
People who haven't bought clothes for a decade - koevet
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2020/mar/12/i-wear-my-grandads-old-boxers-meet-the-people-who-havent-bought-clothes-for-a-decade
======
spodek
A guest on my podcast -- Lorna Davis, the key leader behind the largest B Corp
to date, Danone USA, and a c-suite executive from Danone and other
multinationals -- committed not to buy clothes for a year. Within a few weeks
she started getting rid of clothes she didn't wear and even relationships that
were distracting her from more meaningful ones.

Within months she was sending me contacts of other high-powered executives
from big corporations who were following her lead. She sent me pictures of
clothing she repaired that she would have thrown out before.

When she was invited to give a TED talk that year, she told me she felt
liberated from wondering what to buy to wear, instead getting to feel like
herself and focusing on her message.

Hear for yourself. Our conversations, before and after:
[https://joshuaspodek.com/guests/lorna-
davis](https://joshuaspodek.com/guests/lorna-davis) (also a great primer on B
corps, given her significant role)

Her TED talk:
[https://www.ted.com/talks/lorna_davis_a_guide_to_collaborati...](https://www.ted.com/talks/lorna_davis_a_guide_to_collaborative_leadership)

~~~
HenryBemis
For women: it may be worth your while checking out Project333. I have searched
for a respective project for men, but haven't found something similar/worthy.

When I finished listening to the Minimalists podcast (first 120 episodes) for
the second time I was already immersed in minimalism. I donated 90% of my
clothes, I now have 5 t-shirts, 4 sweaters, 2 jeans, 10 pairs of socks, 2
pairs of shoes, and some snow/skiing related accessories (hoods, etc.)

I also have "office clothes" which I don't count as clothes, I treat them as a
uniform, when not in the office, they don't exist for me (and
Coronavirus-->remote working was a great 'gift' for me on this area)(I hope
the deaths stop and we continue the WFH).

I see fashion as a "subscription" scheme. You spend £€¥$, you get clothes and
after X seasons you need to spend another load of £€¥$ to renew your "trendy-
ness".

I can never forget that in the term "fashion VICTIM" the word that sticks with
YOU is the word "victim".

~~~
dominotw
> I now have 5 t-shirts, 4 sweaters, 2 jeans, 10 pairs of socks, 2 pairs of
> shoes

I take it you don't live in place with cold winters?

~~~
dagw
Or do much in the way of outdoor activities.

 _2 pairs of shoes_

Having to decide between wearing my climbing shoes and my ski boots to work
would suck :)

~~~
11235813213455
I've the same single pair of 20€ shoes since 5 years. Some holes, but they
still work well, probably for another 5 years. The only drawback is when it
rains, I need to dry them with newspaper. I do a lot of sports (mostly bike
(I've no car) for all my commuting, hiking/trail, ..

~~~
inertiatic
Okay, but _why_ would you want to put up with drying your shoes with
newspaper?

------
irrational
I didn't know that the normal way I live my life is anything worth commenting
on. I still wear clothes from when I was in college 25 years ago. But this is
more from laziness and a generally dislike of shopping, combined with zero
fashion sense, than from any altruistic values.

~~~
KozmoNau7
I try to only buy good quality clothes that are made to last, then I wear them
until they develop holes. I repair them and wear them again until they don't
really look presentable anymore. At that point they become
home/work/workout/concert clothes. When they can no longer be repaired, they
become cleaning rags.

I did not know that this was something to be applauded for.

------
faster
I had some Levi's 501s that I got at a farm supply store for $12 when I was in
college (early 80s). I wore them regularly for about 15 years then
occasionally until a few years ago. They had no holes when I donated them.
Newer 501s don't last anywhere near that long.

Carhartts are more functional for me now, but they wear out after 5-8 years
depending on the style (model?). I haven't noticed any change in durability
since I started wearing them 18 years ago.

