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Your worst thing to shop for...

Sal

Veteran

I just bought a new swimsuit (on the last day of winter no less).

It's not my favourite piece to shop for but it's not my worst either... which is....

Shorts...

Why don't I like shopping for them?

1) If they fit at the thighs they are too loose in the waist?
2) Other people can look chic in a longer fitted bermuda but I am not one of them. I like the preppy look but polo shirts and bermudas just feel all wrong on me. Lucky I am not a golfer haha.
3) Some are too short - luckily my pet hate which was cut offs with pockets hanging out seem to be fading.
4) They are often too thick a fabric - I want them to be cool and aerating - that's why I choose shorts - because it is hot...

Luckily I like plain basic styles so I rarely buy them - but I may need to update this year....

What's your least favourite item to shop for?

General

48 replies

Latest reply was from Barbara Diane

Runcarla

Veteran

Bras. No contest. So much work, and when you find one that works - it gets discontinued!

rachylou

Veteran

Work boots. How I’ve suffered - no, I mean it, Suffered trying to find a comfortable pair that’s also my style.
Comfortable and functional. I really miss inexpensive Payless Shoes. They had durable, waterproof, warm, true non-skid, combat-style work boots shaped to accommodate my feet. Everything I’ve tried since they went out of business - blisters, seams cutting into my skin, not waterproof, frozen feet in winter, knee destroying, and a number of death skids…

slim cat

Veteran

Bras - what @Runcarla said.
Black work pants - same story. Actually a lot of things I liked got discontinued. Sigh..

Bijou

Veteran

Bras! I detest buying these as I am small chested and find it hard to get something that is comfortable and fits properly. I find most fitters treat me as though all I want is a fashion statement. I have yet to find a sports bra that fits me and do karate in a regular underwire bra. I gave up the quest of finding a good sports bra after visiting two department stores and 3 specialist stores with no luck.

nuancedream

Veteran

Another vote for bras. Ugh!

Jenni NZ

Veteran

Probably jeans. I am not a fan of them overall and after having the children and gaining weight I had a number of years of owning none. Then in the last 3 years of losing weight ( now down 11 kg since highest) 3 pairs became too big and have been donated. On Sunday since the weather was so nice I put on the white jeans which are now my only ones. Happily they still fit OK although have the gaping at the back still with my sway back. I just find elasticised waists out of sight more comfortable. I don’t see any new jeans in my future for a while.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Anything I’ve decided through careful analysis that I need. Even if it checks off all the boxes, it just might not feel good/happy. I do much better coming from an emotional direction. When I do that, the process of making sure I have pieces & places to wear with & to is pretty automatic. I also usually check pretty well for similar items in my wardrobe before buying something new.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

Sal I always have trouble with shorts too. I am short, my legs are proportionally short and muscular, so in theory short shorts should be the answer but that length feels inappropriate and impractical for sticky subway and bus seats.

This summer I thought, why not just wear swim trunks instead? Stretchy, bright colors, fun, airy, sweat wicking, easily washable, meant to be baggy….. solves so many problems.

Sisi

Veteran

Sweaters and tops in general. I have large bust and some apple belly, therefore I prefer them fluid but not too wide. They must be longish, to hide the belly. The neckline must not be deep. Then I must like the fabric, the color ... Not easy.
And yes, bras are a nightmare.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

Also I second StagFash…. I cannot decide I need a specific thing, go out and buy it. I will find tons of other fun things instead, but never the thing I’m looking for. I’m definitely better at opportunistic shopping. I am awed by the forum members who can use a more disciplined approach!

Sal

Veteran

Nuance Dream, Bijou, SlimCat and Carla- bras can sure be difficult. I empathise.

StagF- I know what you mean. That planned shopping for a navy shirt or burgundy boots can be hard.

Rachy- I have sympathy. So important when you are on your feet all day!

Jenni- yes jeans are really hard. Especially with sway backs I think. Luckily there are lots of other great pants options now.

Sisi- yes I can understand that too. The cut is so important for tops.

Jessi - I know what you mean. I am better with shorter length shorts - but sometimes they aren’t the best choice- pleased the swim short option works. I like below the knee options - but there aren’t many of them around now.

Ashely

Dresses some online website cheats by sending low quality dress.

Anonymous

I'm with you, shorts are The Worst! They have all the fit problems of pants (rises, hip, waist), plus the length and width have to be just right. I now only wear them for sleep and exercize, and just wear skirts or skorts for casual wear.
Jeans, bras, and transitional shoes are also awful to shop for!
ETA just found this for the bra shopping haters! https://www.buzzfeed.com/mayao.....east-shape

Brooklyn

Veteran

I would have to say jeans. Sometimes I’ve ended up in tears. It was much worse when skinnies reigned. But even straight leg jeans fit like skinnies on me. Very frustrating.

(I would also mention swimsuits but I just avoid that altogether by only buying a swimsuit every 10-15 years!)

Cardiff girl

Veteran

Another bra hater here!l am not keen on swim wear either but as that can be a lot like looking for bras l am not surprised!

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Bras, swimsuits, pants.

Anonymous

Although I don't necessarily dislike shopping for bras, I have to be in just the right mood to do it.

