One of my favorite posts to write every year (and one of your favorites to read!) is my roundup of the best and worst fashion purchases of the season.
Looking back always helps me spot the patterns: the pieces I reached for over and over again, the wardrobe workhorses, and the purchases that looked promising but ultimately didn’t earn their place in my closet.
None of my “worst” purchases are necessarily bad pieces. In fact, I still like several of them. They just didn’t get enough wear, or I found myself reaching for something else instead. I hope this gives you a little insight into how I evaluate what stays in my closet, and maybe it helps you shop a little more intentionally, too.
My Best Spring/Summer Fashion Purchases
Madewell Jules Slim Straight Jeans (Atlin Wash)
If I had to pick one purchase that defined my spring wardrobe, it would be these jeans. The slim straight silhouette works with everything from sneakers to sandals, the faded medium wash goes with just about every color, and they’re comfortable enough to wear all day. I’ve reached for them constantly. Fit tip: Size down, if in between. I have the 29.
Tommy Bahama Darcy V-Neck Sheath Dress
This dress made me feel good every time I put it on, even on days when I wasn’t feeling particularly confident. It’s incredibly flattering, easy to accessorize, and works for everything from dinner out to sightseeing. I know this one will stay in my closet for years. Fit tip: True to size; I have the medium.
EVEREVE Mary Textured Shift Dress
This became my extra casual version of the Darcy. It’s comfortable, doesn’t cling, works as a swim cover-up or an everyday dress, and always looks polished with minimal effort.
PAIGE Mason Slim Straight Ankle Jeans
These have become my favorite white jeans. The slim straight leg is versatile, they’re substantial enough not to be see-through, yet also soft and comfortable, and they work with both flats and sandals. If you’ve been looking for a polished pair of white denim, these are hard to beat.
Loeffler Randall Jovie Jelly Sandals
Without question, my most-worn sandals this season. They elevate even the simplest outfit, pair beautifully with dresses and denim alike, and they’re surprisingly comfortable.
J.Crew Factory Crewneck Beach Sweater
This was the dark horse of the season. I wasn’t sure how much I’d wear it, but it came in handy constantly—on vacation, in overly air-conditioned restaurants, and draped over my shoulders with dresses. I wouldn’t want to be without it!
Jane Win GRACE Pendant Coin Necklace
I wanted a slightly bolder everyday necklace, and this was exactly what my jewelry collection was missing. It adds just enough interest to simple outfits, and I’ve worn it far more than I expected. It also makes a beautiful gift if you’re shopping for someone special. The packaging is absolutely gorgeous.
KUT from the Kloth Jane Denim Shorts
These were such a good purchase that I bought them again after I lost weight. They’re flattering, comfortable, and just the right length.
There are so many more I could have added here, but I think this hits the highlights.
The Purchases That Didn’t Earn Their Place in My Closet
This category is less about pieces I regret buying and more about what I learned. Some of these are perfectly nice items, but they just didn’t fit my lifestyle as well as I’d hoped, or another piece in my closet consistently won out.
Tommy Bahama Relaxed Jean 4″ Shorts
There’s nothing wrong with these shorts, but every time I wanted to wear denim shorts, I reached for the KUT from the Kloth Jane instead. They just felt a little less fussy and were easier to style casually, which is what I usually want from a pair of denim shorts.
KUT Piper Short Sleeve Jacket
I still like this jacket. In fact, I have both colors, but I just didn’t have many opportunities to wear it. Between spending so much of the spring in Florida and then jumping straight into warm weather back home, lightweight jackets weren’t nearly as useful as I expected.
EVEREVE Jessa Utility Bomber
Same story here. I bought this jacket in both colors because I was so confident it would become a wardrobe staple. but I barely wore it. It’s a good reminder that I probably don’t need to buy quite so many layering jackets next spring.
EVEREVE Callum Travel Jacket
Another jacket I genuinely like but simply didn’t wear enough to justify the purchase this season.
Tommy Bahama Two Palms Trapunto Linen Shift Dress
I wore this once on our trip to St. Lucia and never reached for it again. I just didn’t love how I looked or felt in it, and in hindsight, I wish I’d packed fewer dresses and simply repeated a couple of favorites.
