What's going back? - YouLookFab Forum

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What's going back?

catgirl

Veteran

I am returning a whole bunch of stuff. Everything from Nordstrom except the HL jacket - the Ted Baker tee, the Pleione draped top, the silver sneakers. Also going back is my entire first Allsaints order.

What I've kept: the blue Helmut Lang "sweatshirt" jacket. I've already worn this three times! All casually - over the 4th when the evening got cool, and yesterday to lounge around the house with PJ jeans. I think I need to start a new "Careless" sub-team of Team Wear because at one point I was thinking "Who wears a Helmut Lang item on a camping trip!?!"

Also kept the two smaller dresses from Allsaints and am wearing the black draped dress today. It's as comfortable and fun to wear as I hoped.

I'm learning that when I love something I'll find a way to wear it right away. When I don't do that, chances are I can live without it.

Over to you: what purchasing experiments are getting rejected these days, and why?

Shopping

22 replies

Latest reply was from Suz

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

The baked potato sweatshirt

catgirl

Veteran

Anna, I saw your post - LOL!

Neel

Veteran

I think you rock all the items you kept back. Great haul in general.

Well, this month I bought 4 zara tops and all stayed. I am probably getting better at shopping or it's because I shop B&M I think the return rates are higher when shopping online.

crutcher

Veteran

Cast in stone: When I love something, I will find ways to wear it right away...
When I don't, chances are that I can live without it...
I will definitely put that on the wise frig where my bright sayings and wise living goes..
THX

Transcona Shannon

Veteran

Whoa - good for you Una. No point in keeping what isn't gonna get worn. I'm impressed.

Anonymous

Metallic bronze NYDJ jeans from the Clear the Rack sale. They reminded me of Angie's gold ones (holiday?). What was I thinking?!

Thistle

Veteran

So glad you kept those Allsaints!

And yes, I am totally on Team Wear. If I don;t find a way to wear it pretty darn soon after buying it, I probably never well. Now, to use that knowledge and start returning what I am not super excited to wear!

You are a great role model on that.

catgirl

Veteran

Thistle, don't know about being a role model - it's a very recent development for me not to rip tags!

Peri

Veteran

I bought some shorts at Athleta today that I am already thinking about returning! K/R post may be coming soon...I'm concerned they look more like gear than I really want.

And a pair of pants I duplicated. I thought they would be the most perfect thing ever but it has turned out they have a few issues. I still like them, but not enough to keep the duplicate.

shedev

Veteran

I'm being greedy and not returning anything. I've done unusually well with my buying this year. I'm gonna include the HL with my NAS order, been going back and fourth deciding on color.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

J Crew linen tee bought to go with the shiny shorts. It's too narrow in the shoulders - under $20 or not, too narrow is too narrow. No making do!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

You have to LOVE what you keep. I'm glad you're being strict, Una. I soooo approve of you wearing HL on a camping trip - (I wore pearls to paint our doorway).

I have returned a few designer pieces because heavy black pullovers do not make me happy at the moment. And I am even more particular about fabrication than I used to be. There are certain fabrics that I will not wear no matter how stunning the piece.

unfrumped

Veteran

Some things going back gave me some good aha learning.
--EF cotton-hemp drapey pants--a great charcoal color (waving to Beth Ann). I liked a lot of how they looked, but I had somehow expected "work-able" fabric and construction, and it was too thin and the waistband was like gear or loungewear. I considered them forvery casual wear but too expensive considering my number of uses; I have alternatives. Maybe for loungewear if on sale? Or, I think these would work in more casual dress codes.
--AT trousers in a poly-cotton gray pinstripe. Love the color, love cotton-blend fabric for warmer weather. What I learned was, in the trouser style (which has the wider leg--20 " at hem) I need more drape; that is why the wools, wool blends and triacetates work in a classic trouser style; this fabric is crisper--a good and a bad thing. It might work in a straight or narrow style, I think. Before, I would have just kept them because of the hard-to find fabric and color.
--EF white linen topper "because YLF said so"--helped me with my "but it's such a nice rumply linen" goggles.
--Anthro seahorse blouse. Loved the seahorses! And a high collar, for Angie/for me! It was to be a fanciful work blouse--you don't at first notice it's seahorses. But, the ivory background was draining on me --the color combo didn't look like a 10. ( I need black seahorses on a pink ground, I think!). The poly fabric had a nice drape but would get hot in many situations. Before, I would have said, " but it's seahorses" and be tempted by wanting something unusual , even though it was not just right.

milehighstyle (Linda)

Veteran

I'm returning Frye flat navy sandals. Not comfy, hard leather and narrow. Too bad because I love the look.