Sad to say that I haven't bought a swimsuit in years and just the thought of it puts me off in a big way.

Jeans seem to fit me better these last few years so I don't mind shopping for them. I think the advent of the curvy cut/style has helped me a lot in this area.

For some reason I have a difficult time finding blouses I like. I guess I'm very picky about them and the styles over the past few years (flowy, empire waists, puffy sleeves, small-print patterns) are just not my style. Blouses are my current difficult area for shopping.

RobinF

Veteran

Bras and swimsuits for sure! I also have a hard time with bottoms because I am so hard to fit - large in the waist and short.

Aquamarine

Veteran

Swimsuits, which is why I haven’t bought a new one in ages. Something about my body type is so difficult to fit (big chest, short-waisted, long rise, short chest length..is that even a thing? Always too much cleavage for my comfort level). On-line shopping has made the experience slightly less stressful BUT I still am not that happy with the two swimsuits I have (checking in from my annual beach vacation since swimsuits are on my mind…)

Maybe if I lived in a warmer climate I’d make more of an effort but I only have so much bandwidth to devote to swimsuit shopping for the amount of time I actually go swimming/spend at the beach.

Anonymous

Jeans! So many things can go wrong

Irina

Veteran

Like so many other women, bras would be my #1.
Swimsuits are close in the 2nd place. I went through all of that "order, return, repeat" just in the last month as I needed a second swimsuit for lane swim in a pool and one for a beach. Finding even one is a big success in my books, I found two and one more to consider is coming soon. Why finding petite swimsuits or those that are shorter in a torso is like finding a unicorn, why? (I'm talking about one piece swimsuits).
Also, anything tailored, like dresses or blazers is very difficult if they are not available in petite size. They are usually not.

cat2

Veteran

Sports bras. I hate having to peel them on and off.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Sweet, Sal. It's annoying when items don't fit straight off the rack. Waistband alterations are worth it and quite easy, and I highly recommend them!

Lots of bra shopping challenges. I empathize! It's hard finding a good and comfy fit.

To answer your question: SHOES. Very fussy feet. Lots of walking. Comfort is key. And specifically:

Sandals: need a N or NN width.

Dressy Tailored Tall Boots: 13 inch calf circumference. Don't do the stem in a flower pot look. Must be flat.

unfrumped

Veteran

I could echo bras, swimsuits, jeans, no question, but….
I think I’m gonna say shoes.
Because : several reasons. I’m still struggling with wanting to create certain vibes and silhouettes with the footwear that I think would look best with an outfit and had to adjust my expectations. I understand about building an outdoor from the feet up but sometimes then I end up with an outfit that is no longer what I intended.
It’s fabulous that sneakers are so ubiquitous in fashion now, and that’s helping a lot, but I sometimes want something else. My feet are so fussy that many loafers, Oxfords or boots don’t have the toebox I need, and if do, no longer look right! I still own footwear that I couldn’t really wear for more than a few hours, and these need to GO, except for a couple of pairs of dressy shoes I’m hoarding for the rare evening event or wedding.
The final issue is, there is so little inventory in brick& mortar locally, so have to shop online, and that’s so hard for shoes with needing to try this or that size.
Anyway, since I do have plenty of sneakers to wear now, one goal is to be much more intentional about hunting for some HEWI’s but with patience to not settle for just what’s available now.

LJP

Veteran

Bras and jeans. Two things that are pretty much necessary in life yet are a lot of work to get right.

cjh

(website)

Veteran

Sports bras. I’m still wearing four padded Champion basics which are almost 18 years old, as they have far surpassed any I’ve tried since. Of course they were discontinued about 15 years ago.

I can’t imagine that anyone actually can maneuver into the kind which has a closure at the back, plus racer back straps. You still have to put it on over your head, and then it’s impossible to hook the back band! Designers- what are they thinking? Do they even try to wear them? And the ones with removable foam cups - the cups come out in the wash, twist in half, don’t stay in place. I’ve tried safety pins, sewing across the foam - both near impossible because of the dense foam. And I want the foam.

A front closure sounds like a good idea, but then those don’t have racer back straps. Front closure could be helpful because, thankfully, the only pain of aging I seem to currently have is rather bad arthritis in thumb and wrist joint, making it very painful to pull a sweaty bra off over my head.

LaPed

Veteran

Shoes are the hardest for me, especially dressy shoes! I have picky, hard-to-fit feet and no tolerance for foot discomfort. So often, the ones that look great don't feel great and the ones that feel great don't look great. And when I do find a pair I love, they get redesigned or discontinued.

I have way more shorts and swimsuits than I need for my short summers, because summer clothes have such a high happiness factor for me. I have to be very disciplined not to buy a new swimsuit every year. I wear them a lot but even going to the pool in the winter, they don't wear out *that* fast.

Jeans were my nemesis during the low-rise skinny era, but over the past few years I've found a wealth of great options. High rises, wide legs, all different inseams! Hope it stays that way.

slim cat

Veteran

Dressy shoes, swimwear, jeans - currently gave up all the hope. Waiting for the next few years - lol.

JAileen

Veteran

Sal, I have the same problem with shorts. But I found some I just love from Macy’s. I have both short and Bermuda length shorts in “curvy fit.”

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