Purchase regrets - Topic of the day 8/30/23
What purchase (or decision) did you regret the most in your fashion journey, and how did you fix it? Was it a deal that was too good? Wearing slim fit pants when wide leg was in? Going too formal? Selling a piece you couldn't get back?
177 Replies
Nearly everything I've bought from 18east has been a regret. Convinced myself it was all a great value and sold myself on the brand being Cool and Slept On. Turned out the fabrics were generally mediocre, the make far worse than gap, QA non-existent, and patterning out there with a first year fashion student, and grading that was so wildly outside of industry standard spec that you'd end up with a small shirt that had a tiny barrel cuff.
Fortunately many of my most expensive mistakes came backed with a return policy. Something I had to learn the hard way is that there is no correlation between whether high-quality materials/construction went into the piece, and whether the piece is actually well-thought out and smartly designed.
Consider this Auralee jacket, which is made in Japan and comes decked out with lambskin trims, iridescent ripstop, Riri zips, fishtail hemming, and a fleet of secret pockets. Perfect oversized gorp/tech/military fusion on paper, right? Unfortunately, for some reason, they chose to stick a metal stud right on to the part of the collar that touches your neck. That shit was incredibly uncomfortable and gave me a rash - in addition, the fucking black paint on the stud WORE OFF to reveal the shiny brass underneath, which got really hot in the sun and felt like it would burn me. So much potential ruined by one stupid design decision. Fortunately I was able to sell it at a relatively minor loss, but I learned my lesson to very carefully examine product photos and ask retailers questions about details, and not just get lost in imagining how a piece would look on me.
My biggest (and thankfully pretty much only) sale regret is these Still by Hand pleated pants which I've evangelized about before. Perfect controlled, semi-tailored, semi-minimalist volume. I was too young and too weak to realize I needed to embrace, rather than reject, the all black wardrobe
https://media-assets.grailed.com/prd/listing/25651658/08c78097805e454d835e943d062b3e7b?w=1026&h=1400&fit=clip&q=20&auto=format
Don’t think I regret anything tbh, all the bad cops led me to a style I am happy with. Maybe regret not experimenting enough before selling
I have so many fucking regrets https://cdn.modesens.com/media/100041727?w=400
This one is my biggest bc I spent so much on it for some reason
Or my slim suit I bought in 2019 right before the pandemic
Like 70% over everything I proxied from Japan. Either didn't fit or did fit... apart from too high armholes. Which usually isn't listed
Pretty much all my shoes. Most of them are too big because my brannock is a lot smaller than my sneaker size, and even some of my sneaks are too big
Slowly upgrading my rotation and my feet have never felt better
- The hunt for the best aggresively tapered jeans to perfectly stack on my chelseas and sneakers (2017/2018)
- Raw denim phase as a whole, why did I spend 2019/2020 trying to break in jackets that didn't even go with my wardrobe and 16 oz jeans in the summer
- Trying to get Todd Snyder to fit when I'm clearly right between their M & L in all clothing items
copped these on sale for like $100 CAD a few years ago but only wore them 1 time since they're too big and are difficult to style in my wardrobe
I kinda don’t like this colorway lol
yeah it SUCKS LMAOO. I literally only copped because I saw them at an adidas outlet for super cheap. I saw the R and went into autopilot
2017-brain really does something to ya when you see the R
worst part is it wasn't even 2017. I think I got these I'm 2019 so I was already past that phase 😭I literally relapsed in the adidas outlet lol
* OSB loafers that were too big for me and gave me massive heel slip and blisters, sold at a decent loss
* Thursday boots (why did MFA tell me to get these)
* Lucky brand leather jacket (lmao) at least it was cheap, but the collar thing pressed into my neck which I hated and it had the typical cheap leather jacket problems (just didn't look good irl), also I'm really not a moto jacket person in the first place
* Wings+horns olive chinos which I bought secondhand, something really wonky is going on with the seat seam that makes it fold inwards and basically look like a giant buttcrack. I tried taking it to the tailor and wasted another $30 to change absolutely nothing
Man you just bought everything on the mfa checklist
The basic bastard giveth and the basic bastard taketh away
Black homme plisse turtleneck. The neck itself just folds up weird and I never actually wore it out. Thankfully managed to resell without losing out too much
I feel this. Also slowly on my way to correcting it.
