https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Fri, 15 May 2026 23:42:02 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842219 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 17:36:06 +0000 Anonymous 1842219@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>It is a challenging process, <b>Cheri Ciesiak</b>, but it does get easier. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842208 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 16:54:53 +0000 cheri cieslak 1842208@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>As I discover my style profile I am finding so many mistakes in my closet. It continues to be a challenging process. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842196 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 15:55:01 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1842196@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>3style,</b> thanks for the explanation, and for coming back with more details!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842182 Mon, 04 Sep 2017 14:48:32 +0000 Anonymous 1842182@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I thoroughly enjoyed this thread because it made me really think about my shopping habits and my buying mistakes. </p> <p>In contrast to you, I tend to hold onto mistakes and try to force them to work by buying additional supporting pieces that then become mistakes themselves. This is a lose-lose proposition. I have resolved to admit my buying mistakes and edit them from my closet earlier rather than later. </p> <p>Then I read <b>Karen13's and other's&nbsp;</b>comment about duplication. &nbsp;<b>Karen13</b> said that one of her repeated mistakes is duplication. She often gets so excited when she finds something she likes, she buy duplicates. She operates under a weird scarcity mentality - she will never be able to find this again! That describes me perfectly. </p> <p>I am a serial duplicator. My worst offender used to be black slacks. But since discovering that I need more deep summer wear, I started buying beige linen wide legged cropped pants … in duplicate. Because I devote so much of my shopping time/budget to buying pants, I always short change myself on tops and accessories. </p> <p>I have resolved to stop buying pants for the rest of the year. Period. </p> <p><u>Sidenote</u>: <b>Style3</b>’s closet organization was a fascinating read. &nbsp;Thank you for taking the time to lay it out for me. &nbsp;I could literally visualize your closet based on your description. </p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842026 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 23:07:16 +0000 Emily K 1842026@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Barbara Diane--What you wrote about having tight wardrobe boundaries really resonates with me! Most of my mistakes have to do with trying something new. I've even posted about sitting with the discomfort of trying something new--when is it "worth it" and when is it a sign that something just isn't for me? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842020 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 22:30:33 +0000 Penny 1842020@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Wow, thanks everyone for the great responses! &nbsp;Loving all of them - it certainly is a journey, and we're all learning a lot, including from our mistakes. &nbsp;<b>Barbara Diane</b>, terrific c<b></b>omment about not focusing too much on number of wears if an item addresses a specific need - it's important to be prepared for infrequent but foreseeable events.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842019 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 22:20:30 +0000 Sal 1842019@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I make mistakes too.</p> <p>The one I seem to repeat is buying based on the pattern/colour/texture and ignoring the fit or style.</p> <p>And I agree with trying to replicate an idea or previous item - things change which makes it a challenge to do successfully for me. &nbsp;</p> <p>I am fine with having a small number of pieces that get worn rarely either for occasions or just as a mix up. &nbsp;If I do not wear a piece one year I do not automatically discard it, but after two years I start to think that it might be time to do so. &nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1842017 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 22:13:47 +0000 krishnidoux 1842017@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Ooooh Aziraphale, the dressy item that is too light in fabric, in which you freeze to death the only time you wear it! How well do I know this... All Canadian women should be educated in school against this treachery!&nbsp;<br />Mind you I've discovered wonderfull, thin wool undershirts and layering long tee basics (Oscalito and Bernard Solfin) that one can wear under the said dressy items. Yes, it changes the look a little but it is a way to wear those dressy mistakes during colder months.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841950 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 18:04:55 +0000 Aziraphale 1841950@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I haven't read all the replies here, but what strikes me about this post is probably unreasonable to expect <i>no</i> mistakes. After all, even Angie makes the occasional mistake, and she is a seasoned professional!&nbsp;I think that as long as we learn from our purchasing mistakes, we're doing well. :-)</p> <p>My worst mistakes usually involve buying bright colours. I have the odd colourful item that I enjoy (for example, I always have one bright or deep pink top in my wardrobe, I recently bought a burnt orange topper that looks a bit like a lab coat, and I often carry a red handbag), but my blacks, greys and navys get far more wear. I used to by duplicates, one in black and one in a colour, and then the black one would get eight times as much wear. Now, if I'm tempted to duplicate, I get two of the same colour!