I've had plenty of shopping failures. Sometimes it's an impulse buy, sometimes a duplication (how many grey sweaters does one person need, or ANY sweaters for that matter), sometimes buying for a fantasy life.

I think I'm learning - slowly!

Helena, without fail you raise some very interesting questions for us to ponder. This is most definitely a useful exercise.

My shopping failures include two second hand items - which I really didn't need but bought because they seemed be be exceptional value (the first two items in Finds). Well they were not good value because I defer to wearing other skirts and coats in my wardrobe that I own and prefer.

Skirt is cute and fits well, but is above the knee and quite cold to wear when working from home in winter, so it gets a pass on cold days and then seems too wintery for warmer days...

Duffle coat - cute in a Paddington Bear way and great for walking Margot on cold non-rainy days, but I generally forget about it and grab my preferred tie waisted coat (also in Finds) that I adore and owned before buying the duffle coat.

Lesson: just because something is cheap and seems good value doesn't mean it should earn a place in my wardrobe - I have to consider whether it fills a legitimate need which clearly both of these items did not.

Interesting Bijou! It looks like my only thrifted piece this winter is going to be a fail too. I wanted some slim pants to look good under my long tops, with my sparkly cobalt boots, since when I fell a year ago and got the huge wound/scar down my left lower leg I tore a hole in my ink snakeskin ponte pants. I have been searching since then, and found some leggings in a thrift store for $7. Mainly black with subtle cobalt sparkly pattern. But somehow they are just too legging-like not pant-like enough and both times I tried I removed them again so still unworn.
At least I feel only $7 lost and could donate them back to the same thrift store… if I can’t make them work I haven’t hurt the planet too much!

@JenniNZ - at that price it is not much more than a cup of coffee, it was definitely worth giving the potential replacement pants a try. Sorry to hear that you hurt your leg in an accident - a similar thing happened to me a few years ago (can you believe I did not notice a pothole in the pavement and went crashing down - tearing my trousers in the process and a big chunk out of my knee). It was a truly awful experience.

I am resolving that as we transition into Spring to at least get some wear from the skirt. It is a fun piece and the warmer temps mean it will be fine to wear with hosiery and long boots. I have put the coat in the downstairs cupboard to grab for dog walks so it will save my favourite coat (but really I should not have bought either of these pieces). The ethical issue of simply discarding items that no longer 'spark joy' sits uneasily with me too.