Things from Anthropologie that are really ugly. I get this "OMG IT IS FROM ANTHROPOLOGIE" kick and really want things that are really ugly or don't work for me or my body type. Must. Stay. Away. From. Labels.

For me:

Heels-- especially slingbacks. I need to remember I can't wear those. And nothing that gives me blisters.

Skirts: I love the look of skirts but I never wear them, especially as my waistline fluctuates all the time. And pencil skirts are hard to run around in, really.

Button up Shirts: I almost never wear button up shirts anymore. Even if they don't gape, the collar rides back or something else nags me. I don't feel crisp or fabulous.

Blazers: I love the look of blazers but they are a bit too dressy a look for me. I look overdressed when out with DH. Also, most of them make my neck look short.

Delicate fabrics: when I am no longer a desperate MOTG maybe I will invest in these, but I am finding myself too tired to handwash silks and cashmere right now.

I had a mini-epiphany this morning trying to get dressed, thanks in part to this thread...
My danger zone is low-end/fast fashion stores, where I do 90% of my shopping. The danger is that I buy stuff that isn't quite good enough. I talk myself into ho-hum items because they are cheap and I figure the risk is low. Then I regret regret regret!
So allow me to categorize for my own benefit:
DANGER WILL ROBINSON DO NOT ENTER: Reitman's. It's just not for me anymore. I have absolutely no favourites from there. The latest jeans I bought aren't even long enough (what is with that??? At 5'6 and size 12 I usually have to hem!).
EXERCISE CAUTION: Joe Fresh. Lots of favourites from there including some that have stood the test of time - but lots of failures as well. Tendancy to duplicate because IT'S JUST SO CHEAP when I only really liked the first colour I picked up.
NOT BAD: Cleo. A little more expensive than the above anyway, but with good sales and promotions. I like their knits, which seem quite good quality for the price and don't pill or fade quickly. Basics are OK. Have to be careful with prints and embellished stuff because it's not really me.

My epiphany was that I need to shop higher end more often not because I necessarily appreciate higher quality but because I am so much more careful with my selections when I am spending real money. And now that I have more confidence in my style and what works with my existing stuff, I am less likely to make expensive mistakes, which was one of my fears.

Hah! What a great thread!

High Heels. I have more gorgeous heels right now than I have days in the week to wear them. And the reality is, I only wear heels maybe 2-3 times a week. I may replace my beloved black Guess pointy-toe pumps soon, because they've been resoled once and are looking kind of battered again. I have my eye on a pair of Theory pumps I've been stalking on eBay

Black Skirts. I love them! But I just did a count, and I have eleven black skirts. Eleven. Actually, I shouldn't buy any more pencil-shape skirts in general, I have plenty at the moment.

Black Dresses. Anything I buy now would just keep me from wearing what I already have, and I love what I have.

Novelty/Statement jackets. I have a weakness for these, but I don't really reach for them like I should. I tend to fall back on my trusty Danier leather moto.

Crisp Button-up shirts. These are always on my danger list, although I have been very good this past year about not acquiring more. I currently own two, they've each been worn once. Boo. I keep looking at them and thinking, 'another time'.

Necklaces- I too buy but don't wear.

Dresses and skirts- I am a pant person through and through!

Multiple low-end items.

Thanks Mo- good timing for 2014 budget planning.

Great thread! I think I have a bunch of danger zones. I'm probably forgetting a few, but here are some:

Heeled pumps for work: For some reason, I don't wear these as often as I think I will. I'll gladly wear other types of heeled shoes, as well as flats or wedges with the same basic shape as a pump, but my pumps usually feel a little frumpier or fussier than other options. It probably doesn't help that I look for pumps that will be comfortable all day, which may push them towards frump to begin with. And, even worse, I keep looking in my closet and seeing a bunch of pumps I don't wear much, which means I rarely feel like I can justify buying heels I really love for dressier occasions. Not that I need that many for my life, but I could probably use more than I have.

Non-neutral camisoles and layering tops: I have a bunch but, most of the time, I'd really rather grab a layering top in the most obvious neutral and concentrate on some other part of my outfit than worry about what the perfect color is for something that just peeks out a little at my neckline.

Practical-seeming blazers/jackets: I actually posted a K/T thread with some of these a few days ago! I don't wear blazers much but, every so often, I'll decide I should and buy one that checks all the boxes - versatile color and style, fits well, and is a good deal for the quality. Then … it sits. I think I have been getting better about avoiding this lately though. At least on the buying-new-ones end of things.

Anything casual that needs a belt to look good: I'm way too comfort-oriented to deal with the feeling of a belt around my waist if I'm not at work or going somewhere where I want to look especially nice.

And I really relate to Jules with regard to the dangers of shopping at the ultra-low end. In particular, this sounds familiar: "My epiphany was that I need to shop higher end more often not because I necessarily appreciate higher quality but because I am so much more careful with my selections when I am spending real money."

