Last week, I hosted a giveaway for a Vichy skincare box from Birchbox. There were 161 entries and the number of the winning entry is Rose with entry number 68.
Now that this contest is closed, it’s time for another giveaway.
A few weeks ago, I wrote about my love for skinny enamel bangles. So I thought that I’ve give one away.
This is the Classic Thin Bangle from J.Crew. To enter the contest, leave a comment detailing the worst clothing/beauty purchase that you ever made. Maybe it was too expensive, too trendy, ill fitting or just ugly. I want to know what the worst thing you ever bought was.
A gorgeous sequined shift – which turned out to be totally see-thru and is still hanging in my closet, tags on.
When I was in middle school I used to buy Wet n Wild glitter tubes and put it all over my eyelids up to my eyebrows. I cringe when I walk by the Wet n Wild section in drug stores.
Impulse purchase of neon yellow corduroys – I don't know what was worse, the color, or the fact that they were corduroys. Needless to say, it didn't take me long to realize how horribly unflattering they were and gave them away! ew!
I purchased a pair of cheap patent black platform pumps from Target recently. The platform was conservative, and they reminded me of the LK Bennetts we always see Duchess Catherine wearing. I wore them to a wedding back in November, had a great time dancing at the wedding, then stayed out til around 3am dancing some more. My big toes hurt like hell the next day. I had to wear flats (and I NEVER wear flats) to work for a week . I called my boyfriend's dad (a podiatrist, but unfortunately in NJ and I am in LA) and he coached me over the phone on using a hot needle to drain the fluid from under my big toenails. THEN a month later, both of my toenails completely came off. They have started to grow back, but they look disgusting and deformed, and one is sort of purplish brown. I had to purchase a package of fake toenails to wear to a formal event recently, and I can't just pop on any of my cute sandals anymore, because of the ugly deformed toenails. THANK YOU CHEAP TARGET SHOES FOR RUINING MY LIFE AND TAKING MY TOENAILS.
I didn't buy it, but I did borrow a gorgeous black strapless dress for a formal in college that did NOT fit. Combined with not knowing what the hell I was doing make-up (I did buy raisin-colored lipstick… terrible terrible terrible) and hair-wise, and I looked like a train wreck. My poor date!
These really cheap looking plastic heels. They were BRIGHT RED, yellow, light blue, and light pink. I never wore them, as much because there was never anyplace it was okay to wear them to as because I realized they were horrendous after the fact.
I bought a pair of Michael Kors clogs. They were $20 on clearance so I felt like they were steal. While the price was great and they're cute, they aren't very practical to wear in everyday life. I've worn them once for 3 hours.
I impulse-purchased four dresses from a last chance no returns clearance sale on Haute Look because they seemed like such a great deal. Although they were cheap, none fit perfectly, a couple were not what I was expecting, and I found that I really don't have anywhere to wear them. It was an irritating reminder that cheap clothes are only a good deal if they are clothes you would actually wear.
Khaki pants from Banana Republic. I've purchased two different pairs, and never wear either of them. Such a waste of money.
In high school, I saved up for a spiral perm. It really completed my look of big bangs, babydoll dresses and clompy shoes.
After working for a few months at my first job, a paralegal gig at a large firm in NY that pays well with overtime, I decided to splurge on my first designer clothing item. I took the subway up to the super fancy Polo Ralph Lauren store on the upper east side and after realizing that everything was still out of my price range, I found one light grey wool skirt on the sale rack (still priced at over $200, which seemed like tons of money to me at the time). Though shaped like a pencil skirt, the skirt fell below the knee but had two slits, one in the front and one in the back right up the middle of the skirt. These slits hit almost inappropriately high on the thigh, but I NEEDED to own this skirt (and it was Ralph Lauren, how inappropriate could it be?). So I bought it, and wore it once, maybe twice, and both times the slits not only prohibited any type of movement, but also ripped and frayed when I did decide to sit, stand, walk, anything! What a waste! I finally gave up and gave the skirt to Good Will about a year ago.
A pleated skirt with horizontal stripes and a giant bow from H&M. I thought it was so Carrie from SATC when I bought it and then thought, “What was I thinking?!” once I got home. Hoping to get some money back for it when I bring it to a local second hand shop this weekend – no H&M in my hometown, and they pay top dollar for H&M clothes!
A dye job from a local salon. She dyed my hair 2 different colors, and it turned out half black, half orange. I cried myself to sleep and went back the next day to 'fix it' (which meant dying it all super dark). I've never dyed my hair since that experience. Don't know what I'm going to do when I start to get grays!
The worst has to be these black stiletto booties I Was talked into buying because they were my size and it's so hard to find shoes in size 5. They are actually quite impossible to wear unless you just plan to stand still the whole night and have people carry you everywhere. Sigh, they live in my closet after wearing them once.
Gauchos. I have no idea why i owned three pairs of them – they're probably the most unflattering type of clothing out there.
Running shorts with a band name across the butt. Regrettable.
