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Do you always follow PPP?

Neel

Veteran

This thought just crossed my mind (while chopping tomatoes for dinner o_O).

I for one find it extremely hard. Online shopping is not really varied and vast here. I have to do B&M shopping with two kids (mostly 1) in tow. It's almost impossible for me to score shops after shops to find the perfect piece. I usually just enter one shop and buy what I like from there. Then there is this whole trial room exercise where my kids giggle and poke fun at me while I undress and dress trying on clothes O_O. Half the time I forget to check the back view or do a sit down test!

I am getting better in judging but still my situation is such that I might not be able to truly practice PPP until my kids are older.

So do you follow PPP? What other factors do you think affects your ability to follow PPP? And the items that you did buy with PPP in mind .... Do you still love them enough?

Trying to understand why I have so many items in my wardrobe that I do not love enough.

General

15 replies

Latest reply was from

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ah, Neel. Well, first off, you always look SOOOO amazing that I would never guess you were not happy with your clothes!

But clearly you have a shopping dilemma. How well I recall those days. Honestly, I couldn't even shop at all and this was the period of my fashion nadir. When I compare the way I looked then to the way you look now -- well...it's mind boggling. (I looked like your "before" pictures, before. But I looked like that for a couple of decades and most of all when my daughter was a toddler.)

Okay. First question:

What don't you love about these items?

Is it fit? (That might require one solution -- finding a few brands that fit best and sticking with those stores for a while, or altering.)

Is it fabrication/ comfort? (That can be hard to judge when you are in a rush and no wonder you are struggling.)

Is it style? (Again, maybe finding "your" best stores is key here.)

When I have been able to practice PPP it has really helped.

Think of my blue blazer experiments last fall and winter. I tried on and ordered so many. I must have had at least four at home with me (and rejected them) and I also tried many more in stores. The one I finally found was more money than I thought I would spend, but yes, I love it every bit as much as I did when I purchased it (probably more) and will wear it a huge amount for the next three years at least.

One other factor that affects my ability to practice PPP is need. When an item is TRULY needed I cannot always be "perfectionist" (which is not one of the Ps, by the way) and I have to prioritze PRACTICAL. So I do the best I can and get on with it, meanwhile looking out for the upgrade that will make me happier.

Liz

Veteran

It's important for me to remember that Perfect is not one of the P's.

Neel

Veteran

But but but patient and picky does mean perfect :D. Mostly! Thank you Suz and Liz for your inputs

Suz - I dont love some of my clothes enough because they make me feel "What was I thinking?"!

I think it also has to do with understanding what I *really* need. Which I seem to have no clue about.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Short answer: nope. I like wildcards and spontaneous finds, and PPP is not a part of that. The Phillip Lim foiled vest? Absolutely not a PPP purchase. Neither was the blue ruched tube skirt I got at the Rack recently, but I've already worn it a couple of times and it has shifted my standards for my summer wardrobe since it is so comfortable and easy, yet stylish.

But when it comes to something like a specific, quality, basic piece -- a black blazer, the perfect new tote, or a pair of jeans I expect to be a workhorse -- I shop with PPP standards in mind, and strive for them as much as possible. So I think PPP is important when shopping for a wardrobe hole, but not necessarily for the joy of finding and trying something new that can kick your style up a notch.

rabbit

Veteran

Exactly what Janet said. I'm a lover of wildcards too, but for replacement or keystone items I try for PPP at this point. With the the caveat that Suz mentioned of practical -- if I really need it now (mostly this is in the socks and bra category though) I need it now and am not going to hunt extensively.

Also for me my budget per item has been kept quite low during a wardrobe building time. I can see raising it for individual pieces over time, especially as I hopefully only need to buy a few refreshers per season. I try not to buy a HEWI if it's in my budget range but not quite perfect. Usually I end up bringing it home and then returning it after extensive scrutiny and testing. But for example, since I'm only shopping clearance and thrift prices, my available pool is somewhat limited, although it doesn't really feel that way to me.

Do you have a chance to do try-ons at home and then B & M returns, or is that also hard to get some alone mental space?

E

Veteran

I'm inherently picky about colours, fabric, and silhouette, but in the past if something matched all of those criteria but didn't fit quite right, I'd bring it home anyway. With thrifting there's no sizing up or down, so I couldn't compare, and my eye just wasn't trained to see fit issues. If something was uncomfortable I wouldn't get it, but if it was comfortable and just a bit big, that didn't really bother me, I figure that's what belts were for. I think it was worse because I have comparatively broad shoulders, so bigger sizes can fit me in the shoulders, but look off elsewhere. I'd check that the shoulder seam was on my shoulder, and that would be that.

Becoming active on YLF, taking regular photo outfits, showed me that actually fit does make a difference. lol So this year I'm trying really hard to be PPP about fit, although I do still backslide occasionally. My new dressing room criterion is 'will I be happy to post this on YLF?,' as so many forum members have a great eye for fit. My thrift stores allow exchanges but not cash returns, which means doing K/R posts aren't as good for me (I'm already invested in the item once I've brought it home). I'm still trying to figure out what the best solution is, but I do know that the stuff I've brought home this year does fit better, and I feel better in it. It means I've had to put some truly gorgeous clothes back on the rack, but ultimately I think my closet is happier for it.

If I were in a wardrobe building stage though, and had a ton of holes, I'd be opting for practical over patient!

