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Regretful edits

Sal

Veteran

From Suntiger and LisaP's comments on Suntiger's thread I was thinking about pieces I had edited and that I regretted/missed.... (not due to wearing out). I bet we have all done this.

For me
- a vintage brown trench coat. It fitted brilliantly and I loved it and got rid of it about a second before rich brown came back into fashion.
- a black Kate Sylvester dress - it was a classic - why did I donate it?

In the most part I forget about things I pass on to thrift shops or sell online. These were two high quality classics that didn't get a lot of wear - and would still be worn now.

Do you have any edits that you regret?

General

35 replies

Latest reply was from Kaelyn

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I just came from that thread where I agreed with your overall strategy so it is no surprise that I am nodding along here. I had a green suede trench that I just can't remember getting rid of, but can't find and wish I could. I usually can find everything so it bugs me. Not too many other regrets off the top of my head but am sure others will occur to me over the course of the day.

Greyscale

Veteran

My one regret is my first leather biker jacket. My college roommate had found it in a free pile and gave it to me. It was a classic men’s jacket, huuuge on me. The lining was ripped - I duct taped the holes in the pockets and later tore it out entirely. I touched it up with shoe dye and leather conditioner. I don’t know that it looked good, exactly, but it was a good look (if that makes sense) and I traveled the world in that jacket, through my 20s. Eventually it was too ratty for my adult look and I kept it out of nostalgia. But I downsized in our move (tiny closet). I should have kept it…

Jenni NZ

Veteran

One from 1986 of all things. A sweater dress, knee length, black with brightly coloured fish all over it. Especially now I have lost weight it would be just the thing. But storing for 35 years… well maybe not.

Sally

Veteran

I have a lot and they are all linked to weight loss and gain and having travelled and moved a lot up until about 10 years ago, so I always kept a minimal wardrobe and passed things on that didn't fit. My most recent regrets were the most perfect pair of jeans, they had great shading and fit etc but I put on weight and thought I would never fit them again. Now I am back to that size and would love to wear them. My other was my Calvin Klein dress I brought in the US. It was perfect but very fitted and a small size so I thought I wouldn't fit it again. I had a couple of leather jackets that I passed on as well. Other things like my gap jeans, this wool jumper and docs I got in the Uk.. It was practically my uniform I wore them to death but I wish I had bought duplicate copies.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

So many things! Like Sally, many relocations and small apartments have kept my closet churning.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Yes, I mentioned mine in ST’s thread—blazers/jackets, summer tops with spaghetti straps, and mom jeans. Also regret a couple dresses having been stolen, especially a deep red, cream, and navy-so-dark-you-think-it’s-black two piece dress, short sleeved, midi length, narrow with stitched-down pleats, pattern was like flames. All 3 colors were flames, no background. Also the dress I chose for nephews wedding when I first started ylf.

rachylou

Veteran

My Ann Taylor ‘stewardess suit.’ It got to be too large. I should have had it altered

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I have very few editing regrets — rather, I tend to hold onto things too long! But I still regret ditching a western-style silk shirt many years ago when I lost weight — it was burgundy with coral piping and I loved it, and have never seen one like it since. It would fit now. Sigh.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Oh, and I had a pair of burgundy square-toe booties that I’d like to have back as well.

April

Veteran

I tend to de-accession too quickly, though I admit I can't summon any particular piece I regret giving up.

Do my white go-go boots from second grade count?

RobinF

Veteran

Hah, April I had white go-go boots about then too

I also tend to hang on too long but one thing I can remember that I regret donating is a dark red velvet jacket. I took it out every year around Christmas and then stopped wearing it because the style felt dated. In retrospect, it was probably fairly timeless and every Christmas I look through my closet wishing I had it still.

Although usually when I drag an item out of the donate bag I end up not wearing it and it goes back in the bag a year later....

cat2

Veteran

I have been keeping things that are +/- one size, but the women in my family tend to shrink when they are older, so I have a feeling I am about to experience a lot of regret. I can go down one size, and do a round of alterations, but….

Anonymous

My leopard sandals. I passed them on cause the heels were totally chewed up, but haven't found a replacement. And my brown bag is lonely

Irina

Veteran

I don't have a lot of regrets. I usually donate things that are getting too small and a few buying mistakes. I don't expect to go down in size and wear it again
I would like to get back and try a dark olive leather jacket with a removable lining that I donated in 2015. I felt at the moment that it is too boxy on me after a small weight loss. But the major reason was that the color rubbed off on cuffs and near zipper. I would wear an item that is not pristine now but not before.

Anonymous

Yes - I do. My closet turns over more than it should due in part to major weight fluctuations ....and because I never had the room to store things that didn't fit. I've been thinking a lot about a great leather blazer that seemed too traditional and out of date just a few years ago that would be fantastic to have now. And THE best high shafted chunky Chelsea boots from 4-5 years ago that were ahead of their time, and for some bizarre reason I chose to donate when I moved and downsized 3 years ago. I would kill to have those back and am even considering buying a new pair .

