When you think about all the clothes you’ve ever loved to wear, which garments rise to the top? My mind immediately goes to two ends of the spectrum: fancy dresses and the jeans I wore a thousand times.
I love a great dress. But the garments I’ve loved the most, the ones I might even call beloved, were the jeans. I’m using the past tense, because I haven’t worn—or even seen—my two all-time favorite pairs in well over a decade.
I found the first pair at a thrift shop when I was seventeen. Boot-cut, button-fly, dark wash, and to my memory, completely perfect in every way. They cost me fifty cents that I handed over to the cashier in actual quarters.
I wish I could remember the brand; what I do remember is wearing those jeans everywhere, all the time, for a few short years. They were the right amount of frayed and faded upon arrival, and grew increasingly more so with constant wear.
I would have worn those jeans forever, but denim doesn’t work that way. At least this denim didn’t: the fabric didn’t just develop holes but wore down to nothingness at some seams. I tried to extend their life; I even made a last-ditch rescue attempt and begged a college friend who did tailoring for the theater department to patch up my jeans. I handed them to her with great hope—but her cheerful calico patches only bought me a few more wears, because my jeans had literally fallen apart.
It was some years later when I stumbled upon my next favorite pair of jeans, in the unlikeliest of places … because they were—gasp!—maternity jeans. YES REALLY. My mom bought them for me as a gift at a new (and now long-defunct) local maternity boutique when I was pregnant with my fourth child.
These maternity jeans from Paige Premium Denim were far nicer than the non-maternity Gap jeans I wore back then, and instantly became my favorite piece of clothing. Dark blue wash, two-button close, boot cut. They were cute, comfortable, the perfect length, they went with everything. (They were similar to this pair of Paige’s Cindy High Waist Straight Leg Ankle Jeans, albeit in blue and with a large elastic panel to accommodate my growing belly.) When my baby was born and I slowly transitioned back to my non-maternity wardrobe, I was sad to leave those jeans behind, I loved them so much. I’ve never met a single person who’s been sad to transition out of maternity clothes, so that is saying something.
That child is now twelve, which means it’s been a long time since I’ve worn jeans that belong in a lifetime-favorite conversation. But lately I’ve been wondering: might I be able to recapture some of that magic and find a pair I love just as—or maybe even almost—as much?
I’ve been experimenting in that regard, but I don’t want to get ahead of myself, because that’s not what I want to talk about today. What I really want to know is this: when you hear the words “all-time favorite piece of clothing,” what comes to mind? Do you have your own pair of jeans, or great sweater, or fabulous dress, that you loved so much you might even call it “beloved?” Did you own that garment decades ago or is it hanging in your closet right now? Have you ever tried to replace it, or have you given up hope that that’s possible? We need to know all about it.
Tell us all about your all-time favorite clothing in comments! And if you have any tips for replacing my long-lost favorite denim, I’d love to hear those as well!
75 comments
I had a pair of full length 100% cotton gap jeans with a button fly that I wore to death in the 90s. In my memory they are paired with a brown jcrew barn jacket that had a corduroy collar and a plaid flannel lining and my via Spiga western style black shooties. That was my fall uniform. Usually a white tshirt or button down under. The jeans … I still see them in my head. They were worn in and the best fitting perfect pair. I often question why I don’t still have them and would love to try them on again.
WOW does this take me back! Your 90s fall uniform sounds amazing. (Do you have pictures? I’m sure I have pictures of my jeans somewhere and I’m tempted to go looking …)
I have a short polyester black dress with ruched front that I bought on sale at JCP 15 years ago to use as a swim cover up. I use it for work, funerals, and as the cover up! Wash/dry/never wrinkles, packable, and hangs well off my boobs so it doesn’t cling to my stomach.
What a fun post! Way back when during my middle school years I had a pair of recycled jeans my mom made for me. Basically she took a pair of denim jean shorts and added legs to them that were made of scraps and pieces of denim. I loved those jeans and wore them constantly until I simply grew out of them. These days my favorite piece of clothing is a dark maroon corduroy jacket, styled like a denim jeans jacket, which I bought on sale at JC Penney’s about 10-12 years ago. It is my go-to jacket as it pairs well with just about everything and has held up to years of wear and washings. I have a vintage pink rhinestone pin permanently pinned to the jacket collar, and when I am driving in the car on a sunny day, the pin makes a disco ball effect in the car which is just fun and cheerful.
