Such a waste! I vow to stop spending...

[easypeeler]

...on things I don't love. I've just bagged up loads of mis-matched over-sized, drab, frumpy, bland, blah, what-was-I-thinking type items to send to the charity shop. I suspect they'll bin them for being so D.U.L.L.

What a waste. I vow to only buy things I love, in colours that suit me and that fit my style and shape.

Anyone else feel the same?

Story of my life! It's hard as I never really know what suits me & I think go for things that I like on others & also things that seen like a bargain....I swear I wouldn't have this problem if I had a bottomless pit of money! ;-)

Me too mog!

I also buy some things in triplicate. If I like a polo neck I buy it in grey, beige, black and then wonder why two of them gather dust

I buy far too many basics and then wonder why my wardrobe is dull.

I've spent the weekend and today sifting through my wardrobe after having my colours done (winter) and it's as if a lightbulb has gone on. I now see the mistakes so easily and see glaring gaps as well.

Beige/orange/brown begone!

I never thought it would be this easy, I have whittled my clothes down to navy, black, grey and look forward to adding the reds, greens and purples.

I hope I never make another wardrobe faux pas again!

Aww well done.Enjoy restocking your wardrobe with all the right colours now. Good chance to go shopping. I have myself diagnosed as a winter too.I feel and look better in the colours you mention.

Right, the next step is to buy quality only.
It's really easy to pop into Sainsbury's or TK maxx or whatever and just buy a jumper. Don't! If they are tempting, look at the price, get the money out and put them aside.
When you get to £100 stashed away, start looking for THE jumper. Think about the material, cut, colour, what with and when you plan to wear it etc.
sometimes THE jumper just pops unexpectedly, you just know it's perfect and no matter how much it is, it's yours. But they are rare.
Never ever buy stuff 'because you need it'. It can wait, get your 'best, favourite and expensive' item out of the wardrobe and wear it whilst looking for what you 'need' .

Don't forget to be just as ruthless with your underwear.

Thanks ime I love the winter colours!

dilidali what a lot of sense you make! Lots to think about from your post, thanks x

I've said this a lot on this site but getting your colours/ style done really does make a difference. It was worth every penny and has consequently saved me a fortune. If you can afford it, do it!

But but but ... If I only bought stuff I loved, I would have a wardrobe full of beautiful frocks and nothing else.
I recently bought some chunky boots with proper grips on the sole that will stop me falling on my arse at the first sign of ice. Do I love them? No - but I sure as hell need them.
I agree about colour though. And I'm trying to go for quality over price.

I browse online a lot. If I keep coming back to something then it be ones a purchase. But with most items I keep them for 48hours. Then decide whether or not to keep it.
Saves me a fortune!!

If I did what dilidali suggests I'd have to wear sackcloth!

And I am sure you'd still look beautiful indecisive :), but I'm not really sure what you mean.

This is so true.
I have so many things that don't suit me, or don't fit properly, or that I just don't like very much.

yes sticking to your colours is good. I agree about buying better quality rather than loads of cheaper items.

Picked up a perfect red long sleeved tee and a shocking pink top in EWM of all places they're in my local garden centre - I didn't mean to shop for clothes but because I know they'll suit me I bought without fear

I agree totally with buying better quality/ more expensive but where?! im 23, I dont want to shop at New Look/ River Island its bad quality. I like Zara/ All Saints but is there a good quality shop aimed at my age??

I only buy something if I absolutely love it. I found in the past that if there is the tiniest doubt, by the time I got home I hated whatever I'd bought.

It's so easy to do but these are the rules I try to stick to...

Never buy something because it looks great on someone else

Never buy something because it's an "almost-there" version of what you were looking for.

Cheapo tights, pjs and basics like leggings and t-shirts are OK but avoid the cheapo knitwear - it almost always goes nasty really fast.

When you do see something and think "That's so me, I LOVE it" get it if you possibly can, it will serve you well and work out at a better bargain, even if it's expensive.

But, always check on ebay first to see if it's there, before you splash out!

I don't agree that cheapo tights are okay, they are awful. Falke tights are so worth the money. Ditto re. leggings. My cheapo leggings from H&M, highly recommended on here have nice thick fabric but not enough stretch so fall down. False economy. I'm yet to find good cheapo tees, are they out there?

Some great advice here, love "don't go for an almost there version of the item you really want", magazines encourage you to do that all the time. Also, look at what you have and see what has survived best and still gets worn - for me it's a mix of high street and a few more expensive things.

And also: you don't need to spend all the time/every week/every month! Once you have clothes that you wear and love then really you don't need to be endlessly trawling the shops for 'things' because then you WILL buy more than you need. Really don't aimlessly browse - especially if you don't have tons of ££.

I am guilty of this and so despite me having a reasonably good wardrobe of clothes I wear and love and that suit me I still get carried away with ebay and sales and offers - and most of the time these are the impulse buys I could live without/don't wear enough.

Depends on the tights, I like opaque/woolly ones and usually find great ones at supermarkets, especially Asda and Tesco. I have spent £££ on tights before and not found that they last any longer. Falke etc are lovely and if i was rich I'd buy them all the time, but I hate it when I buy expensive ones and they get a hole anyway.

T-shirts - quality and (relative) cheapness from uniqlo, H&M and new look. New look also have the added appeal of making properly long t-shirts. I have 3 long-sleeved, long-bodied ribbed tees from New Look that have lasted years.

Leggings - gap pure body are the dogs bollocks, lovely wide waistband, cost £10 or less in the sale.

Sorry, simply meant that I really can't afford to only make stylish, considered purchases, so when I look at my wardrobe if I got rid of all the things I didn't love, there'd be nothing left! I have to put comfort and practicality first all the time and it's really boring! So I live vicariously by lurking here and following links to all the nice things others are buying!

What you can't afford is buying loads of cheap unflattering stuff that make you feel unattractive and that look dreadful after 3 washes. You are probably spending much more than me, I last bought a jumper 4 years ago. But if I don't like what I find in the shops I'll go back to the one I have. My logic is: I don't like either (the old or the new one), but the old one doesn't cost me any money. So I save it till I find the one I love.

I hope you don't think I am one of those women who are dressed to the 9s and don't sit down because the skirt would crumple. I have a child, I commute 2h daily, I jump from work into Lidl into meet the teacher into washing the dishes into changing beds etc. I have never worn high heels or bought an item dry clean only. But I am 'shallow' enough to care about my appearance. My clothes need to fit all the bills, and make me feel good about the way I look. The need to work with pumps, boots and wellies. They need to be plain, well cut and withstand lots of washes.
The stuff I buy and change all the time is the jewellery :)

Sorry, I am a bit tired and I haven't expressed myself properly. By 'you' I mean in general. I had a particular relative in mind writing all this, she is the type who would buy jumpers from the sunday market, really unflattering, and loads of them, then tell me off for splurging on cashmere.
I think I need sleep.

I get you dilidali :)

In the past when I had £50 to spend I'd buy 10 x £5 teeshirts instead of a half-decent jumper or a pair of trousers.

I like to get value for money but end up with yet more ruddy basics instead of saving for something extra-special and wow.

I'm learning - mainly because getting my colours done stopped me desperately buying to plug gaps.

easy I'm a bit like you, always go for quantity rather than buying myself one lovely item.
I am addicted to primark no matter how much I tell myself to stop I can't help it. I literally can't just pop in for pjs for example I always come out with at least one bag full.
I think that I can't afford 'nicer' clothes even telling ny self warehouse and oasis are too expensive yet I will happily spend an average of 80quid per trip to primarni.
what is wrong with me???