Sunday 7 January 2018

Disaster Dresses the 2017 Edition.

I know, I know, no December post from me and this is a bit late as well but I couldn't let my annual disaster round up slide!

Christmas came and went. Himself was at his Dad's and due to engineering works on the trains, didn't get home until about 10pm on the 28th meaning we finally had our Christmas on the 29th. We had breakfast with buck's fizz and I promptly knocked mine over, not only soaking myself but smashing the glass as well *sigh*
Mind you it was a bit of a trend as I spent Christmas Eve at my Mum's and borrowed a spare dressing gown from her which I promptly dropped my toast butter down in the lap of on Christmas morning. So yes Christmas week was mostly about washing dressing gowns for me.

I had given myself the task of sorting through some boxes we haven't opened since we moved and to be fair I did do some, but for some reason I had no oomph, which kind of depressed me until I looked at it from the point of view of who says I can't spend a whole day sitting drinking tea and reading a good book? who says I have to fill every hour with action? It's not like there's a man with a clipboard marking me down for not decluttering. So I had one whole day reading and a couple of afternoons in front of the box watching a good old fashioned murder. Bliss.

Anyway I geuninely didn't think I had made that many disaster purchases this year but as it goes, hahaha I did.

January it was this dress from Joanie. Their sizing is a bit rogue so I sized up. sadly it was just too big and the waistband was pretty much in my armpits so it just looked weird. The quality of the fabric was poor too so all in all a bad buy.
Having said that the book print dress I bought at the same time is great and I wear it a lot.

February I bought a couple of dresses in the tale end of the January sales. In both cases they just didn't fit right somehow, there was loose material in unexpected places. A clear advert for try before you buy and return if you don't.

I mean looking at it above the rose print one even looks hunchbacked on the hanger!

March was this cat print one from Lindybop. Frankly I should have sent it back because it was faulty but I didn't get around to it so I just stuck it in a charity bag.
Another example of if it's not right don't be such a lazy cow, return it! 

I managed not to go astray in April or May but was back on track in

June with this sundress which thankfully was only a charity shop purchase
It was not me and a tad too small so back to the charity shops it went.

July was the month of my mammoth Collectif splurge. You have all heard me rant enough times about their sizing issues and as ever I ordered various dresses in the same size only to have some too big, some spot on, some a snug fit and some that wouldn't even fit over my head!?!
This was of the later variety and was so small it didn't even go near me. *sigh*

Another little break until September when I purchased this Tara Starlet dress on holiday in Bournemouth.
Another dress that I couldn't even get over my head let alone zip up even though it was labelled a size larger than I am. At the moment I'm trying to flog it on Ebay but with no joy. Bah.

The round up closes with November but boy was that a bumper month!!
Firstly all 3 dresses I bought at the vintage fair in Bath.


The green one shrank in the wash and the other two were too small, I really should have tried them on first. Do you see the theme here??
The good old Collectif mentalist sizing meant this dress wouldn't zip up but this one I did actually return on time woohoo.

All year I managed to avoid buying V necklined dresses. I really thought I had finally learnt that lesson but then I bought this dress because I loved the colour and the cute bird print
but of course it just looked weird on me like all V necklines do. This one I didn't return in time but I did manage to sell it on Ebay for the same price I paid for it which was more luck than anything else.

It's interesting that most of my bad purchases in previous years were from Ebay and none of this year's are, in fact I don't think I bought any dresses on Ebay in 2017!

So my dress resolutions for 2018 are;

1)Try before you buy, yes yes, you hate changing rooms, the wrestling out of your layers, the pouting selfie taking teens, the seeing all you bulges and lumps in that unforgiving glare, but it will save you so much money in the long run.

2) If you must buy online try things on as soon as they arrive! Do not leave the parcel sitting there for two weeks only to find when you finally do open it said outfit doesn't fit and it's too late to send it back.

Also

3)If it doesn't fit or look right send it back straight away! Do not delay you know it makes sense.

Finally

4) Remember no matter how much you love the fabric or the print if it has a V neckline it will NOT suit you so step away.

Now with that in mind do you think this time next year there will be another round up with me lamenting exactly the same things??

You bet ya!

6 comments:

  1. Reading and spilling things on myself are the two things I excel at-sounds like a perfect Christmas. I can't do cap sleeves...hasn't stopped me buying them. Good luck with keeping clear of the v-necks in 2018. Happy New Year.

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  2. Unless it's only a couple of € at Think Twice, and there's a queue at the fitting rooms, I always try things on. At least, two of your disaster dresses ended up with me, so they do not count, do they ;-) Happy New Year! xxx

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  3. If we're at a vintage fair together this year, I will make you try things on - I'll try things on with you if that helps.

    I think you should do a successes post too, because I bet you've got some great WINs too.

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  4. Try things on and/or return immediately!! Same same over here!!!

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  5. How bloody frustrating and annoying for you! I hate buying any clothes on online and the sizing is frequently weird even if I follow their size guide. It's been a long while since I bought anything online in the clothes line for this reason.

    Follow your resolutions and save yourself some money to buy more books!

    There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a day to yourself and spending it reading or watching favourite programmes. We probably all need to do it more often, but life/cooking/washing/caring/working/food shopping etc get in the way!

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  6. We had a smashed glass of bubbly on Christmas day, part of our parquet now christened! I rip packages open straight away, you are very restrained in trying on your purchases. It can be a chore, and a blow to the ego when things look awful I know, but it's like ripping off a plaster. I hope 2018 is a good dress year for you! Xx

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