It's a grayed out lilac and muted butter yellow color situation, in case it's hard to see
I'm Wearing
J. Crew navy cardigan
Abercrombie & Fitch button down...
Necklace - gift (keep forgetting to find out where it's from)
Abercrombie & Fitch leather belt...
J. Crew jeans
J. Crew Factory suede flats
So yeah... I think you can probably guess which 2 items are the old ones. I think I shopped at A&F about twice in my life back in 2002, and I'm pretty sure I bought both of these items on the same shopping trip which makes them... roughly 12 years old. Sadly Weirdly, they're not even the oldest things in my closet - I actually still have the Gap dress I wore at my high school graduation (gulp... 2001), but I couldn't really wear that here because it's a little dressier and a much more summer-appropriate fabric (read: I'd be freezing my ass off all day). I also have a bunch of those old school t-shirts (oldest one dating back to kindergarten - for real!), but those are more nostalgic than real clothing.
These two items are definitely still something I would buy now though - gingham button downs and brown leather belts are kind of always in my style repertoire. They've actually stood the test of time quality-wise, strangely enough - the leather belt is worn but still in really great shape, and the button down has been washed hundreds of times but still isn't overly faded or worn through. Sighhh... remember the days when even stuff from A&F was well-made with good fabrics and construction? This shirt used to be the only button-down I owned, and in college it was definitely a favorite of both mine and my roommates' - for some reason, it really looked good on everyone. The only problem I have with it is that it's about a size and a half too big now. I had to wear a cardigan over it because it bloused out in the back so much after I tucked it in (boo hoo, I know, there are worse problems to have). I think I could probably get it taken in though... or maybe if I was feeling ambitious I could do it myself?
What do you guys think, should I keep these around or let them go? And don't forget to stop over at Blue Paper Lanterns to show off your ancient duds too!





hmmmm hard to say with your shirt. I lean more towards brighter colors but can't really tell with your pics. It still fits well though, I say if you can find a couple outfits with the shirt, keep it!
ReplyDeleteReally like that belt! Would look cute with a summer skirt, I think you have a full white one, right?
I tend to lean towards brighter stuff too (though I obviously didn't back in high school, haha), which is why I kind of want to hang onto this one since it's pretty different from everything else I have. Great idea pairing the belt with a white skirt, I definitely do have one of those (and sooooo can't wait for summer!) :)
DeleteI'd say keep. They are classic pieces and you've kept them this long - why give them up now.
ReplyDeleteI do remember when A&F was quality - the good old days!
Good call Danielle, I think I'm on the same page - no point in getting rid of something that's still good and working for me, right? Ah man I know, the good old days of good quality (though I'm sure generations beyond ours have been saying the same thing for years too! ;)
DeleteI think keep them both! I wish I had purchased smart items at A&F...most things I owned were belly shirts and low-rise jeans. Neither of which I still wear...you're welcome :)
ReplyDeleteHahahaha omg that's too funny Bri - I definitely remember the belly shirts, but I had neither the body nor the self-esteem to pull those off even in high school! Low-rise jeans I'm pretty sure I had, but who knows from where (and thank God they're long gone!). I think I probably am going to keep both, especially if I can slim the sides of the shirt a little bit! :)
DeleteI love the shirt! I'd vote for you to keep it and have the sides slimmed down. It's a pretty simple alteration and if you have a sewing machine and can sew a straight line, it should be pretty straight-forward. The belt on the other hand, I have two ring belts like that (one from Gap circa 2002!) and I just don't like wearing them because it's so odd to have that circle of fabric showing through. Totally personal opinion though!
ReplyDeleteAnd t-shirts from Kindergarten! My oldest t-shirt is a shirt that my 4th grade crush won in some contest. He got our entire class matching t-shirts and we all signed all of the backs in permanent marker. I had a crush on him for the LONGEST time ever (both of us moved away but then we both happened to move back for high school, and he turned out super hot, so yeah, like a crush that lasted 7 years?) so of course that shirt has never been thrown out. It still brings back fond memories when I see it in my closet.
And woo hoo! class of 2001!! :)
Thanks Kimmie! Good to know that it's pretty easy to fix - I was hoping you'd weigh in on that! :) I see what you mean about the rings on the belt, and I actually really dislike when they show the button on my jeans through that hole, so I almost always wear it to the side. I've considered whether I could remove the rings and just add a regular buckle to it somehow, but that may be a more advanced project for the future :)
DeleteOmg that is the CUTEST about your oldest t-shirt - you can never get rid of that!!! :) My oldest kindergarten one is just a class t-shirt that everyone in our class signed the back of and everyone got one - it's really funny though because most of those kids ended up graduating with me too, so it's funny to see our 5 year old signatures! Yay class of 2001!!! :)
I'm double-commenting because I miss your posts. Hope your week has been fab! That's all :)
ReplyDeleteAwww, you're the best Bri! I hope your week/end was fab too - can't wait to catch up on your posts this week :)
Deletelovely outfit! you are so pretty! xO!
ReplyDeletewww.thehautecookie.com
Thank you Sooae!
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