https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Thu, 16 Apr 2026 10:55:56 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999326 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 01:47:03 +0000 Sal 1999326@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Love the new colours - gorgeous!!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999322 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 01:24:37 +0000 Christina F. 1999322@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I agree about the holding zone being a way to detach. I think I’ve broight one or two things back but not the vast majority. (That said, I have a separate holding zone for shoes I can wear again once my injury is better. That’s a different matter!)</p> <p>I am moving away from LOFT too after long reliance on them. I did recently find some cool velvet pants there (times two). But I’m not loving the quality of the tops or the knitwear compared to other stuff I have. I also think my aesthetic has shifted away from theirs in the last few months. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999319 Wed, 06 Feb 2019 01:10:39 +0000 SarahD8 1999319@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>(I actually love cephalopods. Super, super love. Just not as clothing fit models!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999240 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 19:44:13 +0000 Anonymous 1999240@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I never find long enough sleeves, for coats especially!<br /> Aww man- tried to put octopus emoji and it didnt work </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999235 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 19:30:24 +0000 SarahD8 1999235@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Sterling</b>, I am so glad to have helped trigger a useful insight for you. I hope you find a peaceful and gentle way to release some of your no longer worn items.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>FashIntern</b>, yes, makes sense not to constantly be rebuying if your weight fluctuates. The truth is that aside from pregnancy and postpartum, my weight has only ever slowly crept up...so idk, this holding zone business is probably me fooling myself. Re: thrifting, I remember visiting a famous thrift store in Berlin where items were priced by the pound! It would have been 1993, I wonder if it is still there -- no idea where in the city it was though.</p> <p><b>Angie</b>, right??? It's so tempting. Thanks for adding the find.</p> <p><b>suntiger</b>, thanks so much for starting this challenge. Oh yes, the tight arms/loose body thing. And long arms! I tried a long sleeve tee from Gap last fall that I swear was cut for an octopus. Re: the low-hanging fruit business, that's a good way to put it. And that's my thought process: if I buy these easy-to-find things now, I'll have a nice collection and can put my budget towards harder-to-find things when they do show up. But on the other hand, cardigans and scarves are always easy (for me) to buy. Will I really reach a point where I just...don't anymore?</p> <p>So the theme here is that I can rationalize my purchases but I wonder if I am doing just that -- rationalizing/fooling myself. Well, I guess we will see. If I'm not, great. If I am, I hope/expect that will eventually become clear and I can change my habits. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999166 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 16:13:20 +0000 Anonymous 1999166@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Loft and ON seem especially guilty of the tight armholes loose body phenomenon, in the last 2 years or so particularly.<br /> Your take on retail vs consignment is interesting, and I do the same with low cost things-buy a few fun "low hanging fruits" when the "big game" aren't forthcoming! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999126 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 14:58:22 +0000 Angie 1999126@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Cute white knit skirt. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999090 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 12:21:31 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1999090@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><div>Thanks for posting this. I haven't found my own turquoise surprise yet, but have realized that the color I've been looking for to go with a skirt could be described as turquoise. <br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I haven't gotten around to second hand shopping yet, but when I do (probably in the fall), I expect I'll be a leeeeeetle bit leery, so will check items much more carefully than in retail, where I know I can always take it back. Your comment on picking up cheap stuff too easily rang in my head as I evaluated the star top that I'm now sending back.<br /></div><div><br /></div><div>I completely agree with you that it's fine to leave things we aren't ready to detach from in the holding zone. Some might even make their way into our closet's Hall of Fame, as things we don't expect to wear but want to keep. Angie has posted about having 3 or 4 of these items. I see this emotional attachment as a different thing entirely than wistful thinking about the money spent on an item. Those should go, and when they do, we won't think of them any more. Weight fluctuations are another reason for putting something in the HZ that I think is entirely legit, whether it's a change&nbsp; you're hoping &amp; working for or one you're hedging against. Spending money every time the tape measure shows a different number just sounds stupid to me. <br /></div> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999089 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 11:56:24 +0000 Anonymous 1999089@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't know if I have <i><u>ever</u></i> brought anything back from the "holding zone." &nbsp;Once a garment is relegated to my holding zone I am mentally done with it. &nbsp;It ends up in the holding zone only because it is usually in pristine condition and I am having trouble justifying purging it. &nbsp;This is a valuable insight for me ... <i><u>thanks to your brilliance</u></i>. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1999018 Tue, 05 Feb 2019 02:37:38 +0000 SarahD8 1999018@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Jessikams</b>, yay, another Victoria fan! Amazon has a pretty wide selection of colors/sizes but I am not sure what retail options are available to you where you are.</p> <p><b>Joy</b>, YES, very good point about the quality available secondhand vs. retail. I am embracing secondhand shopping for now -- not totally ignoring the retail landscape, but realizing that I know a fair bit about how to make secondhand work for me, so why not milk it.</p> <p><b>Sterling</b>, great that the "lessons learned" were useful for you. I think it's good to be aware, but also to be gentle with ourselves. As long as the volume isn't overwhelming, it's ok to have a way station. (And I have brought things from the holding zone back into my active wardrobe, too.)</p> <p><b>nemosmom</b>, yes, mindfulness! A good first step.</p> <p><b>Angie</b> great point about Loft. I'm not writing them off completely, just vowing to be careful. I think their tops in particular are not cut right for my shoulders. I've actually got my eye on a skirt there right now:</p> <p><a rel="nofollow" href="https://www.loft.com/knit-pull-on-pencil-skirt/503538?skuId=27126011&amp;defaultColor=4899&amp;catid=catl000017">https://www.loft.com/knit-pull.....#038;catid</a></p> <p>I think it would be so fun and sportif for summer with my plimsolls and Breton stripes. But it doesn't come in petites. I might give it a try even so. We'll see. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998864 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 14:48:01 +0000 Angie 1998864@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What <b>Suz</b> said. Goodbye items that don't spark joy, and hello items that do. Nice lessons learned too.</p> <p>Agreed. Loft items are appealing, but the quality is inconsistent. They do really good petites.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998807 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 13:05:00 +0000 nemosmom 1998807@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Reading the lessons you’ve learned about your churn has been really helpful. It seems you are hitting your goal of being mindful about what is coming and going. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998788 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 10:45:21 +0000 Anonymous 1998788@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What a great post! &nbsp;It was fascinating to read. &nbsp;</p> <p>The most interesting part was the "lesson learned." &nbsp;I think for a lot of us a&nbsp;holding zone really <u>is</u> just a place to stash items that we're having trouble detaching from. &nbsp;It is valuable to recognize this in ourselves. &nbsp;I'm going through my wardrobe preparing for spring. &nbsp;I'll be evaluating those items stashed away. &nbsp;Your lesson should be valuable to me. &nbsp;</p> <p>I was surprised that you tend to settle more for items purchased from retail than from thrifting, but after reading your explanation, it all makes so much sense.&nbsp;</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998759 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 06:00:24 +0000 Anonymous 1998759@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Excellent thoughts and reasoning. I have the opposite prejudice about buying retail vs secondhand in that I assume second hand is better quality than retail. I am sick of retail stores full of shapeless sleezy jersey and welcome the tailoring and substance that can be found second hand.. I predict that soon the thrift stores will be filled with that awful jersey stuff as people find that it does not spark joy. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998752 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 05:20:06 +0000 Jessikams 1998752@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I used to have a pair of those Victoria shoes and I loooooved them! So nice to see them again. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998731 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 01:07:48 +0000 SarahD8 1998731@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Cardiff girl</b>, high-fiving my fellow plimsoll fan. Yes, I wore the first pair of blue ones literally to death...and I have a pink pair too! Love them.</p> <p><b>Katerina</b>, how interesting that you may have a similar relationship to retail vs. secondhand shopping.&nbsp;</p> <p><b>Suz</b> what a great way to think of it. The additions definitely spark joy.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998719 Mon, 04 Feb 2019 00:10:56 +0000 Suz 1998719@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It sounds like everything you let go needed to go, and everything you invited in will bring you joy. That's a good equation! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998714 Sun, 03 Feb 2019 23:48:46 +0000 Katerina 1998714@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Brilliant post! Very interesting reflection about buying things at retail compare to secondhand. Made me thinking if I do the same unconsciously. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998710 Sun, 03 Feb 2019 23:36:22 +0000 Cardiff girl 1998710@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I have those Victoria plimsoles in Navy and I wear them to death in the summer so I thoroughly approve of this purchase.l think that you have really thought about your purchasing habits and managed to identify particular patterns.l think that this can only help you in the future to forfill your goal of shopping more mindfully.l aim to follow your example and do the same.As they say ,knowledge is power. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/january-2019-review-ft-unexpected-turquoise#post-1998705 Sun, 03 Feb 2019 22:57:14 +0000 SarahD8 1998705@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I did not set a particular limit for the “item budget challenge” but instead stated that I want to be more mindful of both what comes in and what leaves my wardrobe this year. I may set specific number-related goals later in the year once I have more data. For now I see this as an opportunity to shine a light on my shopping (and culling) habits to better understand my strengths and weaknesses in this area.</p> <p>In January my wardrobe experienced more “churn” than I expect to be typical. Organizing our new wardrobes and the basics review/edit earlier this month spurred me to pass quite a few things on. Meanwhile, building back up after that basics review meant that I added more than average. I’ve also observed in the past that January tends to be a heavy shopping month for me. I’m not sure exactly why this is the case.</p> <p>Thanks for reading!</p> <p><b>Out:</b></p> </p> <ul> <li>A bunch of worn-out basics (camisoles, long-john shirts) plus a pair of ill-fitting silk long-john pants. All from around 2014-2015.</li> <li>Some items from my holding zone. Primarily several pairs of pants from ~2015 that are currently too small but I decided I don’t like enough to save in case of weight loss.</li> </ul> </p> <p><u>Lesson:</u> My holding zone is primarily a place where I stash items that I’m having trouble detaching from. As long as my holding zone doesn’t expand too much (it’s one small plastic bin that lives on the top shelf of my wardrobe), I’m not going to beat myself up about it.</p> </p> <ul> <li>Medium-wash and gray skinny jeans (J. Crew, fall 2017), dark-wash straight jeans (Old Navy, fall 2017)</li> </ul> </p> <p><u>Lesson:</u> I am more likely to “settle” when buying things at retail than when purchasing secondhand. This might seem surprising (the usual assumption would be that the lower price point secondhand would make me less critical/picky). I think two things are going on here. First, when making a retail purchase I’m often trying on multiple sizes and even multiple styles/brands of an item, so the temptation is to think “which one is best?” rather than “are any of these close enough to perfect to merit adding to my wardrobe?” Second, although I’m a huge fan of secondhand shopping I think I still have some prejudice that says retail is “better.” So I figure, on some half-conscious level: well, this is as good as I’m going to do, so might as well accept it and move on. I wonder if that prejudice floating in the background even makes me less critical/picky when evaluating retail purchases?</p> </p> <ul> <li>4 tops from Loft: Breton tee (thrifted, 2015?), chambray popover (thrifted, 2017), black long-sleeve tee (retail, Jan 2018), blush plaid popover (retail, Dec 2018)</li> </ul> </p> <p><u>Lesson: </u>I need to be really careful about shopping at Loft. That Breton tee got a lot of wear (it’s legit worn out, though I’d probably be keeping it if it weren’t also a little snug). Overall, though, I’m finding that I get sucked into shopping there because I like the aesthetic and the price point, but items just don’t have staying power in my wardrobe — the cuts aren’t quite right for me, and the quality isn’t there in the items that I’m buying. That plaid popover shrank and the dye bled on first wash — maddening!</p> </p> <ul> <li>Blue tennies (retail, 2015) — replaced with exact item, see below.</li> </ul> </p> <p><b>In (see photo):</b></p> </p> <ul> <li>Navy wool-silk scarf with sequins (Anthropologie, Ebay). - A dressy item that could be worn as an outerwear scarf in cold seasons or as a wrap in warm weather.</li> <li>pink 3/4 sleeve cardi (J. Crew, Ebay) - Joins my collection of lightweight, 3/4-sleeve cardis that I rely on in the summer months. It will be interesting to see how I wear this given my penchant for pink summer shoes — will I enjoy being matchy-matchy or will I deliberately avoid matching with my footwear?</li> <li>ivory/red scarf with gull print (Bindya, Poshmark) - total impulse purchase. I love gulls! This is lightweight and will be a spring/summer scarf — it fits with the “nautical” vibe of much of my warm-weather wardrobe, contrasts nicely with navy/white, and forms a complement with a cardi and a pair of clog sandals that I already own.</li> </ul> </p> <p><u>Lesson:</u> At a price point below about $20, I have a hard time passing up good quality items that I think will have staying power in my wardrobe, even if they aren’t the highest priority. That’s true of all 3 items above. But, those small purchases add up — both in terms of money spent and in my sense of the volume I’m bringing in. So I need to make sure such purchases don’t displace more urgent needs.</p> </p> <ul> <li>4 camis, 4 longsleeve thermal tops (Uniqlo, retail) - Replace worn-out basics that were discarded.</li> <li>Blue canvas tennies (Victoria, Amazon) Exact replacement for shoes bought in 2015 and worn heavily. I would have liked to have replaced these last year but the color wasn’t available by the time I went looking for it, so I hopped on it earlier this year.</li> <li>Vintage Asian-style cardi (Ebay) - From the pictures online I expected this to be more sea-green. But it is actually TURQUOISE, haha, for once I am ahead of the trends! I anticipate wearing this as a dressy summer topper. However, I need to make sure I have the support acts to make it work.</li> <li>Charcoal sweater tunic (Nieman Marcus, Ebay) - for my “skinnies + sweater tunic” super-simple at-home outfit formula. I’m super psyched about the tweedy effect — I’ve been wanting to add tweedy knitwear to my wardrobe. Note to self: if I expand this sweater-tunic capsule any further, I should add a NON-neutral.</li> <li>3 pr black crew socks (Gap, retail) - Inspired by my wardrobe basics review, to eliminate laundry bottlenecks.</li> </ul> </p> <p><b>Bought and returned:</b></p> </p> <ul> <li>3 pr Jogger pants (Gap, retail) - Wanted to improve my loungewear capsule after basics review. These didn’t fit — rise too high.</li> <li>Black skinny jeans, Medium-wash bootcut jeans (Old Navy, retail) — In the spirit of absolutely no retail stone unturned, I wondered if girls’ jeans would be cut with lower rises than women’s. Narrator voice: they are not. Back they went!</li> </ul> </p> <p> </p>