‘I might wear it in 10 years’ time’: four clothes-keepers on why they hold on to old garments

‘Things with a sense of history, like … a coat of my grandfather’s I love to wear, hold a unique sense of power’: Lucianne Tonti on wearing, and passing on, pre-loved clothes. Photograph: Olga Serba/Getty Images/iStockphoto

There is a corner of my wardrobe that I haven’t worn in years. It is made up of pieces that at one point in time (when I was younger and thinner) I loved to wear.

Flicking through them I can recall the late nights, important meetings, foreign cities, dates and dinners I’ve worn them to; I can’t bear the thought of selling them or giving them away. My hope is that when my niece grows up she will want to wear them (she’s two).