Light tan, flare corduroys. They did nothing for my huge sprinter thighs, and I was scared of corduroys for years.
Critter pants…
Grey leather peep-toe booties. I know…they sound so cute, right? Unfortunately, the heel is super high, and I'm just not trained in the art of high-heeled walking. I can't usually go above 2 1/2 inches, and somehow I thought I could wear them to work (whaaa???). The fact that they're peep toe also means I can't wear them on cold wintery nights, which is the best part about booties. I have yet to buy another, more appropriate, pair for fear that they will sit in my closet another year without being worn.
A hot pink Juicy track suit. (please feel free to judge)
Several indescribably ugly pairs of commuter shoes. I justified wearing them “because at least they aren't tennis shoes.” Then I started reading this blog and became enlightened to the fact that comfortable commuter shoes do not have to be ugly! Sadly, I still own them. Time to do some spring cleaning and toss them all!
I bought one of those ugly stretchy popcorn crinkle shirts in the 90s. And actually wore it. Yikes.
I bought a pair of Jimmy Choo strappy sandals for my wedding. I dreamed of my wedding day wearing a pair of designer shoes. Yes, they were beautiful and they looked nice in the photos, but I took them off immediately once I got to the reception….they were ungodly uncomfortable, but I was determined. I can't stand more than 10 minutes at a time in them so I doubt I'll ever wear them again.
i have this white trench coat ish type thing hanging in my closet that was on such a deep discount and at the time seemed like a great idea – it fits well and all but it doesn't go with my personal style at all, and i'm the kind of person who will immediately stain white clothing the minute i put it on. it's been in the closet for like two years – probably finally time to give up on the idea of wearing it and just drop it at goodwill.
Omg I die just thinking about it! Those horrible super high platform Rocketdog sandals…wore those in college. So embarassing!
Definitely my jean overalls. I thought they were so cool with their carpenter loop on the side (you know, for those times I need a hammer).
Thinking I could pull off the French nautical themed horizontal stripes. The dress was so pretty, but horizontal stripes and a curvy figure do not a match make! The dress is still sadly sitting in my closet.
First and last purchase from a shopping tv channel… some weird souffle foundation that came in “one shade fits all…”
Oh, this is a painful question. I bought a Nicole Miller slip dress on Bluefly — even though I totally am not someone who can get away with a slip dress! What is worse, I brought it to an out-of-town wedding without trying it on beforehand. It was sooo horrible – my fairly large girls kept falling out of the dress all night, and it made me so uncomfortable. I'm still so embarrassed that I spent all night with friends looking like that. It would have been beautiful on anyone else, but it was yucky on me.
In high school I bought a hideous light blue corduroy skirt from gap. I convinced myself that it fit, even though it was much too small and the waistband hit me above my belly button. It ended up giving me stomach aches because it squeezed me. And, to make it all worse, there was a really high slit right up the FRONT. I wore it with chunky sweaters and equally chunky horrible Steve Madden thick healed loafers. So glad those days are over. That was rough.
I bought a Betsey Johnson dress (as a bridesmaid) that was beautiful, for a black-tie wedding. The wedding was cancelled, the dress was more than I wanted to spend, and I could only return it for credit.
Cheetah print loafers… sound cute and are cute. But bought them online, even though they didnt come in half sizes (and I'm a true 6.5) and all the comments said they were uncomfortable. I wore them once but they gave me bleeding blisters before I even made it to work!
I saved up allowance money in high school to buy my first pair of designer jeans, specifically Sevens. I didn't listen to the sales associate at Bloomingdale's when she said to buy it on the snug side, since it'd stretch a ton, and bought a size too big. To make matters worse, I got them hemmed, but since they kept sliding down my waist, they ended up being hemmed too short. Since high school, I've lost weight and grown taller, so they just hang in my closet, lonely and sad.
This hideous gold wedges that had ribbons that tied around the legs. They were heinous!
I bought an expensive lime green fringe shawl because I was an attempt to branch out from my pretty conservative style. Big.Fat.Fail. I never wore it and ended up donating it, with the price tag still on it.
Dr. Scholl's sandles…and that was 10 years ago. Ay carumba.
A pair of Coe Haan pumps. I bought them because I've heard so many raves about how comfortable the Nike Air technology is, so I ignored that they didn't feel all that comfortable when I tried them on at the store and bought them anyway. So dumb of me. Best sign that a shoe is not going to work for you: your feet hurt after you've had them on for all of 45 seconds walking around a carpeted shoe department. Anyway, I managed to suck it up for three wears, and now they're collecting dust in the back of my closet.
I bought a pair of pearl earrings with a Groupon a couple months ago. The deal was for $50 for a pair of (original priced) $180 pearl 14K gold earrings. I needed them for a wedding and thought I was getting such a deal. When they came in the mail they were kind of flat shaped and after wearing them for two days gave me a severe allergic reaction because the post weren't actually gold, but gold filled nickel painted gold.
I'm just glad I didn't pay full price.