Star

Veteran

Because I am such a slow to edit person I have no regrets. I am 100% sure when I give an item the boot.

nuancedream

Veteran

I don't have a lot of regretful edits, but I really wish I did not part with a chocolate brown velvet jumpsuit. It fit like a dream and always garnered compliments.

Katerina

Veteran

I don’t have many regretful edits really. I cannot think about any specific one right now. I usually keep my things and edits are slow, often too slow.

always trying

Veteran

A flaattering LBD, a print maxi dress that could be shortened to midi but I just let it go because I didn't like maxi any more.

Kaelyn

Veteran

I once thrifted an absolutely glorious rainbow tweed blazer. I donated it about 8 or 9 years ago when I was severely depressed and not feeling it and I have never stopped regretting that decision.

Mary Beth (formerly LBD)

(website)

Veteran

Every once in awhile, I’ll have a twinge, but then I remember I had an excellent reason for passing a piece along at the time, and I’m okay with it.

But. There is One Regret. In 1990 or 1991, I bought the most perfect, tiny Aigner handbag. It had a barrel-ish shape and a funky clasp, and looked like a tiny piece of vintage luggage. I think it had an optional shoulder strap, that I never used.

I loved it and used it until the clasp broke in 1992 or 93. It didn’t occur to me - wasn’t even on my radar - to try and find info on Aigner and send it to them for a repair. This was The Dark Ages Of No Internet, after all.

I don’t think I even donated it, I think I probably tossed it

I’m all about tiny minimalist bags again, and was thrilled to thrift a fun little Aigner crossbody recently, that I adore. But I will never stop occasionally looking online for my first tiny-Aigner love.

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slim cat

Veteran

Some things that I donated during the move from Seattle to San Jose: fit and flare coat, short checkered coat/jacket, few work pants ( lightweight wool ), etc. It's more difficult to find the replacements now at the same level of quality and cost. Main reason was luck of space in our apartment ( after living a few years in the house you collect more things than usual ).

Joy

Veteran

Moving is the worst. We donate like crazy for no good reason and then have regrets. I miss brown in my wardrobe. It seemed like such a basic neutral color I did not realize that it would disappear in favor of grey. I eliminated almost all brown when moving thinking it would be readily available if I wanted it. That was a mistake.

Helena

Veteran

I am absolutely an over-editor!

Two things I've thought of recently - a black and white polka dot summer top, which I bought when polka dots were on-trend and purged when they went off-trend, forgetting that they are polka dots and will obvi be back, and a beige coatigan I bought maybe last year or the year before? That I didn't wear much because our transitional season was short and decided to sell while I would still get anything for it, rather than waiting until a more suitable fall came along (i.e. this fall *sigh* ...)

Every time I'm tempted to be regretful, I say a little prayer than whoever ended up with the piece was blessed by it in some way, even if it was just a happy find for them - that always makes me feel better!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sal, good subject! I have no recent closet edit regrets.

I have a few editing regrets from decades ago, though:

I wish I had held onto some of my late Mums items from the '60s and '70s. All I have is her jewellery, which I do not wear. When she died 21 years ago, all I wanted to do was pass on her clothes as fast as I could to minimize the emotional pain.

I wish I had held onto some of my old '80s items I wore as a teen, because I would wear them today! In-particular, I'm thinking about red and white moto jackets.

I wish I didn't VERY ACCIDENTALLY pass on my wedding dress 18 years ago

Jenni NZ

Veteran

A lot of this sounds like we fall into different groups of those who edit too easily or those who don’t edit easily enough? Opposite problems?
It may also depend on how much one moves house/country/location it seems. My life is so stable, on one piece of land since 1991.

Alicewonderland

Veteran

Yes I have actually donated and rebought the same items making me feel very silly! Recently it was a couple things from Madewell: black silk one shoulder dress with pockets and a Paris linen tee. My mood changes and I think I don't like something anymore, then my mood changes back.

Tanya

Veteran

The most obvious example are my dance clothes - first time I had a big break I gave away a lot of those clothes to friends who were still dancing. When I went to dancing later, I had to rebuy a good number of similar items. Now I have realized my dancing hobby is always going to be a couple of years on and a couple of years off, depending on what else is going on, so I should hang on to those very specific clothes.

For regular ones, a couple of times it happened that I suddenly wanted to wear something I haven't in a while, but in the meantime I got rid of it. I was truly said only for some special items, like two silk jersey DVF wrap tops. Don't know what I was thinking.

Sal

Veteran

It is such a balance isn't it - and Jenni - you are right. People who relocate or move around definitely have incentives and need to regularly edit. Some of us are more sentimental too, or thrifty, or all sorts of things.

I do have regret about a few pieces that I wore out or ruined in one way or another.

I don't think it is something that most of us ever get quite right, I think we are more influenced by trends than we realise.

And let's hope someone is loving Angie's wedding dress, Janet's western shirt, Lisa's ankle boots, Alice's one shoulder dress and Kaelyn's rainblow blazer (to pick just a handful). I like to think of my brown trench coat being worn by some young hipster and looking really cool!!

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