As Yves St Laurent said: “Fashion fades, style is eternal”. People who thoughtfully acquire quality items and curate their wardrobes will keep items of clothing for decades. I have clothes that I’ve had for over 25 years that I wear frequently and still get admiring comments. These items are firstly of very high quality (not necessarily expensive, but sometimes yes) and secondly of timeless design, and I’m not talking clean lines and neutral colours here, but rather well made individual pieces that could be linked to their time if it was pointed out, but that because of their design, cut and quality can be combined with other items of other eras and styles which together form a look that is truly unique.
I was an avid sew-er when I was a teenager. I couldn’t find the clothes I wanted to wear so I designed and made them myself. I sourced fabrics from the same wholesalers that indie designers shopped at. The fabrics were unique and high quality and as long as you bought a pile at a time and had a good idea, quickly, of how much you wanted (ie didn’t wast the proprietor’s time with retail, browsing behaviour)then they were ridiculously cheap. I wish I had kept some of the clothes I made back then — but I’m not a collector or hoarder — because looking back I made some really amazing stuff.