I once bought a nautical themed jacket from Antropologie, except it took 'nautical' too literally and I looked like a poorly dressed sailor the one time I tried to make it work. The buttons even have giant gold birds on them…
A light orange and green plaid silk tafetta dress. I bought it from the Lilly store where I worked in college and wore it to one semi-formal and that was it. There is just no right season or right place to wear a light colored plaid silk tafetta dress!
a hippie-ish looking sweater with bell sleeves…it was back in high school and I bought it in TWO different patterns!
A hot blue LACE Betsey Johnson dress for my homecoming dance Junior year of high school.
AND I wore a cropped black shawl thing with it. Sweet Jesus.
Metallic platform sandals. I think I thought I was Ginger Spice. Ugh.
A light blue-coloured twinset, purchased back in high school, that aged me by about three or four decades. At the time, I thought it looked professional — now, I just stare at it and wonder what exactly I was thinking.
I spent $200 on a charcoal pin striped blazer with lace trim. I was a freshman in college and thought it was so cool and trendy. Really, its just hideous.
A tiered ruffle skirt was my worst purchase. It didn't fit properly and was a dusty lavender color that is just not for me, but I wanted try branch out and try something trendy. Big mistake, as it's still sitting in my closet having never been worn in public. Thankfully it wasn't too expensive.
A dress to wear to a high school reunion. I wanted to look hip and cool but I just looked like I was trying waaaay too hard.
In high school I bought a white, sheer top with bell sleeves. When I showed up at a school function with it on, with a colored tank on underneath, my teacher said I looked like a “lady of the night.” Needless to say, I never wore it again.
A pair of Clarks–black flats. I thought they would be comfortable (yet ugly). They make me feel like I'm 90 years old, and they look horrible. To top it off, the shoes are too wide and rub horribly. I can't even walk around in my ugly black flats. But I paid full price for them so they're sitting in my closet.
Uncomfortable mettalic evening shoes. Yes, they go with everything because they both silver and gold, but my pinky toe isn't properly caged so it pops out the side if i don't watch it, they are too high, my foot slides forward in them, and they make my feet sweat. Wore them once, but keep lugging them through all my moves because they are the only evening shoes I have and they were expense when I bought them in college.
Baby Pink Uggs when they were first released. Yikes.
One time in 6th grade I accidentally bought boys' pants (they were mistakenly put in the girls section). It was during the time when girls wore wide-legged/sort of baggy pants as well (I never said I had great taste in middle school). I got to school, and a boy teased me about it all day. I ended up saying that they were my brother's that I grabbed out of the laundry. I've never made the same mistake again. I'm still paranoid about it.
I have a few items hanging in the closet with tags still attached which would make for good choices, but I'm going to go with a pair of ivory dressy heeled sandals. They were like flip flops with an ivory silk bottom to the shoe. How do you keep a shoe like that clean? You could see the outline of my toes after wearing them for only an hour. Gross.
a stretchy white sleeveless top with a vertical row of red glittery lips on it. (yes, red glittery lips). It was middle school so I accessorized it with braces, no makeup, and pulled my hair back in an awkward bumpy mid ponytail every single day. I wore it maybe once. I thought it was the coolest top ever. Runner up: the stretchy sleeveless pink camo top that I bought from the gap the same year. For shame.
Practically everything I wore in college. They were the grunge years, but still, was that really an excuse for wearing everything at least four sizes too big? One item does stand out. I bought it on a streetcorner in New York. It was a hand-knit Peruvian sweater. You know the kind. Dirty white background, vegetable dyed yarns in a graphic pattern in vivid shades of purple and blue, approximately the size, thickness, and texture of a full-grown alpaca. It may have been a full grown alpaca. The thing really did have actual hair poking out of the yarn fibers. I think it shed. It was very warm, which is not surprising, since it covered me in a pelt from neck to knees. I think it's possible that my mother ended up using it as a dog bed.
I wish I could tell my younger self that hollister/abercrombie just weren't that cool…
The worst beauty item I've ever purchased was Dep hair gel that I insisted on using to slick back my hair into a very severe bun when I was in middle school. The worst part was that it would flake off a bit. I am cringing so hard right now…
Crocs…judge away! I bought a pair because I was required for a high school restaurant job. Bad life choice…
A cotton racerback tank top a size too large.
“It's supposed to be flowy and low-cut, right? Going one size up won't matter” Sure it won't. And now you can flash someone every time you make a movement.
I got a terrible dye job from my mom's hair dresser who worked out of her basement. I looked like a cheetah because she couldn't even do all over color correctly. That's what you get for a $30 cut and color.
ELF waterproof eyeliner pen! You have to press so hard on the eyelid to get anything to come out, and if you don't have the exact proper control of how hard you are pressing expect eyeliner all over your lid!
A hot pink crochet poncho when I was a junior in high school. shudder
Magenta t-strap stiletto heels with purple piping on the straps. Saw them and just had to have them! Unfortunately they didn't have my size so I bought them a half size too big thinking I could just use an insert and heel padding to make them fit. Not a chance! Only worn once and it just makes me sad.
