Biggest discovery for me:
I am regular not petite lol. I am 5'3.5"so right at the border but leggy short torso.
I like blazer more than cardigans
I need shopping break.
I am at happy medium with my closet and break should be ok (if happens lol)

I shop too much, settle too quickly, live more in my imaginary wardrobe than my own.
I need a break.

In addition to some of the other things mentioned here, I tend to shop for a dressier life than I actually have, thinking I'll casualize dressier items more than I end up doing in reality. I'm looking at you, skirts and pumps!

I think I have learned that 'less is more' in my closet.
I am finding that having fewer well-planned items gives me greater wearability and satisfaction.
I am happy to repeat outfits that work well and feel good too.

I learned that less is more, more is clutter. I like wearing jewel tones and blues most. I like alternative clothing more than a lot of the trends. Some of the design details I like will be a little pricey.
I also learned that my real and fantasy lives have pretty much the same wardrobe and that I want my wardrobe to function like gear.

Interjecting just to add- I'm loving reading the comments here!

I'm enjoying reading and rereading everyone's responses.

This year, I learned...
-I need to be more patient when searching for specific items. My biggest miss of 2013 (purchased in Sept, purged in December) was a product of impatience.
-Mistakes are a necessary part of learning. That doesn't make them any less frustrating, though. I teach a gifted math class, and many of my students are perfectionists who hate to make mistakes. I remind them regularly that mistakes are a necessary part of learning. Well, this year I realized that truth applies to me, too. It was a tough pill to swallow.
-SWAPing (shopping with a plan) helps me make better choices and stay within budget.
-Treat every purchase like an audition. Emily wrote in Una's thread that she considers online orders an audition for space in her closet. I love this idea! I can get an item home and try it out with my other items. If it impresses me, it'll earn a spot in my wardrobe with either a starring role or as a supporting act. If not, back it goes.
-Duplicate my workhorses! I'm still kicking myself for not duplicating my brown wedge pumps when I had the chance.
-Never buy a jacket or coat without trying it on for fit, preferably over multiple tops in different thicknesses. And I like jackets on me better than cardigans.
-It's a good idea to wear my purchases, especially shoes and jackets, around the house to make certain they are comfortable before cutting tags.
-I need to stop shopping for a life that is far dressier and more formal than the one I actually lead. Pumps and pencil skirts are not the uniform of a working mother of three who teaches elementary school.
-It's okay to indulge in the occasional impractical purchase. As Angie put it, "...
impracticality is simply not a good enough reason to exclude [something] from my wardrobe."
-YLF is a great resource for fashionable finds I wouldn't have otherwise known about. My Brahmin tote and BR cream jeans are great examples.
-If I don't love it, walk away. No more rationalizing a purchase because it's on sale, might be useful one day, etc. I have to extra careful to avoid the discount downfall. I've made plenty of past purchases because something was only $__ that turned out to be false economy, because the items became orphans. Price is secondary to how happy an item makes me.
-It's okay to pay full price? It's okay to pay full price. I'm still struggling with this one. It's not so much that I'm a penny pincher as I'm an addict. I'm addicted to the thrill of a deal. I'm a sucker for coupons and promo codes. Maybe I'll challenge myself to walk into a retail store and make a full-price purchase in 2014

Yes! right! Dressing for a life I don't lead! Why do I want to be parisian chic when I live in a friggin horse town? and I can't be equestrienne because I don't ride! I don't want to be a beach babe either. Gahhhh....

I will create a uniform for weekdays that is tee shirt and jeans based. Or chinos. And ballet flats. And good jewelry. If I have somewhere to "show up" I can do up one of my fab looks.

After most of a year on YLF, I can say I've learned a lot!

1. Even though I have to have a small wardrobe for lifestyle reasons, I don't like it. I'm not a minimalist.

2. Echoing an earlier comment, it's a lot easier to shop for a 12/14 body than a 16/18 one.

3. It's a lot easier (and a lot less expensive) to shop for my body shape in some parts of the world than in others.

4. That I need to embrace more trends and modern elements. A classic look makes me feel frumpy and bland and dull. Given the limited wardrobe I have to keep, this necessitates more turnover in purchasing, but that's OK.