And now I’m remembering all the jeans I’ve loved and lost. One standout memory is my first pair of Guess? Jeans in 7th grade. They were dark wash, non stretch straight-legged jeans and I felt so mature because they hugged every inch of my just-developing curves. The fact that I had to sit on the floor of the bathroom to pry them slowly over my heals to get them off because the ankle openings were so small didn’t deter my dedication!
In 1986, when I was 14, I traveled by train across Oregon to my hometown of Ontario. I wandered into THE place to shop for teens and fell in love with a denim jacket adorned with embroidery. I borrowed the needed money from a friend to buy it and wore it daily throughout high school. I still have it today and pull it out for decades days at the school where I work. It is the perfect shade of denim.
Do you have a photo?
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/40/67/a2/4067a2e5e22b133f30560c799ed9bf5f.jpg
Love that jacket!!
When I was in high school (in the ’70s), I had a longish black cardigan that I wore everywhere. It was actually a “letter sweater” that I bought on clearance at our local sporting goods store. It was perfect for most winter days in the south–I hated bulky coats (still do)–and it had POCKETS. I loved that sweater and wore it constantly throughout all four years of high school. Then it just disappeared! Turns out, my mom hated the sweater and gave it away. I found this out when I saw a neighbor wearing my sweater! Needless to say, I was devastated.
There’s one jeans brand I love. I forget the name but the store I bought them from closed last year sadly. I still have some of the jeans in my wardrobe in varying sizes. Last time, I bought Per Una by M&S jeans though and I loved those too so it’s not all bad. I’m liking my Hollister hoodies. I love a good cashmere jumper or cardigan but I hate the upkeep (they usually have to be hand washed!)
I’ve also had a few fave dresses over the years. One of which I just reluctantly got rid of as it’s too small for me now and the beading was coming off after loads of wears! The other is still hanging in my wardrobe after being fixed by a colleague of my mum’s who was handy with a needle and thread! Maybe not by coincidence they are both black dresses – one was an a line polka dot dress, the other a sparkly detailed one that was flown but cinched at the waist. Other fave dresses were bright pink and a mix of red – pink layered taffeta from my University days. I love bright colours and classic wardrobe staples, but I live in casual clothes like jeans, t-shirts and hoodies. I love my current PJ trousers – it took me ages to realise I preferred elasticated cuffed drawstrings waists and cuffed ankles on my trousers not leggings for sleeping in and it’s really made all the difference to my comfort.
I loved Guess jeans in the 80’s and remember my first pair that I tried on for a school fashion show. I quickly bought them because they fit perfectly and looked so good. They were so different from the Levis or Calvin Kleins that I had always worn before that: these had zippered ankles! A few years later I found another favorite pair: button-fly, zippered ankle jeans from Express. Wore all those until the fabric disintegrates in places and ripped in others.
My other favorite piece of clothing was a purple sweater from J.Jill. It was long (great to wear with leggings) and cozy with a cowl neck, but not too warm. I brought it home from a dry cleaning and realized that they had shrunk it significantly. It still fits, but it’s shorter and denser. I wear it all the time in the winter, but often miss how perfect it once was.
What a fun question, and all kinds of things come to mind:
– My first pair of Gloria Vanderbilt jeans that fit me like a glove after I lost weight.
– A red knit suit with a sweetheart collar and a peplum.
– A black and white zip front shirt? dress? that I wore with black leggings. That had a peplum, too. I must have a thing for peplum.
– The Express sweater my mom gave me that was magenta with big, vivid flowers on it.
– And especially the brown suede FRINGE gloves my mom gave me. They were stupid expensive but she had seen me gazing at them when we were out shopping one day. At first I kept them in the box and rarely wore them. Then I realized that was silly and wore the all. the. time. Just as they were starting to show some signs of wear, Hurricane Katrina hit and I lost them (and a whole lot of other things) to flooding. I’m SO GLAD I wore them and enjoyed them!
My very favorite piece of clothing was the periwinkle blue satin dress I wore to my daughter’s wedding. She asked me to wear blue and find a dress I felt beautiful in. Not only did I feel beautiful in it, but everytime I see it I remember an absolutely perfect day in the life of our family.
