YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What items do you wear out?

YouLookFab Forum » Topic: What items do you wear out? https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Wed, 15 Apr 2026 00:55:05 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php The Cat on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986131 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 23:16:35 +0000 The Cat 1986131@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Shoes, hosiery, pullovers, cardigans, some underwear. Stagiaire Fash on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986126 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 22:10:30 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1986126@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gaylene, excellent elucidation! Gaylene on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986119 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 21:52:12 +0000 Gaylene 1986119@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Socks, footwear, exercise gear, T-shirts, lounge wear, and jeans is my quick response. But, reading through the thread made me realize how careful we need to be when we try to compare ourselves. After all, what I consider “worn out” could be considered totally wearable by someone who has different priorities and expectations. I now realize my “still wearable” 10-year-old Levis which I referred to in another discussion were not an appropriate example. Hang in with me, while I explain how my “worn out” list now is coming with some major caveats: Socks: I walk a lot; I also have long toes and narrow heels which rather quickly create thin spots and holes in my favourite wool socks. If I have to remove my shoes—common inside homes here—I feel awkward if my toes are visible, so my sock equation reads “Thin spots showing toes or heels=Worn Out”. Footwear: My aging feet and joints need good support and cushioning if I am to walk my customary 10-15 thousand steps a day. I also require good traction on the soles to avoid falls on slippery sidewalks and uneven terrain. I can’t afford to compromise here, so I’ll put the “worn out” tag on any shoe or boot which starts to break down internally even if outwardly the shoes or boots look perfectly fine. T-shirts, Exercise gear At 70, I’m often the oldest person in my gym and yoga classes. It’s hard enough on my ego realizing I’m now struggling with exercises and poses which used to be a slam dunk so I don’t need my outfit making me feel even more demoralized when I see myself in the mirror. If my workout gear gives off even a whiff of looking tired and defeated, it is “worn out” and needs to be replaced ASAP. Lounge wear Living in a condo means people see me when I get the mail, take out the garbage, or go to the storage locker. I hate feeling apologetic about what I’m wearing when I stop to talk so I now think of my “lounge wear” as “public” wear and apply that standard. Since “at-home” garments get laundered regularly, they are prone to early fading, pilling, and stretching thereby becoming “worn out” quite quickly if I’m applying a “public wear” standard. Jeans I’m finally realizing how subjective this whole “worn out” thing actually is once I look all the qualifications I’m making here. And I’m feeling more than a little apologetic about the implications in my comment on another thread about the lifespan of a pair of jeans. My initial reaction on that thread was to think my 10-year Levi jeans which have been worn frequently, laundered often, and subject to hard use during camping, hiking, and outdoor chores but which are still in regular rotation are not “worn out”. I adore their soft, faded comfort and the way the fabric has molded to my body, and I’m adamant those jeans will have more years in my closet before they become “worn out”. But, I also think, on a fashion forum, I’m using a highly questionable standard here. The rigid, heavy-weight (14oz), 100% cotton denim fabric of these men’s Levi’s (which took me almost a year of constant wear to soften!) is hardly the norm for most women’s jeans. And, to be truthful, I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing those beloved jeans to a fashionable restaurant or for a day of city shopping. Viewed in that context, those 10-year-old jeans are definitely “worn out”. My “nice” jeans get replaced much more often because I prefer them in a darker wash, a more refined denim fabric (with 1-2% Lycra for comfort!), and non-baggy fit. Applying this standard, after 2-3 years of regular wear, my “nice” jeans are definitely “worn out”. Thinking about this question of when something is “worn out” made me realize, at least in my case, it’s hardly ever an objective decision. Someone might see lots of wear left in my “worn out” footwear, while I might be (secretly) aghast at the thought of someone discarding what seems to me to be perfectly good sweater because of a small (and, to me, easily repairable) moth hole. As Angie is constantly reminding us, though, how we manage our wardrobes will always be subject to our personal needs and feelings regardless of how we launder our clothing, rotate our wears, or choose an expiry date for our clothing. Stagiaire Fash on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986117 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 21:49:21 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1986117@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>People choose to spend more on clothing for a lot of reasons that may have nothing to do with durability</div><div> </div><div> </div>Exactly. And some of us look for those things in clothing that will last longer and/or not cost as much. Once you're paying more for clothing, you might be looking at things that are definitely not going to last forever, because they are so delicate. Not to say that pricier things never last--some do. But as I said above, I think that wearing out quickly looks like low quality if the item didn't cost much. If it's more expensive, I don't think wearing out fast gives the same impression. Jenni NZ on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986102 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 20:26:38 +0000 Jenni NZ 1986102@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Hmmm. Hardly any of mine actually wear out? Underwear, but that lasts for years as do bras( 5 years?