Old Clothes

I have been reading an article in Selvedge Magazine, issue 21, Jan/Feb 08. The article by Amy de la Haye is entitled Personal Archive, and is part of a larger article: Old Hat, Is Vintage Fashion Looking Dated?
This article asks:
'Why do we preserve and cherish our old clothes?' (Haye 2008: 75)
'...at what point and how do particular garments become elevated from 'old clothes', that have accumulated or hoarded, to revered 'object' or collection - our wardrobe as a personal archive?' (Haye 2008: 75)
The article continues:
'More often, it is the moment when clothing triggers a significant memory that it becomes imbued with new meaning and personal worth, valued over and above its style, materiality and utility.' (Haye 2008: 75)
'Or perhaps it is because we leave imprints on our clothes - their materiality is altered by the wearer - in a way that we do not leave traces on other objects that we own? A garments shaping can distort to echo body contours; it can become imbued with personal scent and bear the marks of wear. And, ultimately they disintegrate with the passage of time, a process which can be likened to human fragility.' (Haye 2008:75)

I picked these quotes because they link to ideas i've been exploring. I have been researching collections in both museums, and personal collections, to explore why some things are treasured, valued and kept and why others become discarded and unwanted. A way for me to begin to understand the type of object I want to design. Perhaps... something to be treasured and kept, to be used and then repaired or perhaps altered to adjust to new needs; to be functional and to interact intimatley with our everyday lives - not to be too precious not to use, yet beautifull enough to to treasure and want to keep.