Today’s post is full of rambling, I promise I’ll still love you even if you don’t read it. 🙂
I think it’s safe to say that almost everyone has been blinded by a “deal” but what I’ve learned over the last year through reading blogs and penning one myself is that there’s no deal that’s too hot to pass up.
When I first created my Sartorial Bucket List*, it was supposed to guide me and help me curb spending money on things I don’t love and must have. To that end I have been an utter failure but it has shown me that having a wish list is much better than sailing aimlessly in the online shopping world where at every turn there’s something that’s sort of your size sort of on an attractive sale and sort of makes you feel giddy. That lethal combination is the bane of my existence.
I’ve been splurging a little more on my work wardrobe; looking back through my blog archive I don’t feel I’ve changed much in terms of my style but I’ve definitely added pieces that have become favorites and that help me get dressed on mornings when I don’t even want to get out of bed.
I can’t count on two hands how many purchases I regret almost immediately but for reasons like laziness, final sale, and temporary insanity, the purchases remained with me and continued to gather dust.
Without getting too analytical and boring you to tears, I’ll compare these two purchases from the last year
Ann Taylor Petite Exposed Zipper Ponte Pencil Skirt (purchased last November; worn probably upwards of 40 times). This is the best fitting skirt I own from Ann Taylor and the dark navy goes with nearly every top in my possession. If I don’t know what to wear in the morning I just pull it out and put it on.
Talbots High-ridge Twill jacket (purchased around January, worn twice). I got it on sale because it looked like the cropped version of my Ralph Lauren crested blazer but the fit was boxy on me and strips me of any “shape” I thought I had. I don’t like how I look in it so I barely wear it.
I can’t remember exactly how much I paid for them but I imagine the final price tags were likely similar yet one received much more attention than the other. As a lover of numbers and someone who values the truth of “cost per wear,” I made a terrible mistake purchasing the Talbots blazer even though it was priced so attractively.
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| Talbots Blazer, Theory Top (long sleeve version – the Demona – here), ASOS Belt (from this skirt), Ann Taylor Skirt, J. Crew Necklace, and Patrizia Pepe Pumps |
When I was growing up, I picked up a few bad habits that people around me had when it came to shopping and it’s something I continue to work on everyday. I shop too much, don’t donate enough, and tend to be blind to things that catch my eye but may not suit me (like sparkly gowns for the 6′ and over crowd).
While I haven’t been as diligent as I can about vetting each and every purchase, I have improved, rather strategically. I no longer peruse cocktail dresses marked 70% off retail and stay away from shoes even half a size off from my normal size. It’s not a drastic change but I do become more aware of every purchase I make, perhaps because I have built a foundation for a rather formidable and functional wardrobe so I don’t often feel like I have “nothing to wear.”
How do you resist a “good deal”?
