The "10 Year" or "30 Wears" Clothing Test presented by Depop

Summary

Forever35 Podcast: The “10 Year” or “30 Wears” Clothing Test Presented by Depop

Hosts: Doree Shafrir & Elise Hu
Date: May 6, 2026
Type: Bonus Episode

Episode Overview

In this special bonus episode—presented with Depop—Doree and Elise delve into the art of intentional shopping and curating a wardrobe built to last. Drawing from personal experience with secondhand shopping, sustainability, and closet clean-outs, they discuss strategies like the “10 Year Test” and “30 Wears Test” to guide mindful clothing purchases. Their easy banter, humor, and self-awareness shine through as they encourage listeners to buy, sell, and live with more purpose—without sacrificing the thrill of the hunt.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Thrill of the Hunt and Secondhand Shopping

• Personal History: Both hosts recall the nostalgia of sifting through IRL discount stores and highlight how apps like Depop now provide the same satisfaction, just digitally.

  “I just find it so satisfying to sift through the noise. … Now we get to do it on apps like Depop [...] and it is, like, a score.”
  — Doree (00:19–01:02)

• Practical Shopping: Elise shares how Depop is her go-to whether searching for rare vintage finds or items recently sold out in stores.

  “Depop always seems to deliver on those items.”
  — Elise (01:02)

Systematic Shopping: How They Approach Building a Wardrobe

• Intentionality Over Impulse: As they age, both are more purposeful about purchases, considering longevity and personal style alongside fleeting trends.

  “It's not just about acquiring as many things as possible…what is still going to be in my closet in 10 years?”
  — Doree (02:26–02:59)

• Dealing with Trends vs. Timelessness: Both admit to occasionally yielding to trends—recalling the “belting dresses” mid-2000s look—but now prioritize lasting pieces.

  “I would like to go to a capsule wardrobe life ideally, but it's…a long way to go before I get there.”
  — Elise (02:59–03:08)

The “10 Year Test” and “30 Wears Test” Frameworks

• Doree’s 10-Year Test:
  Considers, “Will I still want this in my closet in 2036?”—a framework to combat trend-driven buying.

  “Is Future Doree still going to be wearing those? … That’s kinda how I’m trying to look at things.”
  — Doree (04:53–05:46)

• Elise’s 30 Wears Test:
  Asks, “Will I wear this at least 30 times?” Especially useful for athleisure or trend pieces.

  “The answer for a lot of athleisure…that's how I know to say no, because I don't think I might wear those electric blue leggings 30 times.”
  — Elise (06:12–06:21)

Memorable Moment:

“You do the 10-year test? I do a 30-wears test... And it's a really good mental check for, ‘Is this timeless versus trendy?’”
— Elise to Doree (06:21–06:51)

Closet Staples and Investment Pieces

• Doree’s Take:
  • Jeans are tricky due to changing cuts and trends, but some pairs endure.

  “If you had told me 10 years ago, like, you're not going to be wearing skinny jeans 10 years from now, I'd be like, ‘What are you talking about?’ … Now I don't really wear skinny jeans.”
  — Doree (07:01–07:47)

  • Postpartum body stability has allowed her to hold on to favorites.
• Elise’s Take:
  • Staples she’ll always buy:
    • Light blue oxford shirts (“Travel in them a lot”)
    • White tees (likes both Madewell and Bombas)
    • Black trousers for versatile dressing

  “Just an oversized oxford shirt. I travel in them a lot… White tees… black pants, like black trousers that you can throw on.”
  — Elise (08:39–09:49)

Occasional Wear & The Value of Secondhand

• Buying for Rare Occasions:
  Depop is ideal for cocktail dresses or statement pieces you won’t wear often, as you’re less likely to reach the “30 wears” mark on those items.

  “You're not going to wear it every day…when you need it, you really need it. … For those kinds of things especially, I feel like Depop is perfect.”
  — Doree (10:27–11:17)

Circular Economy, Selling, & Sustainability

• Anti-disposability Mindset:
  Both reject the idea of clothing as disposable and want clothes to enjoy a “second life.”

  “I don't want to think of my clothes as disposable. I really just want to expect to keep them for the long haul.”
  — Elise (11:32–11:40)

• Selling on Depop:

  • Doree details a personal win: Quickly selling a Bud Press jumpsuit that didn’t quite fit her, feeling good about “passing it on.”

  “People are obsessed with these jumpsuits… it sold within, like a day. … I felt so good about it, like, packaging it up and sending it off.”
  — Doree (12:55–13:27)

• Empathy for Next Owners:
  Elise loves imagining how someone will style an item she’s sold.