Great Royales when I brought into white sneakers hype but also just bc I got a lil more colorful NB pair that suits me a lot more
And assorted garments like jeans or denim jacket that I realized I don't particularly care about though it was good to affirm that for myself
I also bought too many wool sweaters that I don't like wearing because they irritate my skin. So I only wore them with long sleeve t-shirts (or shirts), which usually means I was way too warm inside. When I get rid of the sweaters I also won't need the longsleeves anymore..
pretty much all the J Crew I bought because it was super cheap and I was getting back into fashion after a long break
turns out J Crew sucks
mostly
The collar roll on their oxfords is so bad it kills them for me
my j crew tee is so mf scratchy but it has those like donegal-esque dots that i enjoy a lot
buried it in my closet for a year and then i was like yeah i still want this 💀
its dumb cause i have to move with them but theres a bunch of shirts i didn't wear this summer im gonna get rid of
honestly should pull them out and donate them today
Yeah do it, it will feel good and you won't have to move them
So it'll feel double good
All of the shoes/boots I bought before understanding my Brannock. Every single RTW leather jacket I’ve ever bought. Took me forever to understand that in order to fit my chest and shoulders a RTW jacket is going to have sleeves way too long and usually a long body length. Would have saved a lot of money just going MTM.
did I sell you those w+h pants?
I bought a bedwin sheer top I thought would be cool but it's way too much for me.'
nah they weren't from you
I still mourn the loss of w+h tbh
reminds me i got a sweatshirt from them i haven't seen a while
actually goated
I have some rugby pants from them that puts my wife in a tizzy for some reason
Pretty much anything I bought in 2020 (Levi’s 511 jeans, some slim fit flannels, some business casual clothes from J Crew, etc.). My life and style pre and post pandemic are different and nothing I bought them really interests me anymore plus I never really got to wear any of it.
Bought these space hippies off stockx, they're way too big for me so I relisted but no one wants to buy them. Plus it turns out they're not really made from much recycled material at all so they just feel greenwashed and phony.
Also the new pair of 3Sixteens I bought at the start of the pandemic, then pretty much immediately gained 15 pounds and could no longer fit in them. 
I also had space hippies even though they’re weren’t my style
I bought Casablanca xc72s despite never wearing them
I even bought them resale on stockx for more than retail
Kinda agree with this. I kept coming back for a few seasons to try things but the only thing I have left are some ripstop pants. Everything else just kinda feels or looks meh in person to me
Lots of sneakers, but tbh all of my jordans. I have a few jordans (1s, 4s, 5s) that I tried to convince myself I liked bc you're not a sneakerhead if you don't like Jordans right??? Well tbh they just sit in the back of my closet not getting much wear bc they are all so fucking uncomfortable.
Only sneaker purchase I have never regretted are my various new balances tbh. I do really like my lost n found aj1's but I dont wear them as much as I thought I would
I actually won a pair of 1s off SNKRS from a raffle, had them stolen by the shipping carrier, drove all the way to the distribution center to yell at them, then purchased them resale only for them to sit in my closet 💀
I have some union 4s that are pretty cool but the collab was supposed to be a sort of gorpy hiking vibe? Which would be fine if 4s weren't literally the most uncomfortable jordans you could buy
Thursday boots suck bc people buy them for the construction but they’re the lamest looking shoes on the planet. Wear hey dudes instead
That’s why I make sure that any shoe I buy isn’t Goodyear welted. So that I know my money is spent on design instead of quality 😤
think a lot of brands go for the "heritage dude" low hanging fruit by slapping some details on their product
Stop that’s Gustin’s proprietary business strategy!!
