"Grab it when you see it!" - YouLookFab Forum

Category

Shopping

Welcome! Read about what to wear and how to wear it on the YLF Blog. Join the YLF Forum to ask specific questions or just chat about fashion and personal style. Or check out the curated list of things we love in YLF Finds.

Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

"Grab it when you see it!"

MsMary

Veteran

Until I was assimilated into the YLF collective, I never really thought much about being, you know, FASHIONABLE. And I never thought much about having certain perfect items in my wardrobe because I was just kind of a random willy-nilly shopper (most of the time I was quite overweight so if something fit I'd consider it a win and I'd buy it). And it was pretty much unheard of for me to go looking for a certain item to fill a certain wardrobe hold.

Aside: Hubby and I are devoted Costco shoppers, and our Costco philosophy has always been, "If you see something you really love, grab it when you see it because they may never have it again." That philosophy has served us well over the years at Costco for everything from patio furniture to (true story) wedding rings.

You can imagine my shock and horror to discover that my Costco rule seems to apply to fashion! I've, you know, MISSED OUT on things like the bronze olive Halogen seamed skirt, and the J Crew striped bateau top (had to get it on eBay.) THE PRESSURE IS KILLING ME!

I'm trying to reconcile the idea of being mindful with wardrobe acquisitions with this idea of scarcity. Anybody have any thoughts?

Shopping

30 replies

Latest reply was from Lisa

Polly (thunalata)

Veteran

Just that there's a difference between buying something because it's cheap and buying something that you know is perfect.

I'm still buying things because they're cheap! BUT only things that I'm 'not sure about' ie because I haven't worked out how they should look for me. So I've just posted about buying a couple of (cheap) skirts as it's the first time I've bought skirts in my YLF life and I'm not quite sure what to look for.

Another thought - I do a LOT of buying and returning.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I've accepted there will inevitably be the right piece at the wrong time and let these items go. It's never long before my next fashion infatuation takes hold.

I also have this bad habit of looking at an item, walking away and then thinking about the item fondly but misconstruing the details about the shape, colour or fit. I end up returning to the store to find the top is nothing like I had imagined. Hmmm do I sound certifiable?

MsMary

Veteran

OMG, you're right! I was totally fixated on a tweed jacket at Nordie's in the fall, and I tried it on every time I was in the store, and never did pull the trigger.

GREAT point...

Bianca

Veteran

Right piece at the wrong time is true sometimes. Sometime I have been lucky to watch the item then grab it on clearance. This RARELY happens, but sometimes it does. MaryK if I bought everything that was a great item, I think I would be broke! But I know how frustrating it can be to not find that item again. Thank goodness for ebay!

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

I think the approach can work wonderfully if you maintain a high standard for what constitutes the perfect item. Take, for instance, the Halogen seamed skirt. If your experience with it is anything like mine, you danced for joy upon trying it, because it was literally the only pencil skirt in the history of your shopping life that fit perfectly right out of the gate -- it had perfect waist placement, hit at the ideal spot, didn't pull anywhere and made you feel like a billion dollars. In that case, yes, grab grab grab. If, however, the skirt was *almost* perfect rather than the very thing, perhaps the more considered approach would work best. Personally, since finding YLF, I now only grab and go if an item ticks all the right boxes. Having a list of active wardrobe holes actually makes this process much easier!

biscuitsmom

Veteran

Too many times Ive let an item pass and regretted it deeply. Lately Ive tried to buy it, bring it home and see if I still love it. If I dont, back it goes.... I feel much better doing this. However, I think the ladies at the CS desk are starting to hate me! lol

Srujana

Veteran

I'm definitely a fickle (frequent) fashion shopper....My lust list grows exponentially! I lose out on items from time to time...but when they come back into my view, either my thoughts on the items have changed, or I still love it and then go to crazy lengths to get it. I convince myself that if its meant to be mine, it will be...someday.

Sandi

We have the same philosophy at Costco. And with regards to fashion, I agree - if the item is perfect. I have really wanted a pair of leopard print heels, but with my long narrow feet, it's been hard to find them. I found a pair on Nordie's website last night and ordered them, even though they're a little more than I wanted to spend. Hopefully, they are perfect.

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I'm with Julie on the Right Item Wrong Time thing. Even if it's perfect, fills a gap and is a great price- if I don't have the money at the time I am not going to buy it. And you know what? I don't remember any of those items that got away, and I lived without them just fine!

rae

(website)

Veteran

As long as it can be returned, I've been trying to adopt the "grab it" philosophy. Grab, bring home, deliberate for 30 days (or however long until the receipt expires). Tracking things down after the fact can be super tough... and cost more, in my experience.

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

MaryK, your description of buying anything that did fit just because it did had me in stitches. Sounds all too familiar!

