My Most Regrettable Purchases of 2022 & What I Learned from Them

Dum da da dum! Not only is this the final of my 2022 in review posts, but it’s also the most somber, for obvious reasons. I’m not really one to live with regrets. I’d much rather brush off those slight misses and move forward with confidence and hope. But there’s something to be said for at least a brief study of the things that didn’t quite turn out as planned. And when it comes to investing in our wardrobes, I do believe we’ll never get more proficient at building a cost effective, joyful and well-suited closet of clothes if we don’t at least occasionally pause to reflect on the mistakes we’ve made. So today I am indeed sharing my most regrettable purchases of 2022…and what I learned from them.

This will be brief…because it’s painful. Ouch. Hahaha!

Sorry, but we can’t go on without one caveat. If I shared one of these regrettable purchases here or on social media or somewhere and you purchased it, that doesn’t mean you have a bad purchase, too. You’ll see that my reasons for considering these purchases to be regrets are very personal. None of these are bad items. I do my very best to never share anything that is poorly constructed, that is out of style or that I wouldn’t wear myself.

Instead, these are regrettable buys because they did not help me build a wardrobe that really works for me or they didn’t fit my personal style aesthetic. And thus, these items did not get worn at all or very much, making them poor financial investments.

#5 – Rails Ellis Cotton Shirt

I actually love the Rails Ellis Cotton Shirt and wore it fairly frequently this summer.

But, while you may not be able to tell from the photo above, the shirt is too big for me. This popular gauze shirt is very comfortable and well made. It’s a great shirt. But it is pricey, and I should have returned it for a smaller size. I’m wearing a large and I need a medium. In fact, I later purchased the light blue Ellis shirt in a medium and it works beautifully.

But because this trending Rails Ellis Cotton Shirt is too large I’m stuck wearing it only as an overshirt.

The MISTAKE: I didn’t really make sure it fit well before I took the tags off and kept it. Ill fitting clothes is a mistake a lot of us make, I fear. But we absolutely can stop that. When our clothes don’t fit well they don’t look as good as they should and we don’t wear them as much or as well as we could.

Lesson LEARNED: I’ve really learned this lesson pretty well. Now I don’t remove tags or wear clothes out of the house until I know for sure they fit well. And I try most things on multiple times to determine that.

I redeemed this regret by wearing the Rails Ellis Cotton Shirt as a cover shirt.

#4 – Vince Ombre Jacquard Crop Sweater

I don’t even have a photo of me wearing this Vince Ombre Jacquard Crop Sweater because I don’t think I ever have. But it’s just ten feet from me in my office right now. Regrettably. I showed it in my Curated Modern Classic Fall Capsule Wardrobe. And I styled it in some style boards like the one below.

The MISTAKE: I purchased the Ombre Jacquard Crop Sweater in the store on a whim. I saw it on a mannequin and it caught my eye like a dazzling jewel. Indeed, both the vibrant red and purple are trending colors, and I do wear a lot of red…but not usually purple. But once I got the eye-candy home, I never wanted to reach for it. I kept thinking I’d wear it, so I never returned it. Maybe I still will wear it one of these days. I certainly should. But I just wish I’d never purchased it. I got it on sale, but it’s pricey, so I still spent a lot for it. Big regret!

Lesson LEARNED: I really do much better shopping online. When I shop online I add things to my wish list or cart and then I “walk away.” I think about them more, considering how they will work in my current wardrobe and whether or not I really even want the item. I don’t purchase anything I put in my cart for at least several days, and I’m thinking about extending that “pause” to at least one week.

I’m going to redeem this regret by wearing this sweater later this week. I’ll pair it with dark wash jeans and black boots. Or, hello!, I could wear it in one of the two ways I styled it above! Hold me to it, ladies.

#3 – Paige Arianna Print Ruffle Silk Blouse

Now here’s a beautiful blouse that I did indeed share on the blog. In fact, I featured this blouse in this post, Pretty Fall Blouse to Wear Now, Wear Later. Oh boy.

And honestly, I still do love this Paige Arianna Print Ruffle Silk Blouse. I think it’s gorgeous. But I just haven’t worn it. In fact, it still has the tag inside it. It’s hanging in my closet taunting me, reminding me that I need to wear it…but I haven’t.

So why I have I not worn it? Because I don’t have the right undergarment for it. The Paige Arianna Print Ruffle Silk Blouse is very sheer and requires a pretty camisole underneath, in my opinion. When I took the photos above I wore a simple t-shirt fabric camisole, but I vowed then to buy a pretty silky camisole – nothing expensive, but something that would look pretty underneath. I haven’t found one yet. They seem impossible to find. If you know of one at a reasonable price, please let me know.

