All this talk about dated clothing and wardrobe turnover and clothes not lasting more than five years has me depressed in a way. I just spent all this effort creating a fab closet and I'm scared that it's all going to turn dated in five years! Especially since I love prints and supposedly those date faster than solids. I really have to wrap my head around the idea that a wardrobe is never "done" and that I will need to keep renewing and replacing things, hopefully not at the same pace I have been but maybe at the 20% per year guideline that someone else mentioned. I also have to come to terms that my favorite pieces will not last forever and that someday I either might get tired of them or they will become dated (as I'm finding out with my 90's bias skirts!)
Which leads me to the question, what in your closet is timeless and will most likely never date?
I think as general categories, handbags, watches and jewelry tend to date much more slowly than clothes and shoes. But in terms of your clothes, here are some questions to ponder:
1) What items in your closet are more than 10 years old but you still wear regularly?
2) What are your favorite items that have survived your post-YLF purges?
3) What things do you own now that you anticipate surviving in your closet for at least another ten years?
4) Is there anything in your closet that you think will never go out of style?
5) What are the characteristics of timeless clothes?
6) Do patterns automatically date faster than solids--do you tire of your printed clothing faster?
I would say that I do have pre-YLF pieces that are over 10 years old in my closet that I still like, but most of them I am not wearing because I suspect they're dated (which leads me to think I should just go ahead and do a complete purge of them). I already posted some of my skirts recently and the consensus was they were dated. I think among clothes, coats and dresses have the most potential for remaining timeless. Shirts, pants and skirts all seem like they change what's in style rather frequently.
The couple dresses that have survived my post-YLF purges and have also passed YLF K/T's are my Banana Republic black wrap dress and my Jessica Howard jungle leaf print dress. Both are prints but the wrap style is pretty timeless (which is why DVF is so popular) and the safari look remains a perennial theme. Current items that I think will survive the test of time are my Kate Spade trench coats, Kate Spade black and white floral sheath dress, Adrianna Papell red faux wrap dress, J Crew poppy sheath dress, purple Adrianna Papell and Classiques Entier ombre stripe dress. And hopefully my signature outfit with my leather and tweed skirt (although I'm worried the pussy bow blouse will probably become dated in a few years). As for print dresses I think the turquoise Michael Kors, pink Laundry and yellow Eliza J may last longer than 10 years, but you never know with prints. The rest of my beloved printed PB blouses, printed skirts, and coat collection I hope will last a long time, but I suspect they may go out of date first before I tire of them.
So looking at what I've listed here, it seems like dresses and coats in classic silhouettes (wrap or faux wrap or sheath for dresses, trenches for coats) in solids or neutral/subdued prints have the most chance of withstanding the march of time. Which doesn't bode well for my bright-colored print-happy closet! Oh no!
Looking forward to reading your responses!
I'm a doctor and mom of three on the go go go who likes to have fun with fashion!