Clearly, I value comfort above all else, because my mind immediately goes to pjs and what we’d now call leisurewear, but what in the 80’s we’re just “sweats.” I value no item more in my arsenal than the softest, coziest, cloud-like, sewn by angels garments that I change in to the minute I cross my threshold. 🤷🏻♀️
Do you mind sharing the brand with us? That description of your actions is me all over! Thanks~~
I have a denim jacket by J.Jill bought at Goodwill for $5. I keep it in the car for anytime I go somewhere and it’s unexpectedly cold. I’ve let countless people borrow it when I’ve been out and they were cold. 100% have reacted saying “I love this jacket!” I always respond saying everyone does-it’s magic. Obviously I now refer to it as The Magic Jacket.
Mary Chaplin Carpenter has a great song about a shirt and all of the memories associated with it. It is called, appropriately, The Shirt.
Love that song!
I have a navy pin-striped heavy-knit blazer I bought at Loft in the fall of 2017. I was starting a new job, my first ever office job at the ripe age of 23, and needed to upgrade my wardrobe. It’s a tricky color navy and it’s been a challenge to find pants that go with it. But it’s still one of my favorite pieces. Jeans, a long-sleeve tee, and ankle boots with that blazer is one of my all-time favorite outfits.
The other item that stands out for me is a pair of denim boots -with pockets! – I had in 1987 when I was a freshman in high school. I saw them in Seventeen Magazine and fell in love. I wore them all through high school until they sadly fell apart.
And I just remembered my square-toe red ankle boots I bought on a whim in early 2001. One of those items I wasn’t sure how I would wear but ended up defining my style for the next five years.
Seventeen Magazine!!!! I’d forgotten about that!
I also had those jean boots. One item I really wish I still had.
Ha! Such a timely blog! I love it and wow to all the good feelings it brings, right? When I was 16 (1971, gasp!) my father bought three different cashmere sweaters from Swansons on the Plaza (fancy, 🙂 for his Girls – my mom, my sister and me). When I opened this box (also very fancy) on Christmas Day I had received the grey cardigan. Loved! Yesterday her in Grapevine Texas it was a bit chilly and I wore my grey cardigan all day, reminded how lovely it still feels to the touch and to the heart ❤️ never in the history of (my) clothing will anything ever compare. Thank you Anne for allowing us to relive a memory. And isn’t amazing what a piece of clothing (treasured) can do to a little soul work. 🥰
I was VERY into purple in high school & college, and I had (1) a loosely woven v-neck sweater that I would wear over black or white tshirts. I finally let it go in my late twenties because it was so ratty looking. and (2) a pair of purple Guess jean shorts. Money was very tight, so I owned nothing name brand. But I found those jean shorts in a thrift shop, they fit perfectly and were the perfect color. I wore them constantly until the inseams literally gave out (shortly after graduating college)
Love this topic! I had a black/white/brown checkered full length faux fur coat with oversized wooden buttons that my grandfather had made for my mom in the 60s. I wore that coat to DEATH, lining dissolved, stitches ripping – but the final straw was my cat peeing all over the coat when she was ill 😭
It can never be replaced – it was a one of a kind – but to this day I have an (unhealthy?) obsession with patterned faux fur coats.
I have two!
First, a pair of Faded Glory jeans—they buttoned up like sailor pants. I received them as a gift from my then boyfriend, now husband, in 1973. I wore them for over a decade until they disintegrated. Nothing before or since has ever fit me so well, been so comfortable, or made me look so good. I so miss them!
Second, an Alley Cat (by Betsey Johnson) crushed velvet pantsuit. My mom bought it for me when I started college in 1971. It was the height of cool. Sadly, I grew 2 inches in college and it no longer fit. But it’s still in my closet! I look at it every day and always think of my late mom—she loved it too!
I started young with favorite clothing. I loved a black floral printed dress my mother had sewn for me so much, that when I’d outgrown it, she made an identical one the next size up.
Then, I had a really sweet full length robe as a child that I was so sad to let go of. It was soft & quilted & had little yellow rose buds all over. I got a pretty pink silky one to replace it, but it was just not the same. My mother saved the yellow one for me & I regret saying, I got rid of it, along with other cute childhood clothing I should have kept.
As a teen on my first trip to Europe I think I wore one pair of jeans the entire trip. They had a rainbow embroidered up and down the leg! 1974!!!!!! The Captain & Tennille & a pair of Famolare Get There sandals with wavy soles!!!!
