How much do you spend on the NAS relative to the remainder of the year, roughly? If it's the majority of your budget, have you ever had later regrets about allocation?
I'm just getting around to sending back the last batch of NAS items. It's been such a tough decision on what to keep and what to return because I'm not used to spending a lot on multiple items at the same time, and I'm not used to doing that preemptively (i.e. not an end-of-season sale).
My big purchases were the Rebecca Taylor fit and flare dress, the Vince turtleneck side zip sweater, and, of course, the Rag and Bone gilet. Add some Lulu gym gear, a white tee, and white linen tee to the mix, and it has been a spendy summer!
I've become much better about returning what I don't love, and taking as much time as I need (and is permitted) to make a decision. In truth, many of the items that I post here eventually make their way back to the stores.
In the NAS case, the waiting period has been used to weigh the happiness factor, the potential frequency of wear (which requires a lot of thought for long distance commuters), and the actual cost of the garments themselves.
In that vein, I will likely return the RT dress because even though the fit is excellent, I know I'll get so much more wear out of the sweater.
I'm holding on to the gilet but have doubts because of the cost. It doesn't help matters that my SO and family have very different norms for spending, which makes me hesitant to keep items that are expensive because of the judgement. I grew up in financially difficult circumstances, so the guilt factor often rears its head.
If the vast majority of my annual purchases come from the NAS, then my annual spending is reasonable. If they don't, it would make sense to allocate a smaller allowance for NAS relative to the remainder of the year, i.e. keep either the sweater or gilet, but not both. Since I've only ever made one purchase at NAS in previous years, I was wondering how accurate your predictions have been regarding frequency of wear, etc.
