What are the oldest clothing items in your closet?

[aja8888]

A while back, our bedroom closet, a masterpiece of size and storage capacity, had an "event". The event consisted of a loud bang when the top rail of the three rails that hold clothing pulled the screws out of the mounting brackets that held the bar to the sheet rock and studded wall. The whole rack (about 12 feet of it) fell from just under the 8' ceiling right to the floor of the closet.

I should have taken a picture of this mess because it was impressive. I couldn't even make my way into the closet since the rack and items on it were blocking the doorway and wedged against the two other horizontal clothing racks, which were also packed to the gills with items of clothing.

When DW came to see what the big noise was, she didn't say a thing, other than I had a new project.....right! Dissecting this mess I realized that all the items (hundreds of them) on that elevated storage bar were hers. And about 75% of the stuff hanging on the other two horizontal bars belonged to her also. My "space" was about a 6' long span and contained every piece of clothing I owned except for what's in my dresser (socks, underwear, tee shirts, sweaters)

Once into the clothing removal to get at the damage, I saw that a good portion of DW's stuff was from a time when she was a District Manager for a big commercial real estate company (before we met) and were really business suits, slacks, and blouses not in style to be worn in these modern times. I found out much of this stuff was late 1970's and maybe even a bit earlier up to when she retired 10 years ago. And there was a lot of it. This was about 40+ years of accumulation!

Didn't she ever throw anything away? (we married 20+ years ago so I don't know much about her life before age 48)

I "suggested" she clean this stuff out and not line the three 12' clothing racks with hundreds of pounds of clothes she will never wear again. Well, that didn't go over too well..... After a bit of negotiation, we compromised and each of us would get rid of "some" clothing items and the top bar in the closet would not be used again (after I repaired the sheet rock and repainted the walls). You need to use a step ladder to get stuff on that top rack anyway.

To make a long story short, I dumped a few old sweatshirts of mine dating back 20 years or so and she donated about two SUV's full of clothing that would not be worn by her ever again. (some of it wouldn't fit her anyway). I fixed the bar brackets, installed 3" long wood screws and repainted the wall. I also reinforced the lower two bar brackets with 3" long wood screws before they gave way.

Oh, I'm not mentioning the shoes (never to be worn again) in "many" boxes taking up shelf space on the other wall of the closet...

So what's in your closet that can be purged?

 

[Car-Guy]

My bronzed baby shoes... And yes, they are in the closet....

 

[aja8888]

My bronzed baby shoes... And yes, they are in the closet....

Now that's pretty neat!

I still have a sweatshirt I bought at the Yale bookstore in 1972 in the closet. It has a hand painted Bulldog on the front of it.

 

[braumeister]

A lightweight running jacket I bought in 1974, probably the oldest thing still in current use. Can't think of anything else in the closet, but there are most likely some older things in with my camping gear.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

I would say the gray pull over you see in this picture. With the exception of my shorts/underwear/socks drawers (2) this is the entirety of my clothing...and I still have too much. My DW however? About 5x this amount yet she wears a small fraction of it.

 

[harllee]

I have t shirts from when I was in college (the 1960s) and I still wear them on occasion!

 

[aja8888]

I would say the gray pull over you see in this picture. With the exception of my shorts/underwear/socks drawers (2) this is the entirety of my clothing...and I still have too much. My DW however? About 5x this amount yet she wears a small fraction of it.

That's about where I am except DW has much less now.

 

[Amethyst]

I have a few things from the 1970's that still fit despite many wearings. Also have a gorgeous prom gown, with a low back, which my Mom made for me when I was 15. I am slightly too thin for it now. Wish she was still here to re-fit it (she was an expert seamstress). It would be perfect for a cruise formal night, if we ever cruise again.

Still wearing a few pairs of shorts from the 80's. Also some threadbare 1980's concert T-shirts, that have seen much yardwork and painting duty.

Mr. A. has some suits that must be 50 years old. He had the most beautiful clothing I have ever seen - all tailor made.

 

[athena53]

Mr. A. has some suits that must be 50 years old. He had the most beautiful clothing I have ever seen - all tailor made.

Yeah, I've got those, including the all-cotton shirts with french cuffs and some 14k gold cuff links. I can't bear to part with them since they're god for weddings and funerals, but that's about it. I joke that they motivate me to keep my weight down.

Not much to throw out, really. Sometimes I find something I haven't worn for years and start wearing it again. I have a giant collection of T-shirts and rotate them, so they all get worn.