Btw, how about buying it just because you were looking at the garment, even considering it but were still slightly unsure, and THEN...

then as soon as you walk away you discover that someone else is actually looking at it with FAR TOO MUCH interest, then you feel the knot in our stomach because that was actually YOUR skirt/dress/blouse, then you sneak around waiting desperately for that moment when the other person will put it back, so you can nonchalantly walk there and play the coolest of the cool while taking the hanger and heading to the till as if you don't care but your heart is pounding like your life depends on it and buy it. That, my friend, is grabbing it at its highest form.

catgirl

Veteran

ellie, your post is one of the funniest descriptions I have ever read! And so true...

KristineK

I'm with Rae. Unfortunately I can remember way too many times when I passed on a purchase (in hopes that it would go on sale, or that my size would still be in stock in a few more weeks so that I could budget for it) and tormented myself later when it was gone. These days if I see something that makes my heart flutter I nab it while I can, but only when shopping at stores with favorable return policies (by my definition, a "favorable return policy" means I get my money back, not a store credit). I'm basically on a first-name basis with the guy at the local UPS store now

Louise

Veteran

I always snap things up staright away if I love them. They can usually be returned or Ebayed if I change my mind x

Queen Mum

Veteran

I think there needs to be a balance. If I snatched up everything I thought I loved, I'd be broke and perpetually returning things (even more so than now) but if I wait for everything I love to go on sale, I frustrate myself and end up settling on less than stellar toward the end of the seasonl
If I love it, can afford it, and it fills a need, I can see the wisdom of snatching it up. If it is out of my price range and/or it is not something I will currently use in my wardrobe, I'm probably better off passing it by.
Now, in Costco, I agree it's a different story. I passed on a set of cookie sheets once and it was a full year before I stumbled upon them again!

Kim

Veteran

Yup....Went into Costco a number of years ago, *just* to pick up milk...Came out with not one, but TWO full size leather sofas! You should have seen my dh's face...

I no longer have a Costco membership! LOL

Sveta

(website)

Veteran

I am trying to be very critical in my fashion purchases. Otherwise you can end with the closet full and nothing exciting in it (I think we we all have been there...)
I find it is easier to buy perfect items when they are expensive - in this case you truly ned to love it and look great in it to part with that kind of money. When I tried on my Franco Sarto grey boots for the same time i loved them but the idea to part with $300 was ridiculous! I went away, could not stop thinking about those boots for 2 weeks and in the end bit the bullet and bought them. Now my heart sings every time I put them on (cannot wait for snow to melt away!) Now I see these boots are 50% off - but no grey in my size anyway so I am glad I did not wait for the sale!
On the other hand with cheaper items it is easier to buy something which is OK instead of perfect. I end up returning 70% of what I buy recently just because they do not pass all the tests!

mumtojessandluke

oh, you ladies have a great sense of humor. Love it!
Costco isn't close to us. So we don't go.
Mary K- totally understand grabbing stuff just because it actually fits. Especially after bubs, and during pregnancy. If it was nice, even better. Both my pregnancies I was at my heaviest over summer, so if there was anything cool that fits I would grab.

This year with my $15 challenge, I am more inclined to grab something that fits and feels and looks good. I am picky though. (see my thread if you want to see what I have brought, up to $13.50) And, shopping with a budget is defiantly a great thing. Keeps me out of trouble. I'm also finding that I have heaps in my cupboards already! And a few new pieces (ok second hand), often make the old one's sparkle. Funny enough I often find clothing that is very much like what is in the shops. I recently found a black high waist skirt with puckered side seams that is very much like what Portmans have at the moment. Op shop version $4. Portmans version $80. Even though I was loving the look, once I tried it on I figured the look wasn't for me- LOL. I may still use it for another month. But it is still happily in the shop, and I won't feel bad if it goes.
So I'm happily grabbing clothing, that is within my budget, and having a ball I think this kind of shopping allows greater creativity, because mistakes only cost a couple of dollars or 50cents in some cases, and you can go wild with patterns and shapes.

Steph

Veteran

I am a serial returner, so if I like something I usually spend some time while shopping thinking about it and then I purchase it and then give myself more time to hem and haw over it before deciding whether I really want it. The advantage is I don't have to worry about it selling out, and sometimes while I'm thinking about it, it ends up going on sale, which makes my decision much easier.

Barbara

Veteran

MaryK, yep, I've bought quite a few 'perfect' items only to get them home and ask "what was I thinking?" Thank goodness I save receipts for returns.

Unless it's TOP quality, fits like a glove AND pairs with several items in my closet, I walk away. Hard to do, but I am a STRONG (and frugal) woman!

Ellie, I almost fell out of my Lazy Boy reading your post. HILARIOUS!