I was literally about to say Gustin
jesus christ I forgot about them
Gastropub bartenders
I don't think the design on the captain is bad, but the company is shit and did not deserve to be mfa's "entry level boot recommendation"
just buy some blunnies
when they break down in 7 years buy another pair
I hate generic modern service boot patterns like Captains a lot. Any personality from a milsurp boot or a PNW backcountry boot all diluted so they work with slim chinos and a Uniqlo OCBD in the office 🤢
Also TBC sucks lol
I like blunnies but it's apples and oranges, heritage people who buy Thursdays like the look of Viberg service boots but want to spend a fraction of the money, whereas people who buy blunnies want shitkickers
Yeah thats fair
but I would argue that no one should want viberg service boots
People who want generic Viberg SBs should buy blunnies and look cooler
well this convo is vindicating my purchase of blunnies to wear instead of the Thursdays lmao
thats kinda what I am saying. Or if you really want the workwear style and cant afford vibergs. there are so many better options in the slightly more expensive category
redwings get clowned on but like
but I've been feeling really unenamored with dressing "heritage" in general tbh
at least redwings are cool in their own way if thats the vibe you really wnat
Or docs and look cooler
Honestly best looking boots under $200 new are basically blunnies and docs
Anything else that claims to be heritage is usually ugly a f
Mustache tattoo on finger ass design
I mean
I don't think the problem is that cheap heritage boots are bad
I think it's just that I don't like heritage boots
why would you buy flesh colored boots
these might as well be hender schemes
unless its literally flesh
then its kinda cool
The only regret I have is making my first leather jacket this rick abomination
I think also the type of picture that’s just the Jean hem and the boot reminds me of insufferable people who say actually too much
Thankfully I've learned from and sold off most fashion blunders but this thing sat for ages and i took a huge loss iirc
Everything else is just things I wish I still had because my wardrobe can support them now
So many pairs of Eccos
I wouldn't say heritage boots are bad per se just a bit played out at this point. I still have a soft spot for Red Wing though since I'm from Minnesota.
Bad navy blazer I never wore. But because I gained weight, not because it was bad
They’re good for durability and work
But I do think they’re in a space where they don’t really work with most styles other than like Heritsge and Americana
More recently, impulse purchases from J Crew on sale
Like you can wear docs with anything
Biggest fashion regret is all the EG I buy second hand that doesnt fuckin fit
Ah yeah this is helping me remember the spring I tried to make an eg bucket hat work
Bought a pair of EG shorts. Why is there a drawstring and also two buttons. Why is it still falling off my body
Buy solovair, quality is worth paying a little more
Do you have a Hank Hill body like me?
And I’ve been wanting Yuketen Maine boots
They’re so good
Solovair is such a meme
You buy docs because they're iconic not because they're good
If you want good boots just skip solovair and buy the next tier up
I like my solovair loafs 🙂
Solovair isn’t a meme what
They’re literally some of the best shoes u can buy under 200
They live in docs shadow
They do for no reason other than people can’t do research
fashion min maxers saying buy this boot that looks exactly the same but is 7% better
It's literally the same silhouette but light blue instead of yellow
it's about the yellow pull tab and stitching for 99% of doc buyers
is it stupid of course it is
I have both and it’s the same
Only difference is that people go nice Docs to my solovairs and I have to either say thanks or explain they’re solovairs
Idk... Maybe. I just am between sizes and have a hard time determining where "waist" actually falls on clothes. So i will buy a size and then find out that the intended waist is like above my belly button then the shorts are careening down my body also im an idiot who needs a new belt
One isn’t welted one is
Ok but
Yeah like I’m gonna resole my solovairs
You're not buying the 1460 silhouette for quality
Half the fun of solovairs is explaining to people they're solovairs 🤓
I wouldn’t buy any shoe if I couldn’t resole
do u own sneakers
Wasting money
any pair of sneakers at all
Thats an insane take sorry
converse even?