5. Trends and modern elements actually look good on me, and bring freshness and a youthful vibe to my wardrobe.

6. Having a plan (a list) is essential for me.

I went back last night and read all of these great replies, so interesting and many common discoveries. Thanks again for a thought provoking question.

I was late to the CPW concept and found that my CPW is very very low on several items. I like the same sort of clothing and am not bored with a very minimal wardrobe so I can actually buy more expensive stuff that makes my heart sing instead of settling for clothes that are not quite there.

I have learned not to compromise on shoe comfort. No way in hell...sorry for the language. : ) NEVER AGAIN. I am not mad, just determined.

I learned that it is ok to buy something flimsy and fun to wear for just one season.

I have to be very aware of the color of things. I found that I will often be so starry eyed over the beautiful color that I pay no attention to the actual item. It is the color I crave.

Finally, I am so much more aware of usefulness and that I can admire something and leave it behind if it doesn't fit my life.

-Too-bright autumn colors overwhelm me psychologically.
-Color is very important to me in tops (don't wear neutrals much).
-Paying for returns/try-ons is a really small percentage of my clothing budget. What wastes money is buying mid-level items that get purged.

Just because I resisted the YLF lemming urge due to recognizing that I am shorter or have a different body type or actually didn't need the item, I still need to have room in my budget for items I would not have known about but for Angie or YLFers.

After years and years of avoiding pullovers (jumpers), I bought a few this past year. They are not my most flattering look, so it is time to stop.

I am happiest shopping for clothing online at Nordstrom, then making my returns to a B&M, and it is okay to have this preference. I will leave no retail stone unturned for shoes or very specific items I need/want.

Thrift store shopping doesn't really save me much if any money due to their high prices in my area and my percentage of mistakes; I have better luck identifying items I want and putting them on a Wish List and buying when they go on sale.

My love and wear of certain types of items (like layering Ts, turtlenecks, sweaters, camis, etc.) seem to go in two year cycles -- or maybe the typical weather and temps fluctuate -- such that I tend to wear some items a lot but only every other year. That tells me I should not stock up on any one type of thing.

I bought so much clothing in 2013, I don't really *need* too much in 2014 other than maybe shoes, belts, and bra replacements. Famous last words.

I think I've outgrown the habit of find one something good, buy two (in different colours) that I used to have. It served me well when I wasn't much of a shopper in terms of volume/frequency and was also less confident of my choices, because when I did find something I liked, it was efficient and also helped me experiment a bit - such that the colour I picked second, not the one that I was initially drawn to, often worked out better. As I write I'm realizing this was probably because the second item required more thought and effort. Now that I'm more precise and confident in my choices, I'm finding that the 2nd version usually turns out to be wayyyy 2nd best, because the first one I chose was really what I wanted and needed.
Having realized this recently, I quite conciously put down the second (off white) sweater I was trying to talk myself into yesterday, and stuck with the navy replacement for a crappy Joe Fresh one that doesn't live up to the outfits I need it for.
Which brings me to my big realization that I need to stop buying crap that doesn't quite cut it at Joe Fresh

I ask myself the following questions: 1. Do I really love it? 2. Do I really need it? 3. Does it fit well? 4. Does it go with what I already have? 5. Is it flattering?
6. Will I really wear it?

If something passes all of the above, I buy it. If not, I pass.

Donna and Jules, I can really identify with what you said. Donna, I too have to remind myself that it's OK to do a lot of online shopping and then return to the B&M store. It just works out better that way. It helps to know that others are in this boat too!

Jules, I am with you on the duplicates thing. I started buying duplicates when I was building a wardrobe. I was always afraid that I wouldn't be able to find a second, completely different piece and so just bought a duplicate. Like you, now that I am a little more "seasoned," I have discovered that duplicates are rarely necessary, except in the case of a camisole or something like that. I would prefer more variety.

MRL, I love your concise list. Truly, if all the answers are yes, that would be a great buy!

I give another big "thank you" to everyone who posted on this thread! I wish I had been able to respond to more of the posters, but this thread got really long really fast! I appreciate everyone's responses. I felt very encouraged to see that I was not alone in struggling with certain aspects of shopping!