</p> <p>I've also made mistakes buying dressy clothes that can only be worn in hot weather. I don't wear them! As soon as it's hot enough to be sweaty, I wear only casual clothes that can handle frequent washing. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841948 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 17:54:50 +0000 Suz 1841948@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><i>"One thing I am realizing is to not judge all my wardrobe items by number of wears. Some categories aren't needed often, but it is so much better to have the right item in my closet." &nbsp;(</i>Barbara Diane)</p> <p>I am so with you there. Just because an item only gets one or two wears a year does not mean it is a mistake if it satisfies the need for that occasion. Most of my dressier items fall into this category; they also mostly stay in my closet for years, so eventually the number of wears adds up. And averaged against my favourite jeans (which usually get at least 200 wears before giving up) I think this is reasonable. I like the "30 wears" test of an item as a guideline for buying but don't stick to it religiously. Perhaps the question for certain items is -- would I <b>like</b> to wear this item 30 times if I had that many opportunities to wear it, and will I keep it for at least 2 years?&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841944 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 17:46:10 +0000 anchie 1841944@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Last winter I convinced my self that burgundy is such a practical color that will go with everything in my closet, so I bought pants and wool sweater in the same shade of burgundy. I tried ignoring the fact that I don't like burgundy. And it did relly go well with navy, black and grays in my wardrobe, but I hated it on me anyway. Forced my self to wear it couple of times, and did not feel fab in it. Felt guilty every time I saw it hanging in the closet and finally donated it before the winter was over. Relieved:) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841940 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 17:30:45 +0000 3style 1841940@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fashiontern here are a few stragglers that didn't come to mind immediately. </p> <p>As far as toppers, I do like to own one classic button up Jackie Onassis style cardigan in a bolder print in a cotton or cotton blend that can be worn buttoned or open or with a light jacket over it for spring and fall. </p> <p>Getting back to your post where you were asking about clothing restricting activities, and I said I wanted to get more crossover clothing, my newest purchase is a fitted but sporty cotton striped sweater with winter white, sky blue, light aqua, navy and predominantly heathered gray. I'm hoping that it will be nice for walking and then doing something afterwards. I learned from past mistakes not to get cotton sweaters which are too wide or long, because they don't sufficiently dress up more casual pants or shoes. </p> <p>And thirdly, I remembered that I have a black heavy button down shirt that I don't wear in the winter quite as often as I would like, I think because I need to have an open neck and then cover it with a scarf or not depending on the inside temperature so I only wear button downs buttoned and under sweaters when it is cold but not quite cold enough for a turtle neck, which ends up not being very frequently. So anyway this fall I will use it unbuttoned as a casual jacket over knit tops. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841935 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 16:26:05 +0000 Barbara Diane 1841935@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Yesterday I returned the very lightweight summer dress that was wonderful for extremely hot weather but not JFE. It was the perfect day and occasion to wear it, and I put it on and took it right off. That was a definitive moment. Luckily lunch was in the same shopping center as Nordstrom.<br />On the other hand, the not so flattering wide patterned crops have been worn so what I thought might have been a mistake was not. I might not get so much wear out of them, but they felt so good in the heat.</p> <p>One thing I am realizing is to not judge all my wardrobe items by number of wears. Some categories aren't needed often, but it is so much better to have the right item in my closet.&nbsp;</p> <p>Still trying to make the earlier dress I purchased for very hot weather work. I purchased a very lightweight cover for my arms yesterday but haven't tried them on together yet.&nbsp;</p> <p>Yes, we all make wardrobe mistakes. I find often mine are when I'm trying to update my style. My boundaries seem very tight, and I can't tell when a new item expands my wardrobe perfectly and when it's a mistake. I can spend 20 minutes in the dressing room contemplating an item, and that item can just as easily become a favorite as become a mistake.</p> <p>And sometimes those mistakes come in perfect to complete an outfit.</p> <p>I guess the main thing is that this is a journey, and to not beat ourselves up.</p> <p> </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841928 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 15:48:46 +0000 3style 1841928@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I'm not at home for the holiday weekend so I can't add a photo right now. But if you do some searches on pinterest there are some good photos. </p> <p>Basically, first off, she is against out of season storage for items except for the extreme items like parkas and swimming suits. Second she uses the approximation that items are typically dark in color and thick and long all at once and likewise that summer items are likely to be shorter, more sheer and lighter colored. So the basic idea is that on the left side of your closet you have your heaviest longest darkest items and things get shorter and lighter as you go up. She also has particular order of pants versus skirts and so forth from left to