is this a bit
I would never buy a shoe that I can resole under $250 bc they ain’t paying a real designer then
How many times you resoled your shoes
Yeah but I also don’t buy sneakers
I have 4 year old stans that wouldn't need a resole even if they could be
A bunch tbh
Then u buy shoes for quality not aesthetics
Which is fine
But you’re not buying docs for quality
That’s not true
I buy shoes that look good and can last a lifetime with proper care
i love this bit so much
So u buy dated designs got it
I buy timeless
Cant you get sneakers resoled by some specialty shops
Think you can glue just about anything onto a another thing tbh
Yea, not worth unless it’s like a wild silhouette imo
My running shoes r the only sneakers I wear a ton
?
Other than that it’s loafs and 
I can’t tell if this is a bit but I’ll assume it is
It’s like half a bit, I think there is a lot to be said for buying quality products that can get fixed after a while
what about looking cool and having fun
if it wont last 80 years whats the fuckin point
I think there isn’t a lot cooler than wearing something u had fixed, same with an old pair of jeans
You're right it is cool and I appreciate diversity in values here
That’s fair
That being said every pair of docs I've owned has honestly lasted too long
Though we are in a fashion forum not a clothing appreciation forum 😤😤😤
And the beat up docs look is great
If we’re talking cost it’s also probs cheaper to get a used pair of shoes and resole than buy new
But I get some people have reservations about that
I've only ever owned one pair that needed a full resole
Everything else is a quick and cheap topy
I’m wearing a pair of church’s rn that I got for sub 100 with a resole
The only pair of shoes I’ve actually had the sole come off is my wallabies and I’m buying paraboots to replace them lol
A shoe u can resole 
Yeah actually tho I’m buying it for the possibility
But I’m not buying it bc it’s fashion forward
Plus it’s not sub $250 new
Aren't solovairs also the melted welt that docs use that mean it's nots actually resolable?
Back to the original point
Looks like it
No
According to their site it is
Yes
Lmao
Solovairs are docs for android users
Fire
sent from my android
chill w that ok
Man new natural CXL boots are like the worst lol. Also easily the most bland model from White’s in this pic
Oh god I didn’t realize there were like 100 new messages
Docs are the same construction lol
This is almost certainly not true for most people in a city
I copped on eBay
I mean resoling runs like $150 here
Yes that was my point lol
Am I gonna resole my birks and blunnies tho? You betcha
No welt on those mahfackers
you can resole blunnies?
Hell yeah bro
So many cobblers stay in business repairing birks
You can resole anything
good cobblers can resole anything with enough glue
😛
aren't crepe soles infamously unable to be resoled
That famous Vancouver cobbler that won an award I posted an article about, their specialty is blunnies
Cobblers just refuse to bc it can be a massive PITA. It’s not impossible but generally just not worth it
Quick Cobbler
Blundstone Repairs — Quick Cobbler
Blundstone Repairs! Complete rebuilds to small sewing jobs, it can all be done. Get your Blundstones rebuilt by 4th Generation Award Winning Cobblers.
Alden changed their crepe tho so those are much better now
Actually they already repaired my pull tabs
Someone who was on MFA worked there, I think they were more active on FFA
Oh, on this note I still have some Allen Edmonds cap toe oxfords I’m “gonna get resoled” since like 2015
In tan 🤢
it's so lame but i love watching shoe restoration vids
vetiver is intensely hypnotizing
On that note, I regret getting my Allen Edmonds Strands in walnut. 65 last is not a fit for me.
So many strands gathering dust in basic bastards’ closets rn
Pour one out
I was an enlightened Derek Guy reader and got dark brown park aves instead
On the topic of boots, my only regret is that I bought so many similar ones. I don’t think I needed two pairs of IRs, and they’re pretty interchangeable with the Blacksmiths I’ve got - but it feels wasteful to buy more boots now and I like them, so oh well. But maybe if I was doing it again I’d go for more variety.
