STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Suze · Nine West

RE: fashion confessions

fashionista L · Coach

I tried to be the best dressed person wherever I go, even though there usually isn't much comp.

I go commando when I feel like it

I love juicy too even though it is a lil' played out now!

I love my uggs!

I look down at other girls that my boyfriend or others comment on as attractive because they usually aren't dressed that well

I wear ugly clothes to work.. theres no one to impress there!!

I have debt cause I always want something new!

I constantly have to lie to friends andfam about purchases, cause I'm a shopaholic!

blink · Coach

Andrea Julia, you are right about outlet stores, some retailers do make items specifically to go straight to discount. I cannot remember where I read this, I think WSJ about a year ago. I remember telling my mother-in-law about it and I don't think she believed me...or didn't want to, because she had just bought her daughter a Coach purse at the outlet.

Here's my confessions:

I bought my entire work wardrobe for under $300 (my husband's max budget) at Old Navy this year because I figured (in denial) that my new size 4 after having a baby in August will be temporary, also, my bra size went up to a 38D (due to breastfeeding). I hate that I can't wear some of my sweaters anymore because they look too suggestive, I hate that I don't look like "myself." I am afraid that even after I stop breastfeeding, these stupid boobs will stay big like my mom's did. I want my 34B's back and the freedom to wear whatever top I want! I don't understand why anyone my size would want D cups.

I consider my style at work quite boring, but I look hipper than every one of my coworkers, all 8 of them.

I am obsessive about fabric care for sweaters, especially cashmere. I will not send sweaters to the dry cleaners, I have to hand wash them myself with Woolite. My husband just got his first cashmere sweater for his birthday and I know I will end up insisting on washing it because I fear that a dry cleaner will damage it or cause it to lose its luster.

I keep wearing a beautiful pair of Via Spiga round-toe, buckled, black loafers even though my stupid dog left a bite mark in them. I tried to have them repaired, and the cobbler couldn't do much. The bite mark doesn't show when I am standing with trousers, but still, I feel unkempt. I am irritated that I haven't found a comparable pair of new loafers, even though I bought them in 2000!

I am cursing myself because I saw a woman with a beautiful tweed coat the other day and I complimented her on it, but I didn't ask her WHERE she got it!

I never dry jeans. But those Old Navy (temporary) work trousers, heck yeah.

I also get a very sick feeling when I see something I paid retail for go on sale. Though usually, by the time stuff goes on sale, they are out of my size, which also hurts me.

I wish I could bargain/negotiate with clothing the same way you can with jewelry.

I won't carry a knock-off bag because I assume everyone will either be able to tell, or will be wondering.

I once got shoe-snobbed at Gregory's in Dallas because I compared a to-die-for pair of black stilettos by YSL to a similar, and cheaper, pair I saw at Nordstrom by Stuart Weitzman. The salesman snorted and told me that was just as bad as calling them "nine west." It made me mad because I think Nine West shoes are usually cute! But it also made me feel self conscious to even CONSIDER that a middle aged man might be judging me by my "cheap" shoes.

I get depressed because to dress the way I really want, I would either need lots of extra money (or permission from my husband to spend) or lots of time to leisurely look around and bargain hunt. The me in my head is fab, the real me is actually just a regular girl.

Dizzy · Marc Jacobs

This is hilarious!

Ok, here's mine:

1. Everything on sale. I just bought a top (that cute old navy t with the jeweled flower) for $1.97

2. Compulsive about throwing things away when they look a little bit worn.

3. I used to spend more on drycleaning than on two utilities combined.

4. I refuse to wear socks that show under any circumstances. I don't know why, but I think it's gross. Of course, it's incredibly dorky, but I'm so overprotective of my shoes that I wear those grandma PEDS. It's bad.

5. If I wear sandals, I wash the footbed every time I take them off.

6. I do not own an expensive pair of jeans. I buy Levis.

7. My only pair of track shoes are nearly five years old. And they look brand new. I hate track shoes. I always try to buy pumas, but I think they make my feet look like a duck (skinny calves). So I will probably be visiting a podiatrist by the time I'm 40.

