Just donated

BrieN

Just donated an item of clothing that's been in my closet the longest, 28 years, and it was never worn. You all are a GOOD influence! Anyone else out there? What's the oldest clothing item in your closet....

9 years ago

General

18 replies

Latest reply was from Lyn D.

Anonymous

What was it BrieN?
I have a pair of jeans that are about 5 years old, but that's about it. Excluding bags, I only tend to keep things for about 3 - 4 years before i get tired of them. There are a lot of things that I tire of before that, but those are usually mistakes that I get rid of after a year or so.

9 years ago

Anonymous

Impressive - I haven't been into fashion for very long, so my oldest item in active rotation is probably a raincoat that is 6 years old.

9 years ago

Muffin

Veteran

I'm curious to what it was too. I tend to rotate out of my items (minus some outerwear and purses) but my oldest item is a pair of classic Gucci loafers from 15+ years ago.

9 years ago

Bonnie

Veteran

I have a beautiful long, gray wool coat that I've had for maybe 15 years but is worn very little because it's too dressy and warm for my style and weather. But if I have to go to NYC in Dec., I will be ready. The rest of my wardrobe is mostly under 3 years old.

9 years ago

texstyle

(website)

Veteran

I have several things that have been in my closet many years and I still wear them. But one pair of dark denim jeans was not worn in 6+ years (owned for probably 9 years!). Yesterday I finally decided to hack them into shorts and am wearing them today. It was the boot cut leg and length that bothered me -- they turned out perfectly for shorts (rolled up neatly). I would not have enough thought to do this in years past but with YLF's inspiration I've created 4 pair of shorts this way from various jeans that were not getting much wear but now work wonderfully as shorts and get worn all the time.

9 years ago

Colette

Veteran

I have a long black wool/cashmere coat, a wool blanket scarf and a pair of tall weatherproof winter riding boots from winter 1988/1989. They are in my holding area. I bought them because I was commuting to my first job out of college and needed warm but professional looking outerwear. That was when every working woman was wearing sneakers and long puffy coats with their suits to commute from the train and I just could not embrace that look, no matter how practical it was. I vividly remember shopping for these with my new boyfriend at at the time. We went all over downtown Chicago looking for the perfect items and just had so much fun. I spent a bundle of money and it was a very smart decision, they served me well. I've been meaning to model them for the forum, just for fun. (Still have the boyfriend too.)

9 years ago

JAileen

Veteran

I have a couple of handknit sweaters that I never wear. My mother knit a patterned yoke cardigan in the 60s, and I knit an Aran pullover in the 70s.

9 years ago

Gaylene

Veteran

A Coach saddlebag I bought in the mid 80s which I still wear with jeans and casual outfits. The 35 year-old leather has a beautiful, burnished, rich patina and is butter soft.

My oldest non-worn item is a hand-knit Fair Isle pullover bought on vacation in Newfoundland in the mid 70s from a collective set up to provide income for women living in Labrador and Newfoundland outports. The woman who knit my sweater obviously had an artist's eye in the way she combined moody shades of blue and grey to reflect the landscape of that harsh, but beautiful, part of the world.

9 years ago

kkards

Veteran

the oldest item (that i bought) is an Indian Gauze shirt that was all the rage when I was in the 7th grade...paid for it with babysitting money, it was the 1st piece of clothing i ever bought with my own money. but the oldest item that I own is a motorcycle jacket that my dad's brother bought for him when he got out of the Navy. and l still have the coach bag that I bought with my 1st real pay raise.

9 years ago

shedev

Veteran

Wilsons moto jacket. Bought in 94, still in rotation.

9 years ago

rachylou

Veteran

Lol. That sounds like so long...but I have a ton of stuff from the 80s still

9 years ago

MsMaven

Veteran

My college prom dress that I made myself. I found it in my Mom's spare closet 20 years ago when it was already 25 years old. I kept it until last year and sent it on its way with several evening and cocktail dresses from the late 80s that I hadn't worn since 1990.

The day I found my prom dress it still fit--that is, I could zip it up. I just now remembered that the boyfriend I went to the prom with died a year ago.

9 years ago

BrieN

Veteran

All those beautiful handmade items and nice leather accessories -- I can see why they still have a place in your closets. And I am nodding my head at the sentimental items - several of which illustrate your independence and ability to earn.

MsMaven: the story about your prom dress really made me pause. I have lost a few high school friends, and it's a particularly sentimental loss.

The item I donated (and probably should have tossed but that is just too much decision making was a bit of polyester froth I received as a gift from my bachelorette party. I still to this day don't know who it was sized for -- very very odd. It took up so little room I just kept rotating it to the bottom of a pile of scarves...

9 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Items that I am using-I have a lot of old purses, scarves and jewelry. Clothes from the 80's, but nothing that memorable. I am getting a lot of wear out of a pair of 15 year old gray shoes that I may have worn once when I bought them, thought were too much because of the sheen, and just started wearing again. They work better now that I have gray hair. I am loving wearing the bangles and some other jewelry that I hadn't worn for years.
I have much older and more memorable clothes in my memory area-a dress of my mother's that I wore on my honeymoon, her (and my) wedding dress, the outfit I and my oldest DS came home from the hospital in, a tee shirt from a trip I went on when I was 15, etc.

9 years ago

Sal

Veteran

Oldest bought new by me
- tweed coat and skirt purchased 2000
- evening dress purchased 2000
- pumps purchased 2001
- blue tee purchased 1994 (used for painting, sentimental)

Oldest items still worn
- vintage fur coat 1980
- plaid car coat circa 1950
- vintage scarves 1960-1970
- fur cape circa 1950

I would never buy the fur new, but these were inherited pieces. I rarely wear them but do on occasion. It seems the best thing to do with them.

9 years ago

Cerinda

Veteran

A 1986 Burberry trench, almost ankle length. I'm thinking about taking it to the tailor to have restyled. But I do wear my mom's Burberry reefer from the same period. Somehow it's easier to pull off. Isn't vintage funny that way?

9 years ago

Anonymous

My Frye boots which are at least 30 yrs old. Have had them resoled and reheeled a few times. The leather is in great condition.

9 years ago

Lyn D.

Veteran

My Wedding Dress- 25 yrs old.
Still wearing a pair of 5yo. sandals and a thrifted Chanel dress- not sure how old it is though.
Most of my clothing stays for around 2-3 years.

9 years ago

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