People who haven't bought clothes for a decade

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&#x27;t wear and even relationships that were distracting her from more meaningful ones.<p>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.<p>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.<p>Hear for yourself. Our conversations, before and after: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;joshuaspodek.com&#x2F;guests&#x2F;lorna-davis" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;joshuaspodek.com&#x2F;guests&#x2F;lorna-davis</a> (also a great primer on B corps, given her significant role)<p>Her TED talk: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ted.com&#x2F;talks&#x2F;lorna_davis_a_guide_to_collaborative_leadership" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ted.com&#x2F;talks&#x2F;lorna_davis_a_guide_to_collaborati...</a>

I didn&#x27;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.

I had some Levi&#x27;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&#x27;t last anywhere near that long.<p>Carhartts are more functional for me now, but they wear out after 5-8 years depending on the style (model?). I haven&#x27;t noticed any change in durability since I started wearing them 18 years ago.<p>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&#x27;ll be less durable.

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&#x27;t figure out what is causing this, as the both the belt as well as the trouser buttons do not have sharp edges.

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.<p>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.

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.<p>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.<p>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.<p>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.

This feels like &#x27;light news day&quot; 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&#x27;t have enough industry handouts without holes. I can&#x27;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.

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

Surprised there is no mention of Goodwill. It&#x27;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.

There is a healthy balance here that seems lost on a lot of people here.<p>There&#x27;s not a binary distinction between fashion victim and enlightened minimalist.<p>Yes, reduce your purchases. Yes, prefer high quality products. Yes, reuse your clothes instead of throwing it away.<p>No, don&#x27;t spent your life constantly worrying about what you need to repair before it falls apart. No, don&#x27;t put people through enduring the summer smell of your only t-shirt. No, don&#x27;t look awful because appearance matters on a basic level.<p>Above all, don&#x27;t virtue signal so hard because it makes you look ignorant to people with more complicated lives.

I&#x27;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.

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?

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