-I don't track it). Socks yes, they get holes in the heels. So far this year I have edited out 41 tracked items ( so not undies/bras/socks which aren't tracked) since March, which is the most for years thanks to all of your help. Some are from the holding zone being "thin clothes" that I adored from say the years late 90s to 2000, eg a top and skirt I wore for my red-themed 40th birthday. I decided I just wouldn't realistically fit those again and could say bye-bye. I told you I'm a hoarder, right? The 1985 tartan shirt I adored finally wore out in the collar. Some 2010 beaded sandals wore out in the inner lining. A 2010 turquoise dress got partly damaged. My 2012 swimsuit wore out as became floppy. Two 2015 singlets/tanks became floppy and not pristine, both fairly cheap and only got to 17 and 20 wears. A short tunic from 2016 wore out after 45 wears and some long olive cotton pants from early 2017 wore thin and became pilled after 34 wears. That's only 8 out of 41 things. The rest became too tight or were mistakes or I no longer liked them. I guess a few of them didn't look as "pristine" as some of you like and that may have contributed to my not liking them any more? Those items had all had 20-over 30 wears so maybe I was just getting over them/moving on as well. I don't feel any guilt over them. They still have good wear in them though I feel? I am happy about passing on things after over 30 wears which is a goal in the past almost 2 years- thank you Jenn! Suz on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986089 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 19:34:31 +0000 Suz 1986089@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting... I have a much larger wardrobe than Jenn (about twice as big) but still wear through some of my denim!  It could be that I almost never wear loungewear. Only when I am sick. I wear PJs to bed, but otherwise I wear my clothes when I am in the house. So when I am wearing my jeans, I'm usually wearing them for a full day. And night.  Anonymous on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986078 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 18:56:25 +0000 Anonymous 1986078@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ My fleece jackets, sweats, sneakers and some shoes/boots .Shoes that are in great condition, but heels and soles are worn I will take to a shoe repair shop to get resoled or new heels. Jules on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986063 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 17:55:39 +0000 Jules 1986063@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Quality has also changed so much. People having ancient jeans and sweaters in their wardrobes doesn’t surprise me at all because those items were just made better. 100% cotton denim will always last much like longer than newer fabrics with ‘stretch’, as Lycra etc have known lifespans, and planned obsolescence is the order of the day. Jules on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986042 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 16:50:20 +0000 Jules 1986042@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ It can be body-specific. My husband has worn jeans just about daily since I met him, often in a heavy weight. They invariably wear out in one certain spot - one that women don’t need to worry about! And I swear he doesn’t wear his jeans overly tight, in fact when he was younger I secretly thought he could have been showing off his nice rear just a bit more My own jeans tend to (unsuprisingly) wear thin in the rear or inner thigh. I keep a small wardrobe without too many ‘investment’ quality pieces due to weight and style changes. I wear out knitwear, denim, footwear and sometimes bags. I take reasonable laundry precautions with my clothes and will get favourite shoes and bags repaired when possible (it helps that we have a great cheap cobbler very local to us). Based on what I pay and how often and hard I wear things I am fine with my replacement rate, except for when it comes to knitwear so I’ve been minimizing my purchases there. One thing I have been doing to reduce wear on my current favourites is to make sure I wear old out-of-favour pieces when I’m just planning to be at home or out running errands with my long puffer on, saving my better stuff for when it counts Angie on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986041 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 16:41:00 +0000 Angie 1986041@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Footwear. I am hard on shoes and walk a lot.  Jenn on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1986013 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 15:19:12 +0000 Jenn 1986013@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I think my clothes wear out because I wear them HARD while they’re in my closet. Minus gear and accessories, I have about 75 items of actual clothing. When you divide that up between four seasons, that’s not many items in constant rotation. I usually rotate between two pairs of jeans (I have three right now, because I replaced one prematurely). If you have even four pairs of jeans, you’re wearing them half as much as me. Those wears add up. FWIW, I love wearing out clothes. I imagine it feels different for others, but for me, it’s a fabulous feeling to retire something that’s been worn to the end of its useful life and replace it with something new that will go through the same cycle. (ETA: people choose to spend more on clothing for a lot of reasons that may have nothing to do with durability—fair wages, sustainable processing, fit and style, design techniques, social norms, etc) Stagiaire Fash on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1985999 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 14:50:46 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1985999@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <div>Anchie, I'm glad you asked, because I was also wondering on a recent thread. It seemed to me there that the people more likely to spend more on their clothing also said things wore out faster. I wasn't sure if that was because