  “I sort of imagine how the next owner is gonna revamp the clothing with their own accessories, their own style.”
  — Elise (13:44–13:56)

Depop App Usability & Encouragement

• Ease of Selling:
  Doree raves about how the app generates descriptions and removes friction:

  “It's so easy. It generates a description for you based on the photos…”
  — Doree (14:37–14:48)

  • No seller fees, direct-to-bank payout, and user-friendly setup get a shoutout.

    “You link [your sales] to your bank account… it's super money.”
    — Elise (15:09–15:12)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “We’re not experts… but I feel like on this topic, we’re semi experts.”
  — Doree (01:53–02:00)

• “Will 2036 Doree still be wearing those?”
  — Doree (04:53–05:02)

• “Instead of my usual soft pants from Aritzia… just having a nice black pant I think is always good to include as a closet staple.”
  — Elise (09:29–09:49)

• On selling:

  “I can feel good about acknowledging that, you know what, maybe this didn’t work out for me.”
  — Doree (13:36–13:44)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:19–01:02 – The thrill of shopping secondhand and using Depop
• 02:26–03:08 – Becoming intentional about shopping and wardrobe choices
• 04:53–06:51 – The 10-year vs. 30-wears test for sustainable shopping
• 07:01–09:49 – Closet staples and adapting to trends vs. classics
• 10:25–11:17 – Shopping for special occasions with secondhand in mind
• 12:09–13:27 – Circular economy and stories of selling on Depop
• 14:37–15:12 – App usability and encouragement to try Depop

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Final Thoughts

With candor and practical wisdom, Doree and Elise champion mindful shopping, sharing the frameworks (10 Year Test, 30 Wears Test) that help them embrace both sustainability and personal style. They cheer for secondhand shopping’s emotional and environmental upsides, encouraging listeners to engage in the Depop community as buyers, sellers, or both. The episode wraps with gratitude—for the app, for the joys of thoughtful consumption, and for their ever-evolving closets.

Transcript

[A]

Foreign. Hey, y'. All. This is a very special bonus episode that is brought to you by our friends at depop. I'm Elise.

[B]

And I'm Dory. And if you've been listening to us for a while, I think you probably know that we both deeply appreciate, like, the thrill of the hunt. Like, when you're looking for that, you know, one specific perfect item, it's just, I don't know, I just find it so satisfying to sift through the noise. I remember when I was growing up, we used to do this, like, IRL and go to, like, discount stores and sift through all this stuff, and now we get to do it on apps like Depop, where, you know, you're searching for that perfect thing in the right condition and you find it and it is, like, a score.

[A]

Yeah. It really is a practice. And honestly, depop has become such a go to for me, both the app and the site on my desktop, because whether I'm looking for a specific rare vintage find or one new piece that I just missed out on because it sold out in five minutes, or I went to this actual physical store, which I know is rare these days. I went to the store, I saw it, and then I thought, oh, I'll come back and get it, and it's gone by the time I'm back. Depop always seems to deliver on those items.

[B]

Yes. So, you know, I think at this point, we've both spent, like, a significant amount of time on the app.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So we've developed some systems, not just about, you know, shopping on the app, but also just about, like, what to look for and how to know when you've, like, found that great piece.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

You know, we always say, like, we're not experts.

[A]

Right.

[B]

But I feel like on this topic, we are semi experts.

[A]

Yeah. We are getting better each day, too, because we've been using it and we're so proud to have them as partners. So for today's bonus episode, we are just going to walk you through some personal tips and tricks for refreshing your closet, finding some special pieces, and curating your own depop feeds. So if you download the app and want to start trying it out, it will help you find absolute gems.

[B]

You know, at least one of the things that I think about a lot when it comes to my wardrobe as I. I feel like as I've gotten older, I'm really thinking more, like, intentionally about the things that I buy. Like, it's not just about acquiring as many things as possible. It's. It is still like, I, you know, I kind of look at the trends, but I don't feel like I'm as much following the trends exactly as I used to be. And I want to think, like, what is still going to be in my closet in 10 years?

[A]

Yeah, well, I mean, we've been talking a lot about your decluttering and just how much stuff we've acquired in our lives or even in our time in la. And I too kind of share that concern. Like, I don't want. I would like to go to a capsule wardrobe life ideally, but it's. There's a long way to go before I get there. And in this transitional time, we do have to be more intentional. Right. Whether it's with our skincare products, which we have been kind of paring down as well, but also in our closets. So one of the biggest hurdles, I think is just figuring it all out. Like, is this something I'm actually going to love forever? Is it just of the moment? How do you think about it? Like when you are shopping or just browsing on depop, for example, how do you know? Or do you just kind of go in with a specific intention? Like, I need a new crisp white button down.

