6 million women hang onto their LBD's

6 million women hang onto their LBD, with over 43 million 'old favourites' stored in British closets, according to new research. 1998 is the vintage year, with items cherished for an average of 12 years and 4.5 million women have held on to old favourites for

over 25 years.

A new study reveals today that 6 million women stay loyal to the favourite 'LBDs' they've bought in the past. In today's new age of considered consumption, people are hanging on to favourite items of clothing and other cherished possessions.

The study by M&S Money to mark its 25th anniversary looked at attitudes towards old favourites and found that not everyone throws things away easily. We are happy to re-use our belongings if they're in good working order, still in fashion or they just make us feel good.

We're likely to hang onto our favourite items for an average of 12 years, proving that things can and do last the test of time - making our 'vintage year' 1998. A quarter of us however have held onto 'old favourites' for over 15 years, and 4.5 million for more than 25 years.

Homes and wardrobes are dominated by our favourite things; for one in 10 of us these date back to the 1980s. Almost nine in 10 (86%) admit to harbouring an 'old favourite'.

When asked why they have kept these things for so long, good quality that lasted the test of time was overwhelmingly the winning factor (74 per cent). And, rather than just upgrading for the sake of it, over half (57 per cent) simply said they keep these things as they don't need to be replaced. One in six of those in their 50s even say their favourite item looks better now or has actually improved with age.

Colin Kersley, chief executive of M&S Money: "Millions of us hold on to our old favourites, and are not prepared to just throw things out for the sake of it. Some are sentimental about the item, some practical, believing in the old adage 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', but for others, they value quality and the simple fact that their own old favourites have truly stood the test of time. One in three in our study even said their preferred item is still as fashionable as it was when they first bought it!

"Marking our 25th anniversary at M&S Money, we know it is crucial we keep meeting our customers' expectations, so we focus on providing reliable, good value products."

Image: Little Black Dress