There have been many faves, but one that I really enjoyed was a pair of Calvin Klein pants, I called my “traveling pants.” I’d wear them on flights. They were wide legged, olive drab in color with comfy Lycra stretch built in.
I also recall a pair of Lee overalls that I actually sold to someone in Brazil who admired them.
This is easy
Spank black leggings always!
A beautiful black velvet evening dress brought for a dance ( similar to the lady di dress she wore to dance with John Travolta)
And last but not least my wedding dress
Well, I must say, I cannot think of a most favorite piece of clothing. But, I have to say how much I have enjoyed this topic and reading everybody’s responses. I agree these sort of reminiscent thoughts can sure take us back in time and evoke such nostalgia. I especially enjoy that women my age have responded (67). So fun! Thank you Anne for giving us something fun to think about. Enjoy the day!!
P.S. I’m wearing a very warm pair of soft sweats and a nice warm thermal shirt this morning. Right now, it’s a favorite as it is keeping me warm on this very brisk fall morning.
My most favorite piece of clothing would be a sweatshirt, specifically many of the sweatshirts I have from Athleta. They are oversized, comfy, warm, cozy, and remind me of autumn ( which we don’t see much of in Arizona!)
No doubt about it, my favorite is the grey fisherman knit sweater I had in college. My roommate’s mother loved to knit and offered to make a sweater for me if I bought the yarn. Deal! It was so beautiful and fit me perfectly. I wore it until the yarn itself was decomposing and I think I’ve been looking for one just like it for years! Thanks for the fun trip down memory lane.
In the late 1960’s, when I was in fifth grade and my sister was in third grade, my mom bought us white go-go boots lined in fake black fur. I loved those boots! I wore them to school every day for the entire school year. My all time favorite wardrobe item.
Yes, the jeans! My niece gave me a pair of Mossimo skinny jeans in like 2017 and I wore those babies up until this year! They now have small holes on the inside of both thighs but I am considering buying patches so I can continue to wear them lol. They fit perfectly and I really love them (I’m short so it’s sometimes hard to find a good fitting jean). Another favorite is a pair of jean shorts that I found around the same year and have worn nonstop ever since. I tried looking for them online but they don’t make them/sell them anymore and since I bought them at TJ Maxx I don’t think I’ll ever find them.
I had a very simple tie belt blue dress that had a very flattering fit and was literally wash and drip dry, so a perfect travel dress. I affectionately called it my lucky dress, but in retrospect it was probably the confidence that that perfect dress gave me.
My current faves are about half a dozen pairs of hand knit socks created by my best friend. The first pair was a gift,now I buy the yarn and she adds her labor of love. These are the softest. Best fitting socks I have ever worn plus I get to think of my dear friend every time I wear them.
Reading the other comments has reminded me of some beloved pieces I’d forgotten about! When I was maybe 11 in the mid 1970’s, my parents gave me a purple velvet maxi coat for Christmas that zipped off to become a midi coat and I wore it with white go-go boots. I felt so glamorous when I wore that coat. Another beloved piece was the white one-piece swimsuit from The Limited in about 1980 that had rainbow ruching to one side of the waist. It was ridiculously expensive, but somehow I convinced my mom I needed that swimsuit to take with me on a choir trip to Mexico. I still can’t believe my mom let 16 year-old me go on a choir trip to Mexico!
My sister and I had velvet maxi coats with the zip off bottom! We loved those things to death. We went on a rather long walk-about in Germany in the winter and got so cold we unzipped the bottom part and wrapped it around our heads! haha! Fun memory this morning.
I have a powder pink cashmere sweater that I bought on sale at Kohls. I know it’s not great quality and it’s almost more holes than sweater. So I can’t wear it anymore. I’m trying to find a satisfying way to mend/upcycle it.
I had a beloved cashmere sweater that I bought used, and when it started to get holes I started wearing it under other clothes, and I loved it even better then! There was something so luxurious about having a cashmere base layer. If eventually fell apart.
I saw a video on Instagram where they embroidered little flowers, etc over each hole in a moth eaten sweater. It looked wonderful!
I have a sweatshirt that I got in the 1980’s when my dad had season tickets to the Oakland Athletics and took my very young kids and me to the games. My dad passed over 20 years ago and my kids are in their 40’s, but every time I put on that aging and very faded sweatshirt, it takes me back to a very happy time in my life.
