Do you ever feel bad about buying a clothing item you really love but never wearing it?

[blondiecurly]

I occasionally find a piece of clothing in a store and instantly fall in love with it. I'll go try it on, love how it fits, buy it, find a good place for it in my closet, and look forward to wearing it!

Then it gathers dust for months.

Is this a problem for anyone else? This seems to happen with more than half of my purchases. I try to find colours that I know I look and feel good in, that aren't too far out of my comfort zone, and that make me feel confident. Yet half of the time I never end up wearing it! How do you deal with it?

Yes, not often anymore. I rarely buy new clothes but I did used to like buying new bits and then only wearing half of them. I would probably try putting them up on Depop or giving them to a friend

I think you probably need to reign in your shopping habit

I have the odd item that I have never worn, but that is usually because it doesn't fit and I've either forgotten to send it back or plan to lose weight to fit into it. I would say that more 50% of your wardrobe being unworn though is excessive. Why buy things that you never wear?

I occasionally do this - but not to the extent that it becomes a problem. I’m not flawless, so sometimes I make mistakes, and sometimes I just succumb to pointless temptation. And sometimes I put on weight.

Currently I have the most beautiful corseted wool dress hiding in my wardrobe. I’d coveted it for ages - and finally bought it in the sales when the only size left was the size I was for about two months in 2017. It’s never left the house. But one day …

Are you spending massively too much? Or is this just the odd blip? Because human beings are allowed to experiment, and try things out, and explore ways of expressing ourselves.

Sometimes i really think something will work but it turns out not to be the case, but it's increasingly rare as I've learned more how to dress for my actual life. Maybe do a wardrobe clear out?

A tip I got that transformed my wardrobe was to only buy clothes if I could incorporate them into a whole outfit (or I could afford to buy what would make it work)

If you have pieces in your wardrobe that aren’t being worn they either don’t fit; don’t fit your lifestyle; or you are missing a vital
component to complete the outfit.

@EdmontinaDonsAutumnalHues I'm not sure about massively, but it's probably between £50-£70. For example, I bought this lovely floral midi dress from M&S two weeks ago. Perhaps I should cut back on unnecessary clothes shopping. It appears that I am tuning in to compulsive shoppers.

No. I do my do this.

Don't do it.

I always try to buy things I need and want to wear otherwise they go back or sell on eBay eventually

Occasionally I do do this - in fact, sometimes I forget about it, discover it at the back of my wardrobe or a random bag of clothes three years later during a clearout, and wear it everywhere. Sometimes future me is more confident than past me.

But more than half your purchases sounds a bit excessive, yes.

I am forcing mysel,f to wear a dress out this evening that looked amazing on me in store but looks like maternity wear for some reason tonight but I bought it and paid for it so it will get an outing. It will never leave the wardrobe again. This is the second time in about 4 weeks i have done this.

If I love it, I'll wear it. I don't buy anything any more unless I know exactly when and where I'll wear it for the first time and am excited to do so. I don't understand why or how I would love something and not put it on straightaway.

Oh my God all the time! My entire collection of Irregular Choice shoes, for a start. My Ralph Lauren shirt dress which is super stylish and practical but I bought right before Covid and my social calendar died a death since. Half my makeup. At least three Hell Bunny dresses that I maintain are works of art in their own right. I usually sell stuff after a few years if I don't wear it but I've held onto it all this time.

Thank goodness I'm not alone. I never thought about selling those clothes on eBay because I always thought I would wear them one day, but that day never came.

Your post @CourtAppointedHairdresser reminded me of one particular mistake. It was a bright sunny yellow jumper with a fabulous 🌈 across the chest, in the softest knitted 100% cotton. The moment I saw it my inner 70s child flipped. I think i may have even had a little tear in my eye when i bright it home! I wore it a couple of times. It was not "me", i gave it to my niece and that was my last "loud" purchase. I now admire fun from afar!

You could always return it to MandS.
I bought some trousers in the sale which were a bit too small, by the time I had lost weight and they fit they were really out of fashion.

Make yourself a rule OP, if you haven't worn it within a week of buying it, it clearly doesn't excite you, so return it. It works for me.

Too prescriptive, @Stopthebusplease ! Do you never buy something in early Spring, in anticipation of Summer? Or stock up on knitwear in the Summer sales for Winter? When I had a City career all my new Autumn suits were bought and stored before I went on holiday.

Besides, half the fun of buying clothes is the anticipation of wearing them!

And even once I’ve started wearing something it may be a year or two before I really get to know it well or find the ideal supporting cast of clothes. Sometimes an item only comes into its own once it stops being new and best and gets a bit rumpled and old.

A few times a year I have a day where I pick out all the clothes I never wear (or seasonal items I've just brought out) and try them on with absolutely everything in my wardrobe to see what works well.

I often come up with new outfit ideas I would never even have thought of which I then rotate into my regular "go-to" outfits.
It's also a good way to update old staples to still look modern by changing what you wear them with.

I don't do this very often but.....just this very week there was a sparkly sequins jacket. I loved it, I stroked it in the shop. They didn't have my size so I went home without it. The next day I ordered it online an am eagerly awaiting its arrival. I have nowhere to wear it and it will hang in my wardrobe in all its sparkly beauty.
I will love it always.

@ProperVexed I Just received a sequin dress from all saints sale, I love it but wonder wear i will wear it, I ordered it before when it was reduced to £84 , it was over £100 full price, then sent it back , thinking its to expensive for a dress I would only wear at Christmas, I did keep looking if it got reduced any more, then found it reduced again to £50 , I had to have it, its quite short so I will wear it over skinnie jeans or pleather leggings.

I have recently completely changed my mindset towards buying clothes. Seeing unworn things in my wardrobe stresses me out. I have decided to only buy what clothes we absolutely need for a year. I'm mending my clothes too. Buying things I don't wear for years then they no longer fit. The key is avoiding the shops. Wear snd enjoy what you have now and try to avoid the shops for a fixed period?

Nah. I'll wear it some day lol

Probably

@lindyloo57 My sequin jacket is hanging in my wardrobe in all its sparkly splendour. It has been joined by a sequin dress ( sale bargain).
They are happy and loved.
They remain unworn.
They are things of beauty and make me happy!

You’ve just reminded me that I have a lovely pistachio blazer that I should get out for spring. I bought it last year and wore it once or twice. 😅