Generally though, I guess that when I started buying clothes I just kept buying stuff based on some imagined checklist of what I need - hence why I ended up with loads of pairs of skinny chinos in varying colours that didn’t get much wear
Got to collect them all.
But tbh, a lot of the individual stuff I have regretted buying because I end up not wearing it/struggling to style it, I end up coming back to and rediscovering in a new light - which is always fun.
(Not the skinny chinos though 😦 )
(+ like 3~4 patticoats not pictured because they aren't exactly visually interesting, just undergarments)
thankfully all extremely cheap purchases, but right before the pandemic I bought a few lolita pieces to fill out the more casual end of my collection, which arrived just in time for lockdown. 🥴 That wouldn't have been an issue, except I'd just started transitioning so by the end of 2020 I was a man and my entire body comp and sizing had changed thanks to the testosterone. Completely unwearable.
IDK why I thought adding to a niche hyperfeminine wardrobe that would be hard to wear as a dude would be a good idea, but I guess I hoped to get a few last wears in before having to basically give them away to other people in the local lolita community. I actually kept the shoes, because bodyline shoes are weirdly quite comfortable! Maybe I'll be able to style them into something again one day, for now they're house shoes that make me feel pretty 💙
But if I'd known I would have saved the cash for something easier to style with the average fits I've been stuck with while working through transition. 🤦🏽♂️
Probably could also categorise some of my $250~ dresses as regrets using this logic (I have one or two I only ever wore once), but whatever. I didn't know then and they're still beautiful even if I can't wear 'em any more. 🫡
Tag yourself I’m the guy leaning to the side
Wondering how many people actually need resoles that often if they’re into fashion.
Once you’re above 6 or so pairs resoling becomes very much an aesthetic preference or a fit issue not because the soles are worn
Personally, I wear my shoes
And I don’t always buy new bc u can get used for a huge discount
So I have to resole when I get holes, I have multiple pairs of shoes, I just don’t always start at brand new
Leather soles also wear quickly if u get caught in the rain
buy less, buy better 
These Rick Owen tractor sandals.
I love them to death but I bought them during a time where I was questioning what my true shoe size was. I should have brannock’d up but I instead took my foot length measurement as my “true” size without considering my E and EE width feet 
These have been sold out of retailers for years, resell is insane for the bigger sizes and I’m stuck with shoes I absolutely love but don’t wear for longer than an hour or two because they are too narrow for me.
These have been sold out of retailers for years, resell is insane for the bigger sizes and I’m stuck with shoes I absolutely love but don’t wear for longer than an hour or two because they are too narrow for me.
Other than that I agree with Davis’ sentiment of not regretting many purchases because they have delivered me to a style I’m really happy with.
Do they fix elastic mine is starting to fray at the top
I believe so
Buying things that are on sale, the classic. There is a reason some things are on sale - they suck.
A big regret purchase of mine: this really cool garment dyed 3l jacket. A little too big on me, didn’t fit anything in my wardrobe, no hood so that 3L really didn’t matter. I babied it too much, let it sit in my closet for 2 years and sold it for a little over half of what I paid.
Regrets include:
* Not realizing I had a long torso sooner. I bought many shirts that were coming up too short.
* Things that were on sale, but I didn't really love
* Several pairs of skinny jeans
* Sizing down on clothes and going for super tight shirts
* 80% of the stuff I bought from Calvin Klein, back when I thought it was a great brand
I also think buying clothes out-of-season is often not worth it (unless the sale is ridiculously deep). Because thats money you can spend on clothes you can wear the next few months.
Clothes are always on sale. If you dont get a sale now, youll others in a few months
I had that same pair in a different color and the soles felt like walking on concrete while the upper felt like dryer lint 0/10