Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Worst Purchases of 2014

In my last post, I gushed about my best purchases of 2014. It was all rainbows and puppies. But what about the items that got relegated to the back of my closet? The ones that never saw the light of day. Let's talk about those too. Here are the 10 worst offenders of 2014.

Worst Purchases of 2014

1. Madewell skinny skinny jeans in crackle print (grey 25) - These jeans were originally $158, but I bought them for $22 this past June. Like most Madewell jeans, the fit is impeccable, but the crackle print is too edgy for me. I feel like a K-pop star every time I try to put together an outfit with them, which is fine if you look like this.

EXO (source)

My style is more classic (boring?), so I feel like I can't pull them off.

2. Madewell skinny skinny jeans in nightfall (nightfall 26/29) - I really do like Madewell jeans, but this pair has a fatal flaw. The fit was decent, and the price was right (on super sale for $18). The color was fine too, a very wearable dark indigo wash. So what's wrong with them, you ask? They bleed on everything they've come into contact with! Even though I washed them several times, they still stained my white Old Navy tassel bucket bag. Now I'm afraid to wear them with anything lighter than dark navy, which is just about every color except for black.

3. AG Adriano Goldschmied Angelina bootcut jeans (white 25P) - I've been looking for the perfect pair of white jeans for a while now. I don't want anything that makes me look fat, and the white material needs to be completely opaque. This pair delivers on both counts, but is too low-rise and after years of wearing skinny jeans, I just can't get used to the way bootcut jeans look now. They seem all wrong with the pointy toe flats I like to wear. I'm holding onto them though in case I change my mind later. Kind of sad that I paid $78 for them.

4. J.Crew lace shift dress (neon citrus 00) - This dress fits like a glove, but I'm having a hard time with how/when to wear this. I rarely wear cocktail dresses except to attend weddings, but the neon yellow is too gaudy of a color for solemn occasions. Also, I paid $46 for it in June, but later it dropped to around $20. *shakes fist*

5. Gap essential rib tank (heather gray XSP) - There isn't much to say about this tank, except that it's a little too tight and it rides up to become a belly shirt whenever I put my arms up. I can't even wear it out for fear of flashing someone accidentally.

6. J.Crew Factory sailor sweater in stripe (snow navy XXS) - This sweater seemed like such a good idea when I bought it for $33 back in June. Classic stripe sweater, right? Well, I hate the tan buttons on either side of the collar, and it shrank the first time I washed it (even though it's a cotton sweater). This is Exhibit #1 of how I tried to buy a classic breton top but failed.

7. Loft striped long sleeve cotton tee (burgundy XS) - And here's Exhibit #2. At least this Loft tee was cheap at $7.50. I bought it, thinking this could substitute for the normal white and navy/black stripe tee (which I'm still searching for). Wrong. The burgundy stripes are harder to pair, and the base color is ivory, not white. It's also sort of sheer. Sigh.

8. J.Crew lightweight merino tunic sweater (haven blue XXS) - Yet another time that sale goggles have gotten me in trouble. Look, this sweater only costs $9! It's so cheap! Of course I need a blue tunic sweater, even though I don't like tunics. 

9. Peter Pilotto for Target sunglasses (red iris) - The print is too loud for me. Also I don't like how they're simultaneously round and aviator style. My only consolation is that I bought these with a gift card.

10. J.Crew Factory seersucker mini (class navy 00) - I love seersucker, but I regret paying $38 for this skirt. The buttons should have been decorative instead of functional, and the front zipper needs to go down lower so that it's easier to slip in and out of.

So how does this compare against my worst purchases of 2012? (I forgot to make a Polyvore set in 2013 for my best and worst purchases.)

Worst Purchases of 2012

First of all, I actually rescued 2 items from the worst purchases of 2012: the neon yellow tee and the navy J.Crew dress. Secondly, the problem with 2012 was that my purchases were all sorts of wacky colors. I definitely toned that down in 2014. However, there are still some lessons that I need to learn for next year:

- Stop buying things just because they're cheap. A few dollars here and a few dollars there really add up. This is going to be even more important in 2015 as I reduce my budget.

