As someone who succumbs easily to clutter anxiety (wherein inaction begets more clutter and, in turn, more anxiety), I am quick to part with purchases that neither serve a purpose nor spark joy. So I was surprised to find a box of pre-2015 purchases that I thought I had donated years ago. In that box was this “classic utility jumpsuit” from Forever 21, which I purchased in the summer of 2015, and wore only a handful of times before relegating it to the donations pile.
Seeing it again for the first time in years threw me: it’s such a timeless, wearable piece, why did I (decide to) donate it?!
So back in my closet it went. And I couldn’t wait for warm weather to return before wearing it, so I packed it for a long weekend trip several weeks ago, during which I was quickly reminded of why it didn’t find a permanent home in my closet: it is quite wrinkle-prone, thus is wholly incompatible with people (primarily me) who can’t muster the energy to steam a garment before every wear.
I racked my brain looking for a lesson here: is it the immutability of a bad purchase? Or that swift action is preferred to deferred action when it comes to closet management? Maybe it’s something grander, like “don’t shop at Forever 21.”
Finally, I landed on this observation: donation regret isn’t a thing (unless it involves a living organ), because stuff is infinitely replaceable.
Have you ever regretted (a real pang, not just a passing thought) a donation (of a clothing item or something equally frivolous)?
And I thought I could put this maxi down coat away for the year by March, but the current cold spell threw a monkey wrench into that plan, so you’ll probably see this coat again. Likely very soon.
For anyone in the market for a long puffer coat, this super cute Mackage Long Water Resistant Down Puffer Coat is on sale in limited sizes at Nordstrom (btw, new styles have been added to its sale section so it’s worth browsing).