right, but I think that it makes sense to do that relative to what you want to end up having in the middle. I like to go: coats, toppers, dresses, pants, skirts, long-sleeved tops, short-sleeved tops, tank tops, then home wear like robes and old knit dreses. Within each category I start with heaviest darkest and longest and then make my way through to lighter. So it keeps me aware of quantity and function. For example I'll demonstrate black toppers. I have one heavy weight black black blazer, one thing merino boyfriend cardigan with dressy buttons and trim, in March I added a stretchy jersey lightweight long-sleeved blazer from jjill (to replace a silk cardigan where the sleeves had gotten too tight) and I have a cropped three quarter sleeves bolero jacket. I also have a thick Merino black knit poncho which can fit over absolutely everything. Anyway, I love black. But I equally love denim/navy/chambray so I feel like I don't need to duplicate any of my black items as I have another full similar set in blue. If I didn't like blue, then I would have probably two of everything in black at each warmth level, because I am not super fast with laundry and dry cleaning turnaround time. I also have one heavy duty woolen olive sweater and one olive linen blend. I love olive but I try to keep only as my special relaxation color (look at David Zyla) so I have to keep myself from buying too much olive. I also love patterns but I can keep reminding myself that I have plenty of patterns in each category except toppers and coats, because those tend to be the items I keep the longest and the patterns look dated too quickly or make patterned bottoms very challenging. </p> <p>One added advantage to going by length is that on the right hand side you end up with a lot of clearance room underneath the lighter items. This leaves room for a taller dresser or laundry hamper or whatever than you could fit if clothing was in random order. I haven't relocated my drawers yet, but am planning to do so. </p> <p>I tuck the out of season stuff in the left and right corners (called wing walls) which can't quite as easily be reached or seen. </p> <p>I fold drapey sweaters and some athletic gear and pjs and such. In general I do less folding than she suggests because I find that I tend to equate folding with casual and also because I have big shoulders so I tend to want a little bit of stretching in the shoulders, but if it looks like an item is in danger of too much stretching then I fold it. </p> <p>Hope that is helpful. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841908 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 13:55:14 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1841908@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>3style, can you sketch out the organizing method? I'm familiar with the idea of weeding out according to what sparks joy, but not how she organizes closets later. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841830 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:42:03 +0000 3style 1841830@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>About a year ago I did KonMarie method on my closet. It had been relatively organized before, but somehow in a way that created more FOMO than her method. In my case, I focused on being organized with the finished items results rather than ruthless with the purging. I only donated things which no longer fit me both at once and, as I went along the year, because I have gotten significantly more muscular in the last year and like so many of us, my feet have gotten even fussier with age. I was beginning to think that there wasn't that much upside to being that organized and that it was just a bit obsessive.</p> <p>But now I'm realizing that I don't think I have made any clothing shoes or accessories purchasing mistakes since I did my organization. I really feel like I know exactly where something is going to fit into my wardrobe and whether it is necessary or not. </p> <p>The thing I am struggling with most is getting rid of some stuff which is a few years old and in ok shape which can be perfect during a hotter summer, and I haven't worn that much this year. But as everyone else is saying, it's been cooler than usual, so it is a little bit difficult to evaluate such items, and I have the room to think about it when next spring rolls around. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841827 Sun, 03 Sep 2017 00:08:19 +0000 Stagiaire Fash 1841827@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This thread is a good read. Looking through it, I see I made or barely avoided a couple more mistakes:</p> <p>My winter boots and shoes are rarely worn, but I think I've gotten to a point where the majority of them are high-heeled. That is odd for me. If we move somewhere with real winter, I will have to select a pair of daily flat(ish) winter shoes/boots carefully. </p> <p>The great big floral pattern: I didn't bite, but there were a couple times I almost did. They always look so cute, until I put one on and contemplate going out into the world. Then I just cringe and am uncomfortable as long as I'm wearing it. So I'm glad I didn't do that. </p> <p>Losing weight, I've been buying things too small and then shrinking into them. I've stalled out on the reduction for a couple months. It's perfectly reasonable--I haven't exercised, so I'm not getting any smaller. I need to either get back on the wagon or return some things while I still can.</p> <p>There were a pair of shorts and two tops that I thought would be wildcards/so cute on new, thinner me that I looked at later and wondered what on earth I'd been thinking. Way too skimpy and just foolish. Returned two, too late for one. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes/page/2#post-1841826 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 23:43:22 +0000 Alexandra 1841826@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Thank you, Penny, for starting this thread! It made me think about how I almost never reach for white pieces in my closet. Last evening, as I was contemplating ordering a pair of white chinos: my size, fits well, good quality cotton fabric, good price - this could totally be the new basis for my warm-weather outfits next ye..... Wait! What outfits? I don't wear white. Money saved, mistake avoided. Thank you again. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841820 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 22:34:05 +0000 JAileen 1841820@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My oft repeated mistake: if one is good, two are better. Of course then I prefer one of the two, and wear it instead of the other one. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841818 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 22:29:59 +0000 Jenni NZ 1841818@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>What I really wish and hope is that I can learn from the previous mistakes and not make them again. I hope the strategy I used yesterday at the Designer Garage Sale does work. I had my tracking lists of all my clothes in my handbag and sat down after spying the top I did end up buying ( before I tried it on) to look at what pants and shoes were on the list. There was another top too that was a contender. Then tried both on, one clearly didn't fit and one did. I also managed to decline a different top that I think I may have bought without YLF. It had blue pansies on. I adore pansies and maybe in the past would have bought it. Just wasn't quite flattering and in the clear light of today ( next day) I know I made the right decision. Maybe I am learning, I hope so! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841806 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 21:43:17 +0000 krishnidoux 1841806@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such wisdom here! What a great thread idea. Very informative posts from everyone. It takes courage to recognize one's own mistake. I also admire you Penny for getting rid of mistakes as soon as you discover them. This is a healthy attitude that prevents unnecessary guilt. </p> <p>I am with Suz about our weather this year, our rainy, cold spring and short summer have had a major effect on my style. Fortunately, I bought less things, and consequently made less mistakes. But I have made them and still will I'm sure! </p> <p>Some mistakes:<br />- Two flower print cotton tulip skirts: too light for most days, and then not quite my style, so when on those days when it was warm enough for me to wear them came around, I never felt like reaching for them anyway. Proudly bought them for a memorable price tag three years ago. Kept pulling them out and storing them away religiously every year. I think next year they'll stay in storage. Lesson: It's not because it was expensive that it is immune to being a mistake.&nbsp;</p> <p>- Large and loud flower print cotton long sleeve tee. I just have a hard time with crew necks on me. Add to this a difficult-to-match print, and you get... an orphan-mistake staple of your closet (not of your outfits). Lesson: Respect my personal preferences more, and don't get something with a feature I already dislike unless everything else is stellar.</p> <p>- Still trying to decide on a pair of flat pointed toe t-strap patent white and gold pumps. Everytime I put them on, I don't like my silhouette in them, although they look so trendy. Maybe too trendy... maybe that's the problem. Lesson (maybe): It's not because it's trendy that it has to work for me.&nbsp;<br />&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841792 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 20:21:22 +0000 cindysmith 1841792@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Some of my newest clothes have already been passed on. I gained weight, and when it came time to pull out my hot weather clothes... Well, I had to buy some that fit really quickly. So I kind of bought a bunch of stuff that I thought I might like, mostly fast fashion, just so I wasn't nekkid. Now I'm starting to see what works and what doesn't, so I'm passing some things on. Now that I've got my undergarments replace in my new sizes, I can concentrate on replacing the not-quite-right pieces with nicer things that will be more likely to work for me. I'm trying not to beat myself up too much over the mistakes, because I actually haven't had very many at all for the last couple of years. I have to keep reminding myself that I did have to rush to get things in my new sizes, so it's only natural that some of it just didn't work out. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841685 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 06:10:51 +0000 Bijou 1841685@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I am really enjoying this thread because all the comments resonate with me. My goodness, I think I have made all mistakes already mentioned at least once - and like Jenni NZ, no more high heels (over 2 inches) for me in the foreseeable future.<br />My most common mistakes are:<br />Replacing a beloved worn out item and the new item not quite working for me whether because it is subtly different from the original or just I have moved on from that, both situations have arisen.<br />Items being too classic don't work for me. I have a lovely navy blazer that is a classic cut and I never wear it. Why? Because I bought a JCrew blazer with gold trim and a ruffle detail and I much prefer its more feminine and fun vibe.&nbsp;</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841668 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 03:27:20 +0000 Gigi 1841668@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Fun thread! I still make purchasing mistakes, though many fewer than when I first started putting together my wardrobe. I do think that shoes are the hardest.</p> <p>My mistakes this past year:</p> <p>1. Buying a pair of jeans that were a little too big in the front. As the denim stretches out, I get a wad of fabric at the crotch, which is not a good look. But I learned from that and did not keep a pair of lovely jeans that I got at NAS, since they had the same slight excess of fabric.