Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Fashion Remorse



You're likely looking at this outfit and asking yourself what was that girl thinking? It's a bit much, I know. The "dress" is a vintage 80's tennis outfit that I picked up at a thrift store in Savannah with the original tags still on it. I stood in the store for the longest time unable to decide whether I should take the plunge and go for it. I decided since it was $3.97 it was worth the price of a cup of not very good coffee to not be plagued by fashion remorse.

Wait, don't you mean buyer's remorse bloomie? No, I mean fashion remorse. When you're in a store and you can't decide whether to take the plunge and make the purchase so you pass. And then you have remorse for what you didn't buy. It can be just as serious as buyers remorse or worse because sometimes I'm getting dressed and stop to think "if only I had those open-toe, gladiator Topshop booties this outfit would look perfect." But you don't, so the outfit is only at 85% instead of 100%.

I had fashion remorse several times in the past for things that I didn't try on and/or buy because I assumed they wouldn't fit me or look good on me because of my size. Nine years after the fact I still remember this dream cardigan I spotted in a store in Dublin that I handed off to a friend without even trying on because I just assumed it wouldn't fit me. She bought it and guess what I found out? It did fit and every time I saw her wear it I suffered from fashion remorse. Now I live by the wise words of Beth Ditto who years ago, before she was as famous as she is now, said something along the lines of "go in a store, try on the biggest size they have and if you bust the seams, fuck 'em for not making it in your size. " Rock on Beth. I love you.

So no more fashion remorse I say, especially because of my size.

Outfit details

Tennis dress of 80's awesomeness is thrifted. Detail below


Leggings are Danskin
Sandals are Primark
Cardi is Anthropologie via Jamie
Belt is New Look
Earrings are Topshop
Hair piece was purchased at Atlantic Antic and was another almost case of fashion remorse. This hair fascinator was $25 which was way more than I thought it was worth but I just loved it and with all the colors in it I thought it would be incredibly versatile. I walked away from it and then walked back to purchase it I wanted it that much.


Photo credit goes to Ateqah who took this for me outside of our office building.

4 comments:

  1. I love that I get to see some of my fashions live on on this blog. I remember buying that cropped cardigan at the Anthropologie in Santa Monica. It's nice to see that it's enjoying its new home in Brooklyn.

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  2. i find that when i walk away from a purchase only to return later, it's as good as bought.

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  3. I like showing off my JLR hand-me-downs.

    Honey Living, the worst part is when you can't return. When it's a vintage piece or the last one in the store. That's when it kills me.

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  4. i love the tennis outfit. hot!
    i'm in awe of your fashion tenacity, style, and above all, patience! i have basically stopped shopping in thrift stores, even though that was my major source of clothing for high school and much of college. the main reason is that i find it too annoying to figure out if things will fit me, which they usually don't. maybe i will try to borrow some patience/fierceness from you and try some of the thrift stores in gay paree this week.

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