I'm with Anne --- Erring Against means fewer tragic mistakes; but sometimes leaves me with holes that haven't been filled in entirely too long while I wait to find what really makes me happy.
Example: not had a warm pullover sweater for the last... seven winters I think, and still don't, meaning I'm sitting around in a fleece sweatshirt over whatever I'm wearing at home. Boy, do I regret not snapping up the charcoal sweater I saw on sale at Mango at the end of last winter --- I was sticking to a strict budget, but I should have allocated that budget to filling more holes than making upgrades perhaps. I was, however, swayed by the season immediately ahead, which was also my dominant season. Good policy usually --- unless you have really glaring holes in your other seasons that leave you soaked or freezing (I also lacked a really warm and versatile scarf until last winter, and had just the one wearable-in-public cardigan...which was parked in the wrong city!).
And last summer, thanks to the forum's encouragement, I finally bought plain black shoes that I've been needing for, um, 15 years I think. I did have a 'filler' pair of black with pink piping and a dressier one with neon green straps, but neither worked with a lot of things; plus the pink piping was on canvas espadrilles while the neon was a pair of stilettoes, making both impractical for everyday use.
This is a second disadvantage to holding out --- that's 15 years of angst over shoes that don't *quite* do the trick with an outfit, and extra purchases that may have been cheaper and provided more variety/fun, but did result in an unmanageable number of shoes at one point.
It's interesting that personally, when I leave something behind, it's not usually because I doubt the item will look good on me or work with my wardrobe. It's because of budget, or because I fear it is too dressy/polished and I won't wear it enough (ie, won't want to ruin it, hence will put off wearing it), or it feels too self-indulgent when there are more important, *practical* things to buy.
And I still make mistakes in the stuff I *do* bring home. Which means my filter isn't working very well to start with, if I don't doubt them doubtfuls enough in the store!