</p> <p>2. Buying a menswear-inspired item. I like my wardrobe to be decidedly feminine, but every now and then my interest is piqued by a menswear-inspired item. This past year it was a pinstriped vest from Banana Republic. It sat in my closet all year with the tags on. I took it to consignment this spring. Moral of the story: No more menswear-inspired items, no matter how much I am tempted in the moment!</p> <p>I am also finding that very basic essentials, like crew-neck long-sleeved t-shirts, are boring me to death. I used to buy a lot of Caslon t-shirts at Nordstrom because they were simple and would go with a lot of stuff. But I am finding that they are really not my style. So I will be looking for more interesting essentials moving forward. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841654 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 02:02:01 +0000 Penny 1841654@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Lots of great comments and reflections here! &nbsp;Glad to have company, and it just goes to show that no matter how savvy we become, thanks to YLF, the style journey inevitably involves trial and error. . .&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841650 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 01:37:30 +0000 Laura G 1841650@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>My mistakes so far this year:</p> <p>1. Trying on a tee shirt in artificial light, then discovering by the light of day that the color was wrong. That was the first mistake. The second mistake was keeping it anyway, thinking I could make it work somehow. A) I don't look good in that color and B) duh! I have nothing that goes with it.</p> <p>2. Buying a top that I knew was the wrong shade of green for me, because I loved the print. It was a non-returnable clearance item, so sale goggles involved here too. See #1.</p> <p>3. Two gauze miniskirts that I thought would be summer workhorses. They turned out to be more like a swarm of summer mosquitoes--the flimsy fabric worked its way up my body as I walked, and I was constantly trying to smooth down what looked like a crumpled handkerchief to restore decency. The mistake was checking how it looked in the mirror, but not how it felt to sit and walk in it.</p> <p>4. The Nordstrom Signature long cashmere cardigan at NAS. I bought the XS thinking it must be small enough, right? and then saw a photo of me wearing it. NOT. Gave it to my tall daughter.</p> <p>5. Finally got around to taking a beautiful Free People maxi skirt to be hemmed, only to discover it can't be hemmed. Tags on, but too late to return.</p> <p>6. Overall, I may have bought more than I need. Still two months of summer left here, so if I can get out of bed and wear the stuff, I'll be able to judge the quantity better.&nbsp;</p> <p>7. Oh, and buying a whole new wardrobe just *before* losing 12 pounds. Not really a mistake (you have to buy it when they're selling it), but expensive anyway. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841640 Sat, 02 Sep 2017 00:30:31 +0000 Suz 1841640@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Sterling</b>, I am with you here. I think we <b>all </b>make mistakes, and the best thing we can do is acknowledge that and move on. It's best to get rid of the offending items but make notes so we don't forget. </p> <p>Some mistakes are useful (I hope mine will be!) and some mistakes are just plain lousy luck (to some extent, mine were -- the weather issue, as <b>Alexandra</b> notes, was pretty much out of my control and another year the items might see use...) and some mistakes are just part and parcel of an evolving style, as <b>Smittie</b> suggested.&nbsp;</p> <p>I'm okay with it if I buy an inexpensive version of a trend or "new to me" style or colour and then decide it's not so wonderful. I pass it on quickly in that case. Ditto for shoes that turn out not to be comfortable (and <b>that</b> is a mistake none of us can escape from at some point in our lives, it seems). I do tend to hang onto the more expensive mistakes though. It doesn't make sense. Sunk costs are sunk costs.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841604 Fri, 01 Sep 2017 22:03:17 +0000 Anonymous 1841604@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hi. &nbsp;If we are being honest, we all make wardrobe mistakes. &nbsp;I think it is impossible to be perfectly accurate all the time. &nbsp;I can only <u>admire</u> your resolve to purge an item once you realize it was a mistake. &nbsp;WOW. &nbsp;<u>You are my hero</u>. &nbsp;</p> <p>In contrast, I tend to hold onto the mistakes. &nbsp;Sometimes I even buy additional mistakes trying to make the first mistake work for me. &nbsp;That is the real waste. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841595 Fri, 01 Sep 2017 21:47:07 +0000 Penny 1841595@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's so true, <b>karen13</b> - I love to duplicate and store the identical piece when I know it will be a workhorse for years, but have definitely been burned by buying a piece too early, before I had confirmed it would be beloved. &nbsp;A couple of pieces I duplicated this year were from Zappos, which has a one-year return policy, so I kept the duplicates in their packaging until the originals had been worn many times before making my final decision. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/reflecting-on-buying-mistakes#post-1841594 Fri, 01 Sep 2017 21:43:21 +0000 Penny 1841594@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p><b>Suz</b>, yes! &nbsp;That's such a great point. In fact, the grey sweater I bought - and almost immediately passed on - was something that reminded me of a beloved sweater that was a workhorse in the past - but that really wasn't in line with my current style and color preferences. &nbsp;</p> <p>It sounds like even if those wardrobe items of yours have been rarely worn, they provided valuable information for the future. &nbsp;</p>