What's your "shelf life" for clothes?

Depends. From 3 years ago until now I've been gaining weight so the shelf life was maybe 6 months before I'd need new clothes to fit. Now that I'm starting to loose, I'd estimate the same but needing smaller?

If I'm maintaining, usually a few years if I like the clothes. Those that I don't, I don't keep I give away.

Sorry I can't help you there... I also have clothes several years old... and even though I've lost 20lbs I haven't lost enough to get smaller clothes yet so I still can't throw my clothes away. Lol! (But I'm still wondering why I can't fit into the next smaller size.)

I wear them until either too big / small. But more likely until they are falling apart.

Eek, I have a lot of the same clothes I packed into my suitcase when I visited America - that was 3 years ago (I never left), and they weren't even new back then! I wear things for as long as they fit, until they are broken or the colour is significantly faded. Jeans have the longest shelf-life IMO, but I have donated tops because they're not 'white-white' any more, or faded enough that it looks like a really old item.

So, I guess my shelf life is about 5 years?

And don't throw out! Donate! Even if they're threadbare, they can shred the material and still use it for stuff! Donating keeps them out of landfills and help sustain jobs too

I usually keep them until they start falling apart, have not wore them in a very long time or are broken beyond repair.

When I get to goal weight I'll go all out on clothes.

I also purchase at Goodwill or clearance, I don't feel the point of buying 1 shirt for the price of 10 pants.

Unless it's really good, I buy it. It does not apply to shoes, bags, coats or underwear, I go big on those since I expect them to last longer.

A good shirt, a t-shirt, pair of jeans, pair of slacks, pair of trainers, pair of shoes. What more do you need lol

It used to be years for me. Yeeears. I have the same pair of eleven-year-old sneakers I wore when I was sixteen. But tbh, I never knew what to wear or how I wanted to look, and I was kind of afraid to try? I hated my body so much. Now I really like my clothes to be properly fitted but I'm still losing weight, so I guess it varies. If something is too big or doesn't make me feel comfortable or good about myself, it's destined for GoodWill.

(Which, incidentally, is where I buy most of my clothes - that and the hysterically cheap Forever21. Sooo having a rotating closet isn't as expensive as it sounds.)

I've got three basic criteria for keeping clothes:

1: Does it fit reasonably well?
2: Is it in decent condition/can it be repaired without great expense?*
3: Does it have sentimental value?**

*An exception can be made for 2 if the damaged clothing can have other uses. For example, I will keep really worn out jeans and use the parts that aren't worn out to patch other jeans.

**3 trumps 1 and 2. Something that doesn't fit and is in poor condition may be kept if it has enough sentimental value.

As soon as something has even a TINY bit of fading or any sort of imperfection, I get rid of it. Barring that, I keep stuff indefinitely.

If it disintegrates, I stop wearing it. But until then, if I like it and I wear it, it stays in the rotation. There is no such thing as 'style' in my world, so as long as pants, tops and dresses fit and are not see-through from too many washings, I keep wearing 'em. My Reeboks must display a certified through-hole in the bottom of the sole to go off-duty, which usually takes about three years. Exception: my 30-year-old leather jacket has several holes in it but I haven't got the heart to retire it... I keep telling myself the cleaners could fix it but I haven't checked into how expensive that would be.

I donate a bag of clothing every Christmas and Spring, and replenish with consignment sale buys! I've been wearing some of my clothes since 8th grade (7 years), and I bought a new shirt yesterday.

It really depends on the type. I keep jeans until they're beat, cut them into shorts, and once they're threadbare I lose them. I never get rid of overwear (jackets, sweaters, etc). I keep my t-shirts as long as I still dig them (so, I've had an Iron Man shirt for a few years, and a Supernatural shirt for 5, but got rid of a butterfly print one after a season).

Consignment sales make it easy, though - I buy new (used) clothes, then give them back, make a little cash, buy new (used) clothes... a full wardrobe could net at $50 or less! As long as you're not financially threatened, out with the old, in with the new! Both cleansing and replenishing are super refreshing

I think it would be the point where I thought I was sick to death of the item. Which may be never. I wear clothes that I've had for more than 2 decades.

I was never into fashion and no clothes or shoe hoarder either, so when I buy clothes it means I really like them and because of that the shelf life is as long as they fall completely apart...

I have stuff from middle school (20 years ago)... I used to wear my clothes rather big. :P I don't follow normal fashion trends, I just wear whatever. People generally see my wear as "immature." They are just jealous of my winter unicorn hat.

I actually bought new pants for the first time in about 7-8 years.

I still had a few of my high school clothes until a year ago (and my 10 yr is next summer). LOL Really bad, but I know my hips and bust will never fit again after my pregnancy. I still have clothes that are a few years old, but I have new stuff too. I have some clothes that are too small that were my favorites because I really want to fit into them again and it may be achievable. I'd say until I know I have nowhere to wear it to.