PAIGE Stevie Ankle Straight Jeans
These just never worked for me the way I’d hoped. I found the proportions a little awkward with flats, so I found myself reaching for the Madewell Jules instead when I wanted a slim straight ankle jean.
Quince European Linen Patch Pocket Wide-Leg Pants
These are perfectly nice linen pants, but I found myself reaching for my KUT from the Kloth Meg and Maya linen pants instead. They hold their shape better and feel a bit more polished.
Final Thoughts
Looking over this list, one theme really stands out: when I already own a favorite in a category, a “pretty good” alternative rarely gets worn. I think that’s probably true for most of us. It’s a good reminder that sometimes the best purchase is the one you don’t make.
Now I’d love to hear from you! What has been your best fashion purchase this spring or summer? And is there anything you wish you’d skipped?
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33 Responses
I always enjoy these posts. It’s so helpful to accept that just because you love something doesn’t mean you’ll wear it. Once I embraced that reality, I found less items in the closet with tags on a year later!
Yes, and if you’re finding yourself with clothes in your closet with tags on, maybe mark the return deadline on your calendar. If it hasn’t been worn by then, return it? (I do that, it helps cut down on closet clutter.)
Adore these posts! Like that you share what didn’t work, even if it seemed like it would! Don’t we all find ourselves there 🙂
I bought a couple of short sleeve sweater tops one has more of an open crochet from Loft ( when we were away as we don’t have a Loft store in my part of Canada) I found every time I put one of them on except for the crochet which I wore maybe once I would take them off! I may reach for them more as transitional pieces as our summer has just been too hot and really didn’t need the dressier look for summer so far!
All my other purchases I would say have been getting well worn! I’ve tried to stick with staple pieces, fewer trends and neutral pallets that I won’t tire of..
I did buy a few pieces here at home but left the tags on tried them all on a few more times at home when needing something to wear and when I took it right back off I knew I wasn’t going to be reaching for them so I returned them while I had the window of return still open. This helps to cut down for me anyway keeping items I’m not going to wear!
Same experience with the crochet sweaters! I LOVE the style, but I’ve realized that they just don’t work well for my climate, which gets muggy starting in late May and doesn’t let up until late September or early October.
Agree! I bought a cute white open crochet sweater from Talbot’s for a college graduation. It ended up being too hot that day, so I didn’t wear it. I STILL have not worn it. Super cute, but it appears not to work in my climate.
Guess that shows it’s a matter of climate and/or lifestyle—I counted recently & I now have around 8 short-sleeve sweaters & love them! I live in New England, so I find they’re great for spring/fall transitional weather & cooler evenings. I also have a couple crochet sweaters I wear often. Just goes to show you need to figure out what works best for you!
Always love this post! The Madewell Jules jean (I have in 2 washes)has been my workhorse this spring/summer also. But, like you, I have yet to wear the Evereve Jessa Bomber. I’m hoping maybe in the fall with cooler temps. Thanks for all the great posts!
I have the tan Kut Piper. I’ve never worn it. The pattern I’ve seen over the years is I never get to all my spring jackets. I slowed down buying them this year but clearly still not enough.
I don’t have regrets this season. I’m more picky about fabrics and ask myself if I really need it. Also if I already have that style or color I don’t need it. I’m still wearing my clothes from last year and I’m happy about that. I’m tired of wasting money. I donated a lot this past year because the colors no longer looked good with my silver hair. Now the color determines if I will buy something.
I appreciate your honesty about what works for your lifestyle and what doesn’t! I really love those spring jackets (especially the brown one from Evereve … so cute), but I question how much I would actually wear them. I always tell myself that I need more cute top pieces to complete outfits and add interest, but the reality is that I don’t like wearing a ton of layers once I’m indoors. If I need a jacket to serve as real outerwear, I’m pretty picky and focus more on functionality.