If we're going to go through the Way Back Machine, I'd say a mustard yellow fleece jacket with elbow patches from Old Navy – I cringe to think that it was remotely trendy.
More recently, though, a final sale dress I bought from JCrew – color and fit were much worse than expected, and I haven't had time to try reselling it on eBay. Now it just sits in my closet as a sad reminder of what could have been.
In middle school, those hideous bucket hats from Coach/Gucci. My mother knew they were a bad decision, so she ended up getting me a knock-off, which I proudly wore as an original. Only years later did I find that out.
Peasant blouses should not be worn by a busty girl. That is all. Also the skirts from the 90's/2000's that were 2 layers-sheer patterned on top and cheap poly underneath with ruffles on the bottom hem. I can't believe I thought they looked good on me.
Doc Martens leather sandals. Ugly, chunky, and soo uncomfortable. I cringe when I see people STILL wearing them!!
A gorgeous pair of Valentino pumps – tan pointed toe stilettos with a black bow that stretched over the back. Wore them to work and they hurt so badly that I had to send someone to CVS to buy me a cheap pair of flip-flops just to make it through the day. They made my feet swell to almost twice their normal size and it took days for them to return to normal. I've made plenty of poor purchasing decisions, but this one definitely cost me the most. (But they still sit in my closet so I can at least look at how pretty they are).
UGH…I cringe when I think about the majority of my late 1990s wardrobe…does that count? The oversized flannel, tapered jeans, knock off Doc Martens, overalls? WTF was I thinking? For that matter, WTF were ANY of us thinking as I was not the only one dressed this way!!!
Many summers ago, I bought a pair of 3-inch wedge espadrilles. The majority of the closed-toe shoe is a stripey white and tan seersucker, and they lace up with pale yellow canvas straps that are long enough to tie up to the KNEE if you are so inclined. Sadly, I was so inclined. I cannot recall what possessed me to think I could keep a seersucker shoe clean, nor why this particularly awkward shoe would be worth that effort.
A pair of jean shorts from Limited Too– they had a tuxedo pant-style rainbow ribbon down the sides. I was obsessed with them and wore them with everything (I remember thinking that because it was a rainbow stripe, it would match any color shirt… yikes).
A pair of expensive tan leather heels. They are gorgeous but SO uncomfortable, so they never leave the closet. I wish I had spent the money on a bunch of pairs of cute flats, because those would actually see the light of day.
Hair crimper. Nothing good about that choice.
Flannel shirts and baggy pants. Oh, the 90s – so glad it was before digital photos so little evidence survives.
Skinny jeans. I bought a pair at the outlet mall and it turns out they were horribly made! Rough fabric that sagged badly after one wearing. washing didn't restore them either. I've given them to charity (if someone else can make them work) and am still on the hunt for a great pair of skinny jeans.
~sharon
light purple, backless, poofy gown for when I went to prom as a freshman. Not entirely flattering on my 5-2, 34C frame.
Red sparkley jeans from gap in highschool – setting aside the fact that they looked rediculous, whatever threads they used to make them sparkley (think denim with tinsel woven in) made them so itchy that I never actually wore them anywhere.
High school—those woven hoodies that look like potato sacks that every stereotypical stoner wears in the movies. Purple, blue, white and black stripes. One-size fits all was perfect for a petite girl, no? Accessorized with bead necklaces and Guatemalan worry doll earrings from the hippie kiosk at the mall. Totally poser-stoner chic for one of the nerdiest (and proudly so!) girls in the class. 🙂
A beautiful jcrew blazer – I loved it, but sadly it didn't fit (although I am always the same size at jcrew, so it was very unexpected) and it was a final sale item. I was stuck with a $150 piece of clothing I couldn't wear. Sad day 🙁
Remember when beaded / embellished jeans were cool? Okay, maybe they weren't cool – but for some odd reason I thought they were. Imagine: beaded thighs & no pockets on the rear end. Hot.
I bought some right before I went to college – at the time, they were the most I'd ever spent on one piece of clothing.
They fit for about two weeks. & they were heinous.
Rafia wedges! Too casual for work, too painful for play, too seasonal, etc.
I have purchased on numerous occasions too small shoes simply because they were cute- my poor poor feet!
I have a really bad habit of buying shoes because they are adorable, thinking that it doesn't matter that they aren't very comfortable because I can break them in, then only wearing them once because they give me really bad blisters. The other thing I do is buy shoes in the wrong size because that size is the only one left and I am in love with the shoe. Most of the time I try to donate the shoes, so I don't feel like the purchase was a complete waste, but I still have discarded shoes in the back of my closet. I keep hoping the shoes will change shape, or that my feet will.
I look back at a lot of what I wore in junior high/high school and cringe now, but at the time I loved what I wore and it was very in style, so I'm not going to include any of those items. I'll go something I bought and have never worn instead-a cropped sequin shirt from Forever 21. I still think it's adorable but have come to realize that buying an item to wear with high waisted pants when no pair of high waisted pants I've ever tried on has fit me properly was a bad idea, to say the least.