The MISTAKE: Not having the right undergarments to wear with the item. I should have made sure I had those when I purchased the Paige Arianna Print Ruffle Silk Blouse and brought it into my wardrobe.

Lesson LEARNED: I’m going to be more conscientious about making sure I have everything I need to wear a piece before I bring it in. That includes have the right shoes to wear with a dress or skirt, the right undergarments to wear with a sheer blouse or form fitting dress, the right turtleneck to wear with a cardigan, etc.

I’m going to redeem this regret by wearing this blouse. I’m going to get the right camisole to wear under it and wear the thing. Honestly, I purchased this pretty silk blouse with the intention of having it in my wardrobe long term anyhow. So it’s not going anywhere. I’m going to get that camisole and wear it. Just please let me know if you find one for me.

#2 – Paige Robbie Studded Clog

I purchased the Paige Robbie Studded Clogs in the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. I actually ordered about four pairs of clogs this fall and carefully considered them all. These were the winners, and they’re truly great clogs. But…

I haven’t worn the Paige Robbie Studded Clogs at all. I don’t seem to have even shown them here on the blog. I did show them in a couple of videos. But, hey, that’s not real life at all. I have not worn these clogs out of the house.

The MISTAKE: I fell for a trend that doesn’t really work with my personal style aesthetic. I love the idea of these clogs, but they’re just not for me. I thought they were. They’re not. I think they are extremely chic and fun and in style. I love seeing others wear them. But I don’t ever reach for them. And for me that indicates that they don’t really resonate with me.

Lesson LEARNED: One of my biggest fashion goals for 2023 is to be much more careful about adopting the trends. I will definitely still wear some trends. I think that’s one of the ways we can keep our more classic wardrobes looking fresh and current. But I need to really think about which ones resonate with my style and my lifestyle.

I’m going to redeem this regret by either selling these never worn shoes or donating them. If you’re interested, let me know! They’re a size 10 M, as they do run half a size small (I usually wear a 9.5 M).

#1 – Teri Jon Metallic Jacquard Ruffle Gown

But my biggest regrettable purchase of 2022 was a big one. Around late February or early March I purchased this beautiful Teri Jon Metallic Jacquard Ruffle Gown to wear for my daughter’s wedding. It is a stunning dress. And it fit pretty nicely. But I had settled for it when I’d grown frustrated trying to find what I really wanted for a mother of the bride dress.

I had never envisioned myself wearing a shoulder-baring gown. There’s certainly nothing wrong with such a dress. I just don’t feel great about this part of my body, so I never felt comfortable in this dress. But I couldn’t find what I wanted, so I purchased this one and even had it hemmed to fit my 5’8″ frame with 2.5″ heels.

Then just a few weeks before Abigail’s wedding I walked into Dillard’s and found the dress I’d been looking for. The Adrianna Papell dress I ended up wearing to my daughter’s wedding was in the perfect colors and felt so much more like me. I felt like a million bucks that day.

Unfortunately I’d spent a million bucks on the other dress! Ha! Not really, of course. But I sure had spent a lot. That Teri Jon Metallic Jacquard Ruffle Gown is still hanging in my closet. If you’re interested in it, it’s a size 10 and it’s still quite long even though it’s been hemmed for my 5’8″ frame and 2.5″ heels. I’ll gladly redeem this regret by selling it for a reasonable (50% off?) price. Otherwise I’ll donate it to a worthwhile organization who can help it find the right owner.

The MISTAKE: The mistake I made was shopping for a mother of the bride dress too early. That may surprise you. But I’ve discovered that while the bride and bridesmaids definitely need to secure their gowns early, shopping too early for a mother of the bride dress is a bad idea. Retailers don’t introduce mother of the bride dresses until right before that season. So when I was trying to buy a dress for a May wedding in February, they didn’t have very many spring or summer dresses to choose from.

Lesson LEARNED: I suggest shopping for a mother of the bride dress just about 6 weeks before the big day. Yes, you’ll need to move quickly and shop fast and furiously during that time. And you’ll have to be quick on getting the alterations. But I think you’ll enjoy the selection and find what you’re looking for…with fewer regrets.

So those are my regrets and the lessons I learned from them. Thanks so much for dropping in. Tomorrow these regrets are only in my rearview mirror and I’m not looking back. Here’s to a fashionable 2023…with much fewer regrets!

xoxo, Kay