From Spending Money On Clothes You’ll Never Wear, To A Wardrobe You Love
Do you want to stop buying wardrobe items you’ll regret later? Pieces that you thought you needed or that would work with your existing wardrobe that didn’t. I’ve spent years retraining my shopping habits and teaching my Personal Styling clients to do the same to stop having wardrobe regrets. That’s what I’m sharing in today’s post along with my “How To Style Tip” weekly video,
“7 Wardrobe Items You’ll Regret Buying“.
When you don’t know how to build a wardrobe foundation and look for the pieces that will work for your lifestyle, you end up creating a closet filled with clothing regrets. If you’ve looked at your closet and said, “I have nothing to wear”, read on to learn how to go from spending money on clothes you’ll never wear to a wardrobe you love.
Are you ready to have a wardrobe that reflects your personal style, works for your body, and makes it easy to put together outfits you feel great in?
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The 7 Wardrobe Items You’ll Regret
7 Wardrobe Items You Will Regret Buying | Video
How To Organize Your Closet | Free Guide
The 7 Wardrobe Items You’ll Regret
1. UNCOMFORTABLE SHOES.
I have been guilty of buying uncomfortable shoes because they were beautiful. Somehow I convinced myself that I would be able to wear them. I was so excited the first time I put them on for a night out but by the end of the night, my feet were killing me. Even though they looked beautiful, I never wore them again. This rule can also be applied to clothing purchases you are making. Ask yourself, is the fabric and style comfortable enough that I will wear it? If your answer is no or you need to convince yourself it will “be fine”, that’s a purchase I’d skip making.
If you have uncomfortable shoes in your closet already, I recommend either selling them on an online resale site or putting them on display in your closet as a beautiful piece of art.
2. A TREND PIECE YOU PAID TOO MUCH FOR.
Trend items that you spent too much on will probably be another regret for most of us. Every season there are new trends. Trend pieces are meant to come in and out of style, with the rare exception of a trend lasting longer than a season or two. Unless you have an expendable budget the chances are you’ll probably regret spending a lot on a trend item when it goes out of season and you can no longer wear it. That’s why I always recommend investing in your capsule wardrobe instead of on trendier pieces.
Rees writes, “Fashion frequently changes. The market is always filled with new items. But it does not mean that every item is meant for your wardrobe. Think about items that last, and that you truly love”.
3. FINAL SALE ITEMS.
One of my biggest regret purchases that I used to do is to buy items that were final sale. You might think you’re getting a great deal and that you’re going to love the item, but most times these turn into items that you’re stuck with and money wasted. Purchasing final sale items whether they are in-store or even worse online, in the long run, will not save you money. There have been many times that I’ve walked into a client’s closet and they have clothes with tags on them. When I ask why they haven’t worn the item, what I hear again and again is that they don’t love how it looks and that they bought it on final sale.
I always recommend never buying anything that’s marked final sale. With one exception… if it’s an item that you’ve loved for a while, you’ve tried on in-store, you know works with your existing wardrobe, or it’s one of the items you’re missing from your essential wardrobe list. Only then would I suggest purchasing a final sale item.
Another related tip is to make sure you’re purchasing items from places with good return policies. I love boutique shopping but I rarely shop in boutiques because typically the return policies aren’t great. Most offer “exchange only” or seven-day returns. While I want to support small businesses, realistically those policies don’t work for my lifestyle. That’s why I choose to shop from places that have good return policies and what I recommend to my Personal Styling clients as well.
Related: “3 Simple Habits To Make You A Better Shopper“
4. A SMALLER SIZE.
The fourth item on this list is when you buy something in a smaller size thinking it will fit one day. Or you buy something in the size that you used to be but not your current size. Realistically those items will not magically fit one day. If you love the item and it’s not available in your current size, there is one exception to this rule. Make sure where you buy it from has a great return policy. Look for at least a three-month return policy so that when it gets close to that return date if it still doesn’t fit, return it.
5. IT LOOKED GOOD ON SOMEONE ELSE.
When you buy something because you liked how it looked on an influencer or a friend is the next regret. Sometimes we love how something looks… on someone else. It could be a friend that’s 4 inches taller than us, someone that has different coloring, or a different body type. If you don’t want to have regrets about what you’re purchasing because you liked how it looked on someone else, choose items to purchase from people whose style you admire but that also have a similar body type to you. That way you know if it looks good on them, chances are it will also work for you.
6. EMOTIONAL IMPULSE PURCHASES.
Shopping for most of us can turn into something emotional. This is why I avoid buying things on impulse because you’ve had a bad day or you need a last-minute purchase for an event. If you’re shopping to relieve stress or because you’re feeling depressed, those items usually don’t translate into wardrobe pieces you’ll love. Make sure that if you’re shopping when you’re not feeling great or impulse buying, check that the items can be returned. That way in a few days when you’re feeling better or you’re not stressed, you can return the item if you don’t love it.
7. ITEMS THAT AREN’T PRACTICAL FOR YOUR LIFE.
The last purchase you’ll probably regret is when you’re buying things that aren’t for your current lifestyle. If you have young kids you’re probably not going to get a lot of use out of silk dresses and high heels, even if that’s what you used to wear. You want to pay attention to what works for your everyday life. Buying items for someone else’s life or the life you wish you had doesn’t always work. Instead, those pieces can turn into a wardrobe item you regret purchasing.
Related: “9 Pieces You Won’t Regret Buying“
Another great tip to follow is from Rachel Hirst of U Me And The Kids. She writes, “Always try it on before removing the tags. Due to online shopping, you can’t always try on new clothes before you make a purchase. However, you can try out any new piece of clothing you buy just as soon as it is delivered. So, when you order a new shirt or pair of pants online, don’t let the package sit around and collect dust. Carefully open your package, try on your clothes, and do a full spin in front of a mirror. …Give that outfit a test run prior to taking off the tags. Be sure to shop with a retailer who honors returns so long as the items are not damaged, and you won’t have to hold onto clothes that you’ll never end up wearing.”
For more style tips you can get my free guide, My Top 27 Style Tips On How To Dress Better.
7 Wardrobe Items You Will Regret Buying
How To Organize Your Closet | Free Guide
I created this easy guide for how to organize your closet, to help you go from that overwhelming starting point to an efficient and organized closet in just a few days instead of a few years!
It’s my great privilege to share this knowledge of the ways to organize your closet and make your closet work for you. It’s how I organize my closet and also the steps I teach my clients.
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