Brown houndstooth + vivid jade

Brown houndstooth blazer:  Banana Republic, 2005 OLD!
Double serge wool No. 2 pencil skirt in vivid jade:  J.Crew, here
Ruffled silk top:  J.Crew, 2010
Leopard heels:  Nine West, similar here

I get a certain thrill when I pull out an old item from my closet and realize I still love it.  It makes me feel like I got a good ROI.  (Can you tell I'm in sales?)   The blazer I'm wearing is a little long in the tooth by my standards...7 years old!  But it is still a fave.  This outfit came together in about 5 seconds this morning after I realized that a newly purchased Anthropologie sweater I had planned on wearing was not working for me and I'd be returning it.  Don't you hate that?  Like Elaine on Seinfeld, sometimes I get tricked into thinking something looks really good in the store's dressing room, only to bring it home and realize it looks frightful.  Anyway, I was scrambling in my skirt and heels after that, and literally just grabbed a blazer I thought would decently match.   Only after throwing it on did  I realize how pretty this blazer still is and how flattering the fit...it definitely plays up an hourglass shape. 

It got me thinking:  How long do other women hang on to clothing?  For me it depends on the item.  As I've said before, I'm more likely to keep investment pieces like blazers and cashmere for a long time.  Items like silk tops are tougher to keep in good shape for that long...or maybe I am just hard on my clothes!  One thing I am not is a pack rat.  If it doesn't fit my body or my life anymore, out it  goes without any regret from me.  But if it continues to look good, year after year, I will keep an item for as long as I still love it.  What about you?  How long do you keep your clothing? 

Do you like my giant snowman in the righthand corner of the picture?  My husband loathes it, but the boys love it...so out it comes every year!  Thanks for visiting!