With me, it's even worse when I'm shopping somewhere cheap that also involves a lot of filtering to find something I like for myself (e.g, at Forever 21, sometimes at consignment stores). When I've gone through a lot of effort to yield one thing that works, it's really hard to tell whether that one thing is amazing or just sort of serviceable.

Purses. I don't change mine as often as I should.

Man, this has been a great read! Thanks Mo. For me it has to be skirts, hands down. I can't put my finger on it, but they are giving me fits lately. Even if they fit perfectly, pencil skirts feel very frumpy on me and not at all sexy secretary. Angie should have included me in her "how to de-bombshell a pencil skirt" post. Give it to Claire. Instant de-bombshell. Okay, so wearing flats with them could have something to do with it

Even though my volunteering stint is over and I have no apparent need to wear this shape of skirt, I keep gravitating to it. I guess the no-fuss, straight silhouette and frugality of fabric appeal to me. I packed away my denim, black and khaki colored ones for next summer and wondered if I would wear them again. Then I found this one at the Rack, a Hugo Boss pencil in this gorgeous greige melange (matched my hair) super light weight tropical wool, with a breathable lining. I got so excited; it was only $10! I justified it, purposing to one in and two out since it would negate my need for my khaki one (always a bit too light) and my black one (always a bit too dark). I got home, and it went with my other clothes really well, so I donated the other two skirts. After I played with it a while, I started to imagine where I might wear it. Hmmm, let's say, I'm driving hubs to the airport and plan on shopping downtown after....so I'll put on my new pencil skirt! Nope. Okay. I'm meeting the girls for coffee so I'll wear my super office-y pencil skirt. Yeah....no. All right, I'm going to run errands and grocery shop so I'll wear my designer, corporate looking.....ummmm.....yeah, you get the picture. I returned it and now I'm down to the one denim one. But for some reason (the denim, no doubt) that one never looks occupationally confused.

So then I bought a black cotton full skirt at Goodwill the other day, thinking I just need casual, and not office-y but that was just wrong on me. Hubs choked on his coffee when I sashayed into the room in it. The girly vibe just does not fly on me anymore. Not sure there is any skirt that is really going to sing to me next summer. Now dresses, that's something I'd like to explore.

Ooh, this was an interesting thread. I defintiely make these mistakes too. Mine are:

1) Skirts. I find dresses easy to wear, either causual or dressy, but skirts I find myself fussing with all day. They ride up or otherwise don't stay in place well, and I think I've gotten ride of all of mine except for one summer denim and one jersey floorlength.

2) Button down shirts. If they fit in the waist, they're too never fit me in the bust. I feel like I should own some, but always feel stiff and uncomfortable in them, like I'm on my first every job interview or something. I currently have two left, and both of them are patterned.

3) Bright knits. I'm always attracted to vibrant colors, but that meant that for awhile, I had too many brights and nothing neutral to pair them with. I'm slowly focusing on fixing that.

4) Stiff blazers. Knit ones are ok, but the others feel too formal for my lifestyle, so I rarely wear them even when the occassion might call for it.

This is a great thread Mo and you have really got me thinking.

My danger zones would be :

Skirts: I rarely wear them, particularly in winter.
Jackets: I do wear them, but have too many.
Colourful or ornate necklaces: love them but they are not me
Bracelets: don't wear them, much prefer a cuff or a solid bangle
Almond Toe Flats: I wear flats infrequently.

Mo, you should really wear your silk. I just launder mine in a bag on the hand wash program, and it's no big deal.

I think I have a bunch but the ones that stand out are:

1) Prints - These always call to me when I am shopping. They say "I am new and fun, buy me!".....so I buy them. I don't know why I keep doing this, I rarely wear prints.

2) Jewely - Definite danger area here. I love my jewelry collection but I really don't wear much jewelry anymore. This doesn't stop me from wanting to buy more cool jewelry of course!

3) Dressy clothes - I have far too many dressy clothes. This is due to career changes and a well thought out fantasy life. I make a valiant effort to wear all these pretties but I do need to stop buying more.

Button downs, i am just too busty, they always gape. I keep trying as i love how they look on others. I have to just quit.
Prints, yes, they call me too, but once home become orphans.
Lower price point items, I am just not picky enough when the stakes arent that high. That means Forever 21, Joe Fresh, and thrifting.
I love this thread Mo.

Amazing how many of us find skirts so problematic.

I'm also in the skirt camp! My waistline fluctuates way too much, even without weight gain. And this year I had weight loss (reaching, for me, my ideal skirt weight!) and then gained it all back and then some (reaching a weight that works for a couple of skirts I held on to, on purpose). Every now and then I do get in a mood to wear a skirt so I'm not tossing any of them out; I just don't need anymore than I already have. And then there's the fuss factor of requiring a certain length top. Argh. Skirt tops + skirts take up too much room in valuable closet space.

The other danger zone at the moment is handbags. I have not been swapping all that much, not anything like I used to do. If I could find a replacement for the black hobo I've been using the most, I will buy that. I also would not mind adding a new clutch, as I do get a lot of use out of my leopard clutch. But that's that. I am good to go for a long time here.