What was your biggest fashion "one that got away"? - YouLookFab Forum

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What was your biggest fashion "one that got away"?

April

Veteran

This would be your biggest missed opportunity: could be a specific item you didn't buy and regretted, a style that you realized too late was ideal for you -- anything that haunts you to this day.

Here's mine. When I was married, Chanel was a client of my husband's, and people doing business with their corporate headquarters were given the privilege of shopping in their company store. Now, the company store sells items not at a discount, nor at wholesale, but at cost. Cost!

At that time, I was a beleaguered grad student and mother of a preschooler, with no interest in or time to think about style. A candidate for What Not to Wear. I had no idea what to even ask for, so he did the best he could and brought me a couple of fragrances and a makeup brush or two, and that was that.

I know, I know.

Okay, as I mop up my tears, I turn this over to you...

General

40 replies

Latest reply was from Angie

crasdy

Now that was one heck of a missed opportunity!

I still think about the one that got away for me. I was visiting San Francisco for a job interview about fourteen years ago, and took some time to wander through Chinatown. I spotted the most amazing silver and amber necklace in the window of one of the shops. It was about $75, which was a ton of money to me at the time. I hemmed and hawed for about 30 minutes, but ended up walking away.

I have regretted not buying that necklace ever since. I've been back to Chinatown in SF several times since, and I always look for it.

anne

Veteran

Well I can't think of anything that remotely is up to yours, but still

1) When I was 17 and trying on dresses to wear to our high school graduation and dinner I tried on a black sheath that fit me perfectly. I didn't get it because it was ~$40 more than one I found on sale at $55 but wasn't really as nice

2) about 5 years ago there were 2 reasonably priced pink coats at Target. I bought a plain wool princess line one. Now I wished I had bought the other one that was faux plain and in a retro, banded waist style (I thought it might go out to fashion too quickly)

Joy

Veteran

The one that comes to mind was a DVF dress at a consignment shop I visited when in Boulder. At the time I had recently found YLF. The dress fitted me like a glove, something I wasn't used to seeing when wearing my old lady boxy stuff and it was almost $100. I knew it looked good but still hesitated because it was such a different look for me. By the time I came to my senses we'd left the city. I still regret not getting it or trying to see if they'd send it if it was still there. I've been back since and it's gone, of course.

Carole

Veteran

Oh my, April! What a tragic story. But I can completely relate. I wouldn't have known what to have invested in before finding YLF. I wonder if "at cost" would have been a true bargin, or if it still would have been rather pricey...

Carole

Veteran

I just thought of a big regret in a similar vain, I was asked to model for a prominent local photographer when I was pregnant with my daughter. They were going to take before pictures, in something that would show my "bump" and then pictures after she was born, it was a new concept 20 years ago. I was going to receive the portraits in exchange for my time and effort, but I declined feeling like I wouldn't know what to wear and didn't want to spend money on an outfit. I still regret not taking advantage of that opportunity, all because I didn't know what to wear.

Louise

Veteran

This is awful I have no 'I wish I'd bought items' I have no willpower to leave behind when it comes to items I love! Thankfully I don't have expensive tastes!! x

stringy

Veteran

Red peep-toe wedges in canvas (like sneakers), with a red and white polka dot lining. At the time I thought they were too out there for me to wear, and that I didn't like high-heels. But I was fascinated with them.

When I finally realised that they'd look great with blue denim and that wedges are quite different sorts of heels from stilettos, I went back to buy them. They had sold the pair in my size the week before. And when I checked the website, I found that it was a discontinued style.

I keep looking at red wedges now, but none of them have the cheeky attitude of that pair.

Queen Mum

Veteran

I can't think of anything off hand, but we might have to resuscitate Angie after she reads your story.

Isabel

Veteran

April , first and foremost : my sympathies. It seems that these opportunities present themselves at such bad times.

Carole, that is sad. It is amazing how when we are young our clothes or lack of can affect what we do. I would have done the same thing...and regretted it.

There is one for me ( and of course it would be jewelry ) : When I was pregnant with my son, 9 years ago, a little jewelry stand at the local mall had a beautiful gold and diamond bracelet that I loved. It was one of a kind, made by the owner who was a multi-generational goldsmith from Jordan. He was just starting out and wanted around$1200. The diamonds were really top notch and the craftsmanship was out of this world. But, I couldn't do it. He expanded, moved to a large store, went into real estate, became wildly successful and still the bracelet stayed with him. I finally decided that I had to have it and over the years he told me he would sell for the price he had offered when I was pregnant because I had been with him since he started. Then recently, someone else bought it for thousands more. I was happy for him - but not for me . The "happy " ending is that he said he would custom make me one - for a bit more money because gold and diamond costs are much higher now - but his offer is still amazing. He is a good guy and has never forgotten his roots or his first customers.

