Learning From My Mistakes: The Shopping Edition

“To err is human, to forgive divine” is hardly a quote one might think of regarding mistakes made while shopping. However, all I ask is that you bear with me for a few moments while I share a few shopping mistakes I’ve made and what I’ve learned from them.

Perhaps you’re thinking that I’ll be bringing up tales from my decades of experience in this arena but I assure you, the shopping mistakes I’m sharing in this post were made in the past few months. Most of us are aware of (and have fallen victim to) some of the more common ones like impulse buying, not reading reviews, ignoring quality for price, and getting sucked in by BOGO deals. We’ve overspent, had buyer’s remorse, and purchased so many items that didn’t meet our needs.

My recent shopping mistakes are not necessarily unique but they might not be often discussed. If you’re nodding your head in acknowledgment as you read, then I consider myself in good company. We like to think that we’re savvy enough to make good decisions, save money, and avoid buyer’s remorse when shopping but sometimes old habits are hard to break.

And now, without further ado, I present the following three shopping mistakes that I’ve recently committed (and am likely to repeat again and again).

#1 – seeing, liking, buying, never wearing

When finding myself struck by sartorial inspiration, my eagerness to give it a try might vary but likely doesn’t waiver. It will typically be an item as opposed to an overall look that has caught my fancy. However, when acquired, I will probably find it challenging to integrate said item into my existing wardrobe. Case in point, my lug sole Converse sneakers and these cargo pants.

While I wouldn’t say I never wear them, these sneakers don’t see the light of day often. Back in my Fall 2022 Footwear Review: What’s Out, What’s In post, I wrote about catching a glance of a woman wearing a similar pair and being so dazzled by the style that I was online later that night buying these and another style in black and white. I certainly need to make an effort to wear them more regularly.

As for the cargo pants, a woman I know wore a similar pair a couple of years ago and I was fascinated. Cargo pants were not yet trending so it was an unusual look back then. Now this woman is young enough to be my daughter and about a size 2 but inspiration is inspiration. I’ve had a few failed experiments with similarly styled pants as I searched to find my holy grail and then I found these. The color, contrasting topstitching, the length … all very close to the pair that my muse was wearing.

But as you might have surmised, I’ve yet to wear them. Not only am I second-guessing myself as to whether they fit my style, they’re a tad too long so that’s an issue I’ll need to deal with. The tags are still on and the retailer has a long return window but I do need to decide fairly soon. What do you think?

#2 – buying the same item in two colors to save on online shipping fees

One of the current trends I had intended to pass on is mesh footwear but as you can see, I’ve been persuaded otherwise. Typically seen as a ballet flat, mesh is a fun style choice that teases with its semi-see-through appearance. My reason for not embracing this trend was primarily due to my finding ballet flats to be an uncomfortable footwear choice. I know that I’m not alone in needing shoes that have more structure and a bit of a heel.

So when I came across a pair of mesh loafers as I browsed during a recent shopping excursion, I was intrigued. Once I noticed the sparkles, I was definitely smitten. Alas, the pair in my typical size was too big and the store didn’t seem to have them in the size smaller. It was later that evening as I checked the online availability for the smaller size that I discovered that the shoe also came in a beigy/taupy color that looked so pretty. Uh oh, dilemma. No, no, just get them in black I tried to tell myself.

But, the price of the shoes did not quite meet the minimum for free shipping for this retailer. So then I reasoned, if I bought two pairs, shipping would be free. And if the smaller size did fit, then I could decide which color I would keep and return the other pair. But you already know how this story ends, don’t you? The smaller size did fit, I couldn’t decide which color I liked better, so I’m keeping both. Oops.

#3 – not buying items in at least two sizes when shopping online

The tale behind this last mistake is a two-part story. The first part is related to my current search for a dress to wear to two of the three weddings my husband and I will be attending in September. Although I’m sticking to brick-n-mortar retailers, I’m not opposed from ordering online from them to get the correct size. I’ve found a strong contender, but I’m keeping my options open and still looking.

