https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop Style Advice for Fashion Lovers en-US Tue, 14 Apr 2026 09:07:06 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 q https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/search.php https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1931181 Sun, 24 Jun 2018 10:24:27 +0000 Anonymous 1931181@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I bought your&nbsp;magic odor-removing detergent. &nbsp;Have not needed it yet, but I will and I want it on hand. &nbsp;Thanks for the suggestion. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1931160 Sun, 24 Jun 2018 08:09:11 +0000 Jenni NZ 1931160@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Greyscale having looked at the photos again I can manage to see that the jeans in pic 1 were not quite as flattering as the ones in pics 2/3. So that's good that you sold the first ones and also that BF likes the pic 2/3 ones so much! Sorry about the Gap ones. No suggestions </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1931031 Sat, 23 Jun 2018 17:26:04 +0000 Greyscale 1931031@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Conclusions: I sold the jeans from the first photo. I kept the second pair of Levi’s wedgies (photos 2&amp;3) and my boyfriend happened to say, wow those jeans look good on you. So that’s a good sign.</p> <p>I love the relaxed fit of the Gap jeans (photos 4-6) but even after washing in my magic odor-removing detergent, they still make me feel ill. I’ll wash them a few more times but I am not happy about this. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1928278 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 16:59:42 +0000 gradfashionista 1928278@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Even though I buy denim from multiple retailers, I frequently regret it because of fit issues. I would happily buy from Nordstrom exclusively because of their return policy, but they often don’t carry my preferred size, style, or brand. Regardless of the fabric composition, you can’t predict how jeans will stretch out with wear, and a fit that is or becomes slightly off will leave me wanting for something better. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1928203 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 13:07:17 +0000 Suz 1928203@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just remembered another of my strategies. I buy the thing I think is "good enough" (especially if jeans or footwear, because both are so core and necessary to my life) and wait until next season to look further. If I find I'm happily wearing the "good enough," well, then, it really <b>was </b>good enough! If, on the contrary, I find that I hardly wear it and whenever I wear, it feels wrong, then I let it go at the end of the season and start looking again. Oh, and I just make different outfits that don't require said item in order to do so, sometimes feeling annoyed that I don't have the piece I need, and sometimes finding new combinations that I enjoy in the closet.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1928140 Wed, 13 Jun 2018 07:27:45 +0000 Gigi 1928140@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I know this feeling well of always wanting to upgrade! It can be torture. I am a perfectionist in general, so this plays right into my weakness.</p> <p>My first line of defense is not to settle unless absolutely necessary. I will settle if I have a pressing need for something. This is pretty rare--it would most likely be some kind of special function or situation out of the ordinary. </p> <p>The second reason I would settle for something is if I have looked and looked, generally for at least a couple of years, for something and just cannot find exactly what I want. I will then settle IF the price is right AND I am convinced that I will wear the item quite a bit (i.e., the item will be practical). </p> <p>Once I find what I am looking for, I buy it and enjoy it...and don't allow myself to look for better versions! That is where I can really get into trouble--if I start trying to outdo my great purchase. Let's face it--you can almost always find something better (better quality, better fit, better color) if you keep looking. So I make a conscious effort to stop looking at similar items once I've bought "the one." (And as others have pointed out, asking whether you are willing to stop looking for item X once you have bought the item in question is a good way to determine whether it is indeed "the one.")</p> <p>I recently bought a faux leather jacket from Express that is about 80% what I want. I settled because I have been looking for a leather jacket for three years now and cannot find what I'm looking for. This one was on sale for $80, and the quality and fit are good. In fact, the fit is amazing, which is what is lacking in all the other leather jackets I've tried. There are a few stylistic elements about it that I'm not excited about, which was my only reservation. I will continue to look for the perfect leather jacket, but in the meantime I will likely get $80 worth out of this jacket, as I have very few jackets. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1928019 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 20:33:30 +0000 Jenni NZ 1928019@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I will have to think hard about the underlying question but right now with the pics I feel like the scene from "The Devil Wears Prada" where Andy chokes with laughter when she can't see the difference between several belts and she gets the withering look from Emily and then Miranda Priestly gives her a talking to! Sorry Greyscale you may give me a withering look for not seeing the difference between these 3 pairs of jeans </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927974 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 18:10:33 +0000 3style 1927974@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>@Greyscale, I haven’t tried this with heavy denim, but with summer weight denim, I’ve actually in the past had very basic jeans taken in by a tailor. The amazing result was that it last for years and work through many more weight fluctuations than anything that I’ve ever bought off the rack. Alas my tailor retired and I haven’t had time to find a talented new person. