What makes an item of clothing truly ‘timeless’?

As you’ll have noticed merely by observing what people wear walking down the street every Saturday for a couple of years, fashion trends can move exceptionally quickly. 

What may have been completely a la mode just 6 months ago will suddenly look weird and out of place, while something as wild and rogue as a pink barbie hat could very well be the coolest thing to own by the end of summer. 

Some items of clothing defy these trends, resisting change with an uncanny stability. What makes these items timeless, and how can you integrate them into your wardrobe?

Simplicity

One classic hallmark of a timeless item of clothing is a certain degree of simplicity. Whether in colour, cut or material, simpler items tend to pair well with a broader range of other items, providing a kind of cultural foundation that everyone sees as enduring and consistently acceptable. 

Think plain white T-shirts from places like Screen Textiles, thick denim jeans, or non-embellished leather boots. These items have all stood the test of time, and while the details may change, we don’t expect them to go anywhere anytime soon.

Quality

If we’re talking about a single item of clothing rather than a more general style, then it’s practically impossible for it to endure if it’s not high quality. 

Again, this applies to old, pure cotton jeans and thick leather boots; if cared for properly, you may very well find yourself wearing these items decades further down the line, even giving them to your kids when the time comes.

While these high-quality items are often expensive, the money that you’ll likely save from not having to repeatedly buy these kinds of items again and again, year after year, should more than pay for it.

Function

It’s important not to overlook the centrality of function when it comes to timeless clothing. Unless you’re the kind of person who just keeps pieces of clothing for decades even if they go unworn (hey, no judgement here!) the chances are that you’ll be forced to get rid of lots of the pieces that you don’t use. 

Things like t-shirts, jeans and boots are so practical, in addition to being stylish, that they become regular items that most people return to year on year. In this way, function ensures that the most useful items end up staying around far longer than their superfluous counterparts. 

Culture

While the practical aspects outlined above have a role to play, there is of course also a cultural side to all of this. Boots, t-shirts and jeans aren’t just plain and functional – they are also all symbolic of various countercultures from across the decades, and remain cool as a result, even if most of us aren’t fully conscious of it. 

If you’re looking for some more classic items of clothing, then these are a few things to keep an eye out for. Most importantly, choose items that you yourself enjoy wearing – if it doesn’t match your vibe, it’ll sit in your wardrobe, no matter how nice other people might think it is.