Thread 2 – De-influencing thread: reasons not to buy things

[Whowhatwerewolf]

Starting Thread 2 as Thread 1 has nearly reached the comment limit.

For anyone new: this thread has a specific purpose. If you are considering buying something but deep down would prefer to save your money, post a link to the item. Other posters will help talk you out of it.

Humour and gentle mockery are very much part of how this thread works, alongside more practical points. Sometimes a light-hearted comment helps something click; other times it’s about noticing details that are easy to miss when you’re tempted.

Common tactics include:

• poking fun (so please don't post something if your feelings will be hurt by this)
• pointing out that you already own something that serves the same purpose
• spotting poor quality, flimsy construction or inferior fabrics hiding behind good photography
• questioning whether the item solves a problem that actually exists
• translating marketing language into plain English

What this thread is not:

• mocking people who wear the item
• ageist sniping (calling something “granny” is actually praise)
• cruelty for its own sake

The target is the thing, not the person.

The previous thread is here: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/style_and_beauty/5482885-de-influencing-thread-reasons-why-not-to-buy-things?latest=1

In it we covered a lot of ground including a sad tangerine skirt, another one that looked like it was tucked into your underpants, Gary Glitter shoes, saggy bottoms, air wraps gathering dust and lots of polyester at premium prices.

Also worth restating, based on Thread 1:
This is not a balanced debate thread. It is not “let’s hear both sides”. People who posted positive comments about items were, quite rightly, sent to the naughty corner. This is not the thread for that.

This thread is for people who want to be de-influenced, not gently nudged towards a purchase they already know they’re going to make.

If you’re hovering over Add to basket and need someone to say “step away”, post the link.
If you’re good at spotting polyester pretending to be wool, please contribute.

Thread 2 begins. Same format. Same aim.

@Whowhatwerewolf , it looks nice but it will probably look like a rag after it's been washed.

Thanks to everyone who de-influenced me from buying a top from Celtic and Co despite my £20 coupon. The fact the top would still be really expensive and I'd have to pay for postage plus it would end up like a misshapen dishcloth after washing has made it unappealing.

Browsing through the website and not finding anything I wanted even at such a good discount was really off-putting and has had the opposite effect on me than the company will have intended, so that's a real win.

Yeah, shops where everything is really expensive will send you £20 off etc - but really when most things cost upwards of £100 and you’re struggling to find something for which it’s a meaningful discount, it’s not as good a deal as it seems to be. You still have to spend lots of money for something you maybe don’t actually want, and it’s often not as much as you’d save in any old 30% off sale.

Ok so I'm going to post a link to a shirt that I absolutely love and keep looking at. I don't really know why I like it so much but I do. I even know it is pretty bad myself and if someone else posted it I would be thinking WTF?! Please tell me all the awful things about it!
https://www.marksandspencer.com/faux-suede-collared-button-through-shirt/p/clp60777937

Well for one thing, faux suede is just another way of saying plastic. £40 for a plastic shirt is a lot!

I have a £25 m&s voucher burning a hole in my pocket! I know it's plastic but even that isn't putting me off it I'm ashamed to say! I'll keep it in my basket for a week and if I still love it then I might buy it as it will be my birthday. I am hopeful I will have gone off it by then though!

@canyon2000 see picture 3 where the shirt is buttoned up at the front placket isn’t lying flat because the buttons don’t line up properly with the buttonholes. That’s how badly made your plastic shirt is. You will overheat and get sweaty in it because the fabric doesn’t breath.

I think that shirt would have that rare and unique effect of somehow making you sweaty without actually keeping you warm.

What is going on with M &S. I've just sent back an order because everything was 'slimy'. Lots of talk about wool even cashmere but even though it initially felt nice it was sweaty and plastic.

The 100% merino wool jumper, aside from making me look like a sensible care home inmate feels coated in something.

ha exactly what I was thinking. Gorgeous colour, but it looks too thin to keep you warm, while still being sweaty non-breathable plastic.