8. I am compulsive about looking pulled together. I was once hanging out, watching tv, and my feet were cold. So I spent 10 minutes looking for the socks that matched the sweater I was wearing - over my pajamas.

That's all I can think of for now. Kisses!

jen · Kate Spade

I don't like to buy things on sale. I seem to like things more if I pay more for them. Not that I don't buy sale items, I just care for things more when the cost more.

I have a ton of things in my closet that still have the tags on them

I donate bags to the salvation army every couple months. Some still have the tags on them...

Okay here goes the big one. In my town, only a few select girls wear prada, burberry, coach, juicy, uggs, etc. I'd say 8% of my town even knows what these brands are. So...I do wear logos all the time! My bags always have logos on them...I know you guys hate that! But, it's not overdone here and most people don't even know that 'juicy' is a brand when it's written across my boobs. Only my friends and some other girls in town realize these things. I think sometimes we wear these things to identify ourselves to each other like we are the secret socioty of girls who know the the world of fashion does not end at our dinky small town Michigan mall with a target and an ae in it!

I wish every fake bag on this earth would go away. Girls in my town don't try to pass them off as real! They carry them to brag that they got them at a purse party and every girl in my town knows a fake LV cost at least $100 and to them, that's huge. So, instead of trying to show off saying 'I have a LV' they are showing off saying 'Look, I have a bag that cost over $100, Oooo, I'm cool.' A friend of a friend told me she paid $300 for her fake cherry blossom LV. How stupid, just get something real. It really does make me mad...

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

wow, i can relate to so many of these! it's really fun/enlightening to hear about other people's fashion confessions. it makes me feel less crazy. here are mine:

1. i've been really particular about clothes since i was little. i remember standing in front of my bedroom mirror when i was in kindergarten and being angry that my shirt had ruffles on it, and telling my mom i'd never wear it again.

2. if my outfit is off, it can basically ruin my entire day. it feels so lame to admit that but it's true. one day last week my pants felt too short, my socks were faded and visible, and my hair looked bad, and all day i was annoyed with myself. when no one in my office dresses well and they're all at least 10 years older than me and don't care. or on thursday, i thought i didn't look good enough for a first date, so i went shopping over lunch. which leads me to...

3. i judge myself too harshly by how i look! if i'm going to dinner or a party, especially with people i don't know as well, i worry about looking "right." maybe this comes from not having much money when i was growing up and then going to a boarding school where a lot of the girls had a lot of really nice clothes, and feeling totally out of place with what i could wear. ironically, after that my parents did have more money and now i can afford to get nice stuff myself, but the feeling is still there. and i do have some credit card debt, which whenever i think much about i feel sick.

4. i also match my underwear to my outfit! and am so happy to hear other people do as well. i thought i was the only nut who did that.

5. shopping alone and online are more fun for me, although it can be nice to go with a friend. most of my friends don't have very good style, or style that is like mine -- there are a couple notable standouts, but for the most part they don't and basically, i don't like getting their opinion on what i should buy because i generally think they're wrong. i feel like a jerk saying that! but it's true. and i also feel embarrassed when they ask where i got something because i shop more and care more about this stuff than they do, and i'm afraid they think i'm totally shallow.

6. i like shopping with my mom, partly because she offers to buy me things, but also because she has a good eye for cut and color and i still hear her voice in my head sometimes when i'm trying things on.

7. i love makeup, buying it and looking at it, and wear it every day, but people are often surprised when i say i do because i don't wear very much.

8. i could happily spend more time looking at beautiful shoes and purses than paintings in a museum!

9. sometimes i go to places like saks or bergdorf's, and walk very slowly through the designer sections just looking at everything and touching it. sometimes this makes me feel good, and at other times kind of wistful.

10. like honey said in her first post, i can really hate seeing those park avenue pollyannas. i suddenly feel like a huge, frizzy haired mess when they pass me on the sidewalk. but conversely, some of them can be pretty boring to talk to, which is nice.

erin · Chanel

1. i hardly own anything designer. the only "designer" items i do own (other than a pair of COH jeans) are from thrifts.

2. on that note, i have found amazing thrift deals. like gucci heels for 10$, d&g suit for 1$, etc.

