When do new clothes become old ones?

Slightly different track here... my new year resolution this year was to only buy clothes when something needed replacing. Lasted two weeks before I bought a pair of unneeded boots and a totally frivolous cardigan!

I bought a frivolous, and unwearable, cardigan. It has proved to be extremely useful for draping round the back of my desk chair to stop black marks appearing on the radiator when said chair rubs against it. Looks pretty too. Mistakes can be good.

I have just put on ( again) my beloved dress for heatwaves. It's over 15 years old from Dash a long straight cotton dress, that still gets complimented on . But noticed this year when ironing it's wearing very thin ! Usually though my clothes migrate to "old work clothes" for gardening ,and decorating and then eventually I reluctantly chuck them out . My SiL and I often swap clothes for a change ! Don't buy much new nowadays .

I just downgraded a sun dress to old ie., to wear every day when I realised I had been saving it for best ( and wearing it twice a year) for the last 7 years

Mine get downgraded when I do something daft like wood staining the swing. I think "I've got 20 mins before I have to leave for work, I'll just......." And I know that if I get changed the urge will disappear, the heavens will open, I won't be able to open the can.

Just to put a new slant on it- when do 'old' clothes become new? My wardrobe has a sizeable (in more than one sense of the word) percentage of charity shop finds. Presumably, they were unloved by someone for whatever reason, but to me they are 'new' and give me a real boost. I recently attended a family function and received several complimentary comments on my outfit, which was purchased from two different charity shops.

I have several clothes test when I buy new garments. Mere fashion is not enough and they must be flattering and comfortable. If I hesitate for a millisecond in the changing room it is a sign that I will do so again and that, therefore, the item will be passed over permanently in my wardrobe. Clothes must also be easily laundered or, again, I hesitate to wear them when I get them home.

I have items that will only become 'old' when they sport holes as I like them so much. Much of my wardrobe is years old but I mix and match items to bring them up to date. At the age of 59 I have no need to buy clothes for youngsters. Flattering and elegant classics are the way to go now.

That said, I live in skinny jeans and my policy is to buy them very cheap (a tenner or so), wear them while they retain their deep indigo colour and then relegate them to 'gardening wear' when they fade. I have given up washing jeans as it depletes the colour. I wear the cheap jeans with expensive tops and exercise like crazy to keep in 'skinny jean trim'.

In my view a brand new item which doesn't 'add value' to the look is too old to wear and a vintage flatterer is too new to discard.

Disgruntled - ooh, I'm so glad I'm not the only one who just 'has to' do whatever when all ready to go out of the door. I wonder ... do you 'just have to' do gardening jobs while wearing your dressing gown and popping out to put some washing on the line? I do.

I have clothes for going out during the day, rarely go out at night as I have no reason to. My favourites for day-time going out are smart jeans, white for summer & navy skinny jeans for the rest of the year. I do possess smart trousers again black & white. Lots of smart blouses & jumpers. My weakness is jackets, shoes & boots,

I do buy clothes for everyday wear, live in jeans or shorts, t-shirts,sweatshirts or jumpers/fleeces & they survive in my wardrobe until I get fed up with them or they become stained (bit of DIY like painting or general spillages).

Funnily enough I have just half filled a Charity bag for collection today - when I was sorting through my wardrobe I found a blouse which I haven't worn for about 4 years - time to go as I don't know when I would wear it. Also disaster buys usually go fairly quickly - it seemed a good idea at the time - but!!!

I like to buy Classic styles for "occasions" plus my shoes & boots are timeless.

If it no longer fits out it goes!!

Worlass I got a lovely skirt for £5.99 in a charity shop. I've worn it several times but there is a drawback: it's dry clean only ? I'd put a photo on here but I'm on the tablet version...

They are old when you no longer wish to wear them.

I never put anything in those charity bags that come through the door since I saw Dom Littlewood expose what a money making scam it can be. Apparently, Eastern European countries like Next and M&S labels best and will pay good prices. It's very profitable for the collector to ship our good quality, unwanted clothes by the ton. It's the law now that they have to state how much of a donation they make to the charity on the label. It's peanuts! I take my unwanted stuff straight to the charity shop, often using the bag that came through the letter box. What they do with the stuff is up to them, even if it goes for rags. Having said all that, a friend worked voluntarily for a well known charity shop and was sent outside to smash up the crockery because it doesn't sell. She refused and left. She went to a different shop to help out. There are probably a dozen of them in Morpeth....

Lizzypopbottle.
Manufacturers put dry clean labels in many garments now,almost as a cover against laundry woes.It depends on the fabric.
I hand wash where it says dry clean and hang on a coat hanger to dry.
I have recently done it with a lined linen jacket and it is fine.It has been through a quick,cool machine wash too but always mild detergent.

Dry cleaning uses a liquid solvent ,so isn,t actually dry,it just doesn,t use water.
I haven,t been able to view your skirt though.

Lily flower,

I live in cheap skinny black Jeans,but when I have a few pairs fading I buy a £5 Dylon dye (the bag,not small box) and run them through a wash....good as new.

I sometimes lookat things and think, ' If I saw this in the charity shop would I pay money for it?' Yes? then I keep it , No then it goes in the clothes recycling' If I have just 'gone off' something and it is OK it goes to the charity shop.

Retrolady - Yes!
Most of my wardrobe is second hand and I have a few things that are older than my daughter (30 this year). I love the element of chance that is involved in buying second hand, or "gently worn" as one shop says.

Like someone up-thread I used to chuck stuff out only to find I wanted it back a fortnight later. Now I still chuck stuff out but first it goes in a cupboard and stays there. If, after a few weeks, I have not wanted it back, out it goes. Simples!