My regrettable purchases always seem to fall into two categories:
1) Multiples of items I already own and love. For example, last year I bought the Athleta wide leg linen pants in black and a trending pink….love them and worn them on repeat. Then I saw them on sale so I bought them in two more colors. Love them as well but nobody needs four pair of the same pants. I am just not going to wear the same pants repeatedly enough to justify have them in four colors.
2) Most any item I purchase in anticipation of the season. I have *almost* ( clicks over to the Nordy sale post😉) finally stopped buying FallWinter clothes in July and Spring/Summer clothes in March. Especially for Fall and Spring, the weather is just so unpredictable and, now the we are retired, so is my life. I’m trying to wait and only buy items that I would potentially wear in the next month.
My best purchases this year have probably been the Quince little dress in the black and white gingham as well as the Vineyard Vines shorts you featured earlier this season. I bought the white and the sand color and have worn them multiple times.
I have worn my Athleta Retreat linen shorts and pants ( my second season to own the white and black pants, but I added the undyed color this year) so much this year. They are comfortable, can be dressed up a bit, and great for the Nashville heat. Also, the Dolce Vita Dionna sandal in tan that I bought last year and rarely wore last year has been my favorite this year. I prefer slip on sandals for ease, and the neutral color looks nice with so many things. I also reach for my black Ugg Taia wedge sandals I found at Nordstrom Rack that are so comfortable and cute when I need a little height but need to be able to walk comfortably. I regret my Frame Modern pocket wide leg jeans in the Carpenter wash. I wore tbe darker Ease wash a few times, and I love the quality of the jeans. The lighter wash ones are just not flattering. It is just not a versatile style for me, as I am self conscious about about my meno belly. The lighter wash seems to highlight it, and I just haven’t found the right top with those jeans that works for me. Finally, I purchased a floral Cinq a Sept Fiona top to have a lightweight dressier option for summer. It is cute with the Frame Modern pocket Ease wide leg jeans, but I don’t love it with anything else. It is also a bit frilly for my taste, and the elastic sleeves bother me after a few hours of wear. Maybe the fuller top and jeans together are just too much for me or feel like someone else’s style.
I added white denim this year to my closet for the first time in many years. Every time I would put them on, I would decide to wear something else. Not sure why I don’t wear them as I thought they would go with everything. Turns out they are harder for me to style than the wide leg soft thin light color denim I have been wearing on repeat this summer.
Interesting! I love my white denim and reach for it all the time, although I am enjoying the softer linen pants as an alternative, now that I’ve found a couple that I like.
This was a very interesting post to read. Thanks to my shoulder surgery, I have not made a lot of clothing purchases for the spring and summer. I definitely don’t need a top layer since I’m so hot natured now.
I hope your shoulder is feeling better now.
Probably only regrets probably were long sleeve blouses I purchased early Spring and just didn’t reach for them. One floral and the other too feminine in white. I didn’t buy as much this season. I just shopped my closet. No new shorts and no new denim just a few new tops. Just a few new shoes which is usually my weakness, but I’m tired of having too much and wasting money. I take good care of my clothes so they last and I just would purchase because I got tired of them or saw someone like you post them. lol I still order from your post, but better about what I decide to order. Lately, less is more has worked for me. Being retired I just don’t need as much. As for the NSALE I don’t plan to shop it unless I see something you show I can’t live without. Nothing looks as good until I see you style it. So anxious to see your try ons.
My favorite purchases have been chocolate brown short sleeve T-shirts from Gap and Old Navy. I love this color on me, it might be my new black. I’ll be looking at the NAS for this color. A cropped London Fog trench coat. We’ve had weird rainy weather this summer and it’s been perfect. Cargo cropped pants in olive and black wash from Gap Factory that I bought last year but I’ve worn them all the time this summer. I like comfortable, easy, non-fussy clothes.
I’ve always wondered how you can wear all the clothes you try on and say Keeping. It seems like an awful lot of pieces. Now, that you know what you didn’t wear much, do you think you will be more discerning? I know it’s a hazard of the job.
Discernment is pretty much the goal of posts like these. Over the years, my “regrettable purchases” have evolved from pieces that didn’t work for my style, body, or lifestyle to pieces that simply didn’t get as much wear as I expected because I had something I liked better, or the weather or my travel plans didn’t cooperate.
