I have a J Crew duffel coat my grandmother gave me when I turned 18 (I'm 31 now). I think that's the longest-wearing article in my wardrobe. I've had the lining replaced once.

I have some jeans (100% cotton) that date back quite a ways -- thrifted around 2009-10, but already vintage when I bought them. They are on their last legs now: when the knees blow out, they'll probably enjoy a second life as shorts. Jeans made out of blended stretch denims don't last nearly as long; I've mostly stopped buying them, except to test-drive new trends.

Lighter-weight non-denim pants don't last quite as long, especially if they have stretch in them.

My oldest blouse/shirt (lightweight cotton gingham) was bought secondhand in 2005. Still wearable. I have a couple oxford shirts from ~2009.

I have a chunky cotton sweater purchased secondhand in 2010 that is going strong, and a couple of very heavy outerwear-type wool sweaters (One Icelandic, one Irish) that are in good shape and probably 15-20 years old. I avoid synthetic knitwear because it gets stinky and pilly. I've noticed a lot of cheaper merinos and cashmeres that pill more easily than older knitwear, which is such a bummer.

I definitely get more than a season or a year out of my t-shirts. I wear them for a long time, but I tend to avoid the gauzy "ultra-soft" types and go for more traditional heavier jerseys -- have you noticed how much more substantial men's tees are than women's? One thing I LOVED about American Apparel, for all its problems, is that it made its women's tees out of the same materials as the men's tees, and charged the same prices. And offered an excellent unisex fit besides.

I avoid viscose/bamboo/rayon KNITS at all costs, because they don't launder or wear well. The last cotton/bamboo blend shirt I had lasted *maybe* a year. I've heard that Eileen Fisher works some magic and creates long-lasting viscose, but don't have first hand experience with that. I've had decent experience with woven rayon fabrics for loungewear, though they're not my favourite.

Something like 5-7 years ago, I had a big "growing up" phase. I wasn't a grad student anymore, so I could afford buying clothes new. Until then it was almost all thrifted (I'd rather buy high quality used than cheap new things). And my personal style really clicked into place, so I had a more cohesive wardrobe.

The result of all this: this year has been the first year that my favorite essentials are wearing out. I only buy natural fibers, and I always wash cold and line dry. So things lasted ages (now that I'm buying them new at least!). But my first ever R13 jeans just ripped in the butt (I did buy those used), my favorite Theyskens blazer has a moth hole, my old standby silk shirts are a little faded. And worst, all 8 of my favorite Uniqlo tees have holes!!

It's such a weird feeling, like a mass extinction. Like I had the perfect wardrobe for a brief shining moment. But actually, I've had to replace a lot over those 5-7 years: things I never wore, things I outgrew (I went up a size or two). And of course there's been a slow shift as styles change, so I pass a lot of clothes along to the thrift store every year. So it's not as static as it feels, but still, I'm not used to the idea that my favorite things aren't here forever!

My clothes last me a long, long time. I tend to buy high end pieces and I don't buy very many pieces. Occasionally I buy mid range T shirts.

Blue jeans - usually premium denim - I wear for about 7 years. I stop wearing them because they have ripped beyond repair.

Non blue jeans pants - Forever. I have a couple of pairs of pants left in my wardrobe from my working life. Two pairs of Sarah Pacini pants, one pair of Michael Kors pants, one pair of Jesse Kamm pants (these are new). I am expecting these all to last my life time.

Blouse - I rarely wear blouses but I have one from the 60s or 70s. I expect it will last me the rest of my life. It is a Pucci.

My Burberry Trench is staying with me for life.
My Hugo Boss blazer and I are spending our lives together as well.
I have a suede fringe jacket from the early 1970s.

I take really good care of my clothes. My weight is pretty stable. I am not hard on clothes. Even my footwear last a long time.

I've been looking in my closet and realize there is quite a difference from what I "expect" and what actually happens. Sweaters, it seems, can last a long time for me. I have several that are more than 8 years old. But I also have quite a bit in my closet that is new in the last 2-3 years. There is a lot of purging and turnover, which won't surprise anyone. So, I suppose ultimately I do have expectations for longevity, but many things can affect what actually happens: fashion and taste changes, body changes, laundering issues, wear issues. It's probably a good thing that I tend to buy on sale.

First factor for me would be fabric quality. For example, I've moved over to linen and pima cotton tees because they last one or two seasons longer than other fabrics. I avoid cheap cottons, viscose, rayon and acrylic whenever possible.

Second factor is how often I wash and iron the item. Sending something through the laundry takes a heavy toll on clothes. My wool winter sweaters, for example, last years and years because I use cotton shirts under them, and throw the cotton shirts in the wash, while the wool just gets spot cleaning and a good dry clean at the end of the season. (I don't sweat much or get my clothing exteriors very dirty. If you sweat a lot or have an active lifestyle, you may have a different situation.)