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927965 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:15:00 +0000 gryffin 1927965@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>That's interesting Lisa - for me it's something I really need (ok or want a lot) but I can't find the right iteration so I buy something close so I can complete the look of the outfit even if it's not quite right.&nbsp; But there are still things that I can't find and others where I finally nailed it.&nbsp; And no I will take those "mistakes" and their CPW to my grave but I do try and limit the amount and variations on NQR items.&nbsp; Now for that 3/4 sleeve black cropped vee neck cashmere cardi for layering!!&nbsp; Why of why JCrew did you discontinue it!!&nbsp; Nothing has been right since!!</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927963 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 17:04:37 +0000 Anonymous 1927963@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I had another thought about this - and I'm not suggesting this is happening in your case, but......I do find that when I start doing this , I'm usually barking up the wrong tree and going after something that will never be right .<br />&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927936 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 15:36:21 +0000 Bonnie 1927936@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Your perfect jeans are/is my perfect jeans jacket. I bought one three years ago and never wear it but I know if I find the perfect one, it will become a workhorse. The difference is that I haven't replaced the one I have because nothing I've tried on is any better than the one I have. Still frustrating but less expensive. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927906 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:25:33 +0000 texstyle 1927906@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I don't do this as often as I did in the past but I did at one time have at least 4 iterations of the "perfect" chambray shirt. The only one that made the cut is still not worn often. The realization was that I didn't *need* a chambray shirt after all. I've also been known to keep searching for the perfect white summer top(s). I don't have that many because luckily I've gotten better at returning things right away. But I still seem to obsess over it every summer and am disappointed when I can't find the "one." This is my last attempt for this&nbsp; year and the sleeves are kind of the deal breaker - a little too billowy for my taste I guess. And it's pretty sheer and wrinkles easily, contrary to some of the reviews. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927902 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 14:20:45 +0000 Anonymous 1927902@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Interesting thread. I'm with binkie. &nbsp;Admittedly, I'm not a fit fiend, because I so rarely get a good fit from clothes that I no longer "expect" it, but I can get carried away accumulating versions of the same thing (denim dresses are my downfall, for some bizarre reason). &nbsp;But , I think I have this problem under control now, and simply make do when things are not perfect. Money only goes so far, and accumulating too much of one thing and obsessing over getting the perfect one has run its course with me. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927893 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:48:52 +0000 Diana 1927893@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Oh, and ps. I’ve had the problem with off gassing black denim too. I don’t think I’m quite as sensitive as you, but it’s a gross, pervasive smell and gives me a headache. For some reason it seems to be a problem exclusively limited to black denim - not any other color denim and usually not any other black fabric. Usually I can tell right when I open the box. In my experience the smell does not easily wash or air out so it’s a dealbreaker for me. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927889 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:44:21 +0000 Diana 1927889@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I do this too. My problem is that at some point, if the item in question is a true wardrobe mvp, I start getting obsessed and exceedingly picky and perfectionist, sometimes to the point where I can’t find anything that’s perfect because I’m not willing to settle. Too hot, too cold, nothing is just right.<br /> Currently, I’m having this issue with black combat boots. I really need some new ones, yet nothing I see has the right shaft height, heel height, quality, comfort, etc etc. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927886 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:33:09 +0000 Anonymous 1927886@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>You wrote "<i>I'm curious what strategies others take in these decisions</i>." &nbsp;</p> <p>This is a fascinating subject that I have actually given some thought to in the past. &nbsp;I need to gather my thoughts and catch up on what others wrote. &nbsp;I'll be back later. &nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop/page/2#post-1927881 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 13:20:18 +0000 Suz 1927881@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Eeew! Off gassing jeans?!? Yikes.