April

Veteran

Oh my -- such a variety of experiences! Of course we never know what we'll regret later, and there's no way to take advantage of every opportunity, but it's hard not to feel the sting...

Lisa

Veteran

I was in San Francisco on a work trip with carry on luggage only. All the stores had their big sidewalk sales at the time and one store had a pair of KILLER Manalo Blanick shoes on sale, marked way down to under $100. I still think about those shoes.

I also bought a green Coach bag on Ebay a few years back. It was green and white and very cute. But it would not fit on the shoulder so I gave it to a friend. She no longer has it anymore and I realize now that I rarely wear my bag on my shoulder anyway. I wish I had kept it and never see that style now.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*can't breath"

taylor

Veteran

UGH....April, tragic!!!

Laura

(website)

Veteran

April, I am sitting here with my lunch and literally cannot eat it because of how nauseous I feel for you. That one is downright painful! OUCH.

jerseyjan

Or course, you asked for lost fashion buys, but I have to chime in with this. When we were younger, just starting business, buying *reasonably priced* furniture to re-sell, the importer in NY told us to buy the nice French imported furniture instead. We didn't. That was in 1979 or so.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

April...just wow! *hugs* That's...painful!
Mine is fairly recent. A few months ago I was browsing through a shoe store and came across a cobalt blue bag in *the* most gorgeous, soft leather. It had a gold chain strap that could either lengthen out all the way for a cross-body look or double up into a conventional shoulder strap. Right next to it was a black leather quilted bag with similar chain handle detailing. I bought the black. At $125 I figured I'd get the most use out of it. In that sense I have...I wore it every day for at least a month before summer weather hit, and I don't regret that purchase. But I haven't stopped thinking about the cobalt blue one ever since, particularly this week when I wore a few outfits that practically screamed out for its presence. And of course when I called the store back (and even checked with other locations), it was nowhere to be found. Some locations had never even seen it, which makes me think it was a fairly limited edition piece that only went to some of the busier locations.

I comfort myself with things like "it was probably too small for you anyway." It's working about as well as you think.

Lynne

Veteran

Slightly OT: I walked onto a bus and made eyecontact with a young man sitting on his own.... I KNEW I was meant to sit there... BUT I could see someone I knew further along and I chickened out. The young mans face DROPPED when I walked by..stay with me here...I met him at a party a few days later, he was a housemate of a colleague. That was 1989, and yes we're still together. Sorry, I said it was OT....

biscuitsmom

Veteran

Lynne, how sweet is that? Makes you believe in Fate....

Kristine

Veteran

That's awful April!!

Mine isn't a huge one, but a year ago I fell in love with these tortoise shell peeptoe pumps. It was around that time that my feet started really bothering me and I swore off heels. My feet have been fine lately and I'm sick of all of my flats. I want a pair of peeptoes for pencil skirts and I keep thinking of that pair. I was actually daydreaming about them this morning, wondering if they still have them for sale...

Kristine

Veteran

Weird. I just found the tortoise shoes online and realized I own them, only in silver! And they're not that great. So maybe I can put that one to rest.

April

Veteran

Someone please revive Angie!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

*still barely gasping for air*

Maya

Veteran

When I want something, I find a way. Some may say I have no willpower, but I actually think I have a lot of willpower...to get what I want

Did that revive you Angie?

taylor

Veteran

Now that I think about It, last year I bought a pair of pewter max studio pewter ankle strap heeled sandals that they also had in a tobacco....I didn't buy them , but I have been cruising the Internet ever since trying to find them. I am bummed that I didn't duplicate right then and there because EVERYONE loves those shoes when I wear them!!

mgshakes

Yeah, impossible to approach the infinite tragedy of April's tale.

Mine is OT, sort of, but this just happened and I am sooo mad at myself.

Just now, I was buying train tickets online & talking on the phone. Got wrapped up in conversation, and when I returned to buying train tickets...my session had timed out...and when I refreshed it, the tickets were $38 more expensive.

And that $38 is coming out of my clothing budget.

Luckily I hadn't pre-picked a particular Fab Item for July, but whatever it was, it got away, ah, alas.

(Or I could take the bus + commuter rail x 3 + bus + commuter rail route and it might cost about the same as that original ticket... ):

anne

Veteran

mgshakes - that is annoying!

Mac

Veteran

MgShakes - ugh - that happens with me and air tickets ALL THE FLIPPING TIME.

I have no stories of my own and am just enjoying/ agonizing over everyone else's lost opportunities.

April

Veteran

MGS, as someone who spends half her life on Amtrak (SO lives in another state), I can totally relate to this! Between trying to get the good price on tickets and wondering if the train will actually be on time, the whole endeavor can feel like an Olympic event.

Taylor -- do you know the name of those sandals?

Laura

(website)

Veteran

Do we need to get Angie some smelling salts? A VERY strong cup of Earl Grey?

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