- Don't buy odd colored things unless I know with 100% certainty that they'll work with my existing wardrobe. My current wardrobe color palette consists primarily of ivory, grey, black, and blue with hints of red and burgundy.

If there are any doubts, leave it. If something bothers me at the store, it's only going to bother me more when I get home.

- Don't settle for a substitute. Every time you wear it, you'll wish you got the original. You'd think I would have learned after the chambray shirt and military jacket fiascos.

What were your worst purchases of 2014? And where on earth can I find a classic stripe tee?

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On a more serious note, I'm so glad I started blogging this year! Thank you all for being so welcoming and encouraging, and thank you for taking the time to read this blog. I can't wait to see what 2015 brings. Happy New Year!

15 comments:

  1. Great best-of and worst-of posts! Glad you're blogging!

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  2. I am going to attempt to do a "no shop" as long as I can for 2015. I have SO MUCH STUFF it's hard to keep it all straight & it's become overwhelming putting together outfits. That said - had I heeded the "don't buy something because it's cheap" / "don't buy weird colors" rules I'd have a lot less stuff!

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    1. I'm with u Taylor- you'd think having more clothes u have more options but it's actually harder to put together outfits. I'm trying to downsize this yr- guilty of all of the above- bought cuz cheap, bought in multiples , bought backups !! Agh! Anyway, thanks for this post- it was fun to read engineerL.

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    2. @Taylor Good luck with your no shop resolution. I'm super impressed that you're going to try it. I don't think I would last two weeks!

      @peis Back when I had a closet full of weird colors, it was impossible to get dressed in the morning. I got rid of a bunch of that stuff, so now it's not as bad plus I added more neutrals. Also, I'm not against buying multiples, but first I have to prove that I'm getting enough use out of the original purchase.

      Happy New Year!

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  3. Great post, reminder to myself just because its on sale/cheap does not mean I should purchase. I am heading to J Crew today to return a Majesty Peacoat, yes only $107, but the color looks terrible on me. I will never wear it, so not the great bargain. Happy New Year!

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    1. Smart decision. It is an amazing price but better to put that $107 towards something you love. Happy New Year to you too!

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  4. Great posts! You also pointed out that sometimes you can rescue something from the Worst List and bring it into your wardrobe later on. That has happened to me, too. I think my favorite acquisitions this year have been high rise skinny jeans (Madewell), Frye Sabrina double buckle boots, and some basic knits (perfect t-shirt and cotton turtlenecks from J Crew.) The 'worst' things I returned immediately so I don't have anything to report. The 'questionable' item is the Cabin Sweater from J Crew - due to the boxy fit in the torso, but I'm willing to give it a go and see how I like it in years to come. Love reading your blog! :-)

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    1. Great job returning your worst items! If only I had done the same, haha. Maybe some of the 2014 items can be rescued, although I've given up on some as a lost cause.

      With the 2012 rescued items, I found out that neon yellow goes really well with white, so I wore that tee a lot the following summer. The navy dress is midi length, so that was challenging at first since short legs (that can't wear heels) and midi skirts don't mix. I decided to wear it to a wedding this year with my metallic Vivs, and everyone complimented it so now I feel more confident wearing it.

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  5. Great posts (this and the best purchases one)! Funny, I think I have the Madewell jeans in that wash and I've never noticed them bleeding color. For the white bootcut jeans, my favorite outfit for them is with a black or navy silky tank and sandals.

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    1. I haven't heard anyone else mention this issue, so I wonder if my pair is defective. Also thanks for the outfit inspiration!

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  6. Happy New Year!

    Wash the Madewell jeans with Shout Color Catcher. That helps remove some of the excess dye so it stops transfering. I stopped buying "because it's only..." The cheap prices are attractive, but not necessarily the clothes. #nomoresalegoggles lol

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    1. I'll have to try that, because the jeans would be fine if it wasn't for the color transfer issue. Maybe 2015 will be the year I finally ditch the sale goggles!

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  7. Love the idea of this post! I keep meaning to look back at all that I bought to see how much use I actually got out of what I bought. I'm sure I have some shopping lessons to learn!

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  8. This is a great idea! I think if I really evaluated my worst purchases of the year, I would be much more conscientious of only buying things I really love and not wasting money on things I love in the store but would never wear in real life.

    Jemily Life

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