How often do you make bad clothing purchases?

[TheOGCCL]

How do you know?
How long does it take you to realise?
How do you avoid it happening again?

I'm trying to reduce my miss rate and ideally want to try and eliminate bad buys altogether! Some things just seem to slot right in and get worn endlessly and others, even though they seem good, fit, right colour, go with other things, end up unworn.

Rarely … Only because after half a century of purposeful loitering in physical shops I’m now pretty accurate in my almost exclusively online shopping.

Made a bad mistake in the Summer sales first year of lockdown. I’d fallen in love with a new brand and pounced on one of their padded jackets at a truly joyful reduced price. Fashionable colour that I thought would get lots of wear over Autumn - when we’d be free. Except we weren’t - and the wretched puffy thing mocked me from its hanger. Too big, doesn’t suit me, utterly ridiculous … I have no experience of re-selling, but as I won’t get what I paid for it anyway I might as well wait until I can find someone to give it to.

Other than that I probably only have to return one or two things a year. I do like the mulling over time that online browsing affords - often I’ll stalk something for months, and look for photos and sizing info on more than one site, so by the time I press Buy Now I know exactly how the thing will fit me and my wardrobe.

Shoes are much trickier as I’m not wedded to any particular brand. I buy as few pairs as I can get away with and always return them immediately if I’m not immediately thrilled.

But mistakes are part of the adventure! I try not to give myself a hard time if I get the odd thing wrong.

Oh interesting thread.

I would have said rarely, however, I bought

...two pairs of trousers for work recently and there's something just off about them. I've packed them away after just a couple of wears! They weren't expensive, but it's still annoying.

I think having favourite shops can help. Thinking about it, I've never had a total dud from my favourite shops.

Posted too soon!

I would say about 1 in 3 items of clothing I buy is a bad decision.

I have always found it difficult to find things that suit me and to predict how often I will wear them.

My size fluctuates quite a lot and I'm also conscious that I don't want to be wasteful, want to buy good quality stuff that will last etc. so I get some anxiety about it which doesn't help!

My solution is to buy things, take them home and keep them for a few days, try them on at home a couple of times before deciding.

Clothes shopping is a lot of effort for me!

Not too often, but then I don't buy things that often.

The things that are coming to mind:

a jumper that has slightly too short sleeves (it has nice embroidery around the collar and looks good, but in practice I can only wear it when I've got the sleeves pushed up to the elbow, because that extra uncovered space by my wrist really annoys me) didn't realise at first when I bought it and that was in another country, so couldn't exchange it later. I had a similar situation re: sleeves with another jumper I bought here, but that I could exchange and it was fine. Solution would be to try always one size up in case it fit better, though with things riding up it's not always apparent.

a short sleeve jumper with some floral embroidery. Overall too 'feminine' for my overall look and taste, and too pale. I got it because I had another short sleeve jumper (plain and in a brighter colour) I was very pleased with. I also bought it when I was staying at a relative's who has spent time of every visit for years criticising the way I dress, and while I'm happy with how I dress and certainly not going to change it for her, this was a borderline choice that must have been affected subconsciously.

I got a top off ebay that I'm still not sure on and may have been a bad purchase. I thought the design looked funky, but I'm not so sure on the material in practice and the collar is a bit low. Worn it once so far, not sure whether it will be a mediocre purchase or a bad one.

A polo I got with the intention of swapping its collar to the top above, but at the alterations tailor they ended up telling me this wasn't possible.

One that I realised in good time and was returnable: I got two short sleeved plain casual tshirts from superdry, but wearing them for longer than just to try it on in the shop made me realise they were uncomfortable around my shoulders. Returned.

Rare...I look at items for a while...think about what i already have.....walk around....leave shop....maybe return...often dont want the item...!!..

Rarely, I think? I'm honest about my body shape (curvy + busty) and what works and what doesn't, and how that sits with the brands and styles I like. If, after I've bought something and realise it's going into heavy rotation, I often buy another of it. Like posters above, I often do a lot of online stalking of clothes before I commit to a purchase.

I know almost immediately when something isn't working BUT often cling onto it if, like, the pattern is nice (I am a sucker for a good print) or it's just an elegant piece of clothing. I really like clothes and style and fashion! But it's taken a while to make peace with the fact that, although a piece may be beautiful in itself, it doesn't suit me at all :( I've also made 'bad' clothing choices when I'm either shopping out of boredom, or when I'm stressed.

Having said all that - I also like to try on which are completely outside of my comfort zone, just to see what they look like on - it's been a surprise to see how (eg) some styles of clothes look good on me when I hadn't expected they would. A recent purchase was a dress in a very lurid print and odd style which could have been a real car-crash but somehow all pulls together and looks great on me. As another poster says, mistakes are part of the fun and how we figure out what looks good!

I have a problem with falling for things I see in random advertisements on the internet then when they come they are never actually nice... you would think I would have learned by now but no...

I'm a sucker for a Vinted bargain and sometimes get excited and buy before I've fully thought through whether I need something, or if it will suit me Things can always be re sold for what I've paid for them, but I'm still wasting time, effort and postage fees (plus I'm a bit lazy about doing it)

If I buy something new (very, very rarely) I have to be absolutely sure it's perfect and it's something I really need and will wear a lot.

A 1 in 3 rate of returns must be painful, bodie! I completely get the anxiety of choice - I feel it regardless of whether it’s expensive going out clothes or Uniqlo loungewear - but on the whole I know what I like and what suits me so it’s generally only unexpected sizing that causes a problem.

