in Canada and wear it all the time in the fall and winter.

I have a cream Ann Taylor casual jacket I bought about 1996. The cut is great and the fabric has held up perfectly. I wear it every spring & fall and even on cool summer nights.

I have my denim jacket that I saved and saved my babysitting money for months in high school to buy. It was the classic denim jacket style so I never felt the need to upgrade it to a new look and the more worn in it has become over the last 19 years has only made it that more comfortable to wear. Plus, there is an EXTREME amount of pleasure to be derived from being able to still fit into something you wore in high school so many years later! I break it out every spring and fall. It still looks great with khakis or a cute skirt.

And I have my single strand of pearls that I too was given for high school graduation by my grandparents. At the time I thought it was the silliest gift ever. What 18 year old girl in 1989 wanted choker pearls? That wasn’t what Madonna was sporting on MTV. But now days I am very happy that I have them and wear them more frequently than I ever dreamed I would. I am happy to see them in the fashion magazines now too. Maybe young girls will appreciate those graduation gifts a little more than we did at the time.

My oldest cherished items are scarves and jewelry. I have a silver charm bracelet started in 1967 on a summer bumming around Europe when I bought a charm at each place I visited and wanted to remember.
Then there is a pearl necklace from my husband that is not traditional, but made up of many strands of tiny irregular freshwater pearls. It can be twisted together to make a choker or allowed to fall in a cascade of delicate strands that fill in a neckline like lace. It’s not as formal to me as regular pearls, so I wear it often.

In the 70’s I bought a Lauren cotton square scarf because I loved the design. I always get so many compliments on it. It’s perfect with denim. I also bought a silk square scarf about the same time with an unusual shade of green, black, and white almost Japanese design. It is my go to scarf to spiff up a black outfit.

1. 14 years old – my Simple Shoes suede-patchwork clogs. I’m in Florida, so I only wear them in “cold” weather. Love them. Get 10 compliments every time I wear them. (scared for them to finally wear out)

2. 11 years old – My Majorica pearls from Spain. I bought them while travelling there and still wear them regularly. Beautiful and very classic.

3. 27 years old – My baby pillow, “Bunnies”, that I still sleep with. It’s better than a teddy bear! (I know, I know, it doesn’t really count, but it’s still my favorite old thing)

Bear in mind I recently lost a lot of weight, so most of my current wardrobe is new/new to me. The few things I did keep in smaller sizes didn’t fit right on my post baby middle aged body (ie. right size, wrong fit).

But there are a few golden oldies:

1. I have a sterling silver Star of David that I have had since high school (circa 1983). I wear it many days when I need a simple necklace. I’m wearing it today.

2. Classic coach bags. Nothing says laywer like a classic coach City bag. I remember buying my first Coach the summer of my second year of law school when I had my first job, in 1990. I don’t wear them much these days (mainly becuase I’m now a mom and they are too small), but I still love the look of them. No gaudy “Cs,” just wonderful leather with the turnlock.

3. Doc Martins – lace up black ankle boots and oxblood loafers, circa 1991. I see them coming back in style soon and I am holding on to them.

4. Scarves from the early 90s when I used to dress up for work, including some lovely Jerry Garcia silk numbers with tye dye type patterns. I kept them all because I always thought scarves looked classy, and I’m glad they are back.

5. I have resurrected several pencil skirts from my 1990s work suits. I will wear this season (wool).

6. I have a J Crew merino cardigan from 1996-97 still going strong. It is a bit on the shorter side, so now I wear it over dresses. It is the pefect weight and I always travel with it. Almost makes me want to purchase some more even at their new outrageous prices (price per wear, etc.) but for now I’m still too cheap.

Shari

At age 22, I don’t have anything really old. I’ve been nearly the same size since I was 12, but I didn’t know how to buy clothes that fit me until I discovered YLF, so most of my old clothes are gone now. Here are my “golden oldies” though.

My Gloria Vanderbilt dark wash denim jacket. I got it at Kohl’s about 4-5 years ago. It’s still going strong and it looks great with just about everything.

Black knee-high boots. Again, I’ve had them 4-5 years. Don’t remember which department store I got them from. They are a statement and very versatile. I’ve never regretted buying them and I’ll be sad when I have to replace them someday.

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