My aunt and uncle gave me an oversized black sweatshirt with NY & Co stitched on it. It was the late 80s and I still have that sweatshirt – it’s my FAVORITE for chilly winter days, works with jeans or leggings, and makes me feel cozy.
1972 – low cut Lees jeans, brass button fly. They fit like no others on my 88-lb frame, making the most of the slight curves I had. They saw me through my growing-into-myself days as a design major. I spent a lot of time soaking the legs in lacquer thinner to remove the best of the silkscreen ink. I wore them until even the cutoffs were not wearable and I mourned when I could not find anything remotely similar to replace them.
These days, I treasure my black cashmere turtleneck which makes me feel elegant, and the cozy flannel tunic whose colors and weight keep me snug.
I had a pair of men’s Levi’s button fly, boot cut thrift store jeans with a worn ring in the back pocket from the previous owner’s can of dip! When I sat in front of my future husband and his best friend in Biology lab in college they secretly made up a song about me called “Dip Ring Girl”! When I started dating him a couple years later he finally told me about that and that it was the first time he noticed me! I used to wear those jeans all the time and remember them very fondly.
Those jeans sound amazing–dip ring’s got character!
This is a really fun question! I love how many of us have such good memories of a well fitting pair of jeans or pants! Simply reading the title of your post, I remembered my first pair of jeans that I bought new probably with babysitting money, that actually fit me. They were a dark wash with a nice flare and they were stretchy so they fit for years.
My second clothing item was an awesome maroon shirt that had sheer sleeves like angel wings, I don’t know what they are called. They started normal sized at the shoulder and then flared out super wide at the wrist. I think that was my first piece of clothing that let me see that I could dress in modern clothing but feel like I’d stepped out of the pages of a favorite book as it transformed the mundane into the fantastic.
In the summer of 1978, I traveled all over Europe in a pink and purple Gunny Sax/Jessica McClintock skirt that I wore with a pale pink cap sleeved t-shirt. I had carted along other items, but that skirt was what I wore nearly every day for 8 weeks.
When I got home, I continued to wear it through my senior year of high school, even having my senior pictures taken in it. Its long gone – went to the garbage rather than the thrift store before I left for college.
Currently I own a pair of light grey knit capris that have been my favorite Sunday outfit, worn with one of several dressy knit shirts in various colors, for 2-3 years. Recently I lost 30 lbs., and they hang kinda funny now, so I have them set aside to give to a friend. I’m going to miss them (but not the weight).
I was 14, they were a pair of light wash Duck Head jeans with two buttons. I wore them out. Then Duck Head went down with Goody’s. Google tells me it’s back though!
I love all the 70’s memories – Famolares! Long sweaters with pockets! Button front bell bottoms from Block’s the army/navy surplus store.
Mine favorite all time item I bought in the mid-80s in my early professional life. It was a crazy expensive Carrie White hand framed cardigan sweater with an intricate intarsia pattern. I saw it in a boutique here in Seattle, but I was going to Great Britain on a trip and determined I would buy one there as a souvenir. I found the exact pattern I wanted and bought it in London. I still have it. I need to have someone who knows what they are doing put nice suede patches on the elbows, and I will wear it again.
I also loved the skirt that I wore it with. A tea length taupe wool gabardine pencil skirt, that once got a moth hole in it but I was able to find a tailor who perfectly repaired the tiny hole and I could never find it again. They just don’t make everyday clothes the same way anymore.
What a fun memory journey.
Loving reading these! Past favorites remembered fondly, 80s version:
1) A well-worn pair of button-fly Levis so soft from wear they sprouted holes. In high school art class, I drew all over the legs with Sharpies and so did all my friends. My mom disappeared them one day, probably out of fear ink-bleed would ruin her washer and I have low-level mourned their loss ever since. (despite the fact I could no longer fit into them)
2) A pair of red paisley sneakers from the Spiegel catalog. I never saw another pair on anyone else and hoped I had the only pair they ever sold. Also, my navy blue Sporto “duck” shoes, same era.
3) My collection of Swatch watches, only a couple of which actually worked which I ridiculously wore all at once up my arm, along with these ‘Jelly’ bracelets that looked like plastic coils.
4) Last but not least, argyle sweater vests in garish color palettes.
A mishmash of color and pattern and lots of it always made me happy and still does.