3. other than thrifting, i try not to buy sale items. i feel as though there's a reason it's on sale.

4. almost exclusively i wear heels. (although aerosoles and the like to work, so i think i'll be ok)

5. it is very hard for me at work not to nitpick on people's out of date fashion. i am a hairstylist and when someone comes in with 80s hair, it's very frustrating to delicately suggest a new style and have the person say "oh i love my hair!"

6. other than to bed, i never wear shorts (and even rarely then). to be honest, i think they are almost always gross on other people, too.

jaymiek · Coach

gosh your posts couldn't be more relatable. these are my confessions (heh, I feel like Usher all of a sudden)

-I still love wearing my Uggs.

-I am a Juicy-aholic.

-Some of my favorite stores to shop at T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross (because I love a good bargain)

-I paid full price ($172+tax) for my Seven pink A-pockets (yikes! I still can't believe I spent that much on a pair of jeans)

-My most expensive handbag is my $60 Coach Hamptons purse that I found at T.J. Maxx...

-....and my wallet is a $6 XOXO :cringe: (now horribly tattered and in need of replacement) that is also from T.J. Maxx

-When people admire something I wear and ask where I got it, I'll lie and say I forgot...

-I'll lie to my family and sometimes my bf if they ask if I'm wearing something new or how much something was. I just hate having to justify my spending habits to other people, especially my mom, who still thinks that $20 is a lot for a pair of shoes.

-I rarely wear jewelry like rings, bracelets, or necklaces. I wear studs everyday.

-I have never set foot inside a Saks or Neiman Marcus, though I've bought things from them online (on sale of course!)- I'm too intimidated.

-I still shop at A&F and Hollister sometimes even though I'm 24.

-I have never, ever dyed my hair nor am I planning to anytime soon.

-When I shop online I have my orders sent to my bf's house because I don't want my mom getting on my case about my purchases.

whew I feel much better now...

happydaisy69 · BCBG

This is sooo much fun! Even though I'm a few days late,here are mine:

I own almost 100 pairs of shoes-only 1 are sneakers

I too prefer to shop alone and can do so for an entire day

my best friend and I try on prom dresses every season for fun

I never tell the truth about my shopping habits-I usually show 1 or 2 new things Ive bought and closet the rest so no one thinks I have spent too much

my favorite lingerie is my boyfriends boxers

i would rather be overdressed than underdressed

probably 50%of my wardrobe still has tags

I change my purse with every outfit

none of my gold jewelry is real(I prefer silver)

I go thru ruts when I shop-either its a certain color(right now drk,green)or a certain item(coats) I'm like the seasons.consistant for a few months,then I'll move on

hmmm,I'm trying to come up with ones that havnt been mentioned,I think thats it for now

Sunshinegirl · Kate Spade

I know this is late but as i was reading through them yesterday, i realized i had more confessions than i first thought.

1) I do not own a designer purse. I cannot rationalized spending that kind of money on something that alot of people own. I dont understand the logo thing either. I think all but two of my purses are vintage and i use them daily.

2) I swear that angels sing when i walk into Anthropologie. I cant help it, i love that place.

3) I have huge hair envy. I see a woman's hair before i see anything else. I want happy hair so baddly.

4) I have never had a manicure. I would rather spend the money on facials. I have had one pedicure and plan on having a few more of those.

5) Sounds strange but i have bought several pairs of my socks at thrift stores because you cannot find thick northern type socks in florida. For some reason i can find them at thrift stores easier than at a retail outfit. I have a few favorites and have been known to darn (sp) them when they start to wear out. My fiance thinks i'm nuts.

6) I have to admit that i have a "rockstar" (according to my friends) body. Everything is where it is supposed to be and pretty much everything i put on flatters my figure. Which is why i have tons of clothes and way too many bikinis. I guess that is why i enjoy shopping so much because i know one day my body will take the inevitable dive due to gravity.

7) I love shopping alone. I like to get in and get out as quick as possible and i dont need anyone's opinion on what i'm trying on.