Oldest item: my dress winter coat from Brooks Brothers, camel hair, with a faded Union label inside, purchased in 1983. It still looks beautiful; no need to replace it.

 

[RunningBum]

https://www.early-retirement.org/fo...est-item-of-adult-clothing-you-own-98515.html was a similar thread.

 

[FLSUnFIRE]

I still have and wear a leather belt from at least when I was 15 (A couple notches up at 47 but still fits) Have a few vintage T-Shirts as well that also date from the mid-teen years, not worn except on special occasions.



I also have some ties from the 1960s and 1970s that were my dads.... I had a very toxic boss several years ago that decided one day to make me wear a tie way out of line with the office norm just to flex her narcissistic and sadistic muscle (summer in FL). I acquired the ugliest and most out of fashion ties as protest... it became fun because everyone knew my tie meant "FU!" and even donated FU ties. I won that battle. Fond memories of an evil person.

 

[Teacher Terry]

I don’t have a ton of clothes and got rid of most of my work clothes when I retired.

 

[Walt34]

I have an old blue jean jacket that dates from the Ford administration but I keep it more for sentimental value and to dig at DW ("Why don't you throw that thing out?"). I bought it at a time when money was very tight because I owned an airplane, $12 at J.C. Penny and it has a lining in it! But I saved a bundle changing oil on cars and the airplane instead of paying to have it done while wearing that jacket.

Other than that one item we're actually pretty good about throwing out or donating clothes we don't wear anymore. Having to deal with emptying FIL's house made us acutely aware of how much "stuff" we have and that eventually we or someone else is going to have to deal with it. So when there's a question about an item the propensity is to get rid of it if we haven't used it for a year or more.

 

[Ronstar]

Still have my high school letterman jacket ca 1970.

I really need to purge the clothes. We took all of our snowbird condo clothes back home to Illinois when we sold the condo. At last count I had 17 pairs of shorts. And still have all of my work clothes - several pairs of pants in each of my slim, normal and fat sizes. 20 some dress shirts. Our clothes take up the closets in 3 bedrooms, hall closet, laundry room storage and a bunch of plastic bins. I can't get DW to get rid of the stuff, and she won't let me purge.

 

[street]

I also have a late 70's letterman jacket, couple of coats and a few sweaters from my college days.

 

[sengsational]

I've just taken this picture. These jeans are just getting good. We acquired a sewing machine, and I've been trying to keep them going, but I fear the end is near.

 

[Ronstar]

^ the kids today would pay big bucks for those jeans.

 

[aja8888]

I also have a set of oilfield coveralls in my section of the closet (non-FRC) from the 80's when I was "re-careering" myself from manufacturing to Big Oil. Today they are not allowed as all oilfied clothing has to be fire retardant. I used them for years when I was restoring old cars. Those coveralls are "tough as nails", so to say.

sengsational - As Ron said, you have sought after jeans.


Here's about 1/2 of DW's stuff after the purge. Notice the upper clothing bar that's not in use anymore.

 

[Palmtree]

I turn 61 in Sept. I still have the down vest I bought when I was a senior in high school. It's a puffer vest and now back in style. Bonus!

 

[harllee]

^ the kids today would pay big bucks for those jeans.

Why do the kids pay extra for jeans with holes in them? I my day we would die of embarrassment if we wore a pair of jeans with holes.

 

[aja8888]

Why do the kids pay extra for jeans with holes in them? I my day we would die of embarrassment if we wore a pair of jeans with holes.

Kids are big into tattoos too these days. No one had a "tat" when I was a kid. My Dad had one from WWII when he was in the Navy.

My 41 year old daughter is finally "over" the jeans with holes.

 

[Walt34]

Kids are big into tattoos too these days. No one had a "tat" when I was a kid.

Same here. Anyone who did was mere "trash" and if female, only one step up from a streetwalking hooker.

 

[CardsFan]

My "space" was about a 6' long span and contained every piece of clothing I owned except for what's in my dresser (socks, underwear, tee shirts, sweaters)

You get 6 feet? Your wife must really love you.

 

[Gulfbeach]

This doesn’t compare to a lot of you, but just yesterday I purged an entire rack of very sparkly tops from twenty years ago when we started cruising!

 

[pjm-7]

The oldest thing in my closet is a late-1950's "fit and flair" dress that belonged to my mom. Yes, it fits me. I hang on to it just in case I get invited to a costume party. All I need to add is a string of pearls and I can do my best June Cleaver vacuuming the living room.