&nbsp;</p> <p>I have read reviews of some recent Gap products that mention this... </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927865 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 12:43:31 +0000 Angie 1927865@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>If the silhouette becomes a wardrobe essential, then you can keep looking and stock up. You’ll wear all three pairs, right? </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927861 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 12:23:50 +0000 gryffin 1927861@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Greyscale - I'm not sure this will resonate with you, but I will share in case it's helpful.&nbsp; I am a notorious upgrader.&nbsp; Usually I require an item that I am unable to find.&nbsp; So it I find something "almost right" it becomes a "place holder"&nbsp; I can not make the outfits I want, but the "not quite right", but really good enough nice, right, if that makes any sense, allows me to keep the item.&nbsp; When I do find exactly what I want that is when I stop looking.&nbsp; I do consciously try and decided in the "NQR" - do I love the new one a lot more than the other "NQR"&nbsp; If not back in the box.&nbsp; Also&nbsp; criteria to keep, if it immediately goes into protective custody and I don't want to take it off it's perfect.&nbsp; If I can pack it back up, it's not perfect.&nbsp; So I have to be uber picky in these groups.&nbsp; This happened with my moto jackets (plz don't ask), tux shirt, body suit, you get the picture.&nbsp; In the same way I wanted the Allsaints Lucie boot (from last season they shot almost the entire catalog with those boots for good reason, gone, I know CS checked.&nbsp; I bought the Frye Julia shields - more moto less cowboy/moto.&nbsp; But my luck, they brought them back!!&nbsp; And they are perfect.&nbsp; So I have perfect and "good enough"&nbsp; I'm happy the Frye's are great and I can kill them, and wear my Allsaints for special to keep them nice forever!&nbsp; BTW in your not quite cowboy bootie quest, highly recommend you check out this hybrid.&nbsp; Cowboy heel, pointy toe but moto/paddock buckles styling.&nbsp; Unique, but not sure that's what you want.&nbsp; Also incredibly comfy and TTS.&nbsp; Just FYI.&nbsp; But if I'm still looking after purchase then I know it's a "for now" not a "forever" piece.&nbsp; If you need it fine, just know, if that's also your MO why you are keeping them and make peace with it.&nbsp; </p> </p> <p><a href="https://www.us.allsaints.com/women/footwear/allsaints-lucie/?colour=5&amp;category=331" rel="nofollow">https://www.us.allsaints.com/w.....tegory=331</a></p> <p>Wont let me collect find...</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927812 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 06:32:47 +0000 Jane 1927812@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I absolutely enjoy shopping in all its guises, thrift, on line, bricks and mortar. I like to find things that feel like an extension of me, and if I find an item that I love but the thrill of finding it means I make a poor decision, I try to work through the lessons like Suz and Sal. I do feel as if I’m consumerism oriented but then I think I work in central London with gorgeous shops and so it is inevitable that I get absorbed and skewed that way for a while. I think if I worked in a paint factory I would get absorbed by colour! </p> <p>Good fitting jeans are great and I love the choices you’ve made. I love the skirt too. I’m looking forward to seeing this on you. I’d love a denim skirt! </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927791 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 04:32:44 +0000 Anonymous 1927791@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>This is all a very personal approach. I adopted the “ will I keep looking” question because budget and closet space is limited and to keep me from buying because of sales blinders. Jeans may be an exception because I can still get lots of wear from mistakes. You wear jeans a lot, so enjoy them all. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927789 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 04:23:19 +0000 Jessikams 1927789@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Such an interesting question! I definitely do this too, especially with jeans because I wear them alllllll the time and I love them. But truly, how many pairs do I need????</p> <p>I used to be more strict about this but then I had a learning experience. I had a cheap Old Navy jean jacket for years and I thought it filled the “jean jacket” slot in my wardrobe well enough. I didn’t love the boxy fit and found it hard to style, but I just figured that’s how jean jackets are. But THEN I tried on a friend’s Pilcro jacket and it was a game changer. Yes, much more expensive— but also much more flattering and versatile. From this I learned sometimes a different version of something is really a good idea. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927783 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 03:16:20 +0000 Christina F. 1927783@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I just had this same issue come up. I have some dark skinny jeans that are slightly too high rise for my comfort but otherwise great. I just bought some that look just as good and are more comfy. I go through dark jeans quickly enough, and I’ll keep them both for now to avoid laundry pile ups. They are slightly different lengths, which helps justify my decision to keep both. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927781 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 03:09:26 +0000 Staysfit 1927781@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>Hmm, interesting perspective. I accumulate lots of jeans too, but it isn’t because they don’t fit, it’s because they do fit! LOL! Jeans just work for me so I buy them. It’s really length and rise that are the hardest parts, but not so hard that it’s impossible. Tops however are very hard to find........I think we all have a style holy grail. Finding tops that fit would be mine, but it doesn’t lead to an accumulation. I just can’t find any I like. I think tops rotate through my closet faster than anything because of the fit issues.