I have several pairs of Injinji socks that are close to 10 years old, and
still in great shape. I have also worn out two pairs of those socks after
about 5 years, and the newer ones are softer so I suspect they'll be less
durable.

~~~
e12e
Carhartts, Blåkläder - probably other brands that still actually sell work
clothes - tend to have separate "fashion" models that sell through typical
fashion stores. They're generally higher price and less durable in my
experience.

In the US it's not hard to find regular carhartts work wear - in Norway I've
only seen the fashion stuff. On the other hand, Blåkläder operate a few
outlets that are aimed at the business market - and there it's possible to buy
their "actual" work clothes.

Ed: in addition to such work wear, military surplus & second hand is also a
good bet.

~~~
twothamendment
I've found my 5.11 pants to last a lot longer than Carhart did. I was really
disappointed in the later. Another brand that suppressed me was undrarmor. I
avoided them because they were expensive and popular. Then I got a deal on a
hoodie and it outlasted many other goodies. Since then I've picked up a few
more on eBay and have been just as happy. I want quality that will last for a
decade (or more).

------
zxcvbn4038
I hate shopping for clothes. Hate it. When I was growing up my parents made
sure that buying clothes was as painful as possible and I never got over it.

I still year the same members only jacket my father bought in the 80s and gave
to me in the 90s - the lining could use some work but otherwise completely
functional. I’ve had the same umbrella for almost twenty years - was a niche
brand that built heavy duty frames and it’s taken punishment that would have
broken a lesser umbrella dozens of times over - but aside from some thin spots
in the canopy it’s perfectly fine. I wrote the company that made it but only
got a form letter in response so guess they weren’t impressed with my long
lived umbrella that’s been to every continent except Antarctica.

I do have to say that buying clothes from amazon is a pleasure. They remember
your orders forever so if I’m not sure of size or brand I can always look at
order history. If the style or color I want is no longer available the
purchase recommendations are good at finding me something similar. Best of all
I don’t have to buy what’s available and get it tailored, I can buy clothes
made for my exact size. I used to spend as much getting pants legs shortened
as I did on the pants because I have an odd size that the stores don’t carry
and can’t get for weeks. I still have to typically buy shoes two sizes larger
to accommodate the width of my feet - Allen Edmonds is about the only places
that makes affordable shoes in my exact size, but those soft leather soles get
torn up quickly by NYC streets.

I’m sure that in another ten years I’ll just give Amazon my measurements and
tailored clothing will magically appear whenever I order it.

~~~
Marsymars
> They remember your orders forever so if I’m not sure of size or brand I can
> always look at order history.

Ironically, I've heard complaints from people who've re-ordered things this
way that the fit changed between orders.

> I’m sure that in another ten years I’ll just give Amazon my measurements and
> tailored clothing will magically appear whenever I order it.

Other sites do this. I'll be a bit sad if Amazon crushes this market too.

~~~
Doxin
> I've heard complaints from people who've re-ordered things this way that the
> fit changed between orders.

When you start ordering clothes online you discover in a real hurry that
sizing is agonizingly approximate on the best of days. The same size can be
significantly differently sized between batches. I figure it's due to fabric
being tricky to work with in a factory setting. One worker might sew the seam
allowances a smidge tighter than another which can easily add up in a garment.

That said, there's nothing quite like knowing exactly which size of which
model of which brand shoe to buy without having to go shopping. It has changed
buying shoes from a weekend-long hunt to a 10-minute online order which gets
me exactly the same shoes as the old pair. I've been looking for a good brand
of socks to do the same trick with, If I can just find a single model of nice
wool socks I can order online I'll be _so_ happy -- cold feet and ill-fitting
socks are no fun.

------
chewz
It's me.

More then ten years ago my fiance have converted three bedrooms into
additional wardrobes (or more like storage rooms). All expensive designer
stuff that she has been rarely using (if at all) just purchasing and storing
for later.

Since then I wear mostly Uniqlo, $1 t-shirts from a heap or almost new re-sold
stuff.

Clothes and especially cotton are killing the planet.