I think it pays to buy the best quality you can afford. Clothes that last longer can save you a lot of shopping time and disappointment. .

I have rather high expectations for longevity in general, with exceptions for items that are transient, like flyweight tee shirts. I want my essential pieces to last several years or more.

Denim isn't transient, though, and I expect my jeans and jackets to last for decades, or until they become so badly worn they develop white patches and rips. I have never gone for the distressed look. Jeans get downgraded from social wear to garden or house cleaning wear before I toss them. I have a pair of LE jeans from 1993 I still wear on occasion. My jeans on average last about 10 years.

Now blouses don't last as long, mostly because blouse styles change even more than jean styles. At least, for me they do. I wear knit tops and tees predominantly and not so many blouses, especially now that I no longer work out of home. Blouses serve as trend items in my wardrobe, so soon outlive their trendiness and, therefore, my desire to wear them. Many blouses get purged by boredom, few by getting worn out. A few years is doing good for a blouse.

Some of my linen knit tees, though, have been with me a long time and are still going strong. If they don't get stained, they wear like iron and they are classic cuts, so stand the test of time. Linen outlasts cotton in my wardrobe.

My oldest garment still being worn is an ancient (1986) black cashmere cardigan. Thick, substantial, soft, beautifully made. I've worn it hundreds of times. They don't sell cashmere like that anymore. A cashmere sweater I bought last season is pitifully thin (gorgeous color, though) and developed an unsightly pull after just three wearings. I'm not sure how long it will last.

Fabric quality makes all the difference; for quality fabric, I expect to get a lot of good wear. Buying low quality fabric knowing I will not get as much wear can still be worthwhile and fun, though, if I love the look.

Here's my thoughts: at least 5 years if I can, upset if they die before then.
Jeans: my oldest pair is 2007 but I haven't worn them since 2015. In holding zone. Feel outdated- pale wash, bootcut full length. Other 3 pairs are bought new 2015, 2016, 2017.
Non-jean pants: oldest summer ones are 2012 but only worn much this past summer, still good. Had to replace a 2012 black and 2013 white Capri pair recently so they lasted 4-5 years before dying. Oldest winter ones are 2013. I was very upset when I had to replace a beloved olive pair last year from 2013, felt cheated they had only lasted 3 years. They had elastane in them and had been worn and washed a LOT, hung to dry, never in the dryer. They got those little threads of elastane poking through and I thought that looked scruffy and made me look/feel poor if I didn't get rid of them. So I did but very sadly
"Blouses" ( soft tops) have one from 2009 which I still like but don't wear that much. Maybe only 7 wears ever. One from 2011 100 % polyester still in great nick, but I'm tiring of it- worn 28 times , still get compliments. Kind of over it though and thinking of culling. This is not like me to cull when it still fits and looks good. Haven't yet. It is not dated I feel, the colours are good on me. Other summer ones are from 2015 on. Winter- 3 skivvies from 2008 still fine, for wearing under winter statement jumpers. One winter blouse from 2009 still OK but again now tiring of it, worn well over 20 times. Keep meaning to cull for last 2 seasons but still like with a particular pair of earrings...
Oh I do have a really old red tartan ( plaid, you call it?) shirt from 1985 that I bought the first year I was earning, for $ 75 which was a lot then. It has a great collar shape and I still wear it under a particular red cowl-neck merino jumper in winter. That's longevity!
My oldest T-shirt I still love, it's from 2006, black with Mamma Mia picked out in tiny silver pins across the bust. I love that- a perfect shape for me, V-neck, and never had more compliments on a T-shirt. We bought it at the musical, I've loved Abba since I was 15 as well. It has 3 tiny mends acroos the back neck that I did.
My oldest coat is my mother's pure wool deep red vintage coat from 1964!
Oldest jumper I still wear was a German brand Mondi bought in 1986, very bright colours, expensive then. My mother-in-law kindly crocheted the edge of the cuffs when they started to wear.
Oldest shoes are: one pair clompy black boots from the early 1990s, a black lace-up bootie from 1996, and for summer a gold sandal from 2008.
Maybe you are not an outlier Rambling Ann!

Just remembered what happened when I was telling my older daughter, 25 at the time, last year about my plan to try to reduce my shopping and wear everything at least 20 times. I was wearing the Mamma Mia T-shirt at the time. She just glanced at me and said "You've worn that one a lot more than 20 times, Mum! " Well it was 10 years old at the time! Still wearing it.

Fascinating post.

Bumping as well. Sorry. But feel this post and Anchie's one on wardrobe numbers are part of Jenn's discussion on #30 wears.