https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 10 Apr 2026 17:58:51 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1022207 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:40:59 +0000 Gaylene 1022207@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Honestly, I'd never classify your version of "just wearing jeans and a shirt" as commonplace because the overall effect is much more unique and interesting than most of the jeans-and-a-shirt outfits that I see around me on a daily basis.</p> <p>And, just to clarify my response a bit more, I'm thinking that my age (64) is a big factor because I'm thinking of fashion turnover in terms of decades instead of a year or two. Fashion that recirculates within 4 or 5 years, to me at least, has never gone away. That's why I happily wear my bootcuts along with my skinnies and straights, even if the latest "thing" is for one or the other. As long as I'm still enjoying the silhouette, an item stays in rotation in my closet, much like in yours.</p> <p>On the other hand, I have no regrets purging the turquoise, Fryes, and flares that I wore 40 years ago.&nbsp; Hanging on to something for 5-10 years is normal for me, but I'd need a enormous closet if I had decided to hang on to my 60s mini skirts, my 70s flares and leather jackets, my 80s power suits, and my 90s CK minimalist dresses just to incorporate them into my current wardrobe, to say nothing of how my style has evolved over the past four decades. I can't say I currently have any desire to wear any of those items that I loved so much in those decades. These days I prefer my silk shirts and cashmere sweaters. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1022204 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:35:49 +0000 Janet 1022204@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I can't think of anything I regret purging, except my burgundy silk cowboy style shirt that was a little big on me after I lost weight. Fits have gotten looser since then and there are times I wish I still had that shirt. Oh well.&nbsp;</p> <p>I figure one out of, oh, a couple hundred or so items I've purged in recent memory is not too bad. :-)&nbsp;</p> <p>I've held onto a couple of&nbsp;pointy-toe styles from some years ago that I am hoping might come back around. One pair was expensive and is such a cool red ombre kind of deal, I'm tempted to wear them anyway, damn the trends. But they're very long and pointy -- best with wide-leg trousers. The other wasn't so expensive, but they're really pretty plum pointy-toe booties (I think Donald Pliner?) that are comfy, but with a slight snip pointed toe. Not very current, but I'm keeping 'em tucked away in case that comes back. Or until I get sick of them taking up space. Sometimes I just want to deem something cool and wear it despite what's current!&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1022198 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 21:30:23 +0000 Irene 1022198@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am a hoarder -all my family is, so maybe it's genetic. It's very, very hard for me to let go of things. I can't help thinking<i> what if...?</i><br />The truth is, what if -nothing. I still have flared jeans that look dated and do not even fit me. I have a cotton white tank (as if those were hard to find) from when I was 12 (no kidding). It's yellowish and looks old, but for some reason I still have it. I'm that bad.</p> <p>I also have this trauma that I'll throw away something and then I'll want it back. I used to have this gorgeous long denim skirt. It fit me PERFECTLY. It was the most beautiful shade of denim ever, it had a tinge of sea green in it and it was good quality. But I gained weight pretty suddenly and kept the skirt for years thinking that someday I would be able to wear it again. Because it made me feel so bad about myself, I finally decided I would never be that size again and I should let it go. I did. Then I lost all the weight. Would I be wearing a long straight denim skirt now? No way. But I could have shorten it to the perfect (and really hard to find) length for me and I can't.</p> <p>I have three bags of old clothes ready to be donated (the white tank and flared jeans are in them) and I'm not looking back. I gave my best friend a pile of clothes a couple of months ago for her to try them on and she picked two items and gave away the rest. I don't even know what was in it and that's liberating. No memories, no regrets! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1022156 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 20:53:54 +0000 Karie 1022156@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Last year before joining YLF, I donated a pair of pointy toed teal pumps that I had hardly ever worn. I thought I had to wear them with something else that had teal in it, plus round toes were in style at that time.&nbsp;Years ago when I bought them,&nbsp;I bought the same pair of shoes in black and I wore them almost every day because they were so comfortable. I wish I had my comfy pair of teal shoes back! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1022152 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 20:42:55 +0000 AnnieMouse 1022152@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm completely fascinated by the responses, ladies! Maybe I'm too much of a stick in the mud - I hang on to things, and I kinda like them being a hair off from the new iteration. </p> <p>Though, I will also say that I have a hard time seeing small differences in things (or even large ones, sometimes)*. So when things come back, I don't really see where or how it's different, other than its current styling shift. Take a grunge element and mix it with something more current, but the Docs are the same ol' 8-eyes. Grab the 70s turquoise and Fryes, and wear them with skinnies and a deconstructed jacket, maybe, instead of the prairie skirt and ruffled blouse. Chuck on a full minimalist '10s outfit with a bright blue fringed and shoulder-padded jacket, perhaps. </p> <p>Then again: I'm a thrifter, more than a retail shopper, so maybe that's a factor? I'm really accustomed to taking those "outdated" bits and making them more now. </p> <p>* Example: I recently posted <a href="http://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/wim-wiw-movies-errands-game-night-and-work" rel="nofollow">this thread</a>. It's a pretty decent representation of stuff I wear pretty regularly, and what I often get teased by my honey about - to him, this is very eye-catching, stand-out attire. To me, I'm wearing jeans and a shirt, so what's the big deal? (This is an ongoing theme in my life: I love colours and vibrant intensity and wearing what makes me happy... But I hate standing out in a crowd, nor do I usually understand why I do. I have purple hair because I like purple hair, but it often bothers me how much it creates a need for people to feel compelled to talk to me. It reads as a desire for attention on the public scale, but in reality, I would be much happier if it didn't draw notice at all, and I'm often confused about the feature that's drawing attnetion.) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021435 Thu, 05 Sep 2013 01:01:29 +0000 Pawprints 1021435@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Claire that makes perfect sense. I can imagine it. Thanks for explaining it like this. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021370 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:58:49 +0000 Anonymous 1021370@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Unless you are Angie or some of the other forum members who have some special designer/avant garde pieces that were never mass produced, I think most items (even classics) feel dated after a while. But if I had a fabulous alligator handbag that belonged to my grandmother or something, that type of thing can be put away and then trotted out proudly when the time is right. But alas....I own&nbsp;no such&nbsp;bag.&nbsp;</p> <p>To touch on your first point, that taking pictures and viewing/sharing them makes some people tire of their clothes more quickly I would have to agree wholeheartedly. I culled down to a very small wardrobe and right away I noticed a reluctance on my part to post very many WIWs. Even if no one here would ever say, "Gee, didn't you wear that last week?" --or yesterday!--<i>I&nbsp;</i>don't like looking at the pictures because then&nbsp;<i>I</i> start to feel bored, when I wasn't previously. I tried to start a fashion blog and I never kept up with it, and this is the main reason. I felt a very conscious need to have&nbsp;<b>new</b> outfits, at least once a week, to post, and I only needed them for the blog pictures--not my real life! </p> <p>Another example: I used to belong to a church that used big screen TVs to play dramatic short videos&nbsp;(which we would make)&nbsp;to illustrate the sermons. I was on the drama team, and after seeing myself in an outfit emblazoned across all the screens, I lost the desire to ever wear it again! Is that crazy or what? Like I couldn't wear it the next Sunday because I had "already" worn it in the video. So I can totally see how Instagram is making the Millenials churn through their wardrobe at a faster pace. Like, "I can't wear that outfit to the party Friday night because I wore it on Monday already and shared it."&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021356 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:46:08 +0000 shedev 1021356@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have only kept one item. It's an iconic leather moto jacket. Some years I wear it a lot and some not at all. I bought it in 94. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021343 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 23:36:40 +0000 Caro in Oz 1021343@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I keep certain things - great costume jewellery &amp; my more avant garde pieces. If I like something I tend to wear it a lot too.</p> <p>Most advice is to keep your classics but the light bulb moment for me was finding YLF &amp; reading Angie's take on "modern classics". Classics do change &amp; need to be replaced &amp; updated.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021205 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 21:30:04 +0000 Pawprints 1021205@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ditto all of the previous replies. I can't think of anything I've purged and regretted because it came back into style. I've purged some things that no longer fit, and I expected never would, and then they would have fit again. These few pieces were relatively timeless and flattering. </p> <p>I guess it's because I rarely buy something because it's the trend. True, I buy trends that suit me very well and that I think I'll use a lot or will last several seasons and not be flash-and-gone. I'm buying them because its time to replace things or to update things that have been around a while. I'm just not drawn to trying the latest just because it's new and popular, unless it also meets my own criteria first. Thus, most everything has had a good life in my wardrobe and whether or not I'm sad to see it go I don't expect that it will suit the person I am and what I want or need to wear next time around. </p> <p>I will say that the exception is classics that I put on hold for a while when they seem tired to me or the rest if the world but that will never be truly out and that are destined to make another comeback before long. </p> <p>Peacoats, loafers, cardigans, ballets, plaid, button downs--they all wax and wane. If I put aside something like this for a while and it doesn't include trendy elements (embellishment encrusted cardis, date-able prints on button downs, etc.) I know there's a very good chance I'll come back to it happily in a season or two (whether or not trends are embracing it again) and maybe even use it in a new way--if I haven't had a major color or size change. I wouldn't try to keep it for a decade. If I don't want it again pretty soon something is wrong. And in a decade there will be something musty about the style no matter how classic it is. </p> <p>Is this a personality thing? A generation thing? I don't think it's necessarily an age thing as I have always been like this. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021164 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 20:21:04 +0000 Thistle 1021164@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nope, I never regret purging.&nbsp; I tend to keep clothes&nbsp;several years, unless I bought poorly or suffered body changes (Hello DD!!).</p> <p>When I am done, I pass them along happily to make room for what grabs my interest now.&nbsp; I do not look at clothes as an investment. They are like food. You use them and then let them go. . . errr . .&nbsp;. bad analogy!</p> <p>I dislike fast fashion in certain respects as I hate loving a top and having it fall apart after a few wears. I want to keep on loving it! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021158 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 20:11:18 +0000 Suz 1021158@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ditto. Je ne regrette rien.</p> <p>Certainly no regrets about passing things along or purging.&nbsp;</p> <p>I <b>have </b>sometimes felt sad to have worn something out before I tired of it. And I have very happy memories of some items that seemed perfect at the time, but that I know would be less than perfect now.&nbsp; </p> <p><b>ETA</b>: I wear my clothes a lot, and do not worry about repeating or being seen in the same items or outfits, and although I purge regularly, most items stay in my closet for several years (and many wears) before I let them go.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021097 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 18:09:46 +0000 Gaylene 1021097@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Nothing! </p> <p>I'll echo Peri on this one that whenever something cycles back into fashion, it's never in exactly the same way. And, I'll add another reason: our bodies, lifestyles, and tastes can also change while we wait for something to recycle back into fashion. Unless you have crystal ball that can tell you when something is going to pop up again, I don't know how anyone could predict which items would come back into style and in what sort of incarnation. My ever-so-classic 80s Burberry trench looked ridiculous when I put it on after it had sat in my closet for several years. Unless I was willing to spend a large sum on alterations, it just looked dated and tired.</p> <p>My philosophy is to wear what I love for as long as I love it, but, when I find myself no longer enjoying the item, I'll purge it without regret and just hold on to the happy memories. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021076 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 17:14:20 +0000 Peri 1021076@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I started that thread...cool that you remembered. It was a shocker to me to learn that point of view. I have been asking around among the teens I know and at least it isn't universal. Some say yes, and some say their particular group is not like that.</p> <p>To answer your question...last winter I gave away a lot of chunky cardigans that made me feel old and frumpy and very unfab. So of course, just recently Angie has said that chunky cardigans are coming back. </p> <p>Now, I did not love the ones I gave away, so that may be different. But I have noticed that even when things "come back in", there is some detail that makes the new ones look new and the old ones look dated. I may think I'm wearing the same style, but something about it is just never quite right. So for those reasons I don't regret my give always. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/fast-fashion-catch-and-release#post-1021056 Wed, 04 Sep 2013 16:32:46 +0000 AnnieMouse 1021056@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Recently, someone posted a thread about how the Millenials and younger are churning through their wardrobes thanks to the rise of Instagram and other social media outlets - because they are photographed in items and sharing those photos, they refresh more freequently. </p> <p>I was thinking about this today as I read through some of the article archives, and thinking that the nature of sharing and social media means I tend to hold on to things more than I might have in the past. </p> <p>As I pondered this, I realised that I have a different perspective. While, yes, I want to refresh more rapidly because things become dated so quickly, I also hold on to them, because the quick turn around also means they will come back into style more rapidly than they would've in the past. </p> <p>I refresh seasonally, as many of us do, I suspect. But I'm acutely aware that just because one style may not be as "current" now, it's likely to circle back around, and probably sooner than later, really. So I hold on to things that I love, even when they're not as "fashionable." Some of it is because I found that it looked better on my body than a previous incarnation (lower rise jeans over long-waisted jeans, for example), sometimes it's merely because I prefered the style to what came later (chunky heels over stilettos). And sometimes, it's just because it's a brand or style that's always been around, but cycles in and out of fashion (Frye Campus boots, dirndl skirts, Doc Martens, classic Levis, biker jackets). </p> <p>What did you let go of because you felt it looked dated, and later wished you'd held onto? </p>