> About 5 % of household expenditure in the EU is spent on clothing and
> footwear, of which about 80 % is spent on clothes and 20 % on footwear. It
> has been estimated that in 2015 EU citizens bought 6.4 million tonnes of new
> clothing (12.66 kg per person). According to European Environment Agency
> (EEA) estimates, between 1996 and 2012, the amount of clothes bought per
> person in the EU increased by 40 %. At the same time, more than 30 % of
> clothes in Europeans' wardrobes have not been used for at least a year. Once
> discarded, over half the garments are not recycled, but end up in mixed
> household waste and are subsequently sent to incinerators or landfill.

> the global textiles and clothing industry was responsible for the
> consumption of 79 billion cubic metres of water, 1 715 million tons of CO2
> emissions and 92 million tons of waste. It also estimated that by 2030,
> under a business-as-usual scenario, these numbers would increase by at least
> 50 %.

[https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/6331...](https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2019/633143/EPRS_BRI\(2019\)633143_EN.pdf)

------
sjf
I don't want to buy new clothes either. Where can I find clothes that will
last 10 years. The article didn't help with any specifics.

~~~
keiferski
Leather and denim are probably your best bet. Higher quality leather jackets
can last for 10-20 years if you take care of them.

Personally I recommend Schott in NYC. A bit pricey but my jacket still looks
great 5 years later. I imagine it will be wearable for at least another
decade.

[https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schott_NYC](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schott_NYC)

~~~
falcolas
Denim, specifically jeans, is getting ridiculously thin. I used to be able to
count on jeans lasting well over 5 years, but now they’ll wear holes
(particularly around seams or pockets) in a year, tops. And these are Carhart
branded work jeans; not exactly a brand I associate with low quality clothing.

~~~
Doxin
A personal pet peeve of mine is this newfangled stretch denim that more and
more jeans seem to use. At the start of the day the fit is fine but before the
end of the day the elastic has relaxed enough to where you need a belt to even
keep them on at all. Add to that the magically shrinking pockets and I haven't
been able to find reasonable jeans in a few years now.

------
rapnie
Something that is consistently reducing the lifetime of my t-shirts is that
they tend to get small holes on the front side at the height of my trouser
belt. I can't figure out what is causing this, as the both the belt as well as
the trouser buttons do not have sharp edges.

~~~
thestepafter
This is from the metal button on your jeans rubbing against the surface
through your shirt. Happens most frequently to people who do the dishes.

~~~
rapnie
I don't know. The holes look like individual strands of cloth get cut, rather
than gradually worn by friction.

------
flurdy
I thought this might be about people that mostly only use clothes they got as
swag. Like me. I am a walking billboard for companies of which only a few I
know what they do.

~~~
protomyth
During my early government grant years, I did not buy new t-shirts nor
jackets. It's almost a requirement for every conference or new grant program
to order shirts. I even got one heck of a winter jacket because someone in DC
decided we needed winter jackets. I guess it all constituted acceptable
publicity.

~~~
blaser-waffle
Same. I was able to snag at least 1-2 work shirts or other swag from vendors,
conferences, etc.

Puppet (the server software) seemed to go hard on this and I think I ended up
with 5-6 shirts even through we never rolled it out into production. I mostly
wear em to the gym or use em for sleeping.

------
kasey_junk
The biggest changes to my wardrobe and what require me to buy things most
often are external factors. For instance I went from a business casual office
environment to working form home, I lost a lot of weight, I took up a new
sport, I have a new injury requiring different sorts of footwear.

I’m not sure how to work around some of these issues without buying more
clothes. My main rule is that if I buy a piece another piece has to get
donated. This keeps the size of the collection in check but wouldn’t put a
brake on new purchases in and of itself.

~~~
londons_explore
The real solution is to buy 2nd hand clothes.

Most people hate the idea of wearing someone else's clothes...

Having visited a small town in south western Ukraine, no shops even sell new
clothes - everywhere is selling 2nd hand clothes, and they sell it by weight.
Underwear is one price per kilo, and everything else is a higher price per
kilo.