[B]

Yeah. So I feel like there's like two modes. You know, sometimes it is that like one specific thing. Like, okay, there is a brand and there's a specific style of shirt that I've seen that I want and I search for that and I find it great. But then also what I do think depop is really good about is their hashtags are actually really smart. Like when you're selling something, it generates hashtags based on your description.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

That are pretty accurate. And you can also use that as a buyer. So if you're like, I'm, you know, I want like a boho top or whatever, and you search that hashtag, you're going to get stuff that's pretty good. I also think their algorithm is good. Like when you open the app, it shows you stuff that it thinks you'll be interested in. And I'm like, I'm usually like, oh, I'm interested in this. Do you know what I mean?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So sometimes I'm just looking for a specific style of whatever. Right. But you know, I think I also try to think about this sort of like 10 year test, like is. And I know it's like crazy to think this way, but, you know, is like 2036 story, you know, Future Dory. Is Future Dory still going to be wearing those? And as someone who like has trouble conceptualizing what my life is going to look like, you know, six to 12 months from now, that is hard.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

But I do look in my closet and I see the things that I have kept for the past 10 years and I'm like, okay, you know, I've kept these things and these. A lot of other things I have not kept. So I don't know. That's just. That's kind of how I'm trying to look at things.

[A]

Right. I have a version of that. Yeah. I totally. I totally relate. And I also sort of like whatever is trendy too often.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Sort of like went in the mid aughts when we were belting dresses. I still have a ton of belts from that time period, for example. And so it's hard for me to project forward. But now, because I am trying to live a more sustainable life, be more intentional about my shopping. You're. You do the 10 year test? I do a 30 wears test. Like, am I going to wear this at least 30 times?

[B]

I love that.

[A]

For the, the answer for a lot of, like athleisure, for example, because I think often athleisure trends or colors or patterns kind of come and go. The answer for a lot of athleisure. That's how I know to say no, because I don't think I might wear that, like electric blue, those electric blue leggings 30 times. And so I do the 30 wears test. You do the 10 year test. And it's a really good mental check or a mental framework for.

[B]

All right.

[A]

Is this timeless versus trendy? What do you have that you consider staples in your closet that you will likely still hold on to for another 10 years?

[B]

Yeah. You know, it's funny, like, jeans are an interesting category for this because I feel like, Gene, trends change a lot. So, you know, if you had told me 10 years ago, like, you're not going to be wearing skinny jeans 10 years from now, I'd be like, what are you talking about? That's all I wear. And now I don't really wear skinny jeans. And so I. I am wondering if that is because I just sort of like feel fell victim to the, you know, the trends. Yeah. Or if I really was like, hey, you know what, Skinny jeans are actually kind of uncomfortable. Maybe there's a different style of jean that I could wear. I do have some jeans now that are probably like six or seven years old.

[A]

Yeah. Yeah.

[B]

You know, and I'm. I'm like, these are. These are great. And you know, I think I'm also fortunate in the sense that, like, my body hasn't really changed that much since I had Henry. Like, since that, like, postpartum period, like.

[A]

Yeah, yeah.

[B]

So I haven't really had to get new stuff because I like change sizes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

So, you know, that's also, like a consideration. Are you going to be the same size 10 years from now? There's no way to know that. Like, I don't know. But, you know, the. The jeans, I definitely have a few jeans that I'm like, I like these. Like, I think they look good on me. They're comfortable. I don't think they're overly trendy. Like, I don't think they are a kind of thing where I'm going to look at them five years from now and be like, oh, God. Right.

[A]

That's a massive bell bottom.

[B]

Right, Exactly. What about you?

[A]

I have staples in my closet that have lasted, and I'm so glad that they have, like, I like a light blue button down, like an oxford, you know, the pale blue. And so I have a few of those that have been in my closet for a long time and. And that I continue to shop for when I'm shopping Depop or other places, because they are timeless, you know, so just an oversized oxford shirt. I travel in them a lot. They're pretty easy to pack. And then I also have white tees, and that's part of my uniform. And I have some from madewell that are, I guess, have been in there since COVID that have been in my closet since COVID But lately I really like Bombas, that brand that makes socks. I think they're known for their socks, but they have some white tees that I added to my closet that I really like. And then what else do I consider a staple? A button down, A white tee. I think it's always good to have black pants, like black trousers that you can throw on. Like the other day I had to kind of be mildly more dressed, you know.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Instead of my usual soft pants from Aritzia or whatever. So just having like a nice black pant I think is always good to include as a closet staple. What does this get you thinking?