As for “keeping,” that doesn’t necessarily mean forever. It simply means I’m keeping it in my wardrobe for the time being. Because this is my job, I’m always cycling pieces in and out, so cost per wear looks a little different for me than it does for most people.
I’ve always completed my outfits with a jacket or sweater as a layering piece, which means a lot of my tops and bottoms were plain basics. It’s just too hot and humid here in the summer to layer, but wearing two plain pieces left me feeling drab and frumpy. This year, I purchased several “beyond basic” summer tops that add plenty of visual interest on their own when paired with my summer bottoms. Even though I’ve only added 4 or 5 tops, it feels like my wardrobe has expanded by 10x that. I’ll definitely try to be more intentional about filling my wardrobe gaps when shopping in the future.
That’s so smart to realize that and fix it!
Great post! I’ve never worn my brown bomber either.🙄 I had the black one too but got it returned in time. I kept thinking, I’ll wear the brown one come late summer or fall. Well, chances are that won’t happen. It’s just a strange shape. The bat wing with a cuff and tab button is just too complicated. It looks great on others but for me, it’s not “reach for” piece. Wasted money for sure!
Hm, I do like the styling of it. I just think it seemed a bit heavy for spring. I’m hoping I have a chance to wear it some this fall.
Love these posts! For me I didn’t do much spring/summer shopping for the first time in years (for reasons shared before), but the few tops I got I have been wearing a lot: a white linen embroidered blouse from Boden, a Splendid yellow button-front short-sleeve sweater that you have in black, and two Splendid Kate v-neck tees in gray and navy recommended by you and that I love! For bottoms I regret nothing there either: I bought only one new pair of shorts (Old Navy), a white cotton maxi skirt from Social Threads (from one of your blog posts), two pairs of linen pants (brown from Banana Republic and beige from gap), and a pair of Madewell airy denim jeans recommended by you and love!!
Maybe the theme for me is to buy less going forward because what little I bought I am wearing a lot! No regrets this season.
That’s great!
I love and agree with your closing statement of the best purchase is the one you don’t make when you have similar items and you wear your favorite all the time and don’t wear the other piece. I do that all the time! I really like you best and worst purchases and why.
Same, I’m perfectly happy to repeat the same few favorites over and over. How I ended up doing this job sometimes baffles me, haha!
Oh, I like this type of post. It makes me think I need to get into my closet and do the same. There’s so many things in my closet that I know I only wore one time or not at all yet. We’re in the thick of summer here in Cleveland Ohio. It’s over 90 so I’m not too concerned that I haven’t worn some of my newer items more than once. Like a few others, I’m going to give more thought into what I purchase going forward. I really like quality pieces that will last more than one season.
Thank you for sharing!!
I love chocolate brown–i have a couple of tanks/sleeveless tops–I always feel my best in this color and light grey–they are getting used alot in this very hot midwest summer. I do hope Evereve has some fall options in brown! I like the crew striped sweater here–but I wonder if its itchy and what size you got. Looks like the Darcy dress is out of stock–I do like it–however, like you–I never feel dresses are my thing–seems like I’m always about to wear one and then go to something else! I’d take a cute skirt over a dress, I haven’t really seen any cute summer skirts this year tho.
I bought gold Dolce Vita Dom sandals last fall on “extreme clearance” and saved them for this year, and I absolutely love them–much more than anticipated. Flattering and comfortable.
Also, I recently bought 2 pairs of chino shorts from J Crew Factory, 5″ chambray and 9″ light gray. I love both, and I was surprised bc they were actually just “why not?” purchases but I’ve worn both often.
Love this post! Your suggestion to put return dates on the calendar is terrific—it always frustrates me when I realize I’m not likely to wear something & have missed the return window! I’m trying to be more intentional & shop from a list, rather than buying random items just because I like them. My best purchases so far this spring/summer have been a pair of “nicer” shorts (from Kohls) & a cute skort as an alternative to my standard jean/casual shorts, along with a couple of new dresses. As the summers get hotter, I’m finding dresses are a great option!