Cherished Family Tuxedo Handed Down 3 Generations for Proms, Weddings and Everything in Between

— -- A cherished tuxedo bought in 1951 has been worn by three generations of family members to proms, weddings, and special events across more than 60 years in time.

The suit was an investment piece -- and a sound investment at that -- bought by the grandmother of Susan Belsha Custer, who told ABC News that her "Nanny" had lived through the Great Depression in Norfolk, Virginia, and would be thrilled to know that the suit is still used today.

"She would cry," Custer said, "She would love that people are still wearing it, even 60-something years later. She just loved family."

Custer's grandmother saved up from her job at J.C. Penney and bought the two-piece tuxedo from the same store for $40, a small fortune for the family at the time, when a loaf of white bread cost 12.5 cents, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The suit was bought for the first high school dance of Custer's father.

Almost 60 years after her father wore it to his high school dance, Custer's son wore it to his prom in 2008. Just last month, the suit was worn by Custer's nephew, another grandson of her father, to his own high school dance.

"My Dad just kind of off-the-cuff mentioned it. He just said if you want to wear my tuxedo, you can, and then my son put it on and then never took it off those four years," Custer said, noting her son wore his grandfather's tuxedo to eight dances in four years.

Custer said her own generation consisted of girls, who used the tuxedo to play dress-up and for special costume events. Custer's father donned the tux three times when he walked his three daughter's down the aisle.

"It is just kind of a known thing that my son wants to wear it to his wedding," Custer said, noting the suit is now an "heirloom" to the family. "My younger nephews, who are 9 and 13, are already talking about how they want to wear it to their proms and their weddings."