8) I use to envy women who were dressed in an outfit that i admired. Now i go up to them and compliment them on looking stunning. I usually get a really nice reaction from them and we start chatting about fashion.

aolmsted · Nine West

This'll be obvious if you read 1 thru 10, but I'll start with

0. I have the fashion sense of, oh, I don't know, an aardvark.

1. I’ve never bought a purse in my life (unless LL Bean tote bags count). I’ve never worn earrings. I have three necklaces, counting the one my six-year old cousin made for me.

2. I never saw a color I didn’t like, right up to and including banana slug yellow. (I used to have a banana slug-colored wastebasket in the kitchen that I loved.) I have no idea what colors flatter me, if any. I like them all, at least two at a time.

3. Target is my favorite place to shop. T shirts, boys size M. Socks, sweaters, pants, jackets. Nordstrom is a very distant second, because the sales clerks treat me well. But I buy at least half my clothes from LL Bean and Lands End (I’m trying to cut down on that).

4. Used to buy everything way too big, especially when mail ordering, and never return it, no matter how badly it fit. Then it would hang in my closet for a year and end up in the Good Will bag.

5. Used to love to buy men’s shirts at the local thrift store, the ones with those weird plastic inserts in the collars. They used to come in wonderful colors like peach and hot pink and lavender and be almost new. These days, I guess, men don’t hesitate to wear colors like that and there’s a dearth of brand new hot pink shirts at the thrift store.

6. I hate black and wear it all the time. Finally managed to find a pair of nonblack work pants. They’re dark brown. Yay!

7. My underwear never matches.

8. I own one scarf. 100% polyester, from Target. Actually, it’s a neckerchief, not a scarf.

9. Used to buy all my shoes at the Tres Hermanos chain in Tijuana. Took my favorite pair into the local shoe repair shop for a heel fix and the man behind the counter said “We ... Don’t ... Do ... Plastic ... Shoes.” So humiliating!

10. I have no luck with cashmere at all. When I’ve had a cashmere sweater for a year or two, it looks like something that would be worn by a homeless person: frayed edges, holes, rents, dark spots that won’t come out. So much for the “a good cashmere sweater is an investment” idea. Nothing like this ever happens to my other sweaters. It’s a mystery to me.

Drew · Gucci

Really late, but here goes:

I tend to be very loyal to a store/brand; when I fall in love, I fall all the way. For example, almost all of my bags are Coach, when I shopped in my 20-somethings I went through phases were 90%+ of my clothes came from one store, like Urban Outfitters, and Abercrombie and Fitch. My current obsession is everything Anthropologie. For designers I am totally loyal to Marc Jacobs, Moschino, Helen Wang, Lemon.
I am addicted to shopping. I get a total high from it, and even go into withdrawals if it has been too long; and if it has been too long (say 2 - 3 weeks) then I really go overboard and spend $1,000+.
I do 99% of my shopping on the net. I was so excited to finally visit an Anthropologie over Christmas holiday, but was actually disappointed, and prefer the website (mainly due to the privacy and selection of online shopping)
I never wait for sales, and this is a real problem, because like most girls I get very annoyed when I see my purchase on sale for like 50% within weeks (but not soon enough to get a credit) of purchasing it. Example: I bought some pants for $120 right before Christmas and they are now 1/2 off. But I can't help buy an item at full price because I convince myself it will be gone before a sale.
I style by trial and error. For some reason a lot of times when I visualize a look in my head it doesn't translate well in reality. I have to literally try on items with lots of different things to find what will work. Fashion Intuitiveness (is that a made up word?) is definately not a gift of mine.
I have a hard time wearing clothes out of the season I purchased it. Even if something is right for another season, for some reason I feel like it should only be worn for the season it is sold for. WTF is wrong with me?

pollyjean23 · Marc Jacobs

This thread is from the Neolithic Period, but I just felt the need to release my fashion confessions by adding a fresh reply.

I hate coats and jackets; I also hate having to wear them.

I don't provide proper care for my nicer clothes and shoes. I just get lazy.

I like to shop by myself, but it can be nice to have a 2nd opinion sometimes.

I don't like the way my feet look in most ballet flats.

I wish there were magic dressing rooms in between each store in the mall so I could change into clothes that are appropriate for the store in which I am shopping.

My interest in fashion is very new. It has been only within the past 2-3 years in which I have developed an interest in clothes, designers, and handbags.