Can you hire a babysitter/drop your kids off with relatives so you can have some shopping time to yourself? And maybe take a checklist into the fitting room so you remember to do the comfort tests?

rachylou

Veteran

No. I'm pretty RATE, but I like to feel I've gotten better. I feel I've retreated from "making do."

Neel

Veteran

Thank you Janet, rabbit, E and Rachylou for chiming in.

Janet and Rabbit - I think your idea of PPP makes complete sense to me. So I need to remember to be PPP with wardrobe workhorses. And not so much with needs. Good point.

Rabbit - I have started doing the home trials and posting K/R which I never did before. That's a positive I guess

E - I wouldn't have guessed you misjudged fit. You always are so perfect with colors, fabrications and you have your style nailed! My relatives might frown upon me if I said I wanted to shop without my kids :D. But come September DS2 starts school. *doing a happy dance*

Rachy - ha! I would like to say that some day

Gigi

Veteran

I'm getting better, but I also am coming to the realization that because I am not God and therefore will not know beforehand whether something will be comfortable all day, or whether the shoes will turn out to hurt my feet, etc., I will make mistakes.

And there is our mood and emotional state to take into account too. We are changeable creatures, and item A may make us extremely happy one day but not so much the next. But we happened to be shopping on the day that we felt an attraction toward neon pink, and so that's why we bought the matching pants and top. Ha ha.

If I am buying a replacement for something, I do try to do PPP, to the point of perfection (Neel, I had always associated PPP with perfection too ). But there are a lot of gray areas, or so it seems to me. For instance, I have been wanting a pair of comfortable black pumps that are a classic style that don't have a terribly high heel and that have an ankle strap—and that don't break the bank. Well, I found some, which are perfect in every way—except the heel is 2.5" and pretty narrow, and if I am serious about finding a truly comfortable pair of pumps, I may need a blockier, shorter heel. So I have to decide whether I want to try these—which might be fine due to other comfortable factors that I feel in the shoe, who knows?—and start wearing them so I have more choices for my footwear *now*. Do I absolutely need them? No, I can make do with my other footwear. But will such a pair of pumps help me with my style exploration now? Yes. So what do you do? It's tough.

I do find that one thing that helps me a LOT is not to wear the stuff immediately but set it aside for a few days. Every night, I try on the stuff and see if I still like it. And I may try to style it; I think about what else it will go with in my closet. If I still like it after a few days, I figure it is relatively safe to wear it.

Peri

Veteran

I am always forgetting that the last P isn't Perfection. And I am entirely too Picky and not at all Patient.

So yeah, it creates a lot of angst. Since I'm not an enthusiastic shopper to begin with it can at times drain the last bit of fun out of the process. Oh No! Is this the best I'm going to find?? Should I wait?? What if I see something better next week??? I like it, but do I like it enough?? Is it a 10? Maybe it's just an 8??

Ad naseum!

I'm giving myself permission to like my clothes. Not the pressure to love every single thing the same. I don't want to keep things I don't like, but sometimes like is good enough. Price factors in...the higher the price, the closer I hope I come to love. Items that are usually single things...like the coat that is on its way...I hope to achieve love. Summer tops and T shirts, where I need 10-15 and expect to have a season or two...well I'm taking the pressure off. As long as it is a pretty contented like, it's okay if it isn't a love.

I guess that is the Practical. And I completely agree with Gigi...I usually dwell on my purchases a bit before wearing. That helps calm things down too.

Gigi

Veteran

Peri, I love what you wrote! I could swear that you're in my head hearing the conversations I have with myself when deciding whether to buy, ha ha! I like the idea of giving yourself permission to just like what you have instead of LOVE it. It really takes the pressure off.

Lyn D.

Veteran

I agree with Janet and others too- unexpected finds must be practical, and I am picky about what I buy these days.
I am also patient in the aspect of trying to find/try a wildcard in the best size/fit even if it means ordering on-line or travelling to a different store to purchase, or not buying at all.

DonnaF

Veteran

When DD was small (and I have only ONE kiddo, not two like you!), I didn't shop for clothes. Actually, I hardly shopped for clothes until she reached high school. You can imagine how outdated my wardrobe was, since I had bought a number of things in the years before I got pregnant. I hate to shop under pressure as I make all kinds of mistakes, not that I don't make mistakes when I'm not under pressure, but under pressure I think the figure is closer to 100%. I salute you for even trying to shop!

Neel

Veteran

Gigi and Peri - I sooooo relate!! I get frustrated trying to find something even in the 8/10 range. For example, I have been looking for white summer sandals to replace my old ones which are falling apart. I know I like something gladiatoresque or ankle cuff style, a bit edgy not dainty. I also know that anything that doesn't fit the criteria wouldn't get enough love from me. So I am waiting for fashion gods to smile at me and hopefully one day I would get lucky (like I got with my H&M black sandals).

Gigi - I also love the idea of setting purchases aside for a few days and trying them again. I think that would further help me to know if some purchase is really worth it. Thank you!

Peri - I need to like and not necessary love everything in my closet. Genius! I probably am in that stage now. I love some things in there and like others. The hates have already been purged!

Lyn D - I am being pickier lately too. so that's good I guess

DonnaF - *chuckling* thank you for commiserating!

Anonymous

PPP is my goal. I try very hard to adhere to it, but am not always successful. If I have any doubts, I leave it in the store. I tell myself there will always be another black pair of slacks (and there is).