Do you never shop online? I find there’s so much more choice I’ve almost forgotten the existence of physical shops. Where do you usually buy clothes?

Interesting. I probably make more bad decisions than average, in that's case. I do have a few bad habits but I'm trying to tackle them.

Firstly, I often fall in love with the idea of an item - like I'll justify it's faults because I so want it to work. Few years ago I bought a white jumper in size 14 because there were no size 16s left in sale because I just wanted it so bad. I thought it wouldn't make much of a difference. But it did. It's just too narrow around my arms and a smidge too short. It always feels just too small on me. Similarly I've forgiven garments for being too long, or too short, or too itchy or too patterned/plain/bright/etc because overall I've loved them. Guess what - didn't end up wearing them.

My second issue is that I shy away from the price of the object I actually want and settle for cheaper one. I recently wanted a £75 shirt from Everlane but the price turned me to a £30 Uniqlo one. Nothing wrong with the Uniqlo one, but I'm still hankering after the Everlane one. So often I end up with an A-version as well as a B-version of the same thing. And usually only wear the A-version.

Lots are bad decisions and I often don’t realise till I’ve spent a day or two wearing it. Worse, I’m in the habit of snipping labels out before wearing so there’s doubly no chance of returning. EBay and the clothes bank do well out of me.

Before the pandemic I was happy with the majority of my clothes and felt I looked good. Since the pandemic hit my choices seem to have gone haywire. I bought far too much during lockdown thinking I'd wear it when it was over but things have changed so much... Skinny jeans are on the way out and work clothes are so much less corporate, plus I now wfh mostly. I go out less than I used to. But I don't like the current baggy clothes, stompy shoe look so am struggling to find my look again. Skinny jeans and dainty shoes, dresses and heels really suited me! So there's a lot in my wardrobe at the moment that I'm not wearing but my attempts to update it is not working out 😩 Feel a bit lost tbh.

Often from eBay. It’s a false economy because although low cost you can’t send back. Trying to be more judicious

I return a LOT and have maybe a 75% success rate on Vinted.

What I’m not successful with on Vinted, I seem to manage to resell for more than I bought for, mainly as I tend to by out of season.

i almost never buy anything so don't create opportunities. The most likely mistake is buying something I don't truly need. Since I shop almost exclusively in charity shops, the mistakes aren't too expensive

I only buy clothes online I can't easily find in charity / solid-building shops

I spend about £300 a month on top quality items but do make mistakes. Probably 2-3 items a year. Happens to everyone. It’s often because I’ve fallen in love with how something looks on the hanger

Alot more than I used to I'm afraid. My late forties has changed both my figure ( lost my tiny waist, got bigger boobs, a bit fatter everywhere) and hair colour ( used to be jet black, now ash blonde to cover the grey) but I constantly buy stuff that would suit the old me - earthy colours, nipped in waists etc and then realise they don't suit the new me . 😭

Yes and sometimes it's not obvious until I've had the item for a while and just don't reach for it. Something can be perfect on paper and still doesn't get worn, and then unexpectedly something else I just picked up in the sales without much thought ends up a favourite. Or I might have it in my wardrobe for a while before I start wearing it regularly.

My working life has changed a fair bit recently and I'm currently rediscovering my old style but with a new twist so have been reassessing many of my clothes and getting a few new things to fill the gaps and definitely ended up with some mistake buys too.

I hardly ever use to buy online, but since covid do a lot more, and now don't go to shops as much, but a lot goes back, it's the sizing, like today three dresses from John Lewis, non of them fitted, I'm getting fed up keep returning, but there's so much more choice online, thats why I prefer it.

Couple of times a year (I buy maybe 10-12 things a year?). Normally it's when I've gone super cheap (h&m, new look) and the item isn't quite right (fit or fabric type, as cheaply made). I look in detail online at fabric types, reviews, etc to judge if something is practical/ decent quality. Often I just window shop online and only purchase things I really keep thinking about after a session. It's amazing how much stuff you think you want when looking, but if you leave it, you forget about and realise you don't really want or need.

Very rarely, I think quite hard, I know what colours I like and I am pretty realistic about my shape.

Rarely make a duff purchase. Three main reasons:

1. I have to utterly LOVE it.
2. The fit, fabric and cut have to be right (I’m a Kibbe body type Flamboyant Natural).
3. My colours are Deep Winter.

With this steer, I tend to buy discerningly but with total confidence!

Good thread.
Far too many of my clothes purchases are regrettable. I'm a size 24 and shopping in person is not often a fun experience, therefore I buy most of my clothes online. Often they're ill-fitting, dont suit me, or I've misjudged the material and can't wear it. Not so much of an issue if they're £3 from Vinted, but more depressing when £40 from Simply Be or similar. I wish I were better at clothes shopping

Not often these days, but I screwed up this week. I fell in love with a gorgeous, expensive Max Mara coat in the window of a local department store, but they’d sold out of stock, so I ordered it online in my usual coat size (14) because I wanted to be able to fit jumpers underneath for winter. I happened to be in the store yesterday and they had a single 14 on the rack, from somewhere. I tried it and it’s stupidly huge on me — I mean, it’s supposed to be oversized, but this would fit an entire extra person in there. I will have to return for a 10. Grr.

My current clothes irritation is that I need two different sets of tops, for wide-legged trousers and skinnier ones — entirely different fits and styles needed for each…