Oh, the Spiegel catalog! That alone made me remember a fantastic pullover sweater with diagonal stripes in fall colors! I’d forgotten that. <3
Rabbit trail alert: I don’t know whatever happened to the Spiegel catalog (or Spiegel either for that matter), but it was MAGIC. I’d pore over it. Related–anyone remember obsessing over those big thick fall/winter and holiday catalogs from JCP and Sears? My sisters and I would cut paper dolls from the pages (once our mom okay’ed it under fear of death and dismemberment) and place them in ‘rooms’ torn from the home decor pages. We built entire elaborate paper dollhouses and would store the pieces in ‘baggies.’ I’m sure my mom loved it because it kept us busy for hours.
Oh, the memories! My mother made most of my clothes when I was growing up, so my favorites were always the few store-bought ones I got. In high school (late 60’s), I bought a plaid wool mini-skirt and fuzzy, cozy sweater to match, that I wore as often as possible. But my favorite of all was my white high school graduation dress – a short, Juliet-style empire style with long sleeves, trimmed in cotton lace. I loved how I felt in that dress! In college, I cut it down into to a blouse and wore it with my bellbottom jeans for years! I often wish I still had it.
When I was 13 my Gran bought me a gypsy skirt, three tiers of fabulousness and I loved it. It had a swish to it and made me feel wonderful. In my late 30s I found a skirt in the same style with the top and bottom sections the same and the middle section in a coordinating fabric, just like the original. I wore it for so many years that the pattern faded to nothingness. At 18 I fell in love with Laura Ashley and over the years had so many wonderful clothes from there, Laura Ashley were the backbone of my wardrobe and I cried when they closed down. They had one particular style which I bought a dozen times over, it was my signature dress; square neckline, puffy sleeves, huge skirt. I really wish that I had kept them all, I am now in my 50s and would look ridiculous in them but oh, the memories.
I had a cotton sundress that I wore to rags. My grandmother thought it was the only dress I owned because she never saw me in anything else. She slipped me cash and told me to get another dress. I still miss that dress.
When I moved to NYC for law school in 2008, I bought a pair of Cole Hahn Nike Air tall, flat, brown leather boots. The leather was gorgeous and buttery soft. I wore these boots (with skinny jeans tucked in, of course) all over the city for 3 winters and put hundreds of miles on them.
I remember a favorite pair of denim overalls, not the farmer-style, but cute and fitted, I lived in them in the 70’s. Recently my favorites are a fair-isle sweater I spent a year knitting and a Wool& dress. I had the yarn for the sweater for years before I felt I could do it justice and I love the finished sweater.
I’m not sure I have an all time favorite, but my Good American palazzo jeans are worn on repeat these days. I get compliments on them everywhere I go, they’re soft and comfy, and elevate every top I pair them with! Give them a shot!!
A black fleece Royal Robbins top with little slits for my thumbs. A short front zipper and small collar. I have travelled with it for years. I take several silk scarves and I can dress it up for fine dining in Paris, Tokyo, or Auckland (loving all this travel in early retirement). The black fleece keeps me warm on hikes in Banff, or sailing in BC. I can’t think of how I can replace it when it finally wears thin.
Columbia has, on sale this week, fleece tops similar to what you describe minus the thumb-holes. $17.99. They’re thin fleece so pack/travel well, but still feel cozy on. They come in a variety of solid colors and prints.
Maybe because I live in year-round warm climate, I could never understand appeal of something as encasing and heavy as jeans, known in Spanish as vaqueros, as cowboys wear to protect from scrub brush, barbed wire, and riding horses. My favorite garments are loose and sheer, like white “poet’s” blouse made of very light gauzy white cotton, perhaps made in India–like early muslins mentioned in Jane Austen’s NORTHANGER ABBEY , a fashion worn in imitation of drapery worn by ancient Greek statues unearthed in late 1700’s. Such sheer fabric allowed easy evaporation of perspiration, like fine linen of Ancient Egypt, compared to unsuitable woolens in novel MARA, DAUGHTER OF THE NILE. Louisa May Alcott’s lesser-known novel EIGHT COUSINS has fun chapter “Fashion and Physiology” compariing clothes designed for other reasons than comfort, and healthier–and I think prettier–garments. 30 years ago I could still find pre-polyster cotton dresses from maybe 1950’s in thrift stores with original department store price tags. Before tossing out a family member’s favorite old shirt (that you may think too faded and worn), consider if wearer may like it due to sensory issues described in books such as UNIQUELY HUMAN by Barry Prizant; instead, if husband or son has favorite cotton shirt, stock up on items that may be no longer available when first garment is no longer wearable.