philistines like me won't buy something that won't last for years, or if their definition of "wearing out" might be different than mine. </div><div> </div><div>I keep sweaters and T-shirts both a little longer than some might, but eventually they do lose their shape. Swimsuits wear out after a couple seasons of regular wear, longer if I'm not getting to the pool.... Shoes somehow wear out for me faster than boots do, and sandals probably even more quickly, although I don't wear sandals much. </div><div> </div><div>I see a lot of people saying they pass things along once they are no longer in fashion or don't fit. I don't do either of those things, generally. I don't buy things that are super fashion-forward; there is probably a hint of recent fashion on most of my clothing, but not so much that they date quickly. I did clear out my "fat clothes" when I lost 40 pounds a few years ago, because I never want to need them again (better get myself to the pool now! lol) For the move last fall, I ditched more things than I ever have in my life. We will see which of those items I will regret. </div><div> </div><div>Underwear...I have some that are over a decade old, have never seen the inside of a dryer, and still have their elastic stretch. But I tossed others, as well as bedraggled long underwear and pjs worn as lounge clothes, getting ready for the move. Formalwear keeps forever for me, and when I decided to wear all my shoes for a few days to make sure they still fit, a couple pairs fell apart. </div> SarahD8 on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1985981 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 13:34:41 +0000 SarahD8 1985981@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Runcarla, fascinating! I’ve been wearing the speedo pro series, which I get for about $25-30. So I replace more often, but works out to a similar cpw as your endurance suits. April I’m a recent heattech convert and am trying to figure out how many duplicates I should have. I expect to wear a long sleeve (regular or extra warm) a couple times a week and a camisole all other days. Would love it if you’d be willing to share your numbers! nemosmom on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1985979 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 13:27:52 +0000 nemosmom 1985979@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Suz, well, there goes that theory! I wear my jeans multiple times before washing, as well. We don't have hard water (I don't think), yet I still go through denim quickly. So strange... April on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1985973 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 12:44:09 +0000 April 1985973@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ In winter, I wear a HeatTech layer every day (varying between the classic, extra warm, and ultra warm varieties) and so for me, these inexpensive tops last about two winters before they need replacing. anchie on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out/page/2#post-1985967 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 11:58:37 +0000 anchie 1985967@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Interesting responses. It seems that jeans are the biggest variable here. And size of wardrobe. I think that it is not just how often you wear your clothes but also for how many hours and what activities you do in them. I have a habit of changing into my loungewear immediately when I return home. Even if I know I will be leaving again in an hour, I still change. Because of that my loungewear gets the most beating. And I replace it often because I want to have at least one immaculate set for when I have company. And then it gets demoted over time to cooking and cleaning outfit. And I am prone to bleaching accidents:) I like idea of replacing categories that wear out on schedule. Those who do that, can you please share your schedule? Sisi on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985963 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 11:34:40 +0000 Sisi 1985963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Same as you. My clothes have the magic power of looking pristine after years of wears and washes so when I replace them it's mostly because of the reasons you have mentioned and I do it with a certain sense of guilt. Underwear, socks and wollen sweaters are the items that wear out and I feel relieved that I can get rid of them with a  good reason!  Barbara Diane on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985940 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 07:08:20 +0000 Barbara Diane 1985940@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Pants. T-shirts shrink/fade. Underwear. Shoes. After years of wear. Suz on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985931 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 04:26:15 +0000 Suz 1985931@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Nemosmom, my jeans are almost exclusively 98% cotton and 2% spandex (or similar) -- along with a few 100% cotton pairs and one that has a higher poly content. I tend to wear my favourite pairs (usually there will be 2) -- about twice a week each. I do not launder unless they are genuinely dirty. (That is, I'm not washing after every wear. Probably more like every 5th wear, depending.) I never put them in the dryer. I have a gentle washer. So who knows? Maybe it has to do with the hard water where I used to live??? I'm serious!  Of the jeans above -- the crops/ culottes are "novelty" wear items, I generally wear the darker ones for slightly more smart casual events (and for a shorter time span) and while the faded ones get worn more casually, I rarely wear those more than once per week and only during the warmer months. I wear white jeans mainly from April - June and late August - end September, and while I keep them in rotation in the winter I rarely put them on. All these items last many years.  I wear the burgundy Dres a lot too but I doubt if they will wear out on me before I am ready to retire them.  