I am accessories-dumb. It bugs me that I have to have 500 different pieces of jewelry, hair accessories, scarves, and bags to express the look I am trying to create when I want to create them.

I am afraid to try many clothes at Anthropologie because I'll look like I'm wearing a costume. I can appreciate them much more on the hangers.

I am "this close" to throwing out nearly everything in my closet right now.

I have trouble telling certain friends how much I spent on something and talking too much about shopping. I am not an ubershopper by any means, but I def shop more than anyone else I know. I don't like being I.D.ed as the shopper of my group.

sephorablue · Marc Jacobs

OOh, old yet good thread! My confessions:

-90% of my clothing comes from Loehmann's or ebay, and as a result, I am almost completely incapable of paying retail price for something. When I do, it makes me crabby and frustrated, because the price-to-quality ratio is so different from where it usually is.

-I am intensely addicted to scavening for designer shoes on ebay. I literally spend a couple of hours every week, running searches for updated listings for my favorite designers. But see here is the positive reinforcement: I have found beautiful, unworn or barely-worn, recent season (as opposed to the early 90's monstrosities some sellers unearth) shoes from Prada, Miu Miu, Ferragamo and Loeffler Randall for less than $80. And then when I consider that Nine West asks $80 for ITS shoes, it seems well worth the effort.

-Also, having gotten to experience the high quality materials and construction of designer shoes, I'm spoiled. Seeing a line of glue where the sole has been poorly attached to the upper makes me want to scream, and it gets even worse if the edge of the sole piece juts up over the side of the heel (hard to describe but you'll know it when you see it).

-And yet more embarrassing, I actually am now at the point where I want to educate my friends about quality in general (though shoes in particular). It's really condescending of me, and none of them would really give a crap anyway, but I just love them and would like to see them dressed in things that are better quality than what they tend to wear.

Some ones you guys have mentioned, that I share--I yearn to pull aside people I see in public sometimes and give them makeovers; I have lots of dressy clothes and shoes that I don't wear as much as I'd like, because the logistics just become too complicated and the reality is I just don't need to wear them; my outfits go to shit in the winter because all I'm willing to wear are pants, flats or boots, and sweaters; I loathe Old Navy; and I like about where, when, and for what price I got things.

Whew I do feel better now!

Kitty · Hermes

- I frequently hide purchases from my fiance -- either leaving things in the car before coming in, or trying to sneak things past him. I also don't like for him to find out how much I'm shopping online, so I try to get home first to bring in the boxes.

- I have totally ripped, stained, and torn things while trying them on in the store ashamed

- I have donated or given things away that still have the tags attached.

- I probably only wear 15% of my wardrobe on a regular basis.

- I hate shopping in crowds, so I usually only go if I can go in the middle of the week and very early. I will NOT go to the mall on the weekend or during any big sales. It seriously causes me heart problems.

- I return probably 40-50% of the stuff I buy. I'd rather buy and return then pass it up and have to go back for something.

- I have an entire bedroom filled with clothes, shoes, and purses, and even that is starting to overflow.

- I own VERY few casual clothes. I don't really do casual.

erin · Chanel

Kitty wrote:

- I frequently hide purchases from my fiance -- either leaving things in the car before coming in, or trying to sneak things past him. I also don't like for him to find out how much I'm shopping online, so I try to get home first to bring in the boxes.

- I have totally ripped, stained, and torn things while trying them on in the store

- I have donated or given things away that still have the tags attached.

- I probably only wear 15% of my wardrobe on a regular basis.

- I hate shopping in crowds, so I usually only go if I can go in the middle of the week and very early. I will NOT go to the mall on the weekend or during any big sales. It seriously causes me heart problems.

- I return probably 40-50% of the stuff I buy. I'd rather buy and return then pass it up and have to go back for something.

- I have an entire bedroom filled with clothes, shoes, and purses, and even that is starting to overflow.

- I own VERY few casual clothes. I don't really do casual.

hi, twin!

mcmimi · Nine West

Kitty wrote:

- I frequently hide purchases from my fiance -- either leaving things in the car before coming in, or trying to sneak things past him. I also don't like for him to find out how much I'm shopping online, so I try to get home first to bring in the boxes.