Years ago I purchased the full skin care line from Garden Botanika (are they still around anymore?) It caused my entire face to break out–red bumps literally everywhere–tragic for a 16 year old girl. Ever since, I'm careful to test new products with samples prior to buying and committing!
Good grief, I don't have enough time. The worst beauty purchase was tinted moisturizer that I bought from a high-end retailer. While I have never been tan, this stuff just flat out made me look like a ghost. My skin was combination, so half of the moisturizer sat on my face while the other half was completely absorbed. Secondly, in high school, I owned khaki (fitted) cargo pants. I am horrified to admit this in a semi-public forum.
Robert Clergerie platform sandals – yes, they were beautiful, and yes, they were on sale, but they were still around $200 and I've worn them TWICE during the last three years.
When I interned in D.C. four summers ago, I bought a black suit at Sears. It features an ankle-length skirt, which looks even worse than it normally would as I'm less than five feet tall. It is truly horrendous. I can't even bear to curse Goodwill with it, so every time I'm on Pinterest I look for DIY projects that require suiting materials.
I have bought a number of beauty products without doing any research, only to use it once and then hate it. I have gotten better, but for a while I was throwing out almost full bottles of everything from moisturizer to lipstick and nail polish. I cringe whenever I think of all the money that i could have spent on stuff that actually worked for me.
A poncho. In pink. With tassles. I must have been drunk.
When I studied abroad as an undergrad, I discovered H&M for the first time. I bought this pink fuzzy cardigan, with fake pink fur around the neckline and cuffs….for some reason, I thought it was the most amazing thing. I wore it there, and then later, when I was abroad during grad school, though have never worn it in the US…
A brown suede miniskirt that was a knock-off (Forever21? Charlotte Russe?) of a lovely Banana Republic version that high school me definitely could not afford. I thought it was trendy and sophisticated, but it was cheaply made and way too short for my 5'10″ frame. In photos, I look more like an extra from “Pretty Woman” than from SATC.
Like others who commented, I bought two dresses (one for work, and one for Vegas) on final sale from Ideeli. Unfortunately, both were from lesser known brands and so neither fit me very well. The Vegas dress was absolutely WAY too short, and the work dress was practically a potato sack on me. Both aren't cute enough to warrant tailoring, so it was just a waste of money. Now I am smart and only purchase RETURNABLE items!!!
Birkenstocks or, as we called them, “potato shoes.” They made my feet stink something awful, were horrible to walk in, and made me look like I was wearing suede clown shoes.
Jean overalls. I only wore them once, but that was once too many. To think I actually bought them for my freshman year of college, in the summer of 1998. I don't even think I would have made that mistake in middle school. The shame!
This AWFUL beige wrinkly corduroy jacket that just doesn't fit. I look like a heap of beige dryer lint when I wear it (actually I never wear it, because it gets tried on and thrown in the back of the closet again.). Time to get it out of my closet?
Acid washed jeans that already have rips/holes in them… what was I thinking?!?
Cork wedge, white lace flip flops – bought last summer. Yes, these are essentially platform flip-flops. I blame growing up in California for this egregious error.
Light pink pants from Banana Republic with slits halfway up the calf. I found them on clearance and wore them the spring I bought them (2004), then never again.
But the best part of this story is…. Last year, to my horror, I rediscovered them at the bottom of the storage container where I keep out-of-season clothing and put them in my pile of things to take to the consignment shop. Surely the shop will reject them, I thought. They weren't cool then, and they certainly aren't now. To my surprise, the shop not only put them out on the floor, but somebody bought them for $20!
In the 5th grade I asked for a cow print jacket from Limited Too for Christmas. It was reversible to pleather on the other side. I thought I was sooo cool. Maybe this explains why I still don't wear animal prints.
Ugh. WHITE FLATS. They look like those papery slippers they hand out at the hospital…and I actually paid money for them. The worst part is…this was LAST year. It was right before I was leaving for a trip so I was panicked trying to find something that would go with everything. BAAAAD baddd badddd.
Pretty much my entire wardrobe in high school. For some reason I thought it was cool to dress like a homeless person.
The boxy purple skirt suit from an outlet store that made me look 60 years old.
Middle school was a 3 year fashion disaster. The item that I will never forget wearing is the skirt with attached bicycle shorts underneath. The skirt was too short, and shorts were too long. Just AWFUL!
I bought a gorgeous bright pink cocktail dress from J. Crew last spring on final sale (https://www.polyvore.com/cgi/img-thing?.out=jpg&size=l&tid=32503942). I had been eying it forever and was absolutely in love with it. While I got a good deal, the dress fits like an absolute nightmare. It's right in the waist but loose in the bust (which is strange because I'm a little more generously endowed than whatever women's fashion designer decided was the standard bust size for a 6…women's sizes are a rant best saved for another day). And I don't have enough hips to fill out the bottom either. Instead of being cute and curvy, it fits stiff and boxy and would cost probably more than I spent on the dress to fix if I took it to a tailor. I've worn it once, to assuage my guilt. But I still don't know if I could bring myself to part with it. Us women get strangely attached to things.