On a whim during a shopping excursion a couple of weeks ago at a mall I hadn’t visited in a long time, I took a look in the dress department in one particular store. I did so mostly to confirm that there was nothing to be found there. I hadn’t found anything at another of this retailer’s locations a few weeks prior so I had no expectations for this time. But much to my surprise, I came across a dress in a style similar to my top contender. The key difference between the two is the top contender is a floral print and this surprise finding has a polka dot pattern.

And it was on sale. When the sales associate told me that the store’s return policy timeframe was 60 days, I decided to buy the dress as I considered other options. The size I bought was the larger of the two I tried on fearing that the smaller size was too snug. It occurred to me as I drove home that I should have bought both sizes anyway as I’m forever optimistic that I’ll lose a few pounds (but that’s a story for another day). Depending on my final dress decision, I can return two dresses just as easily as one.

When I checked online for the dress in the smaller size, I not only found it available but also for a lower price due to a bigger discount percentage. So I ordered both sizes, which of course meant no shipping fee, and then returned the dress that I bought in person. My top contender dress went on sale last week so I’ve now purchased it as well although that retailer offers a return policy timeframe of only 30 days. I’m giving myself another few weeks to make my final decision between the two plus another option I have on hand. All will be shared in an upcoming blog post.

Now onto the second part of the story related to mistake #3. You may or may not recognize the dress I’m wearing in the photos below as one sold by a well-known nationwide retailer with a certain red logo. When it first appeared on the racks in early Spring, I was certain that it would sell out quickly. Apparently, I was wrong about that as I still see it available in stores. At the time it was first being sold, some influencers and online reviewers found the overall fit of the dress, especially the drawstring detail not to their liking. Personally, those are the kinds of details that I look for. And pockets, which this dress has as well.

My fear that the dress would sell out quickly led me to ordering it online since the in-store availability was initially low. I must have ordered and returned at least six dresses if not more, in three different color/pattern options and in different sizes. It took a lot of determination to limit myself to buying it in just this one color but I’m quite satisfied with that decision. See, I can learn from my mistakes.

I haven’t given you the impression that I think I’ve made a mistake with this post’s featured look, have I? That is far from the truth. I couldn’t be more pleased with this ensemble and I wore exactly this to a baby shower last month. Silver footwear has been on my wish list for a while so I was intrigued when across these sandals. Also a little apprehensive, I must confess. Would I be committing mistake #1 all over again? Not a chance. I’ve worn these beauties a lot since buying them in early June and they seem to go with everything.

On a side note, my husband is fond of pointing out to me that I’ve made a mistake in buttoning this dress when in actuality, I have done so quite intentionally. It’s another of those quirky type details that I’m drawn to. Not so dissimilar from the variety of tucking techniques, I like how this mismatched buttoning gives a little more shaping to a garment. I wear most of my front-buttoned tops and dresses like this.

Even though I’ve shared this wonky buttoning technique before, I thought I’d do so again. On the left, you see the buttoning done in the standard fashion. To achieve the look on the right, you first determine which two buttons you want to “mismatch”. You then place the higher button into the lower buttonhole and follow by placing the lower button in the higher buttonhole.

What shopping mistakes do you make repeatedly and what have you learned from them? And as I bring this post to a close, another well-known quote comes to mind, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” While I’m not sure that this saying is all that applicable to shopping or buttoning, who’s to say it’s not.

Stay well and let’s keep in touch! Subscribe, follow, friend, pin … all options are available. I look forward to hearing from you soon.

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Photo credit: MMPerez

Note: This is an unsponsored post; however, some or all of the links to clothing items are associated with an affiliate program where I earned a few cents for each click.

Now, onto the Fine-Whatever link-up. Contributed by Melody, over at her eponymous blog Melody Jacob, is her post EFFORTLESSLY ELEGANT: 14 TIPS TO ELEVATE YOUR STYLE GAME. Her styling tips dovetail nicely into today’s topic of learning from shopping mistakes.