Even then, a kilo (2 lbs) of clothes (maybe 3 items) cost around $1.50, which
was pretty expensive compared to other prices.

~~~
kasey_junk
For me I have no problem wearing used clothes and grew up effectively always
shopping second hand. My issue is _time_. I hate shopping for clothes. Finding
something that fits, is in good condition and meets my needs involves
searching for hours at second hand shops.

~~~
HenryBemis
(Not promoting/affiliated to eBay) When I made the decision to buy second hand
clothes, I only though of eBay (have been buying stuff since 2001(?). I always
seem to find a nice sweater etc, I don't mind if the size is a bit off, I can
always resell. I would love it if anyone can suggest any other online stores
that sell 2nd hand clothes at the volume/options that eBay (it's sellers) can
provide.

~~~
londons_explore
A consistent sizing code system would dramatically simplify online shopping
for both new and 2nd hand clothes.

Imagine a system where say 10 critical dimensions of a bit of clothing could
be embedded onto a QR code on the label. Then you could scan the code with
some app which has your measurements (or potentially just take an average of
the existing clothes in your wardrobe). It could tell you "Yes, this fits
quite well but will be slightly baggy round the waist."

The dimensions could also include "stretchability" figures, so the software
could know which dimensions are critical to be correct, and which are "fits
all sizes".

The QR code could also include a manufacturer code, and blacklists could be
made of manufacturers who mis-measure clothing.

~~~
germinalphrase
I’m on board. I’m a small male, and buying clothes that fit is difficult in
the US. Buying online is always a such a crapshoot, but at least smaller sizes
are available.

------
joostdecock
I make my own clothes. Have been for a bit more than 8 years. It's a nice
hobby to have.

I also started [https://freesewing.org/](https://freesewing.org/) which is the
most geeky way to get into sewing :)

~~~
HenryBemis
Shameless plug, but thank you, this looks cool!

If your logo wasn't a "scary skull" I would be showing this to my kid in our
"where clothes come from" lesson (we do everything ranging from pottery to
NASA space missions)(buy scary skulls are a no-no)(let them figure it out when
they discover my Iron Maiden albums - many years from now!)

~~~
bfuller
What are you going to do when its time to teach your kid an "anatomy" lesson?

------
overcast
So most men then? Black tshirts from Marshalls, dark levi jeans, darn tough
wool socks, smartwool underwear have served me well in 99% of situations for a
decade without much replacement.

~~~
InitialLastName
Interesting how even in an anti-consumerist comment like yours, every item
mentioned comes with a brand.

~~~
overcast
That was intentional, because they last ten years.

------
austincheney
My underwear was a decade old. It was in shambles. The wife finally convinced
me to buy new underwear recently. This is boxer briefs and undershirts. I
prefer heavier undershirts, kind of like t-shirts.

My everyday shoes are suede military boots. I don’t think they last a decade
but they last a long time and can take quite a beating. They are certainly
worth the expensive retail price though I typically get mine for free. I will
ultimately end up replacing the laces 2 to 3 times before replacing the boots.

Many of my shirts last well over a decade. I prefer business casual long
sleeve button up shirts. They wear less quickly because I only wear them over
undershirts. I have one shirt I still wear that was from my first year in
college more than 20 years ago. The thing that kills my shirts are stains.
Stripes and plaids show less stains than flat colors and thus last much
longer.

What doesn’t last: running shoes, jeans, and watches. The battery on my Timex
watch is only good for 3 to 5 years and that is about how long I hold onto my
running shoes. My jeans are good for about 4 years and then they see to
completely fall apart. I don’t even care if they get minor stains.

~~~
leetcrew
do you mean random stains like coffee/juice or armpit stains? if the latter,
you might consider switching to an aluminum-free deodorant. I switched a few
years ago and I get much more use out of a tshirt now.

as for jeans, these can also last a long time if cared for properly. in my
experience, jeans are pretty resilient to day-to-day life but take a real
beating in the washing machine. I wear my regular pants one or two times
before washing and jeans two to four times. I still have a pair from ten years
ago that's a little too worn for going out, but is perfectly fine for yard
work.