Jeans with a bird embroidered on the side. They fit amazingly but I never wore them!
Ugg(ly)s
It has been reassuring reading through the previous comments to see I am not the only one!! I would have to say my worst fashion mistakes were my late teen to college years – I bought everything xtra big – and sadly I still have an Eddie Bauer green fleece that just won't die!! I only wear it around the house (cleaning & cooking in) because it is warm and I don't care if it gets dirty, but shamefully I used to wear it in public!! I now buy all my clothes in the proper size – no more oversized anything!!
oh, after reading the comments, I have been reminded of so many questionable fashion choices I have made. Doc Martin Sandals. Overalls. and buying shoes just because they are pretty.
I will pick something currently in my closet gathering dust…several years ago I got talked into a JCrew, orange, velvet blazer.
ya. you heard me. Orange. Velvet.
I think if it fit better or was “shrunken” – I might be able to rock it. I paid full price for it – so I've had a hard time giving it up.
Worst ever would have to be a white track jacket that I NEVER wore because it was white and I'm a spiller. Just stupid.
Sequined ballet flats…gorgeous, but so uncomfortable I could only wear them for 5 minutes. What a waste of money!
A bright pink and green striped sweater, with a boatneck. It just had too much going on and I had no idea how to style it
I am super pear shaped, and thought I would try to be on trend and buy a pair of skinny jeans…what a terrible decision! When I tried to wear them with heels, I looked like so top-heavy it's a wonder I could even walk. Luckily, they worked slightly better with boots, but still a terrible purchase for my body type.
A horrible tan poly suit I bought for interviews. SO grandma that I am embarrassed to even type this.
Silver chunky platform mary janes. They were cheap and kept me from having to alter pants one NYE but then they just took up space in my small closet. After moving apartments a couple times, they finally made it to the Goodwill pile.
I am laughing at myself for what I am about to type: In college I purchased a pair of cordury overalls from the VS catalog. I don't know what was worse; wearing cordury from head to toe or… wearing adult overalls!!
I bought these beautiful black pumps that were half a size too big because they were on sale (although still quite expensive), thinking that I could put some sort of insert in them to make them fit, but never could. They taunt me when I open my closet.
https://i.tfcdn.com/img2/wu3YpEIAY7K8yM6WWFCQWJSaw5BRUlJgpa-fmZtuqJdaUlxZXJJYkpmsl5yfq5-ZE59WmpNTASL0jCyMzU2MLUxM9bIK0gE*/fyVMtP8A
Something similar to these bad boys. I bought a similar pair from payless when I was about 10. Oh, the 90s. I don't know how I was so delusional in the store but the next day when I looked at them in my closet, I couldn't believe who took over my body and bought them. I never wore them.
Honestly? Everything I ever bought from H&M in 2004. It was a very bad year.
A pair of beautiful, satin blue pumps for my wedding. They had the most sparkly bauble on the toe without looking cheap. Unfortunately the 4″ heel described on the website was more like 5″ and I could barely even walk around my bedroom. I ended up buying a much more sensible (and still beautiful pair) to wear. The blue ones are still sitting in my closet… I can't bear to part with them even though I can't wear them.
Worst purchase would have to be the one and ONLY Lilly Pulitzer dresses I have ever owned… Bought in on RueLaLa, got it in… and, though it was not a patterned dress, I still managed to look like a 4 year-old. Never again.
Last summer I saw a pair of gold Tory Burch strappy sandals on the sale rack in my size and “had to have them”. Let me tell you, there was a reason that those suckers ended up on the sale rack. Everyone else apparently had the good sense to realize that they were horridly uncomfortable. Too high for me to handle, but that was only the start of the problems. I wore them to a wedding the week that I bought them, and I'm pretty sure I will never wear them again (unless I am going to be sitting all night long). Not such a great “deal” afterall. Lesson learned the hard way.
I have made many a regrettable clothing purchase over the years but the most recent was a JCrew final sale bridesmaid dress that I thought could be dressed down for work or weekends. To top it off, it is way too big and just sits in the back of my closet taunting me for thinking I could make it work.
Wasted a gift card on a bracelet. Looked good online, but turned out to be too loose on my wrist.
Ugh… still has to be that awful Philisophy Hope in a Jar that gave me awful whiteheads on my cheeks – some place that I had never before broken out. I needed two professional facials to clean up that mess.
Clothing – has to be a leather mini-skirt and a leopard print top that I bought when I was 20. The top was high necked in the front, but completely open in the back – which meant no bra. I was talked into the outfit by some male friends and then never wore it because I felt like a total hooker in it. I think that I at least got some wear out of the skirt eventually by pairing it with tights.