I do the same thing! My bf spends so little on clothing that I feel guilty buying the way I do. I've been known to shove boxes under the couch when I've heard him coming through the door. Later on, he'll find them and wonder what they're doing there. He doesn't really care, but I do for some reason!

boobaby · Kate Spade

-I lie about how much things cost, which is odd because I really bargain shop. I just have too many people in my life who couldn't fathom spending $40 for a pair of jeans, let alone $150 (which I've never done - I can't pull the trigger on jeans unless they have dipped below $100). So explaining that I paid $160 for a purse, even if it was 50-75% off is met with mouths agape. So I just lie or change the subject. Sometimes I find myself listing the price in my stylethread posts just because I want someone to know about my deal!

My taste has become ridiculously too rich for my salary. I turn my nose up at NW, SM and lust for Chie's that I won't buy unless they are steeply discounted. Yet my most worn shoes are Target moccassins. Go figure.

I

TheLovelyLady71 · Hermes

Some of yall's responses are too funny!!! Here are mine:

1. I never, or RARELY, buy anything that's not on sale or clearance. I MAY have paid FULL PRICE for a few things, and I hated it!!!

2. I HATE clothing that is lined (esp. skirts, damn my hips/thighs), AND I hate shoulder pads! UGH! If I have a skirt that's lined, IT'S COMING OUT! Shoulder pads are getting CUT OUT!

3. I've been to the dry cleaners MAYBE once or twice! LOL I am QUICK to wash it w/generic Woolite, on the 'gentle cycle'. Looks FINE to me!

4. Here lately, my LOVE for fashion has been totally out the window. Then I either watch TLC WNTW, or Fashionably Late, OR get on ST and my outlook is back to normal.

5. I don't own anything cashmere, but that 'may' change. I might be allergic to it, I know I am to wool, too itchy. LOL

6. Sometimes I wear my pants too short; time for a pant overhaul, or buy some LONGER ones. *sigh*

7. I also, like HB, keep an outfit log. I don't plan my outfits for the week, wish I could, but NOT living here in Texas w/the weather changing constantly. LOL I'd like to have my own digi clothing log, but eh. Haven't quite worked on that one yet.

8. Also like HB, to my knowledge, I have NEVER worn the same outfit twice within a six month period. Eee. Gads. *sigh* Hence ALL my clothes that only get worn once, or twice....

9. The MOST I've paid for shoes/boots was, um, MAYBE $60 or $70, and I don't EVEN WEAR THOSE BOOTS ANYMORE. They were 'in' at that time, and now they are quite boyish. Wow.

10. I also don't own any matching bra/panty sets. I do and don't see the point, no one is going to see them under your clothes.....

Thought of 2 more....

11. I'm ashamed to admit I own over 200 prs of shoes.

12. I also own a total of over 200 lipglosses and lipsticks. Yikes.

-- Edited by TheLovelyLady71 at 21:34, 2008-01-01

Kelly · Hermes

1. I am too cheap for my own good. I'm getting better about it, but...

2. I hate telling my mom that my clothes are new or how much they cost because she refuses to spend more than walmart/target prices on clothing. When I wear something new and she notices, I always say that it's something I've had for a while. She always makes me feel guilty for spending more than like $20 on any article of clothing (shoes and winter coats included!)

3. I am addicted to buying bras, and it is completely ridiculous and out of control. I spend way too much money on it (especially considering that most of my bras are in the $80 range, and I never spend that much on any other article of clothing)

4. I actively try NOT to lose weight because I don't want to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe.

5. Sometimes when I'm getting ready to go out, I'll put on an outfit that is totally cute. But at the last minute I'll just change into jeans, tennis shoes, and a sweater because none of my friends are into clothes and they make me feel self-conscious about it.

6. I've never spent more than $25 on a purse.

7. 90% of my shoes come from Target or Payless.

8. I appreciate compliments on my clothing more from men than from women. I think it's because men just notice if you look pretty or not, and their opinions aren't as easily swayed by the clothing/trends themselves.

-- Edited by ttara123 at 11:56, 2007-12-31