You guys have done your job! I am sweaty enough as it is so that has really put me off!

M&S's strength these days is the way their clothing is modelled; when push comes to shove much of their merchandise is cheaply made and doesn't wash well.

That said, I have a couple of those merino jumpers because they're good for layering, and so far they've been very well-behaved. Definitely the exception to the rule.

In addition to this, ‘faux suede’ is in fact polyester 😂😂

Do you think it could be that how you react to the feeling of certain fabrics on your skin has changed? I've got one of the Auograph brushed wool & cashmere jumpers & love it.

Probably, I'm totally out of sorts with all sorts of hormonally related tiny symptoms. Used to be so tough, so healthy, so resilient. Now I get an itchy foot and a heavy head and I take a deep breathe to push through the fog.
I'm going to stick on a another blob of HRT and see if that helps.

Sadly, it probably is that. I didn't want to automatically say menopause (as it's always mentioned) but itchy skin & reacting to things differently are common symptoms. So I'm afraid it is more likely to be you!

Maybe - if it doesn't make you too warm - layer a very fine cotton long-sleeved top below jumpers?

Please help? I really don't need it.

https://www.lyst.co.uk/clothing/cos-boxy-double-faced-wool-jacket-5/?product=SFMVWLJ&link_id=1142290746&_country=GB&size=2XS&show_express_checkout=true&atc_medium=cpc&atc_campaign=UK-PLA-FL&utm_source=chatgpt.com&paid_session_id=97b4a026-ec9f-470e-86a4-9cb07d3cbf9e

That boxy, cropped, moss-green situation doesn’t just hint at forest vibes — it fully commits. You don’t wear it so much as emerge from underbrush in it. The cut says “mysterious fashion risk,” but the color says “I forage recreationally.”
It’s giving:

• disgruntled forest sprite
• junior hobbit in corporate probation
• someone who definitely knows which mushrooms are technically edible

The boxy shape doesn’t flatter — it gently transforms you into a stylish tree stump. And the cropped length? Perfect for showcasing exactly zero torso and 100% confused proportions. If your goal is to look like you might hiss when exposed to direct sunlight, congratulations — this is your jacket.

Haha that was hilarious, thank you. Although I take some of it as a compliment (all mushrooms are technically edible but some are only edible once 😁).

The main problem with the Boxy jacket is that I bought it for £85 just a month ago in the sale. So go easy de-influencers.
I'm 5'7" pretty standard but the arms are a bit long so I awkwardly turn the cuffs up.
I have a love/hate relationship with the pockets. Yes you can get a standard paperback and a round of sandwiches in there but are positioned so your hand is awkward.

Suggest you wait for it to price drop further.

Proof of sale

You got a bargain, @RodgerReading ! And knowing that I don't think I could bring myself to pay full price. Also I'm shorter than you so the sleeves might annoy me. This is all helping, thank you.

Oh, and I do know what it's like when an item you already own pops up in this thread (I was cringing through the Birkenstock clogs discussion myself!).

Quilted cotton jacket
Help, I keep looking at this quilted jacket. In particular to use when flying later this month. Thought would be light enough for the plane and also a cover in the evening if chills down - going to the canaries for some sun but they’ve had their coldest winter in years so a bit nippy at night.

I like the khaki colour (not the pink shown in preview) and it goes with my holiday wardrobe - navy, tan/leopard, cream, and accents of dark orange and mustard.
I’m just can’t decide …

Hi @StrongPoison that jacket is so nostalgic for me. My Nana had one just like it, but it was a bed jacket.

Can’t help I’m afraid. My quilted cotton jacket is one of the most useful garments I own. There’s nothing remotely stylish about it but it’s the perfect sling on and go for chilly days and travelling.

ETA You can probably find a much nicer one for less money - mine was about £35 from Tu.