The ones that will wear out are the CoH Rockets and Olivias and the Caras. Those are the ones in most frequent rotation. I predict the Rockets will wear out in the inner thighs (as my Racers eventually did). The black Olivias will probably fade to a state that is less than ideal and be demoted. The blue ones will get really faded too.  cindysmith on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985928 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:51:06 +0000 cindysmith 1985928@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I am horrible to my clothes, especially tops and sweaters. If I don't snag it, then i stain it. Also? Shoes. I'm terrible at keeping shoes in good shape. Jessikams on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985925 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:31:53 +0000 Jessikams 1985925@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Ooh, one more thing: our modes of transport have a big effect, and not just on shoes. I walk a lot and carry a heavy messenger/laptop bag, so it rubs on my hip as I walk and I often develop holes in my clothes in that spot. I hear that people who drive get holes in the spots where the seatbelt rubs! Jessikams on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985922 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:29:17 +0000 Jessikams 1985922@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Related to your other post about knitwear: for about 6 years I had only one sweater. I lived in SE Asia, so it didn’t get worn at home, but was used for every travel/ US visit during that time. And it lasted so well! It was a cashmere crew neck from Uniqlo. It finally developed a big hole and its service was done. Jaime on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985918 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:23:14 +0000 Jaime 1985918@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Socks, bras, underwear first. T-shirts that I wear around the house. Jeans but only if they are my very favorites and then after several years. I do change when I am home so that I do not stain or damage my clothes when cleaning, cooking or spilling! Jessikams on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985917 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 03:16:39 +0000 Jessikams 1985917@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ I seem to be really hard on all categories- perhaps because of traveling a lot and moving house a lot, and therefore using all kinds of crappy washing machines/ hotel housekeeping wash services/ terrible dry cleaners... Even my leather stuff takes a beating: shoes (especially boots), purses, and outerwear show a lot of wear. taylor on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985914 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 02:23:25 +0000 taylor 1985914@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Black sleeveless turtlenecks... I know weird but they are incredibly difficult to find and I wear them year round . Anonymous on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985904 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 01:07:23 +0000 Anonymous 1985904@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Sandals, heeled boots, and gear-especially leggings. Work blouses too i replace fairly often. Pants, including jeans, only when i gain or lose weight. I dont think ive ever worn out a pair of jeans. Mr ST on the other hand replaces his regularly, but thats all he wears most of the time. Carla on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985902 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 00:49:30 +0000 Carla 1985902@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ SaraD8 - I can't say enough good stuff about Speedo swim suits made with their Endurance fabric. My pattern is to buy 2 suits and rotate them. When I was doing triathlon (15 years!) I swam 3 times a week on average. The suit got washed in a load of towels and gym kit, and hung to dry. Until 4 years ago the pool I used was salt water vs Chlorine. (When that pool originally converted from Chlorine, all the women on the team noticed improvement in hair and skin condition, so I'm sure it was easier on the suits as well.) The last 4 years I've been in a heavily chlorinated pool. So, I probably get between 350 and 400 wears out of each suit - about 25 cents per wear since they cost around $95. My current suits are 2 years old and look pretty good, but I'm not in the water as much as I was before retiring from competition. DS#1 works at a pool and goes through suits much more rapidly! Nemosmom - interesting point! For the record, my jeans are for the most part 98% cotton/2% something else like Lycra. Also, I almost always start with dark wash 'original' jeans. It is the look I like most. If you see me in faded jeans, it is usually because they are old and broken in. I am currently on the hunt for replacement jeans as I monitor 2 pair coming to the end of their time. After every wash cycle, I check for thinning/tears while hoping for the best! Cee on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985900 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 00:14:36 +0000 Cee 1985900@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ T-shirts under the arm and some sweaters ( pilling mostly ) and shoe soles mostly. Style Fan on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985897 Thu, 27 Dec 2018 00:03:43 +0000 Style Fan 1985897@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Underwear, bras and socks.  I replace my underwear when I go to Florida.  I put off replacing my bras because they are so expensive.  And socks are boring but necessary.  I need to be better about replacing them.  I do find Smartwool ones last a long time. Jeans.  Only the ones that I really like a lot wear out.  Then the agony of replacing them starts. Footwear.  I have started duplicating footwear that works for my feet.  It is so hard to find something that I can wear that I just buy 2 or 3 pairs now.  I have backups.  Mr. SF does the same.   Janet on "What items do you wear out?" https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/what-items-do-you-wear-out#post-1985896 Wed, 26 Dec 2018 23:45:36 +0000 Janet 1985896@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ Gear Underwear and socks T-shirts Shoes (especially sandals and sneakers) My summer clothes are more likely to get worn out than my winter clothes.