I had a pair of Gap jeans that I found on the clearance rack for $10 in high school – I wore them for YEARS. Like, 15+ years. I was so sad when they finally didn’t fit/fell apart.
I also have a black halter dress that I have worn to a million weddings/events – not sure it still fits but it is definitely still hanging in my closet. I feel so beautiful in it.
This is a great topic, and reading the comments has made me want to tackle the chore of getting out my winter clothes because I know I have some cozy sweatshirts waiting on me! My all time favorite clothes would have to be a pair of flare jeans and a gauzy cream colored top that I wore all through high school in the ’70’s!
I was born in 1970 so at the age of 12 in 1982 all I wanted was a pair of designer jeans – Jordache to be clear. Well, my single mother was not going to purchase a pair of jeans that were $120 to her credit! So, her youngest sister who was in high school had a few pair. I decided to make my own; I ripped off the Jordache leather patch and sewed them onto my Lee jeans. Oh, she was not happy. We laugh about it now and laugh and laugh, but not back in 1982 -there was no laughing! 🙂
It is surprisingly fitting (no pun intended), but my favorite clothing item that is sorta of from the past is Shakespeare & co sweatshirt from my favorite local indie book store in NYC. I purchased it just a few weeks before covid and then I left the city to stay with my family. I missed nyc alot at the time and often reach for this sweatshirt to cheer me up. At this point it is super comfy and worn out with loose sleeves so I mostly just wear it around the house. Recently found out that it a collector item as the store no longer sells t-shirts, sweatshirts etc. anymore.
20 years ago, I had a beautiful white dress with a waistline and tea length. It looked great on and was comfortable too. I wore it when we renewed our wedding vows. I felt like a princess. Alas, I can no longer wear it but still have the memories.
My favorite item is my Levi jean jacket that I bought back in 1978 and I wore it everywhere up until about 10 years ago. My girlfriend hated it she said it looked grungy but it is just so faded and soft and so I stopped wearing it but I still have it in my closet.
Good for you for keeping it!
I have a black and white polka dotted sweater that I originally bought for my teenage daughter at Forever 21. She never wore it and is now 30 years old. I love the fit, the length and the shape hides a multitude of sins.
I had a pair of slightly flared, a little below the waist jeans with a fabric braid on the outside of the legs, in the 70’s. Loved them so much until they became too small for me. Sometimes wish I could see them again just to experience their wonderfulness!
When I was a senior in college, I frequently took the train into NYC to interview for jobs and often wandered through Saks Fifth Avenue which is in midtown right near all the big banks I was interviewing at. One day while browsing the sale rack, I happened upon a cherry red classic-styled long wool coat. It was beautiful. It was unlike any other coat I had ever seen. There was only one left. It was my size. Even on sale it was a huge splurge for a college student but I it just claimed me as its owner, so I took a deep breath and took the plunge, hoping I wouldn’t regret it. Reader, I got the job at one of those big banks and that beautiful coat served me well for over ten years. It made me feel so confident walking in New York and into my place of work. I had the lining replaced twice which one could easily have done at most dry cleaners in NYC at that time. I wore it every cold day. I never saw another one quite like it on anyone else. The combination of the very clean lines and classic style and the beautiful red-more a blue red than an orangey red- was still beautiful to me many years out. It was such a great investment and a vote of confidence that I made that day in my own future. (It was Calvin Klein, the year was 1982 and my work wardrobe was right out of Working Girl crossed with Babyboom.) Thanks for jogging my memory. This was fun.
I have to point out that colorful coats were not really a thing then the way they are now so it felt daring to choose a coat that was not black, brown, grey, navy. 😊
I love your comment, Julie. My mother never spent money on her clothes and I remember making the decision to by quality over quantity as I built my wardrobe after college. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made in life.
It has always served me well. 🙂
After reading all the comments I remembered the brown leather bomber jacket I bought in high school (1989). I remember it being expensive for my 17 year old self but I bought it and wore it until the leather inside the cuffs cracked and fell away. I also miss a cookie monster shirt that I had when I was probably 8 or 10. The entire front of the shirt was his face and I wore that all the time too.