Stopping saving things for best

I always dress up and wear my jewellery, make up, hair done. perfume applied. It makes me feel better and I wear something different every day so that all my clothes and shoes get worn. Each day is a best day in my opinion

Same as others with the clothes. We also have best china (which was from habitat so not exactly royal doulton), glassware and a canteen of best cutlery.....

After my MIL died we gave so much china which had been kept for best for over 70 years and rarely used and clothes that had been kept for best to charity shops . I did not dare let her grandchildren know how many gifts were never used, expensive soaps, beautiful notelets etc. I am slowly going through all my cupboards and drawers listing what may be valuable, photographing jewelry and taking any clothes I have not used for years to the charity shops.

We had a wedding gift of beautiful cutlery and crystal glasses from one rich relative. We have used the cutlery every day but the crystal glasses have gradually been smashed. I do believe in using your best 'stuff'; for all of us the last time to use or wear something will happen, and what a shame if a really fetching outfit hasn't been worn or those lovely pieces of china haven't been used. Using good china makes everything you eat and drink seem special, and lovely clothes make me feel special - mad not to, isn't it?

rosiebeeI agree, use things now. When I cleared out my mother's home I found lots of clothes, bedding, towels etc she had never used. She was someone who believed in saving things for best, but it was such a shame she never got the opportunity to enjoy her 'nice things'

I have a beautiful Danish Copenhagen Porcelain hand-painted dinner service my in-laws bought us for a wedding present. We used to use it all the time for dinner parties but since the acquisition of a dishwasher it has been relegated to the dining room cupboard. I know nobody will want it but I cannot get rid of it.

The only expensive jewellery I have is my engagement ring and I never take it off.

All my clothes I wear all the time as I don't buy expensive dresses or suits. I don't really have anything for best but do like to look fairly smart even in jeans.

I used to have clothes for best that as I wore a uniform for my work and often put my pjs on as soon as I got home, meant that most of my clothes were worn only at weekends/ on holiday.
That changed when I was made redundant - the weekend clothes are now my every day clothes and gradually wearing out so what was my "best" clothes are now becoming my everyday clothes as I can't now afford to buy many new things.
I haven't quite been reduced to wearing my maxi dresses complete with diamante's and other embellishments yet though!

Gabriella, my good stuff doesnt see the light of day when we have guests either. I dislike using it. The problem is to chuck or store?

I looked at what our decanter are going for on ebay (£25 ish) where Very similar Waterford crystal new is about £250. Baffling.

We have some 'better stuff' which is fairly plain which comes out when we have guests - but it can go in the dishwasher because it's modern.
I don't like drinking tea from a thick mug either - it has to be bone china but they are fairly modern and go in the dishwasher too.

I even wear my Channel No 5 when I take toilet cassette from my boat to empty. I stopped saving things for best when I read a story about an elderly man laying out clothes for his departed with to be buried in. There was some beautiful silk underwear wrapped in tissue that she had never worn as she had been keeping it for a special occasion...it had never been worn...

I'm guilty of keeping things for best. I don't go out alot. Most of my clothes haven't seen the light of day for months. I tend to just keep on wearing the same outfits over and over again. My jewellery isn't worth anything but l've still got loads l never wear same thing as with the clothes. Must try harder to use things now and get pleasure from them

I had collected crystal glasses for years and long ago they were used. When they ceased to be used for fear of breakage I sold the entire suite and paid for my daughter and partner to go to Jamaica. Holiday of a lifetime! Gave me joy.

I do not have costume jewellery, it is all good stuff but feel overdressed wearing diamonds and other precious stones on a daily basis so often wear the same gold chain and pendant most days.
I agree with the stuff in the safe thing, I don't really have time to go through the contents to find a different item each day and end up taking what is closest.

I have Royal Doulton tea, coffee and dinner services but don't use them for large family gatherings because they are not dishwasher safe. When my elder sister comes we like to use the best china for afternoon tea, tastes so much better.

Clothing is a difficult one, I have a lot of things that were bought for special occasions and they really would not look right on a daily basis.
Just looked in a zip carrier in the wardrobe and found an ice blue silk suit, beautifully cut jacket and with both trousers and a skirt. I can hardly go to Tescos in that nor can I go to a school concert, such a waste.

All these posts remind me of an account I read, years ago. The writer said that on her DB & SiL's Golden Wedding Anniversary day, she'd brought round for them a bottle of rather good champagne. The wife looked at it and said: "thank you; we'll save this for a special occasion." (And she wasn't kidding.....)

