Over the course of the last few months, I’ve been trying to weed out my closet, getting rid of things that don’t fit, that I don’t wear, or that are damaged beyond reasonable repair. As I’ve been doing this, I’ve come across a startling number of items that I’ve owned since high school, which makes those pieces anywhere from 16-20 years old. I believe the “oldest item in my closet” award went to a skirt that I got at Express when Express first opened up in my area. It’s a long black skirt with white flowers, and I haven’t worn it since 1999, at least, and at that point, it was already eight or ten years old. It went in the Big Sisters donation bag, so it could find its way to someone without any hips.
Today’s LTP question: what’s the oldest article of clothing you own? What’s its story?
9 replies on “LTP: 7/5”
I would have to say a 30-year-old t-shirt that a friend of mine screen printed a David Bromberg logo onto. It’s so thin you can see through it and I haven’t fit into it for probably 20 years, but I’m not letting it go!
I am actually really good about cleaning out my closet, mostly because I could really be a hoarder if I didn’t keep myself in check. Also, my style has changed about 18 times since I got my own income and moved to a place with actual stores that aren’t K-Mart. I weed stuff out frequently. I have to protect me from myself. Probably my oldest item of clothing is a top from Guess from 5 years ago, I would guess. It’s cream and has black ribbon weaving in and out up and down, and has a little cream bow below the waist. I actually get compliments on it a lot.
Well, being from a family of packrats, I still have baby tees and booties tucked away in a cedar chest… (they would be oh about 28 yrs old)
But in active rotation – I still have a few rock tees from high school (hey-o Incubus!) and a leather jacket from my first job at Wilson’s Leather from when I was a sophomore in high school. It looks like something Buffy Summers would have worn. :)
Otherwise, I am trying to break the packrat cycle and donate whatever I lose interest in. (my friends profit greatly from this) :)
I was thinking that I had finally weeded out most of my high school clothes until I read your comment. I have 2 Sublime shirts that I haven’t worn in over 10 years but I refuse to get rid of.
Yeah, there may be a small bleach stain on the Incubus tee but I will NEVER part with it. :)
(I would never part with Brandon Boyd either but that’s neither here nor there) :)
Off the top of my head I would have to say it’s my 17 year old Miskatonic University t-shirt.
I am jealous!
I have a black polyester button up shirt that I’ve been wearing since I think ninth grade, which makes it ~14 years old. I love this thing immensely — except for a couple missing buttons on the cuffs, it looks like it’s only very lightly worn, it goes with absolutely everything, and doesn’t show pit sweat stains (though being polyester, it doesn’t exactly breathe well). It’s such a totally non-descript piece of clothing but I’ll be so sad when it finally falls apart.
A cropped peasant girl top from 1987. I wear it with a corset for Halloween costumes occasionally.
Although I might have a sweater from Freedom from 1985 …
I am thisclose to being a hoarder.