[B]

Well, you know, I was just thinking about how I feel like I'm reasonably good at buying things that I know I'm gonna wear, like, regularly, like, my everyday clothes. What I feel like I'm not so good at is buying the things that I will need occasionally. And that's actually where I think depop is really good.

[A]

Okay, give me an example. Yeah.

[B]

Because, like, you know, it's good to have, like, a cocktail dress. Yep. In your closet. You're not going to wear it every day. You're probably not going to wear it every week. You might not even wear it every month. But when you need it, you really need it. But then to spend a lot of money on something brand new that you know you're only going to wear maybe a couple times a year is, like, you know, it feels hard. It feels tough. Right. So for those kinds of things especially, I feel like Depop is perfect because you have so many options. It's also not just the things that are from this season. Like, you can find things from past seasons. Maybe there was a style from five years ago that looks better on you than, like, the current day. And, you know, you're shopping more sustainably. You're shopping secondhand again for something that you are not going to wear those 30 times.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

I mean, unless you're someone who goes to a lot of cocktail parties, which you might be. But, like, you know, I think it's those kinds of things that I also am like, oh, this is. This is where I'm. This is where I go first to find those types of things.

[A]

Yeah. I don't want to think of my clothes as disposable. You know, I really just want to expect to keep them for the long haul.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Because right now we're in this kind of ethos in which a lot of folks are like, oh, this doesn't fit anymore trash, or this doesn't look good anymore, and then they get rid of it. But I think it's so great to have places like Depop to go to, to know that you can give clothes a second life or that sellers are giving clothes a second life and that we are making really intentional choices about what's in our closets without.

[B]

Yeah, yeah.

[A]

Damaging the planet.

[B]

Right. And I think the selling aspect is so important too, like, this sort of circular economy of these clothes, because it makes me feel less bad about getting rid of stuff just because, like, I don't love how it fits or, like, there's nothing wrong with it.

[A]

Right.

[B]

I just am sort of, like, not in love with it. And so the idea that I can sell it to someone who is going to love it and is. And, like, you know, I really do feel like, oh, it's going to a better home. Like, it's going to someone who will love it. I have this great big Bud Press jumpsuit.

[A]

Mm. Oh, I love that brand.

[B]

I love that brand. I had also gotten it secondhand, so it Was like, already secondhand from someone local.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

And I wore it a couple times and, like, I always felt like it never, like, fit exactly right. I probably could have gotten it tailored, but that felt like another step that I just, like, didn't want, you know what I mean? And it was just sitting in my closet. And, like, people love these jumpsuits. Like, people are obsessed with these jumpsuits.

[A]

Totally.

[B]

And it was the first thing that I ever put up on depop to

[A]

sell,

[B]

and it sold within, like a day. Like, it sold so quickly. And I was like. I felt so good about it, like, packaging it up and sending it off.

[A]

I was like, enjoy going to go to another home. Yeah, exactly.

[B]

So it's like, it's stuff like that that I feel like I can. I can feel good about acknowledging that, you know what, Maybe this didn't work out for me.

[A]

And then I sort of imagine how the next owner is going to revamp the clothing with their own accessories, their own style. Yeah. Their own fit. And that's really nice because I know that that certainly happened for me as a buyer on Depop. Like, when I get items that I have been coveting and wanting and I'm so glad that I found it, it comes to me and then I can kind of style it with a different. I'm sure I'm styling differently than the person before. And so, yeah, that's always really nice. So if you are a listener and you haven't yet tried Depop, yet, download the app, you can start selling. If you don't want to list any items, which is totally cool too, you can start buying on there. It's so wonderful to take part in that micro economy on Depop. If you do start selling, how easy was it for you? Door?

[B]

It's so easy. It generates a description for you based on the photos that you put up. So it's like already started the work for you like that. To me, that was like a big point of friction with like other apps is like, I have to type out this whole description just like populates it and then you can just sort of fill it in and then you're good. Like, you just post it. And they have no seller fees, which is huge.

[A]

So to make money. Yeah.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

You link it to your bank account and then you just.

[B]

It's super money. Mm. So thank you, depop, for existing and for making this bonus episode possible. And to all of you, happy shopping and happy selling.

[A]

We'll have a regular episode in our feed soon.