I can hardly go to Tescos in that nor can I go to a school concert, such a waste

Go for it Harrigran - see you in the baked beans aisle. I’ll be the one in Versace with the matching fox fur! .

I think it is the way we grew up being told to keep good things for best. It's hard to get out of the habit. I still dress up to go to the doctor's then you see some people turn up in wellies caked in mud. I see people on their way to church in clothes that we would have considered unsuitable in the past. I don't go to church but always had to be in my best for Sunday school and had a new dress each year for Sunday school anniversary. This does make you think about making full use of everything you have and not keeping it wrapped up in a drawer ready for a special occasion.

Years ago I met an acquaintance in town looking exceptionally smart. I commented on her outfit and she said
"What is the point of keeping things for best at our age? " I agree.

Re jewellery: When my husband died I went through a phase of buying a lot of jewellery from a TV jewellery site. I must have bought something almost every day. Now I have loads of jewellery and it does not go in a safe. It just sits on he coffee table in 4 jewellery boxes, also bought from the same site. I never buy any now, but can still be tempted. When you think of the lovely stones which God buried deep in the earth , and miners dug up, craftsmen cut them and brought out their beauty, and then made them into jewellery with gold or silver also from the earth--- isn't it wonderful? I am constantly amazed, and I wear a piece or more of these marvellous treasures, even if they are not top quality,

Magoo and I have never inherited anything except the funeral bills when the family started dying off. There was no nice china, folded linen, or pretty jewellery to pass on. We live as simply as possible, all spare cash goes to our children and their families and we’ve decluttered the house so it’s not a headache for them when we go. A much loved friend died at 96 recently. She had no relatives and had a house stuffed with some beautiful things both inherited and collected over the years. All her furniture was sent to a local auction and a huge proportion of her personal belongings were thrown in a skip when her house was cleared. I could have wept seeing it. I rescued her family photographs including those of her beloved parents out that skip and using the names had perpetual mass remembrances enrolled for them all.

I used to keep clothes jewellery etc for best , but not any more I love to wear things that I love everyday . I have few designer bits and loads from high street. Why should you keep for best so to speak. I am a shopaholic too regardless of label. Nice clothes always make me feel happy.i only wear my not so good things when I’m gardening or doing other jobs around the house . But at the end of the day do what you want to do ,but for me it’s loving all the colours styles etc

harrigran could you wear your silk outfit as separates now?
I'm using a 3 piece mother-of-the-bride outfit this way. The lace jacket is great in summer - even with jeans or cropped trousers and the long lacy skirt is lovely for summer evenings - especially if on holiday somewhere nice. I haven't had quite as much use from the "lace vest" which really goes under the jacket, but it's still been good with a plain skirt or trousers so I'm happy.
They aren't over-structured like some MotB wear though so can be dressed down surprisingly well.
I think you should take another look at your ice blue silk, just in case.

Like Maw we use our things and think nothing of it. Most of it came from PiL and was used every day - nothing unusual in seeing the family silver on their Formica kitchen table! There was only a little money but some nice things which help us remember happy times.
My gold pinkie ring, rose gold chain and cross are the only remotely expensive jewellery I wear on a day to day basis - the good stuff is just not practical.
No one will want any of our stuff when we die so we make the most of it now.

Watching that TV programme about the Ritz Hotel last week I commented that I could never go there as I don't have the right clothes for it (among other reasons!) DD would be absolutely fine. She looks like a model no matter what she wears. She has some expensive designer stuff but mixes and matches happily with M&S. Some people just have 'it'. I don't.

I have some lovely jewellery but tend to wear the same every day. There's just no call for it somehow and I'd hate to look silly in the supermarket with my diamonds and pearls on haunting the reduced bargains!
Sorry. Wandering post but you all got me thinking!

Maw, my mother dressed for shopping too. Tweedy and buttoned up, never with a bare head.

I think all of us who own posh clothes/jewellery should get together and go shopping in Aldi!

Charity shops are brim full of once treasured china, crystal ware and so on which younger ones generally don't want these days, it doesn't go in microwave or dishwasher. Keeping clothes for best, in this cheap and throw away age also belongs to a bygone era. Perhaps as the world's resources become scarcer, well made quality items will again become desired. I'm not that keen on gold and diamond jewellery because of the history and mining conditions, but that's a personal choice.