</p> <p>Seriously, I think jeans fit is your holy grail. I trade up certain items also. For example, I recently had a chambray dress that I thought was decent, even excellent, but was in fact just serviceable. I kept it until I found what I now think is the perfect denim dress made by Rachel Comey. It’s a much sturdier, better made dress than the first. It’s a simple silhouette without frills but still with some detail to make it interesting. It’s easy to accessorize. Goodbye to the first dress. Will I find an even better dress? Perhaps, but I am not purposely looking, I didn’t look for the Rachel Comey dress either. I stumbled upon it. I do however deliberately and actively hunt for tops. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927776 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 03:00:19 +0000 Jaime 1927776@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I related so well to your first paragraph that the second one seemed inevitable. I have been looking for high rise jeans that fit for a long time and have had so many false hopes I can't even count them. I am currently, and surprisingly, most happy with a pair of Mango (thrifted) jeans, but when I get to NY I will be devoted some time to the jeans in Buffalo Exchange etc. I don't have the luxury of ordering a bunch online and returning the failures, so that is a factor.</p> <p>Anyway, this is just commiseration not answers. Given the complexity of personality and the number of factors that go into decision making I have to pick my battles and this is not one of them right now.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927757 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 02:09:20 +0000 Greyscale 1927757@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I should note that I wear jeans 99.9% of the time, so it's really the area where I put in the most effort. Suz, I think you're completely right that trying a new silhouette leads to more false starts.&nbsp;</p> <p>The exciting update: I wore the jeans today, as I said, without washing them. Not usually a problem, even with my umpteen chemical sensitivities, but these had some lingering strong odor from processing. I felt ill (headache, stomachache) all day until I figured it out just now.</p> <p>...and now I am sitting in my office with the door closed, wearing my longest lab coat <i></i>with nothing under it<i></i>,&nbsp;so that I can actually get some work done today. (It's really no different than a shirtdress but definitely <i>not</i> safe for public viewing!) </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927739 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 01:03:56 +0000 3style 1927739@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>SarahD8,</p> <p>Team average rise here. I sometimes buy Tall or Petite pants (or skirts or dresses) if I like the length, and never give a moment’s notice to the rise. </p> <p>I can wear any rise, as long as the pants aren’t pleated. My thing is waist to hip ratio. If it doesn’t have Curvy in the name, it’s out of the question. Chance of finding curvy thrifting: negligible. </p> <p>Premium? Haven’t tried that many, but since I am totally uninterested in jeans, meaning I see them as the pants that are easiest to keep clean, it’s hard to be motivated. </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927735 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:56:08 +0000 Suz 1927735@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>All the jeans look great, but if you can get some pennies back from consigning the Levis, go for it! And you are the one who knows what truly works for you.&nbsp;</p> <p>I am typically a satisficer with a few maximizing tendencies. For completer or occasional wear pieces, I take <b>Sally</b>'s approach. If I purchase something that turns out to be not quite right, I try to make do with it -- making notes about what made it wrong so I can correct the next time. But, if it's a true essential for me (ahem, cough, like&nbsp;JEANs) I will probably keep looking. As you've done. I might look slowly, or quickly, depending on time available, and degree of dissatisfaction with the first purchase. &nbsp;</p> <p>I am also more likely to make mistakes when I am trying a new silhouette that I have strong hopes of getting right -- one that deeply appeals to my style sensibility and works for my body type (like mom jeans for you, and probably for me, too, though I haven't quite completed my own search). It's likely I'll have to try more than one version in that case, and -- as with footwear -- the fit issues might not be immediately apparent.&nbsp; </p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927733 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:52:19 +0000 Anonymous 1927733@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>I feel like once I buy, I'm making the commitment that This Is The One for that category of need and I stop looking. </p> <p>This does sometimes cause me to feel like I missed out, when I see that a "nicer" version of something I might have liked better is sold out.</p> <p>But that doesn't bother me as much as feeling like I was impatient about making my choice.</p> <p>If we're talking about wastefulness or self indulgence, I think lifestyle is an important factor too, how many people you see, who those people are, your work, etc.</p> https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/topic/upgrading-when-to-stop#post-1927729 Tue, 12 Jun 2018 00:29:59 +0000 SarahD8 1927729@https://youlookfab.com/welookfab/ <p>3style, for me with jeans it's:<br />-I have a short rise and higher rises are currently trending, so what I need is rare at retail and; lower rises from a few years ago might be more common in thrift stores<br />-mass market: opportunity to try on/compare multiple sizes and cuts at the same time, and duplicate if I find a rare item that suits<br />-premium: I'm hard to fit so anything is worth a shot.<br />Basically Angie's "no retail stone unturned" approach.</p> <p> </p>