One time… I was pregnant… and had pregnant brain. I wanted cheap maternity clothes because “I'd only be in them for a few months.” I went to the Goodwill down the street and browsed their small section. I BOUGHT (at least it was cheap!) a black flowery dress. Not the cute modern flowery, the 8th-grade-dance kind of flowery. It's in my closet, but I'm proud to say I've never worn it. I need to get it out, but I guess it's still there “just in case.” Awful!
I bought a prom dress off of EBay for my senior prom. I thought it would be a nice, soft yellow with some lacy and beading. It turned out to be a canary yellow pageant dress, complete with 10 layers of tulle. Plus, I didn't fit in to it (can we say 'size discrepancy') and it sat in my closet for years until I gave it to an unsuspecting cousin for an event.
9th grade in high school, I went to Hair Cuttery for the first (and last) time. I asked for a short & stylish hair cut. When my father came to pick me up, he exclaimed, “I now have another son!” Needless to say, I've pledged to never go there again and have kept that promise to date
My friends always tease me that I only wear neutrals. I was starting a new gym routine so decided this would be a good time to introduce colour. I have no idea why that colour needed to be candy-green three quarter length sweatpants which I didn't notice had elastic at the bottom of my legs. Needless to say they have never made it outside the house and are my emergency pyjamas – for those weeks when laundry has not happened……
JNCO Jean overalls…I begged my mom for them in middle school, I cringe just at the thought of them now.
When I was in high school, I did debate. This meant shopping for suits as a 14-year-old girl. Result: cheap, grey suit, with a way too short skirt, from J.C. Penny. Thankfully, it fell apart before I could wear it more than twice. When I look back at the pictures, I die a little.
The ugliest thing I ever bought was a fabric and plastic bead necklace. What was I thinking?? Gross! Love this bangle!
Not exactly a purchase, but I convinced myself some of my mom's old suits (like from the eighties) both fitted and looked nice. The worst one was pale blue, With a super high waisted A-line skirt that came to about my knees. Not to mention my mom is about five or six inches shorter than me, so it didn't even fit that well after all.
And then bigger mistake, I wore it to a meeting for my internship. And then realized it looked terrible and never wore it again.
a leather jacket when i was 16. Not only was it boxy and too large, i dont think it was even in style then. it still sits in my closet, as i cant bear to get rid of it and admit defeat
I fell in love with a pair of beaufil, heeled boots. Unfortunately, there's typically so much iceduring normal boot season here that I'm sure I'd break my neck wearing them
Leather pants. They were ungodly expensive and I ended up only wearing them on Halloween.
I had to buy a lavender tube top dress for my dad and step-mom's wedding. It came with a disgusting shawl. She claimed I could wear it again. Over my dead body.
Lime Green Eye shadow in fifth grade. I thought I was so cool!
Uggs. Although incredibly fashionable in college (or so I thought), I now know the error of my ways!
A really poorly fitting suit that I got from the outlets…paid way too much as well as it was too tight and too short, but what did i know when buying my first suit and the sales associate told me it was perfect. Oh well.
In college, I bought a red suit off the clearance rack at Dillard's (women's department). I needed a suit and it was the only item I could find in my price range. Ankle length skirt, flowery scarf on a 20-year-old. It just didn't work.
I found a gorgeous pair of dress shoes in a department store clearance section and after a fruitless search for the next smallest size, made the ill informed decision to buy the too large size. I was hoping that I could make do with the addition of inserts, I could make do. Needless to say, they never left the closet. Why are ill fitting clothes and shoes so tempting?
I bought a button down shirt from H&M that, in and of itself, is not offensive but might be the most ill fitting thing I've ever put near my body. And I even tried it on before buying it! It is the perfect blue – not baby, almost gray, maybe chambray?, that goes with everything. The worst part is, even after a year, I continue to pull it out and get it started with an outfit only to immediately remove it the second before I walk out the door. Must. Donate.
I fell hard for a cherry red prom dress my junior year in high school. Of course, a girl needs matching lipstick for the big night, so I invested in a tube of matching Clinique. I'm sure that shade looks good on someone, but I'm realistic enough to realize that it just wasn't me. Lesson learned. I've never tried to pull off cherry red lipstick again.
In a pinch I picked up a cheap dress from Marshall's (without trying it on). The lining was about 3 sizes smaller than the actual dress. You get what you pay for.
I was at a J Crew warehouse sale and fell in love with a long,white gown. It was actually cream colored and I was pretty sure it was actually a wedding dress. However, it fit like a glove and I figured I'd have an occasion to wear it one day. Wrong! I've had it for 4 years now and I haven't even come close to finding an occasion that necessitates such a formal dress! So it just sits in my closet collecting dust. Side Note: It actually is a J Crew wedding dress and was on the website forever lol
a brown lambskin motorcycle leather jacket from Cole Hann. Originally $750, got it on Rue La La for $300. Impulse buy b/c it was so deeply discounted and looked great on a A cup model, not so great on my busty self. And then I never returned or wore it. Still can't give it up though. Think one day I'll wear it.
