• About
  • Contact
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Collaborate
  • Nav Social Icons

  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays
  • Courses
  • Binder Kits
  • Media and Press
  • Mobile Menu Widgets

    Connect

    Search

Organized-ish

Organized-ish

Progress > Perfection

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays

10 Clothing Items You Need To Stop Buying

September 14, 2020 · In: Lifestyle, Organize

Learn which 10 clothing and accessory pieces sabotage your wardrobe, plus shopping tips on how to choose outfits realistically.

Is your closet drowning in a bunch of stuff you never wear? Do you find yourself saying “I have nothing to wear” at least once a week? Do you hate going out for Date Night because you think everything you own looks terrible on you?

Girl, the problem isn’t you. It’s your clothes. The things you spend your hard-earned money on are stabbing you right in the back and aren’t serving you, your lifestyle, or your body. Why? Because your closet is full of these 10 things.

small closet organization tips from Lela Burris

10 Items That Sabotage Your Wardrobe

1. Clearance Stuff

Ouch, did that just punch you in the gut? If you’re a clearance-only shopper, this message is for you: Would you buy that same item if it were regular price?  If you wouldn’t, then it should’ve been a hard pass. It was on clearance because no one wanted it enough to take it home…that’s why the store marked it down.

2. Things You Didn’t Try On

You know that day you went straight into the store, bought the exact outfit that was on the mannequin in the window, brought it home, ripped the tags off, and put it on two weeks later for Girl’s Night? And do you remember the feeling you had when you realized it looked way different on the mannequin that it did on you?

PSA Girlfriend, always try stuff on. Nobody wants a shirt with an awkwardly placed flower in a place a flower shouldn’t be. Don’t act like that hasn’t happened to you before.

3. Trendy Items

Sure, Instagram trends are fun. But they’re ridiculously short-lived. Next thing you know you’ve got a closet full of random stuff that was only cool for a week and you’re out $300. Save your money and buy timeless pieces that will outlive every trend to be thrown your way.

4. Bad Quality Pieces

Cheap clothes and accessories look cheap, feel cheap, and wear out quickly. Good quality lasts forever.

5. Things That Don’t Suit Your Lifestyle

If you never go to formal events, you don’t need fancy gowns. If your job is business casual, you don’t need an abundance of dress clothes. And if you never wear blouses, don’t buy one “just in case.” Dress for the life you have, not the life you daydream about.

space saving clothes hangers for small closet

6. Event-Specific Items

Never buy something you only intend to buy once. There are so many companies that allow you to rent an outfit for one-time use, so take advantage of that.

7. Duplicates

Do you really need five black tees? Unless that’s all you wear, then no. Keep a list in your phone of basics you already own and things your wardrobe actually needs. That will help you stay on track when you’re shopping.

8. Costume Jewelry

This is the biggest money waster for women. That cheap $3 pair of earrings isn’t doing you any favors. Instead, invest in three to four timeless, versatile staples and rotate through them. Or become known for always wearing pearls. Having that one defining accessory gives you unique and incredibly sexy character.

9. “Around The House” Clothes

You probably already have your go-to faves, so why go trying to change it up? No matter how many funny graphic tees and yoga pants you buy, you know you’re always going to throw on the old college t-shirt and the oversized sweatpants.

10. Clothes For The “You” You Want To Be

Until you are that person on the inside, you won’t feel comfortable looking that way on the outside. For now, just be who you are. You’ll always feel good about that.

Related Post: Why You Can’t Find Anything To Wear In Your Closet

Need A Wardrobe Detox?

Originally published May 2019. Updated September 2020.

By: Lela Burris · In: Lifestyle, Organize · Tagged: budget, closet, clothing, shopping, wardrobe

you’ll also love

Why You Can’t Find Anything To Wear In Your Closet
modular closets shared closet design by Lela Burris of Organized-ishOur New Semi-Custom Closet from Modular Closets + Discount Code
How To Prepare For A Closet Remodel

Get Blog Posts In Your Inbox

Every Saturday morning I send out a weekly recap of all the new blog posts. Want in?

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Dee says

    September 17, 2020 at 8:48 am

    I became committed to the try it on before buying a few years ago. I was at my local mall on boxing day. One store had cute clothes with a great afterCChristmas discount but thier changing rooms were closed in fact the whole area around the charge rooms was roped off. Including the mirrors. I asked the cashier if the items I was considering were returnable and was told they were. I tried the items on at home and they were really small even more than that the tops were short. Like they were incorrectly sized. I could just squeeze into them but the look was not good. As they had thier after Christmas sale happening, they were not allowing returns until the next week. I returned then with the items in the store bag with the tags on and receipt in hand. I was shocked to be told that the purchases made on boxing day were a final sale – But after complaining to the manager and asking for thier managers contact information, I was told they’d make an exception and give me a store credit only, for the new further reduced price. I tried on the replacement top I was going to get and realized all the stock was cut really really small and literally nothing in left in the store would fit. I ended up giving the store credit to a friend for her 11 yr old.

