I can totally relate to your dilemma. I shop the same way far too much of the time. I need to go and read all the responses to your post and hope I can learn something from this myself.

That said, what you bought all seem like basic pieces that should go with other items in your wardrobe (right?). The two-toned Gap jeans are fun as well.

okay when I feel I have bought to much and feel stressed about how much I have bought - I play around with my wardrobe creating different small capsules - ala vivianne files ( i know some don't like her but I love the structure)
http://http//www.theviviennefi.....psule.html
or
http://http//www.theviviennefi.....r-you.html
or
http://www.theviviennefiles.co.....sions.html

Usually doing exercises like this will send me into a no shopping time - like others said I don't do well with bans but when i take time to really understand all my different options in my wardrobe I don't want to shop.

Everything you posted looks very practical, so unless you are duplicating items, it doesn't seem 'bad'. It would only be worriesome if the expenditure on the garments puts you at a financial disadvantage.

FrannieB -- I am a big fan of the Vivienne Files. I found that blog at the exact same time I found YLF. Her wisdom resonates with me.

You may have been on a spree, but your choices will have been much more informed this time round. All the pieces look extremely versatile, and I'm sure they will fit beautifully into your current wardrobe. Enjoy!

I have returned six of the many, many items I ordered in September.

Let me start with the Addidas Jacket. It was as gorgeous as the picture hints. The feel of the fabric was sublime. The jacket fit me perfectly from the chest up. Sadly there was some pulling along the waistline. I'm not sure if that pulling would have been noticed by the casual observer, but it bothered me tremendously. I considered sizing up, but then the chest/shoulders might not fit. I DO recommend to women with a thinner torso.

The Nike Vest was very nice. The stock picture looks much better than it does in real life. The back was mesh. You could see exactly what I was wearing underneath. Since I bought garment this thinking it would function as a cover-up, the mesh defeated the purpose. I am not sure I would recommend this to my friends.

The Halogen Color Block sweater smelled right out of the bag. I assume I was smelling the dye, but it was really unpleasant.

The Bobeau pleat-back, high/low top was nice. I was going to keep it, but then decided against keeping it. It was nice, but it was voluminous. It looked shapeless and blah. The stock picture looks great. The reality is different.

The Nike Training Pants that were delivered were nothing like those pictured. I can't help but wonder if the wrong item was shipped.

I also returned a Nike Sweat Shirt. I expected the sweatshirt to be soft. It didn't meet those expectations, but most importantly, the Nike logo was HUGE. I would have felt like a walking billboard.

To me, these returns square with your need for some leeway to try things on and make decisions. Especially since a style shift is afoot. Being discerning about fabric and fit means you're not just indiscriminately keeping purchases, so unless tying up your money temporarily poses challenges to you, maybe you should be waiting till the dust settles on what's kept before determining how much of a shopping spree you're really on.

You are a wise woman, Delurked. Thank you for the much needed positive reinforcement.

On a side note, I am not spending at the frantic rate I was in early September. So something in my psyche has calmed down.

For me, it can feel tiring with little gain for the time spent. I think it's a combination of the online plus I like to try things on with my wardrobe at home. That can lead to a lot of back and forth before figuring out what is needed and/or wanted permanently.

Sterling, thanks for the honest reminder that sometimes our appetites run away with us! I often think, though, that there is some very good reason, not always apparent at the time, that we go through these hungry phases, and that indulging, at least temporarily, may do us good. And I must say, the items you've shown here seem like beautiful and useful choices. Wear them in good health!

Sterling, how did those two-tone jeans work out for you? I ended up ordering them because I had a coupon code and a sale hit. I think they work on me better than I expected, but I'm uncertain. They are a departure for me, but that's kind of what I want! Just curious how they worked for you.

Oh Janet -- I am so glad you asked. I wanted to touch base with you on the jeans but I wasn't sure how to reach out to you.

They DID NOT work for me. I thought the two tone would be very slimming, but it was exactly the opposite on me. Furthermore, the seam between the two different fabric colors turned out to be a focal point on my body. The eye never strayed from the vertical lines (and I LOVE vertical lines). It is just that the eye seemed to settle on the hip. It was all wrong. Finally, the sales person thought I ordered the wrong size. She thought one size down would be more flattering. I was doubtful.

Regardless of my experience, I am glad you decided to try them. Your experience might be very different then mine.

Interesting! Yeah, I can understand how they may be trickier than one would expect. I need to try mine on today and take photos. I kind of wish they were full length -- like the crop PLUS the two-tone treatment might be one trend too many in a pair of jeans for me. But I'm going to post them for feedback here.

Sterling, I'm late to this thread but it sounds as if your "spree" resulted in very little spending, in the end! I do this quite often because I'm primarily an online shopper. I will buy up a storm but rarely keep all of it. I am also primarily a seasonal shopper -- I do one or two big shops near the start of the "main" season (i.e. S/S and F/W) though in winter, especially, I might refresh with a few added items after the Christmas holidays when everything goes on sale. This makes sense for me because of my long winters. If I lived in your climate I might do the same in reverse -- supplementing in August for the ongoing summer temperatures.

Those GAP jeans are really interesting. I'm sorry they did not work for you and am curious to see them on Janet. I quite like the idea of them.

Hi Suz. Yes. I was initially worried about my burn rate. This UPS man was literally at my house every single day (including Saturdays) for two weeks straight. I returned a lot, but I found several jewels in the mix!! I beyond thrilled with the jewels and can hardly wait to start wearing them. Now if the weather has to change a bit more.

I am new to shopping for my climate (although I have lived in the South for 20+ years). It is only the last two years that I came to accept my climate and then plan accordingly. I have been following your suggestions for building a wardrobe for my climate.

Sterling, I do this too, in spurts, and I also do not know why. Lately I only do it in nearby stores where returns are easy and I am careful about cutting tags until I prove that what I brought home was worthy of keeping. Sometimes I do it online too. I bet my return rate could match yours I have all kinds of ideas about why I do this but none of them seem to really be "it". Lately I'm doing it a little less and not stressing so much about it, because there is also an element of fun.

As long as you are ending up with pieces you like and wear, which it seems you are, and are not doing yourself any budget damage, maybe it's totally ok, even if you don't know why you do it. Plus you shared some great finds that others are now looking at or trying!

Those UPS guys/gals have their jobs because of this sort of behavior, another reason not to be embarrassed.

Life and behavior are not always predictable or understandable...and speaking as someone who tends to over-analyze I think it's good to sometimes do things just because you want to if it's not hurting anything .