Old Faithful's: the clothes that survived years in my closet.

These days, most of the clothes in my closet don't last more than two years.
my style is constantly evolving. I can sell clothes for cash or trade them for other gently-used clothes.
I receive free clothes from friends or buy some at a good deal and to make the addition of new pieces 
fair, I phase out and donate other clothes. There are also casualties. The clothes that were more cheaply made than I bargained for and they started to come apart too soon.
Aside from a handful of formal dresses that I save for a special occasion, almost everything else 
gets replaced anywhere from six months to two years after it arrives. The blouses and tank tops are among the most frequently replaced items. There are some shorts, jeans and outwear that have survived for three years. 

Despite the high rate of turnover in my closet, there are a handful of what I call "old faithfuls".
They are colder weather clothes. Year after year, they stay in rotation and get worn regularly. 
Why? Why not. When you find a versatile, quality piece, you don't let it go.

 
 The cowboy boots- real, patent leather with intricate patterns sewn on. The authentic snake-skin on the toes is peeling and needs a little refurbishing and there's a blue paint swatch on the left boot, left by a spill during an art project. They were my 21st birthday gift to myself.... in August 2008. They were purchased at Urban Outfitters in the peak of the cowboy boots coming into the style spotlight. At that time, the store offered several unique pairs of refurbished vintage cowboy and cowgirl boots. The actual age of the boots is unknown. They could be over 40 years old. 
 The winter coat- It is a Billabong jacket purchased by my mom from Pacsun. My memory is a little hazy if that purchase was made for my going off to college in fall 2005 or during the winter of 2006, making it the single oldest piece in my entire wardrobe.  How has it lasted so long? Aside from being a quality brand, its neutral cream color made it a staple and its furry hood is removable. Also the fur is removable from the hood itself. That means it was adaptable through several different winter fashion seasons, some where a furry hood was a hot commodity and some where no fur was preferable.  
 The fur-hooded sweater vest- a spur-of-the-moment sale purchase at Old Navy in early 2007 turned out to be a good buy. slate grey, light blue, green and cream are always stylish together. it layers well under overcoats with no hood. It looks like a sweater but acts like outerwear. The only thing that has changed over the years is what is worn under it. the first few years I had it, I wore a tight- fitting thermal tee of a similar color to the vest (maybe sky blue or grey). The past few years, I wore a looser-fitting, long top in a color that complemented the sweater but wasn't the same and a scarf made of cable-knit sweater material.
The ultra-skinny dark-wash jeggings- You would expect something like this to come from
Forever 21, right? Not in this case. This pair of dark denim pants is actually a pair of leggings (it has no zipper, just a button, and it's made of stretch material). They were found in the clearance rack at a White House Black Market outlet store for only $10! They have some flaws: runs in the stretch material, one of which you can see in the thigh area on the left side in this picture. When the pants are on, they stretch well and the flaws go unnoticed. Despite that, they have been sturdy and have held up well every September-April since they were found in summer 2011. Because they are dark grey and not a funky shade of blue, they are very versatile for day or night and for casual or dressy. They have been worn with a plain t-shirt and canvas shoes on the weekend but they have also been worn to church with a dressy blouse or work with a button-down shirt on a "jeans day". Because they're skinny, they go well with boots too. As long as they don't form a rip in the butt or the crotch, they
will continue to be a go-to when I need denim. They are the "newest" of the "old" items in my closet,
but they see the most wear of the four items.


 







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