How often do you replace clothing? And why?

TripleH

I have t-shirts that my cats put holes in and then enlarge. Socks, they develop holes over time. Then I have clothes I've had for years. I have a top I got 27 years ago.

theoretica

Socks get holes in, or the elastic wears out and they sag and just aren't comfortable.  Trousers wear thin on the seat or sag, sweaters wear holes on the elbow, fray at the cuff or get munched by moth and I mend them but also they gradually move down to garden and workshop clothes...  Tshirts get a buildup of deodorant.  Occasionally things get stained irreversibly, usually by tomato or superglue...

Sapindus

If things get holes in I mend them (socks, bras, t-shirts, tracksuit bottoms).  Recently mended a belt loop on a pair of jeans and a back pocket that had ripped off.  I do have a problem with jeans as they wear on the inner thigh and eventually rip, and because the material has gone so thin I can't realistically mend them.  Some material loses its elasticity so the clothes go baggy, there's not much you can do after that point.  Also nasty stains that won't wash out tend to get things relegated to recycling.  Recycling sometimes means putting it in my rag collection and using it for patches or some other craft project.

I always laugh at the charity bags that come through the letterbox saying "we need your good-quality, wearable clothes" and I think "if they were wearable, I'd still be wearing them."

pearl123

I try and buy clothes, which will last. Fast fashion is not for me. My coat is 17 years old and it still looks good. 
The cost of living crisis, means that I'm even more careful in making do and meaning. 
If stuff gets very old, I save it for gardening etc.

Nelliegrace

Fabric conditioner ruins elastic. Since we started making our own laundry liquid and using a splash of white vinegar instead of fabric conditioner my stretch clothes have lasted for years. 
We have stopped using the tumble drier. I change underwear daily but everything else can wear a bit longer. I treat stains as soon as possible, and repair things before they get worse. Good socks are worth darning. 
I check labels and avoid anything which says cotton rich, that bit of polyester makes them pill, where 100% cotton may cost a bit more but lasts for years. 
I have clothes which are over forty years old and still get worn. Classic good quality clothes last. I have Granny’s Jaeger scarves which must be seventy years old. 

Terry Pratchett, Men At Arms, 1993.
“But the thing was that good boots lasted for years and years. A man who could afford fifty dollars had a pair of boots that'd still be keeping his feet dry in ten years' time, while a poor man who could only afford cheap boots would have spent a hundred dollars on boots in the same time and would still have wet feet. This was the Captain Samuel Vimes "Boots" theory of socioeconomic unfairness.”

strawb_shortcake

Having been a yoyo dieter my clothes have often been replaced when they either fall down or I can no longer breathe in them.

I am however working towards a lower weight and maintaining for good. 
I do buy good quality clothes, not hugely expensive, but they do last well. 
I'm a big fan of Fatface (get 20%) discount via work, recently discovered Lucy and yak too which is a new favourite. 

I also favour dresses and tights, as it's far easier and less clothes items to store. I also only wear snag tights, more expensive than M&S but they really are the best fitting tights and so many fun colours.

As to when I replace, it's usually when they are no longer fit for purpose and falling apart 

theoretica

Years old of course needs to be modified by how much something is actually worn - the clothes I like best last fewer years than stuff I don't like as well, or which are more special purpose.  I have had my wellies since my feet grew to their adult size, but they have less wear in hours than shoes I have owned for less time.

lincroft1710

Not strictly on topic but today "Mrs" Lincroft ordered me to wash the fleece I'd been wearing for a week or so. Knew I had a sweater in a bag in a high level cupboard, so retrieved bag from cupboard and found that as well as the sweater was another fleece which I had no memory of and until today, had never worn!!

born_again

As & when they wear out.
Even then look for sale items.

Eve  better christmas & birthdays are a great time to ask for what you will need 👍

otb666

i gave away about 10 bags of clothes when i retired.  I had such a large collection of clothes but had never brought them Just seemed to have acquired from family and friends.  I did not want to wear the same clothes that  I had worn in the office for the last 30years Plus I had put a stone on whilst working through the lockdowns I have since lost it thanks to mse