For this return to readers' letters, I would like to answer a question from a reader who feels a little lost in building his wardrobe and who, in reflection, asks himself:
“ Should I act on impulse and then advise? »
There is of course a pleasure dimension in clothing, whether when we wear it or when we choose it.
But I believe that there are also risks in letting yourself be carried away by this pleasure dimension, in buying too much by feeling .
Differentiate between impulse purchases and compulsive purchases
Although the two may be related
- In the crush, there is the expression of a personal taste , the appreciation of something that we find above all beautiful, aesthetic.
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Compulsive buying tends to go beyond this sensitivity : it can be motivated by other factors external to the item of clothing, such as a fear of missing out on something.
or difficulty resisting what we want in general.
The favorite purchase that unbalances your wardrobe
I think we all have preferences, a natural inclination towards certain types of clothing over others.
The crush, by definition emotional, can tend to amplify these preferences and create an imbalance by making you buy only certain clothes and others, not at all.
For example, I know that I buy shirts easily: I have a certain affinity with them. On the other hand, it is a little less natural for me to buy sweaters, even though they are very useful items of clothing.
The pieces that we want the most are not always in our best interest if we are trying to build a balanced, complete wardrobe.
I regularly see very nice shirts in my size on this Rogue Territory western model . I resist, because otherwise I would have more than 50 shirts.
The solution
I invite you to think globally and quite down-to-earth : what clothes do you miss the most at the moment and is this item of clothing that you fell for one of them?
Another piece of advice I can give you: wait a bit . That's what I do sometimes when I'm about to break down: put it aside and come back later.
A crush is sometimes flashy, ephemeral, and allowing ourselves a few days or even just a few hours can be enough for us to realize it.
The favorite purchase that you don't wear
Even more than a potential accumulation phenomenon
This item of clothing is so beautiful in photos or on its hanger in the store, but once the satisfaction of the purchase has passed, we find ourselves with a piece of clothing that doesn't suit us, that doesn't match our style, in which we don't feel doesn't feel quite right: in short, we don't put it on, or not enough.
We appreciated the idea of owning the garment more than wearing it.
This shirt, bought on impulse and presented here , is very beautiful and suits me but I don't wear it much: I don't spontaneously think of it when I make my outfits. I do not give up.
The solution
Here, I have a simple advice: more than the clothing itself, imagine outfits with it.
If you manage to create between 3 and 5 outfits that hold up well, then you will probably be able to integrate this piece into your wardrobe.
If you're having trouble visualizing even one or two outfits, then maybe you shouldn't check out.
The favorite purchase that limits your budget
Since the favorite purchase is not always the most relevant for your style, it is not the most relevant for your budget either.
Spending a little too much on fun pieces means potentially running out of budget for clothes:
- More useful, practical, like a good coat
- Which require a significant investment, such as a beautiful leather jacket
In his article on the four mistakes he will never make again , the experience that Nicolò recounts goes in this direction:
Furthermore, I gave way too much to the impulse of the “small pleasure purchase” , that of the piece for 50, or 100 euros. And in doing so, I missed several times the opportunity to save enough money to buy a nice jacket, a coat, a pair of dress shoes.
I almost bought this Aimé Leon Dore harrington when I came across it. I finally held back: I wouldn't make enough use of it to invest the requested amount, which I prefer to keep for other pieces.
The solution
There may be different approaches depending on each person, for example:
- Define a budget for clothing purchases, and within this budget, create a sub-section with an amount specifically allocated for favorites.
- For my part, I don't budget strictly but I often ask myself the following question: " is it worth spending this amount of money on this item of clothing? " The question is not: “ is this garment good value for money? ”. The reflection is more personal: “ am I ready to invest this amount in this item of clothing, given what I can do with it? ”
The final word
I would advise you to be careful and carefully weigh the pros and cons with your favorites, in order to avoid making purchases that add too much weight to your wardrobe and lighten your wallet.
Not falling for a crush can be a bit of a disappointing experience at the moment, but in the medium or long term, these opportunities that you have let slip away will not really cause you any harm.