Susie

Veteran

It's been a few weeks now but I've returned a bunch of stuff lately- 2 different pairs of navy shoes (they didn't fit so that was an easy decision), a pair of navy linen track pants that I liked but decided that I didn't need any more casual bottoms, a navy pleated skirt that I loved in the store but struggled with how to style it, and a linen short sleeve sweater that was just meh.

karymk

Veteran

Una, I read somewhere that if you don't wear something you "love" within seven days you probably didn't need it anyway. I sort of think that's true.

Lyn D.

Veteran

Good question!
I am not returning much these days, but when I do it is usually about fit or fabric rather than style.

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Did you keep the Fressia dress? What size did you get? I"m considering that one, but I don't know whether to get a 4 or 6.

I am returning the Sam Edelman Ginger sandals but did order a pair of the silver studded Berkeleys. I also have a pair of the pajama jeans on order, woot woot!

I agree that if you don't love it it has to go back! I am drowning in stuff (not just clothes) and need to be more strict!

rabbit

Veteran

I realized I've returned everything that I posted a keep/return post here since I've joined except one leather jacket. Some of these looked good and got good feedback, but they didn't slot into my wardrobe right away and start doing heavy lifting, so back they went as the return window came up.

I've also found that later returns and getting store credit is working out better in the long run for me than trying to incorporate something inexpensive that I haven't pulled the tags off yet but am no longer wild about. I think I bought too many summer tops early this spring for example.

Anonymous

I've returned a bunch of things lately. I'm still not as picky as many people here, but I've been ordering more to try and sending more of it back.

Off the top of my head, I've returned or am about to return:

Caslon lemming draped jacket with zipper -- more sweatshirty than I was expecting, too much fabric when open, but seemed like it would be too snug closed if I sized down
Loft moto-style jacket in natural linen that looked like a burlap sack
Lots of knit tops that were kind of see-through or just blah
Cute ankle-strap d'orsay flats that made me look extra-stumpy
Otherwise nice lightweight turquoise v-neck sweater because it has a very wide, shallow v-neck that just made my shoulders look broader
Light gray cardigan from Thredup because the color makes me look orange (don't even know if I can return -- maybe I can just resend it to them?)

Am also considering returning the VC tube skirt in black because, every time I've put it on so far, it makes whatever I'm wearing look like a going-out outfit. Which wasn't what I was going for by buying it.

Looking at this list, it seems like I'm getting better at identifying things that aren't quite right. But buying only things I lovelovelove seems like such an overwhelmingly high bar that I'm usually happy if I just plain like something for myself.

Gigi

Veteran

I returned almost my entire Anthro order, which I rec'd last week. Everything I ordered was a top, and almost all of them didn't fit right. The ones that did fit right turned out to be an unflattering cut, or the material (or color) wasn't what I had envisioned. I kept a fluid button-down, hoping it would shrink in the wash (it did!), and the confetti high-low sweater that I posted about the other day. They are both new silhouettes for me. Both tops were on deep discount, so I can play around with them and see what I think without blowing too much moolah.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Apparently, nothing! I kept my massive J. Crew order (s) and most of my Zara order and my Bay order. I kept my Danier bag. I kept my replacement Cons. It came to the door, I opened it, and I put it on and wore it. Seriously, that's pretty much how it has gone this June.

Okay. I did return a few things:

A bunch of tops from Zara. Too deep armholes, flimsy fabric, colour didn't look right.

A Vero Modo black vest. You could have fit three of me into the thing. Maybe this doesn't show from the try on photos - I'll see if I can dig those up.

So, in answer to your questions -- the things I'm rejecting do not fit or feel right. But I'm ordering smarter so rejecting less.