revtothelimit - motorbike forum

Brought on by two things, the thread about shoes and how long some people have had 'good' shoes and also cos a friend of mine went through my wardrobe (on a video chat) looking for some tops I wanted for here and I realised just how old most of what she was looking at was!!

I haven't really bought much in the way of clothes in the last 7+ years. When I first duffed up my shoulder I bought a load of Hooooge t-shirts, long sleeved shirts of t-shirt material and hoodies (which I then had to put zips in because I couldn't get in and out of a hoody one armed!!)

All clothes were based on whether I could get them on and off easily with one arm (and no outside help!!) Generally big and pretty shapeless.

I did buy a few things last year but they are too smart for my general day to day work, so I'm still wearing very old very cheap clothes 'that do' rather than what I'd like!

So, do you make do with old stuff cos it's not worn out yet (or not quit anyway!) or do you buy anyway to have newer stuff to hand??

What I'm wearing now, less than 3 years old, but I've got T-shirts that are 20 years old, well I haven't I gave 'em to the wife when they shrank in the wash.

If it ain't broke I ain't spending money replacing it, although my attitude of late is very coloured by the fact I WFH so don't get out much.

Lots of my clothes are 'vintage'.

I do tend to prefer to buy stuff that I expect to last and wear it until either, it finally succumbs to age and wear (when it may get relegated to 'gardening' wear) or I change size - even then I held onto stuff because I planned to shrink again...which I did. Suits I had altered 'in' or 'out' depending but, with driving and sitting a lot the bums on the trousers tended to get a bit shiny.

Recently had a trend of taking stuff to charity shops and trying to eliminate anything that's not wool, cotton etc but that's tricky with 'outdoor wear' eg fleeces and waterproofs but a good woolly pully is a substitute for a fleece on most occasions. Bought a few things from Community Clothing as part of this campaign - so they're made in the UK too.

Had a Jaeger semi-casual jacket (bought in the late 80s/ early90s) altered recently - because the boxy shoulder style just looks odd now - so that's good for another 30 years.

I either buy decent stuff that I know will last or cheap shit for knocking around in the garden etc.

Work shirts, polos, shoes, jeans, sailing clobber - I expect that all to last a decent while but with other stuff I treat as bit more 'disposable'

I tend to outgrow my clothes these days rather then wear them out

(Growth is not of the vertical kind unfortunately)

I only buy t-shirts n shorts

New stuff goes in bottom drawer and in wardrobe for night wear.
After a while that stuff gets moved to .middle drawer and left side of wardrobe for general day wear.
After a whilst it gets moved to right side drawers as work gear.

Ad infinitum

My everyday wear is a tie dye t shirt, flares and an Afghan coat. Sandals complete the ensemble.

No, really it’s Joe Browns jeans, various T shirts, hoodie or jumper and an Oxford bike jacket with Sketchers trainers or boots, all around a year old.
I spend most of my life in the most unflattering uniform.
Pictures are available if required
Mick

I still have a Kawasaki leather jacket I bought about 40 years ago.

ZRX61 wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2026 5:15 pm I still have a Kawasaki leather jacket I bought about 40 years ago.

Wife has a brown, distressed-leather jacket from 'Leather Rat' of similar vintage but, older than that, she still has a (fittingly named!) 'bomber' jacket with an embroidered back relating to Tactical Air Command, Udorn, Thailand so, at a guess it's late 50s, early 60s. It's a lightweight cotton one rather than the sort of thing they'd wear for flight duties.

(It came from a huge s/h emporium called 'Flip' in Covent Garden. A lot of the stuff was ex US military I think. I had some clothes from a near legendary surplus place up the road from Warren St tube called Laurence Corner. Not just army and navy - I had an Italian police m/cycle jacket from there. After 54 years it closed down in 2007. Lots of bike couriers used it I think as there was a courier office in the building opposite).

Some of my stuff is decades old. My 'best' black shoes, lightweight ones I usually wear only to posh restaurants, must be 35 years old. I have at least one shirt of a similar vintage, and many more that are over 10 years old.

I have lots of newer stuff too, probably enough to last a lifetime that is longer than mine will be.

I still have some old stuff, including a hoodie from uni days. But also some new, like most people I'd expect. I do tend to keep stuff as long as I can, and I detest the whole "new clothes every season" bollocks.

I live most in T-shirts, sweat shirts and trainers, most of which are at least 5 years old.

They’re still neat enough so I really don’t see the point in buying new.

Oldest thing I have is probably my kilt outfit at 20 years old but that’s very seldom worn.

Count Steer wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2026 6:48 pm Wife has a brown, distressed-leather jacket from 'Leather Rat' of similar vintage but, older than that, she still has a (fittingly named!) 'bomber' jacket with an embroidered back relating to Tactical Air Command, Udorn, Thailand so, at a guess it's late 50s, early 60s. It's a lightweight cotton one rather than the sort of thing they'd wear for flight duties.

(It came from a huge s/h emporium called 'Flip' in Covent Garden. A lot of the stuff was ex US military I think. I had some clothes from a near legendary surplus place up the road from Warren St tube called Laurence Corner. Not just army and navy - I had an Italian police m/cycle jacket from there. After 54 years it closed down in 2007. Lots of bike couriers used it I think as there was a courier office in the building opposite).

That reminds me, I still have a 36yo flight suit... that fits, unlike the Kaw jacket..

I have a few clothes that I still wear that are at least 50 years old.

I wear stuff until it wears out.

The usual daily uniform is Levi jeans,A black Tee and Altberg boots. For cold days add a hoodie. The only socks I ever wear are Vermont Darn Tough.They last for years. Great walking socks.

I only possess one pair of shoes,which are only worn for weddings/funerals. I find shoes uncomfortable,has to be boots,even in Summer. I wear out my walking boots every 12 - 18 months.

When the T-shirts wear out I use them for rags in the garage. I have some which are 40 years old,I keep them for nostalgia reasons

Having been through the decade of disability I unfortunately piled on a lot of weight and had to buy a lot of new stuff. I mainly buy Joules stuff as we can collect/return through NEXT. IStill got loads of clothes hanging about that i hope to fit back into eventually, but my wife is pushing me to have a bit of a clear out...

Oldest stuff is probably a couple of pullovers getting on for 20 years. Most is 5-10, apart from trousers. I practically live in Kiwi Pro - wear out a couple of pairs every year.

And one bike training T shirt from the 1990s, kept because the logo has a picture of me

Oh, yeah, I still have the green Kawasaki fleece.

Rockburner wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2026 8:23 pm Oh, yeah, I still have the green Kawasaki fleece.

That is not clothes, it is the stuff of which legends are made. Don't EVER throw that away, it needs to go to a museum.

Rockburner wrote: Fri Mar 27, 2026 8:23 pm Oh, yeah, I still have the green Kawasaki fleece.

Talking of fleeces, I still have my first ever fleece, bought back in the day when a fleece was a specialised piece of mountain gear and cost a fair bit. It is also green (but not Kawasaki green) and is bloody indestructable. It must be 30+ years old, maybe more.