~~~
rubidium
I heard once the ceo of Levi doesn’t wash his jeans. I decided not to as well
(unless they get stained from kids) and they’ve been great. Just hang them up
to air outside.

~~~
leetcrew
maybe he only wears them for public appearances? I like my levis, but tbh I
would probably buy more expensive jeans if I were worth millions of dollars.

------
igetspam
This feels like 'light news day" item. I have w number of things that are 10+
years old. I buy new pants when they too worn out to leave the house. I buy
shirts when I don't have enough industry handouts without holes. I can't
imagine ever needing another jacket because I have plenty. I buy lots of
things but clothes seem like a necessity and I get new ones only when I need
to.

------
phaus
From my experience all of the clothes I buy, whether they were expensive
clothes from a place with a stellar reputation for longevity, or cheap clothes
from Walmart, nothing lasts more than a few years.

I buy a $20-40 dress shirt. After about 2 years the cuff splits or an elbow
spontaneously explodes. I could patch it, but the surrounding fabric is still
threadbare and it will just rip again.

I buy a $100+ dress shirt, it wears out just as fast, it just looks nicer
until it does.

I bought some $450 Allen Edmonds shoes based on numerous people talking about
how they had a pair for decades and it looked brand new. I got them for far
less than that, but the quality wasn't even close to worth it.

The first time a single drop of water gets on the leather for longer than 2
seconds, that part of the surface is permanently damaged and puffs up, ruining
your ability to even shine them again properly.

After about 6 months of only wearing them to walk from a parking lot to my
office job and then back into my house when I got home, the heels started
falling off of the shoe. I thought surely something must be wrong and I
contacted Allen Edmonds. They wanted me to send my shoes back for an extensive
investigation before giving me a refund or a new pair. So much for their
reputation for amazing quality and customer service. They also recommend I
wear them only once or twice a week instead of 4-5 days. So presumably I'm
supposed to have $1300 of shoes on rotation even though I'm not even putting a
mile on them a day.

Probably the only thing I have had last longer than a couple years would be
some cheap underwear that lasted probably 7 or 8, and some cheap T-shirts most
likely from walmart or kmart.

Anyone got a source for high quality clothes that actually last?

~~~
nradov
You really shouldn't wear the same pair of leather shoes two days in a row.
Keep several pairs in rotation and let each dry out properly. They'll last
much longer, whether they're Allen Edmonds or any other brand.

This is one reason why minimalism taken to extremes is counterproductive.

~~~
phaus
That's probably good advice, but I've had many pairs of leather shoes that
didn't simply fall apart after 6 months.

------
amelius
I stopped buying clothes because my size is never available. I guess I am
physically more than a sigma away from the norm, and it sucks.

~~~
amelius
By the way, there are shops specialized in "extreme" sizes but their offerings
are limited and frankly quite boring. Hurray for the free market ...

------
JeanMarcS
Apart for the kids, who need clothes regularly as they grow, I agree there is
no use in buying clothes every year too.

~~~
HenryBemis
Depending your bf/gf, spouse, social/peer pressure and giving into them. I
have broken up with a girlfriend because her hobby was shopping and mine was
running. She couldn't understand what I needed ONE GOOD pair of running shoes,
and the shoes didn't have to match the colour of my running shorts. I hope she
is happy with someone else, but as far away from me as possible. Some other
people would accept some "character adaptation" to be with a bf/gf and I wish
them all the best!

~~~
leetcrew
was this a dealbreaker for her or for you? for me, I generally don't care how
the other person spends their money as long as they can pay their share of
fixed costs we have agreed on. this might be in part because I don't want to
invite questions about my computer budget ;)

~~~
frosted-flakes
If you're married to someone, you still separate your finances? That boggles
my mind.

~~~
JeanMarcS
Can’t speak for others, but in France, you are partially responsible of the
loss of your company (for example).