Kate

Veteran

I'm still trying to figure this one out too! Sometimes I find something I love enough to pay full price, and within a week it's sold out, and I'm SO GLAD that I got it early on. Other times the item that I loved enough to pay full price wasn't as popular, and in the following weeks I see the store price slashed again and again. It's difficult to see an item that I've only worn once now on sale for $20 less because (depending on how you calculate it) that one time I wore it cost me $20 as opposed to if I hadn't worn it and got a price correction, or just waited and bought it now. So frustrating!

Lena

Kim, your sofa story cracks me up
I remember reading an interview with Costco's CEO, and yes, they do this on purpose. He called it "encouraging treasure hunting".

I still struggle with my "grab it!" tendencies. This usually applies to things I don't actively "need". It's hard to resist when there's something I like that's limited edition, may not come around again in a long time, and I can afford it.

And yet. There are times when I was too picky and analytical, didn't get something, and regret it now. Oh well.

fathenry

Veteran

I think it must be part of the process of learning to choose the good pieces that are best for our bodies and letting the other ones go. I have tons of mistakes in my closet that I bought on thrift thinking they were just right... other than to come home and find out the fit or shape isn't really as great as I thought. I am hoping this is just the learning curve and the mistakes start to become less frequent. Right now, I am trying to focus on becoming more selective and less likely to just choose something because it fits OK. Honestly, I think the other part of the equation relates to how much shopping time you have. I don't have much shopping time so I sometimes settle for less just because I don't know when I'll find the right thing to fill the gap again...

Lately, the best trick I have found is to take a picture of the item with my cell phone. Sounds crazy but seriously makes it easy to eliminate items right inside the dressing room.

MsMary

Veteran

I heard something once about the difference between "needs" and "wants" that I have found very useful over the years: If you really NEED something, you KNOW you need it before you ever set foot in the store. Like, I really, really NEEDED that striped bateau top, and I looked all over for it, and made special trips to look for it. I'm looking for some tan pumps now -- same deal. I know I need 'em.

On the other hand, I had no earthly idea about a having bright pink pencil skirt until I saw it on the Nordstrom web site. Even though after I saw it I really really wanted it, and even though I may or may not have ended up, you know, ordering it, it quite plainly wasn't a NEED because the whole idea of having it only popped into my head after I saw it.

To make a long story short, if it's a need, you know it's a need BEFORE it jumps off the shelf and into your shopping cart. If you only decided you couldn't live without it after you saw it (all attractively displayed in some retail setting), it's a want.

Kim

Veteran

Well, I knew I *needed* new sofa's as we were just moving into our first purchased home and out of rentals after many years. I knew I wanted leather as I had young kids and pets and wanted very durable furniture and I wanted at least a sofa and a loveseat (not a chair) for entertaining others.

When I walked into Costco that day they just *happened* to be there, and I got the last two. (Along Sveta's line of thinking they were at the top end of my budget and we had to eat mac and cheese for a few weeks to cover it ) but I still have those same sofa's in my living room 14 years later, and still love them so I'd say I did alright!

And what's really funny is that if you KNEW me, I am about the furthest thing from an impulse shopper that you will ever meet. I have to go to *every* store in the mall before I buy the top I loved in the first store, just to make sure there's nothing better/cheaper etc out there...

MsMary

Veteran

I hear you, Kim!

It seems there might be a little tension between my Costco rule and my "needs vs wants" rule...

Isabel

Veteran

I LOVE this website.

Maryk, oddly enough, I have been struggling with this for years : the fear of scarcity - of needing something and not being able to get it or afford it. I have psychoanalyzed myself to death over it. I can't believe there is someone else out there verbalizing it ! ( I have no answer for you btw. )

Kim, I almost peed myself !!! That is soooo hysterical. You take the notion that if you find something beautifu, useful and loved, at a good price, buy duplicates !

Ellie ! Have YOU been psychoanalyzing me ?

But this whole notion of grabbing something when you see it...hmmm....I will think of it next time I run into Jon Bon Jovi.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I tend to have really good luck with waiting it out and often finding the item deeply discounted later. This happens to me 3/4 of the time, I'll bet. I don't know if it means my taste sucks, and that's why no one wants said item! Or maybe my size isn't as common and so it gets left on the rack longer. This happened just today with a shirt I *almost* picked up 2 months ago at TJ Maxx and then again at another store where a running jacket was half price from a few weeks ago. Snapped them both up!

Cilleena

Veteran

Since I discovered YLF and realized I really DO want to wear something besides just a colored, LS Tee and jeans, I have started to do a lot of "grab and go". But, I still have such huge wardrobe holes, I feel like I have to do this. I have become quite the "returner" because I end up not liking about 75% of what I buy.

Then again, I tend to wait and wait to buy some things that aren't my "usual" purchases like TOPS and they are gone when I come back around to purchasing them. Why is it so hard to buy clothing items that are "out of your comfort zone"? I have been looking at sweater dresses for months and haven't taken the plunge to try one yet. So, many of the cute ones have been sold out and I have been bummed that I missed them.

12