Old but still plenty of life in them.

I went out to an appointment with my DD and she said “that’s a nice shirt; is it new?” I told her no, it was one of the shirts I wore with my work suits. I retired seventeen years ago and still from time to time wear this pale blue twill double cuffed shirt that has a St Michael label on it! It will never be retired!

I'm wearing a skirt which I bought at least 10 years ago.
As I rarely wear skirts it's like wearing something new 🙂

People don't notice what you are wearing, or if they do, they don't remember. Think about people you have met recently - can you remember what they were wearing?

No one will mind if you wear some more than once, it's you they want to see, not an extensive wardrobe.

I wear 90% of my clothes year in, year out. The 10% are long cotton dresses, only worn if I’m’ out’ when it’s very hot and a couple of pairs of boots which are worn for ice/snow.

I'm attending a special occasion lunch tomorrow. My jacket is 28 years old (bought whilst on a memorable holiday) trousers around 15, shirt somewhere in between and shoes 30 (yes 30!) and I will feel like a million dollars. Classics don't age methinks and, anyway, who cares? If you feel good, just go for it. Georgesgran, similar Mac to yours and ditto (except that, sadly, I'm a good bit older than you!👍). My little save the planet effort is not to buy new clothes. So far, 4 years 4 months. Yippee!

Jaxjacky

I wear 90% of my clothes year in, year out. The 10% are long cotton dresses, only worn if I’m’ out’ when it’s very hot and a couple of pairs of boots which are worn for ice/snow.

only worn if I’m’ out’

Some of the stuff I wear if we go out out is really old!
No-one will remember it nor will they care.
If they do, it's their problem.

I do buy new casual clothes as I tend to wear them a lot and some linen or cotton can fade with frequent washing.

Georgesgran

I’ve got a Mac by a British company, famous for its checked lining. I bought it in 1989 and I expect it to ‘see me out’. I’m 72.

I wear one given to me by an aunt, she bought it in 1960. It’s still perfect.

Georgesgran

I’ve got a Mac by a British company, famous for its checked lining. I bought it in 1989 and I expect it to ‘see me out’. I’m 72.

I had two then sent them to a charity shop when I left work.
Wish I'd kept them ☹

Some of my favourite clothes are at least ten years old. When I buy buy something new it is usually winter jumpers, which tend to pill, and leggings, which I wear round the house every day (but never, ever in public). Other than that my clothes tend to last and I don’t care whether they are fashionable or not, so long as they are comfortable and hide my lumpy bits.

Callistemon21 that reminds me when I took a Burberry skirt suit to the Charity Shop (many years ago). It was tiny black and white dogtooth checks and it almost had to be prised out of my hands - think Rita Mae and the $4M cheque in Ghost! Funnily enough I never saw the suit for sale in the shop and wondered if a member of staff had taken (I hope bought) it.

Sadly my favourite Summer cotton tops and cropped trousers have worn so thin.
I have patched them all but the last time I pulled out the embroidered trousers and put my leg in, it went right through the cotton. They were from Bishopston Trading Company, based in Bristol who
ran and imported from a women's cooperative in Southern India.
The company closed many years ago - victim of its own success.

I definitely wear clothes again and again. I do make mistakes too and cart to Oxfam things worn just once.
I don't feel bad about it.

Today I’m wearing my favourite hot summer dress a long very faded cotton shift dress . I have just worked out it’s 25 years old . It’s very thin now in places but really can’t find one that fits so well even though it’s a shift dress . I will be very sad when it has to go .

I have 2 St Michael cardigans, a shirt, crop trousers, which I often wear. They must be over 20 years old.

When did it become M&S?

Apparently, they dropped the St Michael label in 2000.

If I like something and it suits me, I don’t care how many times I’m seen in it. I had a friend who never wore the same thing twice to a social occasion. I’m too lazy to be bothered with that…
I’ve just had a favourite Jeff Banks dress from 1972 cleaned by a specialist cleaner. It’s come back into fashion and I’m looking forward to wearing it again.
tanith carry on wearing the clothes you like. You can make a change with your accessories.

So interesting reading all your varied views the consensus being just wear what you like.

Georgesgran

Callistemon21 that reminds me when I took a Burberry skirt suit to the Charity Shop (many years ago). It was tiny black and white dogtooth checks and it almost had to be prised out of my hands - think Rita Mae and the $4M cheque in Ghost! Funnily enough I never saw the suit for sale in the shop and wondered if a member of staff had taken (I hope bought) it.

Some things are remembered and you wish you'd never got rid of them!

Mostly, though, they're never missed.

I’m happy to wear things again and again. I never realised how long ago some clothes were bought until the advent of mobile phone cameras.
There I was back in 2014, wearing the lovely shirt I had on today!

As someone who deals in vintage fashion (albeit accessories rather than dresses) I completely approve of recycling garments. Fabric from the 1950s and 1960s is still sound. I bought many garments from the charity shops when I was mobile and recycled them into patchwork covers and cushions. Ive got things in my wardrobe that I bought 20 years ago and still wear. I dont give a damn what anyone thinks.

I have a linen type shift dress that I wore, along with matching coat, to both DD’s and DS’s weddings. DD has been married nearly 22 years.

I am going to an afternoon tea party soon and had thought I might wear it. Still looks ok on and not too dated I hope.

And of course, the Princess Royal is noted for wearing stuff 25+ years old.

I bet she doesn’t give anyone else’s opinions on her fashion choices a single thought.

But isn't all this what we have always done? Had clothes in our wardrobes from new to decades old?

I was reminded of this yesterday when my DDiL published a photo of DGD starting at senior school 5 years ago and leaving it yesterday, GCSEs now behind her, for VI Form College.

She is wearing a school uniform kilt in both photos, well over her knees at 11, half way up her thighs in yesterday's photo and, yes, it is one and the same kilt.

Over 60 years ago, when I was 12, I can remember my DGM making me a (non school uniform) kilt. A kilt that was still part of my wardrobe when I went to university 6 years later. I had grown, but skirts had got shorter, so it was still wearable. It did not strike me as being anything unusual then - and it doesn't now.

Wear what suits you and that makes you feel good and is comfortable. I hang on to my high heels but I can’t walk in them as I look like Dick Emery doing Mandy. If I could I would. I notice a persons warmth. The only thing that is a very big no no, is a few elderly people can re wear things that need a wash, doesn’t matter if they shower every day and make up, if there’s a whiff of anything other than nice it doesn’t matter what you wear, it may look clean but does it smell fresh.

Monica, years ago we all used to set off in skirts knee length before we got to school they were minuscule, we didn’t get away with it too often,

I think the only key phrase is "I like".
I'd also say that even if you're fed up with something, if you have the room, put it at the back of the wardrobe - I have often found that I can re-purpose an item of clothing.