    Reply
    • Lela Burris says

      September 18, 2020 at 12:56 pm

      Oh man, that stinks! Trying things on at the store is definitely the way to go when you can. I started buying things from Stitchfix so I can try them on at home and send back what I don’t like. If you’re open to having a stylist pick out options for you, I highly recommend that company.

      Reply
  2. Sandra Gandy says

    May 4, 2019 at 7:53 am

    you are so right. I I buy new things thinking that I will wear them, but I always go back to my favorite clothes. I have t shirts that have holes in them, but they are so comfy, and they are my go to clothes around the house..

    Reply
    • Lela Burris says

      May 17, 2019 at 6:54 am

      Definitely! it’s so much easier to have a small wardrobe of things you love than a large collection of things you don’t feel good about.

      Reply

Leave A Comment Cancel reply

Next Post >

DIY Recycle Bin Labels With Cricut

Primary Sidebar

Meet Lela Burris

Meet Lela Burris
hey-o!

My name is Lela, (say it like LEE-luh) and I'm so glad you stopped by my blog! Whether you're into organizing, home improvement, crafts, or you just think my pets are cute, you'll find all kinds of inspo here.

Tell Me More!

Connect

Get VIP Emails

Search

Shop My Planners

printable planners for home organization

Get Organizing Advice

lela burris organiziedish

Follow Along

@lelaburris

Family isn’t defined by dna, it’s built on lov Family isn’t defined by dna, it’s built on love. Happy Father’s Day to the greatest man I know @___inteebe___ ❤️
He met this four year old little dude who was sick on the couch clutching his Lightening McQueen car. Soon after, Noah told me in the car “Mommy let’s stay friends with him, ok?”
So we did. And here we are ten years later. Nothing makes my heart more full than seeing these two together.
…Except when they gang up on me for asking [dumb] questions about superheroes… 😅
Happy Father’s Day Nigel!
Let’s talk about organizing overwhelm. Yep, we a Let’s talk about organizing overwhelm. Yep, we are going there…
As exciting and freeing and calming it is to get a space cleaned up and organized, it’s also stressful and overwhelming and exhausting. Especially when you’re doing big projects.
After three weeks straight of working on my garage, I was reaching the point of burnout. I got behind on other things, I constantly felt like I wasn’t doing enough, and my to-do list kept getting longer.
If you’re feeling this way today, I want you to give yourself permission to do these two things:
1. Take a break. It is ok to pause a project and take some chill time. Log off of social media, stop looking at your list, and just recharge.
2. Remove things from your list. You might have planned a huge project, but after a while you start losing enthusiasm. At that point, let some plans go. Save them for later in the year, or maybe even never. Projects should be flexible, not set in stone.
What’s something on your to-do list you can let go of today to save you time and stress?
#organizingtips #lifeorganized #momquotes #lifequotes #frontporchdecor
New colors, who dis?! 😍 The summer collection o New colors, who dis?! 😍 The summer collection of @organized.ish Printable Binder Kits just dropped and I am OBSESSED with the Cardinal Hill color option.
Check out the new colors, new website, and new planner available (psst: it’s a Garage Cleanup Planner!) at organizedish.com
#organizedishbinderkits #printableplanner #plannercommunity #planneraddict #plannerlove #plannerjunkie #homemanagementbinder
Meet my organizing dream team! [AD] Every organiza Meet my organizing dream team! [AD] Every organization project I do is different, but one thing stays the same...these five tools from @HARTtoolsUSA.
Whether it's a single drawer, a small closet, or a whole garage, these five tools are with me every step of the way. Head over to my blog post to find out how I use them and snag links to my fave go-to's.
#doitwithHART #homeorganization #organizationgoals #organizingtips #organizinghacks #organizationideas

Footer

Browse By Category

  • Organize
  • Projects
  • Lifestyle
  • Crafts
  • Holidays

Get Organized-ish

  • Courses
  • Printable Planners
  • Shop My House
  • Amazon Faves

Blog Info

  • Contact
  • Media and Press
  • Disclosures
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions

Organized-ish LLC © 2022 · Theme by 17th Avenue