I have a friend who will buy 3 of almost anything that's on sale. Doesn't matter if it fits her well, or if the quality could be better, but it was on sale! She once tried on a dress that she'd just bought on sale, and of course non returnable, that really didn't fit her well. She wanted to know if I could fix it. Aside from the fact that I don't sew for people, there was no way I could fix this too tight dress. There was virtually no seam allowance to use, so no way to let it out. I can only assume that it languished in her closet unworn; I never saw it
again.
I read this great blog post today http://myyearwithoutclothesshopping.com/shopping-clothes-emotions/common-items-women-buy-but-just-dont-wear/ It made me laugh. While I no longer buy much in the way of clothing, I buy patterns I'll never make up, they were on sale, or fabric that really isn't something I'd buy if it weren't on sale! I am much better about that last one these days but while what I buy on sale may suit me, do I really need more basic black or gray in my stash? Carolyn from Diary of a Sewing Fanatic wrote a great post today on the spring fashion trends that she was attracted to. Floral being one of them. While I may love it on other people, and I love the floral dress she just made, I can't really see it on me. White on white I'd wear but it would have to be in a fabric that can be bleached since I am a stain magnate. I have to toss my favorite white tee since I can't get a stain out. The one that attracted me the most was the bright mixed colors. It looks fun and I think that I'd wear this trend but only in work out clothing and not in 3 colors. Two is about all I can imagine myself wearing. Bright blue and orange or red, or red and pink as long as the pink is bright enough.
This all goes along with my desire for a small, manageable wardrobe with things I wear again and again, but isn't boring.
My grandmother used to say that clothing you buy just for an event never gets worn again. You bought it because you had to, not because it really suits you. She had great taste and a wonderful wardrobe. I wish that I had that fabulous Bonnie Cashin coat I remember from my childhood.
Do you buy things on sale just because they are on sale? Do they languish in your closet with the tags still on them? What's in your closet that you never wear or have never worn?
How much in your fabric stash will never get sewn?
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No, I don't buy much and definitely only what I need and would wear. However, I do have so many shoes that I forget I have some of them. And I have more fabric than I could ever make up. But I consider fabric buying as entertainment. Its fun to buy so does it really matter if I never make it up? I can fondle it anytime I want. And I do have fun dreaming about what I could make one day.
ReplyDeleteHaving only recently packed a lot of fabric away in boxes I know what I have. I'm happy to say that the fabrics I think I won't use are the old fabrics, some very old. In recent years I've become more aware of what I really like but yes, I'm "guilty" of having bought fabric because they were on sale. I'll pass on the floral trend with the exception for a black/white fabric I have with some kind of floral theme.Color yes, but only in combination with a neutral I guess.
ReplyDeleteHere you see a lot of lighter shades as well, light green, blue, pink.
I don't shop for clothes often, and I buy even less frequently. But whenever I do find something simple that fits well, I buy three or four of them - usually all in black, white, gray or taupe. Boring, huh?
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a teenager and my friends and I wanted to go sale shopping, my dad always said, "Don't forget, Charade, you can go broke saving money." I've never forgotten it, either.
DeleteI don't buy clothes at all (except for my own makes and jeans and the odd coat from my local St Vincent de Paul shop). But I do have a lot of shoes. Some of them have hardly been worn. I also have a lot of fabric that was bought on sale. Hopefully I will live long enough to use it.
ReplyDeleteIf I buy it, I wear it. I try to avoid getting lured by sales by asking myself if I would be willing to pay full price for an item. If the answer is no, I don't buy it. I also rarely buy fabric without a specific purpose in mind. I have put a lot of thought into trying to figure out what I really wear vs my fantasy life. My lifestyle is extremely casual but have decided to just embrace it. If I am going to have t shirts in my life than they are going to be made of the type of knit that I love to wear, not just any knit I find on sale. I have adopted the put your money in what you wear a lot of principle.
ReplyDeleteOh, I usually have a specific purpose in mind when I buy fabric, the problem comes when I buy more than I can possibly sew!
DeleteJust as an aside, have you ever tried put a stained white garment wet out in the sun? It may take a couple of tries, but usually it does the trick
ReplyDeleteI tend to watch obsessively for sales for the stuff that I'm lusting after having full price. BUT I like it when I get to choose fabric out of your 'I'll never wear it stash' to have clothing made for me. 😁😍
ReplyDeleteI have recently moved to a city after living in the country for 30 years. I thought I would be a shopping queen...but no. I have shopped twice in one year. Perhaps I need more practice?
ReplyDeleteI've gone through the "buy it because it's on sale" period and am past that now. Like you, I buy for specific projects but my queue of projects is a bit longer than the time I have to accomplish all of that sewing! I am also coming into a period of strictly casual clothing with an occasional outfit for a wedding or such. Right now I am working but hope to retire (again) within a year or so. I see myself buying a lot less fabric and being more particular about my purchases. I often "wait" for sales on a lustable but if I really want to start the project I will just buy it. I've also culled my wardrobe a lot so what I have in the closet is very wearable and gives me great pleasure. I think a culled closet with less but more wearable items is an honorable goal and like you, Nancy, I have been giving that a lot of thought. The type of home we are looking at building will have a lot less storage than this one so I am thinking of downsizing the wardrobe as well as a lot of other things. Heavens, when I think of all the jeans and shorts and tees that are folded in the drawers! They have to go.
ReplyDeleteI can say with confidence that I never buy RTW that I don't wear. I am just not a big shopper, so when I really need something, I buy it (usually online so I don't have to deal with crowds & parking). Fabric, on the other hand ... I purged everything I didn't like when I moved. Then I purged more. What remains is very basic stuff that is also a bit boring. It was mostly purchased because it was good quality for the price. I don't buy fabric just to stash anymore. If I buy it, I sew it soon. It was hard to shift over, but it's great.
ReplyDeleteLike Bunny I'm in a transitional lifestyle having recently retired. I need casual clothing but want to look sharp. I'm downsizing my stash which is hard since I love most of my fabrics but need to be practical. RTW rarely fits my 'mature' figure so the temptation to shop (even sales) has slowed considerably. When I sew now (mostly from my stash) I carefully consider its wearability especially since I travel often. This transition takes a lot of thought! Karen
ReplyDeleteLike you I rarely buy RTW so I can't comment on that aspect of your question but I've been very guilty of buying way too many patterns on the BVM sales. I'm getting more selective as I've become very interested in cutting up patterns that I love apart and creating my own designs. As for fabric, I'm working on not going to sales events at the fabric store unless it's a fabric I want to use right away!
ReplyDeleteI found a hint for getting stains out of white. Use hydrogen peroxide, pour on the stain, let soak a few minutes, then wash as usual. I tried it on a wonderful light weight sweater that had an unknown stain on one sleeve. This worked! It may bleach out colours, but if you were going to throw it out, it might be worth it.
ReplyDeleteNancy, good to see you blogging more frequently again. You are a good read. I used to buy stuff because it was on sale, until I realized that it was more economical to be sure to buy things I would wear rather than have a closet full of things that were cheap to buy but would never be favorites. Lately I've done pretty well extending that discipline to patterns and fabric, too.
ReplyDelete