Denise - that's exactly what I was worried about. If I kept searching and searching for what I saw in my head, summer was gonna be gone.

AJ - "customization of PPP" - love that!

dstalksalot - I like the idea of DIYing an item to become PPP.

Thank you for your comments Lyn D and Kim

I felt similar about my new summer bag - I mean I worried that maybe I settled. I could have kept searching for exactly the size and shape I wanted. I probably could have found one for a better price too. But in the end, I also did not want to spend more hours searching for an item I felt I needed daily. The bag I bought really reflects my style, is roomy and soft and very "summer" like in style and it ended up going with my wardrobe so well that I feel like it was a great success.

I think if an item ends up being a real workhorse and you feel good wearing it, you made a good choice. Shoes are particularly hard to find - comfort, style, color don't always come as a package deal. I think you did great!

If you are happy, then that is all that matters.

I'm someone who does not practice PPP. It isn't in my nature to be picky (I don't mean that in a bad way), so I doubt I would ever be able to practice PPP across the board.

However, I can see the advantages of PPP when it comes to particular wardrobe items or categories. For instance, those people who confess to having "fussy feet" might benefit from PPP when it comes to shoes, even if they aren't that way about anything else. Or someone who spends a lot of time commuting via public transport might use PPP because they need the perfect bag for that commute. Whereas someone like me with a short commute and my own car may not need the perfect bag to organize my entire life for the day. I can dash home if I've forgotten something I need, or I can leave some things in my car if they are too bulky for my bag.

I can also see how PPP might come in handy for people for "opposite" reasons. I can see that someone who goes to lots of parties might need the "perfect" lbd that they can put on without much thought, and accessorize in many different ways. On the opposite end of the spectrum, I can see how someone who rarely goes out might need the "perfect" lbd because they won't want to shop at the last minute for something to wear, and they would want something versatile enough to handle any number of different possible events.

So if you are interested in PPP, maybe you can think about it in terms of one category or item, first. If doing this works for you, then you can extend it to other parts of your wardrobe.

I think Denise's point about the last P (Practical!) gets to the crux of the matter. If you aren't practical, you will end up going naked - much like if you wait for The Perfect Mate, you will end up alone. No one, and no item, is going to be 100% perfect in every way. But if it's perfect for you, that is what matters. I guess that means it will vary based on what you need. If you want white jeans to wear in SS13, it is not practical to hold off until FW13 to buy. If you want white jeans you will wear for many years, who cares if you wait a bit longer or buy a stop-gap that is cheap in the mean time?

Such enlightening discussion! This year was the first time I put PPP in place at the beginning of the year and have found that it is not as easy as I thought it would be. I am still looking for several items for my SS wardrobe.
Shannon, I think you know your style and needs very well and most of your wardrobe reflects that. You probably don't need to be as PPP as somebody like me needs to be. As I am still trying to figure out my style.

I have found that whenever I compromise and settle for an item, it is a mistake. A mistake that ends up at the Good Will.

Your comment about shopping the availability range is especially pertinent to me in terms of color and/or styling. If Item X is my perfect item (example, full length slacks), then compromising on Item Y (cropped pants) because they are the only option available to me is a big mistake. The cropped pants will never be the "perfect" item and the fact that they are the only offering in stores won't make them the perfect item. It is far better for me to wait the season out then to "make due."

In a strange way, you are falling victim to merchandisers that are telling you what is perfect for you.

Shannon, I think there is a difference between "settling" and being flexible. Of course there are things that you cannot compromise on (for shoes for me, that would be comfortable and not frumpy) but it's good to be flexible for other things. Much as I might want or try to be, I am not really a list shopper; I much prefer serendipitous finds.

Yes, I do get obsessed with finding the perfect whatever (i.e. the gold zipper boots, which I never did find) but along the way I usually find something else that's not quite exactly what I was looking for but is perfect in other ways. And of course you also have to consider necessity, and needs versus wants. I have a million pairs of boots, I did not actually need gold zipper boots to get through the winter, so I have the luxury of looking for the perfect item (because it is a want, and not a need). In your case, you needed light sandals, and you needed them before summer starts so you actually have time to wear them.