My wife and I are married with a full separation of goods and possessions
contract. Not because we don’t want to make financial choices together, but
more to protect her for the possibility of me being ruined if my company
fells.

When she was working, we agreed on the money we each put in the family budget
for groceries, kids stuff, etc...

Never been a problem.

------
gramakri
Surprised there is no mention of Goodwill. It's fairly good for donating
clothes as well as getting used clothes. Some of the shops are very un-orderly
so be sure to checkout atleast 2-3 stores before making a judgement.

------
inertiatic
There is a healthy balance here that seems lost on a lot of people here.

There's not a binary distinction between fashion victim and enlightened
minimalist.

Yes, reduce your purchases. Yes, prefer high quality products. Yes, reuse your
clothes instead of throwing it away.

No, don't spent your life constantly worrying about what you need to repair
before it falls apart. No, don't put people through enduring the summer smell
of your only t-shirt. No, don't look awful because appearance matters on a
basic level.

Above all, don't virtue signal so hard because it makes you look ignorant to
people with more complicated lives.

~~~
bradezone
AMEN

------
softwaredoug
I'm 39 and still to this day the primary way I get clothes is at Christmas
time from my mom or wife. Or random conference t-shirts :) I have rarely
bought clothes for myself.

~~~
DailyHN
Second that.

It feels like my version of the black turtleneck and jeans.

And free shirts are for wearing to bed.

------
devenson
I buy all my tshirts from [https://jiffyshirts.com](https://jiffyshirts.com)
They supply folks who print on the shirts.

------
pascalxus
I rarely if ever buy new clothes (maybe a few times per decade). And, even on
those rare occassions when I do, for jeans, its usually a used clothing store
for less than 10$. As for t-shirts, I think I have a lifetime supply already
(20 or so), so I won't need to buy those for a while. Those t-shirts last a
long long time. I still have some cheap ones from 20 years that are still
going strong.

------
gentleman11
I buy pants from Costco but they always wear out after 2 years with big holes
in the seat. Where do you even buy something that lasts 10 years?

~~~
HenryBemis
I had a pair of Levi's jeans, my weight is pretty stable, so they were good on
me for a decade. Someone else above also mentioned having Levi's for a decade.
Treat them well and they tend to last a long time.

~~~
gentleman11
When you say treat them well, does that mean air drying?

------
fma
I graduated 12 years ago and I still have clothes from college that I wear.
The only new clothes I purchased after college was a few more dress shirt and
pants for work, heavier jackets when I moved further north...I don't
understand people who purchase clothes for the 'new season' every year.

------
devmunchies
> 51% of Brits are opting to purchase expensive but longer-lasting clothes

Careful there. Lasting long doesn’t always mean it’s higher quality. Plastic
clothes will last a long time... in the landfill.

I haven’t bought clothes with plastic in them for 3 years now. No polyester,
no spandex, no nylon.

~~~
londons_explore
25 years ago I put a cotton cloth in my compost heap thinking "it'll break
down".

Every 5 years or so, I discover it at the bottom of the heap and chuck it back
in again hoping that next time it will for sure break down... It hasn't yet.

------
bradezone
Different strokes for different folks, I guess. Life is short enough, I might
as well refresh the wardrobe every now and then. Plus I'm helping the economy!
A winning strategy all around.

------
Mirioron
Most of my clothes are that old, especially clothes I wear at home. Why would
I buy new ones for that? The only reason is if the old ones are too
broken/worn.

------
kovac
Researchers find that there are people who have not bought any clothes in a
decade. Then attribute it to "Greta effect" which is, what less than a year
old? We would have been so lost without Greta.

------
teekert
Obligatory listening gals and guys:
[https://open.spotify.com/track/1CmUZGtH29Kx36C1Hleqlz?si=Jbm...](https://open.spotify.com/track/1CmUZGtH29Kx36C1Hleqlz?si=Jbm54o4cQ-6HQ9uEsDJ1Tg)