Those clunky, thick, black slide-on mule shoes. I thought it was so cool to wear “heels” in 8th grade.
A printed Kate Spade dress from Gilt a couple of weeks ago. Taught me to never buy a pleated dress w/o trying it on first. Ugh. Sent it back.
I used a friend's store discount to buy grey suede platform sandals that were terribly uncomfortable and actually not that attractive. I felt bad returning them to my friend's store and they've been sitting on a shelf ever since.
parachute pants…….
Too many impulse purchases from Target, Forever 21, H&M, etc. Now that I am well into my late 20's, I think its time to work on editing my wardrobe and considering investment pieces.
Any shirt or sweatshirt with a brand name across the front. Middle school me was a little too into sharing the brand of my clothing.
I let my love of J. Crew blind to the fact that I could and should wear critter pants, capris and skirts in college. It's been 4 years since graduation and though I would rather die than be seen wearing them I can't get rid of them. For shame.
Classy grey dress with ruffles down the front…I bought it because it was on sale…I should have attempted to sit in it first.
In high school I thought this pink and yellow checked plaid shirt was the cutest thing I had ever since…it was sleeveless and tied at the waist. Disaster. I looked like I got run over by an entire Barn Dance. I still cringe at the photos.
Any of my Vera Bradley bags (yes, unfortunately bags as in plural), what was my younger self thinking?! My only excuse is that I was brainwashed by my Midwestern Grad School, all the colors mildly distracted from the awful weather we had.
I bought a cute patent leather pair of BCBG pumps. They were on sale, but still more than I should've spent for shoes. They were adorable – shades of tan in a pattern – and they hurt. I wore them to an event – HUGE mistake. I even tried to wear them around the house with socks on – you know, to stretch them – and was convinced that I'd done so and tried to wear them again to another event. I hobbled to a corner and leaned against the wall for most of the time.
I bought a suit before I started law school, and I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I spent $100+ on a jacket that fit horribly, although I was able to get some use out of the matching skirt.
In middle school, I found the most hideous blue suede, white faux fur lined coat at Mandee that I just HAD to have. I put it on layaway until I'd saved up enough babysitting money to make the purchase. I still cringe when I think about it.
On my high school senior trip to NYC, I bought (what was for me) an expensive dress at H&M because a friend told me I looked good in it. It was a super graphic print, though–I'm also a solid color girl–as well as too short and not ideally cut for my shape. It hung in my closet for years staring back at me and making me feel guilty; I finally accepted the loss and donated it!
Final Sale white jeans — I was just waiting for my sister to checkout and saw these white skinny jeans tossed by the checkout counter final sale — I thought why not – I always buy my jeans here and I could use a new white pair – they happened to be my “normal” jean size (i own several pairs from this store). Once I got home I soon found out why they were tossed aside – they were honestly the most ill-fitting jeans I have ever tried on — needless to say there was no hope for them. Lesson learned – always try on final sale items.
When I was 15, I spent all of my babysitting money on a sweatshirt from Victoria's Secret. It was like 60 dollars, white (the worst color to try and keep clean) with pink appliques and silver rhinestones. I wore it twice in high school before realizing that it was a terrible idea. I'm lefthanded, so my hand drags when I write, and the white sleeves became a nasty grey color from dragging through my pencil markings. Not to mention that it is terribly ill fitting. VS clothing is made for women with 32Ds who like to wear crop-tops. It is massive on the top, tight on the bottom and in the arms, and cut short. It is the ugliest sweatshirt I've ever had the misfortune to own.
Definitely, definitely the perm.
I stalked a pair of cole haan heeled oxfords for a long time – years – finally bought them when I found them on sale. The heel was too high for me and the toes pinched, but I was determined to make them work because they were beautiful. Seriously, I implemented a schedule to force myself to wear them with the idea that I would brake them in (or deaden my pain receptors in my feet, either way) so that they wouldn't make me hobble any more. A month into my break-in schedule and I sprained my ankle, I haven't been brave enough to try them, but I'm pretty sure that my time with them is no longer.
I bought a pair of Hugo Boss brown leather pumps with some silk accents on them. they are gorgeous, but when i was trying them on, i knew they were a little too small, but I figured that I could break them in and that they would stretch as they are italian leather. 4 years later, I've worn them maybe three times, with my feet completely numb after about 30 min of wear.
Too many to count!! I probably have to go with a (should have been) fantastic chambray jumper from my favorite vintage store…that ripped as I was walking downtown. But I obviously didn't notice until I had been walking around for 3 hours. Flash city!
I was in NYC visiting 2 girlfriends who lived there and decided to dye my hair brown. Cost me about $600 at the salon above Bergdorf and then cost about $400 after Bubbles kept dying it orange instead of back to blonde. It was awful! Wish I had that money back!
peasant blouses from Forever 21….not a good look on anyone!! My mother put it best….they make you look preggers when you are most definitely not.
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