Knowing when to throw out a favorite piece of clothing

The Long Goodbye:  GAP Merino Wool V-Neck, circa 2000 – $30.00?

Dress Shirt:  Nordstrom Smartcare Trim Fit – $49.50

We all have favorite articles of clothing.  Maybe it’s an old t-shirt, a suit, or like this… a sweater that fits so well it’s been worn well past any stage of respectable presentation.

I’ve certainly gotten my money out of this 10-year-old GAP Merino Wool V-neck.  It’s not bulky, it fits close to the body, and unlike the scratchy sweaters of our youth, it’s not itchy.  And I’ve worn the hell out of it.  This thing was probably one of the first pieces of clothing that after I put it on and looked in the mirror, I began to realize that dressing “up” didn’t have to equal being uncomfortable all day.

I purchased it soon after I had moved across the country to an area with more moths and less window screens than I was used to.  I didn’t know much about how to store clothes, so I put it on an open shelf on it’s own, and the bugs got to it in two places.  The sleeve, and the upper right torso.  (It was a tiny hole at first that has since obviously grown through numerous snags to un-ignorable proportions).

I used to be able to effectively hide those holes with a blazer, but in the past year I blew out the arm pit and now this thing is slowly turning itself into a sweater vest.  I’d donate it like I do all my other clothes I don’t wear anymore, but it’s unwearable.

Looks like it’s time to retire it to the garbage can…  Sniff…
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Who am I kidding.  I’ll probably wear it this weekend.

So when do you know it’s time to toss a garment?  And have you been holding onto an old favorite unreasonably long?  Leave it all in the comments section below…