Your Fashion Buy Regrets in the Last Year?

[DownwardCat]

I am not asking about “what the hell I was thing about” of your youth but recent made purchases, when you should have known better?

Mine were a load of quality white round neck t-shirts for building my wardrobe basics, they just do not suit me - should have bought v-necks…

Thank you. It is really lovely and beautiful quality. I bought it to wear to work - it claims to be warm enough for winter. But the skirt is just a bit too flared so it's more formal looking than I wanted. I'm sure it will have its day.

Puff sleeve big collar white shirt I wanted to wear with a tank top and a long faux leather skirt. Wanted to look full on Dark Academia. Looked like fat Lady Di.

A lovely navy linen waistcoat ordered from Zara, but the V is too low to wear without a vest top, and really it is a bit too snug. I haven't worn it, but I liked it too much to send back! Now I guess I will try to sell it locally or send it to a consignment shop.

Also a very pretty pair of shoes to wear to son's wedding, but they were too snug and I took them off directly after the ceremony. Wore standby gold flat sandals instead for dancing.

A coast dress on vinted, that was really really overpriced but I really wanted it.
It's in my normal/slightly too big size but won't fasten without massively straining over my ribcage.

It's still in the wardrobe and I try it on every few weeks just in case my ribs have shrunk....but I can't see it ever fitting...I just can't bear to resell because I love it. Plus the next size will be too big elsewhere and possibly still to small over the ribs (I didn't think I had massive ribs either until now)

It's just sooooo beautiful and would make my life complete

Three quarter length elasticated Zara trousers, with three buttons on each pocket. I thought i looked trendy (im mid 40s) but looked like an overweight backing dancer for Janet Jackson circa her Nasty Girl phase. It just served to highlight my belly. Horrible!! Off to the Cancer Charity shop they go!

4 pairs of trainer shoes from Moda In Pelle. I should have known as i uswed to buy shoes from there many yrs ago and all had to go to charity shops as they were so uncomfortable - hard shoes that bruise the feet but i thought with the new trainer shoes how could one go wrong? well they even got those wrong. Cheaply made pretty trainers with no 'give' whatsoever. All going to charity for someone with sturdier feet than mine.

A Sezane Will jacket that I waited for ages to come back into stock. Loved the colour and thought it would be handy for popping on for the school run etc but because I am only 5 ft 1 and not 6ft like the models it just looks frumpy. Plus the arms are a bit tight.

I also bought a pair of cream Mint Velvet knee high boots on sale that I love but have nowhere to wear them and they only go with a few things on my wardrobe.

I love pretty clothes but WFH now and only leave the house for school run and supermarket but can't seem to get my head around this fact when I'm clothes shopping 🙄

😂

Lazy Oaf Happy Sad jumpsuit.

Wanted the fleece in that design but it was out of stock so I bought this instead. Think I had lost my mind. Never worn.

https://www.lazyoaf.com/products/happy-sad-jumpsuit

In summer while on some extra days I added onto a worktrip, I bought a really beautiful white top with red embroidery (and costing £££(£?)) I'd seen walking past the window. There was only one size left and it seemed to fit (I usually prefer to try a few sizes to reduce fit regrets). I ignored its inadequate opaqueness, telling myself I would buy some similar white thin cotton fabric and take it to a seamstress to line it.

The fabric I bought to do so turned out to be a bit of a dud. Or at least not so great - the other fabric I'd bought at the same time turned out to be really a dud, since I'd wanted cotton and this felt synthetic. Worse, when I washed the shirt - gently, by hand! - it (a) shrunk! Now it gapes a little at the breast if I move and (b) red embroidery transferred a bit of a pink tinge to part of the back.

Can't wear it. As hope dies last, I still think that one day I might find a very similar fabric, have panels put in at the side to widen it out, and have it lined.

A Hobbs pale pink dress. It's too long and I've lost a bit of weight so it's a bit too big. It's still got the tags on as I never wore it. Must get around to putting it on vinted.

