Should I buy this? Another point to consider... - YouLookFab Forum

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Should I buy this? Another point to consider...

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Hi All
So when we consider buying an item we ask ourselves various questions, ie. can I make 3 or more outfits with this item, cost per wear potential etc. However, Sally brings in another interesting question - What will I not wear if I buy this item? Check out her post here if this interests you.
Will I Wear It? How to Analyze a Potential New Purchase (withinaworldofmyown.com)

Shopping

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

That is a very interesting perspective, Star, and really helpful if one's wardrobe is at the size one hopes it will stay. It's similar to the one-in-one-out rule -- if you are making this purchase, something else must make way for the new item, and do you really love the new one more than the old one? Useful to consider before buying.

On the other hand, when it comes to a vivid statement item like this, I'm a bit of the -- oh, it's so fun, think of the fun it will inject into life school of thought, or should I say pure feeling?

So the author is right -- it's a balance.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Suz yes this really applies to people trying to not increase their closet size or even decrease it (like me)

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Absolutely I think about that Star. Noticing how new items displace other items is something I really really can see on my paper tracking lists. Because like her I am also committed to 30 + wears and prefer a cost per wear under $5. She is ambitious with her cost per wear under $1! Actually I do achieve under $1 with about 20% of my current wardrobe. Because I sometimes really love items that seem to have fallen out of favour with me for a while, I don’t want to give those up when I feel certain I will love them again when fashion or my own preferences have come around to them once more. Sometimes I stop counting those things for a few years when not wearing them and then add them back in. They sit on a high shelf with my small stash of “memory clothes” in the meantime.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

JenniNZ, i very often fall in love with items again that I was sure I wanted to donate. Hence I am very carefully with purging.

Runcarla

Veteran

When I participated in the world of work, I did two big shops a year, and built a ‘capsule’ around an item like the printed skirt. I did take into consideration how the item would ‘mix and match’ with what I already owned, but the print, and a few new things injected some excitement into my closet and sometimes sent me in a different style direction.

Since retirement, I’ve cut my wardrobe in half. It’s a little boring, and mostly solids - so I would benefit from a patterned piece like that skirt - only something more appropriate to my retired lifestyle.

When I shop these days, I’m usually doing so from a list. I don’t know if it’s just me and the shops near me, but I’m so disappointed in the quality of items and my question is: is this as good, or better than something I already own?

Roberta

Veteran

I take her point about how OFTEN you will wear the new thing. I have a, ahem, robust wardrobe, so there are quite a few things that I only wear a few times a season. Which is fine since they are a sunk cost and good quality. But buying something new that I will wear only occasionally requires real consideration.

unfrumped

Veteran

That’s important for me but I am not abiding by it the way I should. And I mean “ should” in a good way, re: what will make me happiest-/ in terms of feeling good about wearing my wardrobe , pleasant use of closet and drawers, less guilt.
Apparently I have problem with liking several colors ( including some neutrals) and over- duplicating either same items, or similar season/ weight items. As in, Ooh, raspberry! and teal! Gray! Taupe! And so on.
For example, sweaters, longsleeve T’s.
Not sure there’s a specific useful number but I can see it ( should be) shrinking now that I’m retired. So, 10 is probably way too many , 5 may even be. Certainly a minimalist could go much lower. Some kind of issue of committing to a more restrictive palette or seasonal palettes in different weight fabrics so I wear colors I like, but not all all the time. Hmmmm.

rachylou

Veteran

That is an excellent point. I have two long ‘robe’ coats; the darker could actually go - it doesn’t get worn as much as the lighter. The lighter does everything and more…

Jules

Veteran

I like the point about how the more complete your wardrobe already is, the easier it is to style things, which has the potential to snowball! It’s been instructive to me on a few occasions when various fabbers tried a new, perhaps wildcard, item and were able to style it successfully, maybe even several ways… yet still returned it with good reasoning.

unfrumped

Veteran

Jules, that is almost an aha point. I think I have that “ problem “. It is not hard to find companion pieces for something new- though in part because I mostly pick out ordinary- ish things and not super statements, but mainly it’s, I have a fair amount of items. But that’s not the same as some that really “ helps” the wardrobe, or, helps getting dressed, or whatever. And in fact, can make it harder to put together a bigger cohesive capsule— such as for travel- because I have a lot of smaller groupings, but they don’t always work with each other ( often it’s proportions, but sometimes colors).
More hmmm…

Sal

Veteran

I think Suntiger builds this in to her wardrobe planning. I sometimes do - informally - but could do with remembering this when it comes to party dresses in summer…

Sally

Veteran

I have had a habit in the past of getting on a fix and overbuying a certain item so not all of them are worn. I would have been wise to follow this advice and realised that if you have 10 pairs of skinny jeans some won’t get worn. I do try to think of what will go with new purchase so I don’t have items that are never worn.

slim cat

Veteran

I do consider the possibilities for the new pieces but sometimes go with emotional shopping. Case to the point is midi skirts that I now love wearing - I found two in BR in cobalt blue and yellow. I've got blue and then ordered yellow. I thought that cobalt blue would be easy to mix with my pieces and yellow is complicated ( it's the opposite really ).
I kept both - but my wardrobe is not very big ( both skirts were worn a few times already and still getting some love in our warm fall season ).
I did get couple new tank tops for skirts but my older tops worked nicely too.
Since I shop sales most of the time - the cost per wear will be just fine

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Runcarla that is a very good question - 'is this as good or better than what I own?'. And usually it is NOT, I thought it was just the shops around me, but obviously not. I much prefer the quality of gently used 2nd hand clothing these days.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Unfrumped I have realised I only need 5 tops in each category (short sleeves, long sleeves, button downs and then for different seasons within the 3 categories.) I have identified colors and patterns, so 1 pattern per category. This 'perfect solution' will only come into practice when I reduce my large wardrobe, but am keeping it in mind. Seasonal differences would be, for example, the weight of a button down shirt, more heavy for winter, more cotton-ish for summer.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Is this what people mean when they worry a new item would “split wears”? I tend to ask myself whether I already own something similar to the thing I’m excited about. The answer is often yes, because my tastes have been pretty consistent for a long time. That often prompts me to pull the thing I already own to the front of my closet and start wearing it more often. The other question, do I have things to go with it, is not terribly helpful to me; the answer is almost always yes, because my tastes are so consistent.

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Stag Yes I believe this is what people mean when talking about splitting wears. In a nutshell, why do I need another of something I already love and wear.

Star (Lise)

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Rachylou, I wonder if when the light robe wears out you will start wearing the dark one, or you will be seeking another light one.

Star (Lise)

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Sal, maybe party dresses are the exception

Star (Lise)

Veteran

Roberta I like the term 'robust'. I too have a few items I wear only a couple of times a year and am okay with that. But this is not my goal for new items.

approprio

(website)

Veteran

Re duplication: if I find something I like enough to wear it into the ground, I will happily duplicate it in different colors. Particularly trousers and footwear, which can potentially become signature items. Generally I find it relatively easy to tell when I need/can use a new pair of crash pants/creepers/trail shoes.

Anonymous

Yep I was thinking of both my PUPY (potential uses per year) and "splitting wears". I need to be sure to have a balance between avoiding laundry bottlenecks without having too many functional duplicates.