Context: I noticed I have some clothes from 10 years ago that are still good to wear, and some newer things I have barely worn yet. I wondered if I reached a point where all the clothes I own would be enough to last for the rest of my life. There is a dresser and a closet worth of things.
For the sake of this question, let’s say you can’t buy, borrow, steal, receive as a gift, find, or make anything new to wear. All you get is what you have now. Is it enough?
I had a weird addiction to collecting Harley-Davidson dealer tshirts; I have about 20 or so, and say what you will about the brand itself or their image but their tshirts are pretty good. Nice thick cotton, really weighty, and pretty well-made.
Those alone would probably last me forever. I don’t wear them much, though.
Depends if you know. You can get some extra miles if you don’t wash them
Mmh, maybe around 20-30 years.
I have a Karl kani hoodie that looks like new and I bought it like 18 years ago, some things last ages.
Exactly this. If you buy quality products and be considerably careful with them, they figuratively last forever.
Rest of my life. Assuming I don’t make the mistake of living to 100.
Perhaps several years due to socks and shoes wearing out. The rest should last several decades, assuming I quit using the dryer.
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I guess for 10-20 years. I have 2 pairs of jeans I wear regularly, but could shift to any other pants if necessary. I dont have a job where I need to dress up nicely, so I can basically wear whatever. T-shirts are my passion so I have at least 50 of them. Problem would probably be socks and underwear, maybe shoes.
This is something I’ve been spending a good amount of time thinking about. The fashion / textile industry has changed dramatically over the past fifteen+ years. Clothing has remained about the same price but, (see: shrinkflation) the quality of garments has decreased per dollar. It’s actually amazing that you can walk into a Target and spend $25 on a really decent t-shirt and a half-dozen pairs of socks.
How long your garments last depends largely on your activity level and how often you wear and wash them. It also depends on what materials they’re made out of. Fabrics made from plastics (practically everything) are not going to last as long as those made from natural fibers - assuming they’re cared for the same way. A lot of cheaper garments are made with thinner fabrics or assembled with poor stitching.
So, where you get your clothing, what you spend on it, how you maintain it, are all going to contribute to how long it lasts.
Honestly, I work from home so sometimes I’m wearing the same clothes for two to three days if the weather’s cool and I’m not seeing anyone. These clothes, regardless of material, are going to wear out sooner than the nicer clothing I wear out of the house and on weekends.
Any time I buy new clothing, I check to see what materials are used. I try to get stuff that’s made of 100% cotton or wool or canvas, etc. I’ve been getting my t-shirts from Solid State in NC and most of my sock are made from hemp or alpaca wool. I have one pair of decent Levis jeans that I’ve only washed once that are over ten years old.
Upfront, I’m spending more. In the long run, I might spend about the same in total on clothing but I’m producing much less waste along the way. I rather spend more money on something decent I can wear more often and have a smaller wardrobe.
To answer the question - if I were to lose 25lbs to fit in some older clothing I still have, the rest of my life, easily.
The only exception to this is shoes. I go through shoes way too fast (<3years) and they’re all trash now.
My dad let me into a little secret (which I found out to be fairly common knowledge) about shoes.
Buy Italian, they last longer and the handmade ones can easily be repaired.
My dress shoes have lasted for over 16 years now, and I can’t remember how long I’ve had my Scarpa boots for, I’ve got 3 pairs, and they’re nowhere near wearing out.
How about sneakers?
Well, that depends. Most of my pants and shirts and such last a long time.
But I go through socks and boxers pretty damned fast.
Clothes are expensive, I don’t throw anything out until it’s unwearable.
Only thing I’m worried about is pants. I shop for people for a living, so I basically power walk 7 hours a day. My thighs are constantly rubbing down to nothingness and patches don’t last long enough to justify the effort.
If I quit my job I can probably make it another ten years though.
William Gibson pointed out that during the Depression someone could buy a workshirt for about 35 cents and wear it every day to the coal mine, until it was time to pass it on to their kid.
Clothes were built of sturdier stuff back then as well, even t-shirts. Modern fabrics that are soft and thin are relatively new inventions. Even t-shirts from the 80’s/90’s are a different story and a lot less comfortable.
A massive amount of effort has gone into making things comfortable in the last 40 years. We don’t have have itchy tags inside t-shirts anymore.
Finally, when you pass it on to your child, either it fits both of you very badly, or you’re re-sewing it to fit the new person.
People also used to repair clothes a lot, darning, elbow patches, etc.
Thank synthetic fabrics for today’s lack of durability.
No, I go through socks fast enough. Also I need new boots.
I think underwear and socks are some of the worst culprits for poor quality nowadays. socks especially seem to get threadbare so quickly
As I posited elsewhere in the thread (source: I’m old), a big part of that isn’t even reduction in quality of materials but rather change in type of materials as new textiles have been invented.
I can tell you, my socks and drawers may not last as long as they used to, but god damn it, they’re the most comfortable sets of them I’ve had in my entire life.
You don’t want to know how it was wearing boxers, briefs, and socks in the 80’s/90’s, because it was bad and uncomfortable. I remember being embarrassed because I felt like I was endlessly adjusting my dick in them due to discomfort.
Modern socks and underwear are made from much lighter and more comfortable material, which in turn means that they simply don’t last as long because the material just isn’t as sturdy.
I can tell you when I’m underwear shopping I aim for comfort over longevity of material, because I prioritize basic comfort over the underwear lasting forever. I’m sure I’m not the only person who approaches it this way, I’d wager the majority of folks prioritize comfort of undergarments over longevity.
The biggest improvement in socks since the '80s was when they moved the seam from the end of the toe to the top of the toe. That seam was the bane of my existence.
Yeah, socks and undies tend to disintegrate over time, so perhaps 4 years for socks, 6 for undies?
The rest of the wardrobe could (and has!) last decades.
I personally think spending enough money to get boots that can be re-soled is worth it, but then I have a local shop that does that sort of thing. If you don’t have a local bootshop, kind of a moot point, for sure.
It’s down to finding a pair that I like enough. I’ve got wide feet and fit is important, and really only need winter boots, so it comes up late December and by the time I get off my lazy butt, it’s spring and I don’t care anymore.
Maybe this year.
I still wear clothes that I got 12-15 years ago. So I would say at least a decade at the minimum.
How much weight am I planning on gaining?
My wardrobe is pretty minimal, but it’s mostly duplicates. So I feel like with my crappy hand backstitch abilities I can mend and patchwork things together for a while.
For whatever reason I wear two pairs of socks layered, and the outer wool ones do get holes that I probably can’t fix. So those socks would potentially be my limitation.
TLDR: I think I’m good until death - might only be wearing sandals in retirement.