A pair of mid calf boots (from Vinted but still £50). I like them but they are heavy and very 90s clumpy. I feel like a clown.

A Jigsaw top (again Vinted) that should be perfect but just doesn't sit right. The dangers of not being able to try something on before buying. I really miss our old high street - for so many brands now it's hard to get to a physical shop!

I needed a MOB dress for eldest DDs wedding last summer. sigh

Didn't want a typical MOB twin set, wanted a nice dress, so searched and searched and for some reason bought a dramatic, flowery, clingy, chiffony dress from Lipsy. Not cheap. I got it home, got it on and it looked a million dollars - IF the occasion was a risque flamenco competition 🙄
DH was 😳''Wow .... ''

no.
(but didn't have the heart to send it back, so it's in the wardrobe being That Dress)

So - i went the other way and bought a floaty maxi dress instead. Nice, not cheap, but the fabric made me hot and i looked like a hippy mamma just back from Pushkar. Plus it had gold metalic flecs in it which i didn't realise till i got it home, and my sandals were silver.

no.
(but didn't have the heart to send it back as it is lovely - so it's still in the wardrobe being A Nice Maxi Dress)

What did i wear in the end? Well the day dawned hot (one of the only hot days last year) so i thought fuck it and took out my cheap sun dress from Tesco with BIG pink flowers on it which cost about a tenner two years ago. I've never worn it because it's a bit eye-catching for a normal day for me. I zhoozhed it up with good underwear, the high silver sandals and a fancy up-do and was really happy and relaxed in it! I got lots of compliments and questions about where i got it

What a lot of stress and £ i wasted!

Hush wide leg joggers, when you take them off you can still see your knee shape sticking out, I brought two pairs, what a waist of £60

A pair of Boston clogs.
They are very comfy but I feel like I’m wearing slippers when I go out. I just don’t feel right in them.
So now I own an expensive pair of house shoes.

On a recent trip to Brazil I went a bit crazy in FARM Rio.

i bought a beautiful play suit, a cropped top and full skirt co-ord set, some shorts…. In my head the vibrant cotton and strategically placed cut outs were a perfect complement to my tanned skin and model like proportions as i drifted down the board walk at copacabana with youthful insouciance.

in reality I’m a 40-something winter white lawyer who barely tans and reaches 5’5” in heels, living mostly in the grey of London. I look like an aging - slightly demented - playschool presenter.

Oh dear, so many. How many bras do normal people have? I have about 30, but usually 2 or 3 that I actually wear, and when the wire came out of my perfect beige bra, I had to replace it. I’ve bought 6 so far. 3 returned. 1 is waiting to be returned, 1 is lovely but bright red, so doesn’t fill the spot. 1 is good. Strangely thats the one I bought in an actual shop after getting measured. A pair of loafers that are too big. I’ve got such huge feet Id never experienced too big before, so I have worn them, and have the blisters to prove it. I sent my Dh links to stuff I liked in the Wrap Sale, for Christmas. Only specified colour on 1 item. Other people may like joggers and sweatshirts in ecru, but I’m mainly gardening and walking dogs, so I just don’t. But he meant well.

An oversized trench - in my head it look great, in real life I looked like a flasher

Velvet Teddy lipstick by Mac - recommend to me as a “universal nude” but it’s an unflattering orangey brown colour on me which made my teeth look yellow!

“Sandi Toksvig on her holidays” is the best description ever! I bet you don’t look like that, but I know exactly what you mean.

A beige trench coat for walking DS to school… my DH used to sing “ohhh Vienna” at me☹️

An oversized duvet coat for walking the dog. I have kept it as it’s so bloomin warm and practical, but god it’s huge! I could camp in it. I look like a sumo wrestler in it and feel like one too, lol.

A pair of Russell & Bromley flatform wedge trainers a la Trinny. They are too floppy on my feet and I fell over twice in one night in them 🙈

This dress from Ghost - it's lovely but just doesn't suit me.

I was also stung when buying a Sezane dupe from Ali Express (should have known better!).