Did you ever read Malcolm Gladwell's Blink? It is not so much about intuition but quick cognition. I don't have a lot of time or patience to shop. People talk about "patience" and "perfect" and I can't relate at all! I have really weird hard to find shoe and clothing sizes. So if I find something that fits and I love it and it is in budget, I don't pull my hair out about it - I pull the trigger with no regrets. That's just me. I love your new white shoes. Stop second guessing yourself. Enjoy them!!

The great thoughts continue! And in reading these, another idea came to my mind. Are certain personality types less likely to practice PPP? The reason I ask this is because of Diana's comment above regarding being not much of a list shopper. I am an emotional shopper and although I do make lists, that list is always in flex. Is it difficult to be a PPP shopper if you shop with your heart?

I also find myself nodding along with Diana's comment about being flexible rather than calling it settling. Is there a fine line between those two?

Rita (modgrl) - I adore and appreciate how you just pop right in with your very clear and personal thoughts on a topic Quick cognition - gotta remember that. And you're right - I need to stop second guessing myself. That's where old self esteem issues pop into my head. Thanks!

I have really, really enjoyed this discussion ladies and I truly appreciate each and every comment. Thank you for participating

Personally, it is tied to my personality type. Are you familiar with Meyers Briggs? I am an INFP, with a *very* high score on the "P" part. I can see how that could manifest as a reluctance to commit to a purchase. And I think that's how it manfests for me when it comes to electonics or appliances. I will research a purchase to death before I finally pull the trigger.

But when it comes to fashion or cosmetics, it manifests as a tendency to purchase variations of a single item. So I tend to end up with more of something than I really need or will ever use.

I love AJ's "customization" of PPP--or maybe "Personalization" to add another P. And that there is no Perfect in PPP.

What was most helpful to me was to use the PPP as a guide to avoiding repeated errors that were barriers to getting where I wanted to be with my wardrobe. I was imPatient enough that I rushed into some things I didn't really need and then might not have the chance to get something I did. I was imPractical at times in accumulating things for my imaginary life. I wasn't Picky enough when my little inner voice told me the shoes really rubbed a little, the size wasn't right, etc so then I would later be unhappy with the item.

All those things are true and good reasons for PPP but not the same as making a reasonable choice.

Now, one thing I use as a guide, if I want to "fill a hole", or even if I just happen upon something, is whether once I got said item, will I say, that's that for this (season, year) or will I still be looking the next day or week. That's a red flag to me that I shouldn't go for immediate gratification, as it'll be too short-lived. Because one area of wardrobe disenchantment I wanted to improve upon was not spending a lot of time wishing I had something else almost just like what I just bought. Goals, or lists, and planning, yes... but overall having a greater sense of satisfaction and enjoyment-use with whatever it is I bring home.

So PPP also helped me reallze not everything that seemed like a hole, was a hole, and that leaving some of these things open made room for even more fun or something unexpected to show up.

I wanted some "summer" oxfords for work , but because I wear conservative items and darker colors on bottom and not, say, jeans or white jeans, I didn't want super-playful ones. So it was kind of an imaginary shoe that would look lighter but still classic. Plus it has to be super-comfortable. I've tried over a dozen and still haven't hit it, but really, it's because nothing was really close enough that I could see wearing regularly. There wasn't one yet that really "made" my outfits work and also fit well. So it's not just that I'm a picky saint, it's practical. But it's also been a good learning experience--fashion research--because I've learned a lot about what shapes, colors, contrasts look best and I'm more focused on what would work, if I find it, or what other type might work for fall or winter, if that shows up. So I decided it was not really a "hole" that had to be filled--leaving it open leaves me the pleasure of perhaps something I haven't yet come across or imagined.

The parallel with your sandal hunt may be that, if you can immediately see yourself in a number of happy-fab outfits with that sandal, and you don't feel like you have to have another one right away to replace these (not saying you can't buy another sandal if you find one--just using the most stringent guidepost which is the pleasure of no longer feeling pressure to find the same thing, so we can be on Team enjoy more and shop less), it seems like a good choice.

You have to recognize when to PPP and when to pull the trigger. That is not easy, but with experience, it gets better. PPP is very helpful not to make mistakes. Pulling the trigger is needed when there are more constraints (time, availability...).