Investment or impulse? Six fashion people share the purchase they wasted money on
AS TOLD TO FASHION JOURNAL
“I ended up purchasing the item and turns out it was a scam.”
There are a couple of fashion purchases I’ve made that make me feel sick thinking back on. They’re tucked away in my wardrobe – some I’ve decided are investment items, others I’d rather not remember.
One piece is the beautiful, designer dress that I bought for a wedding last year. It’s a strapless style and I spent far more on it than I had any right to. It was a last-minute panic buy. After a night of dancing barefoot, I took stock of the dress the next day and noticed the hem was ruined. I shouldn’t have bought it from the start, after all, where else was I going to wear it? The post-event regret was high.
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We’re all guilty of falling into this trap; of splurging on something, only to question months later whether it was worth it. From impulse purchases to wedding dresses that didn’t make it out of the dry cleaner unscathed, it happens to the best of us.
Writer, Bianca O’Neil, tends to measure her purchases through a ‘cost per wear’ calculation. If it’s something you’ve gotten plenty of wear out of, then the rule of thumb is that it was probably worth it. If not… then let it serve as a reminder for the next time you’re tempted to hit ‘checkout’. Below, six fashion people reveal the pieces they wasted money on.
Christine Lafian, owner and director of Suku Home
The most regrettable fashion purchase I ever made was my wedding dress. I bought a secondhand Marchesa gown from a shop in New York – you can Google the ‘Eva Longoria Marchesa Purple Gown,’ to get an idea, but in white. It was my dream dress and I spent quite a bit to get it shipped to me and altered to fit my size.
Unfortunately, it turned out to be a waste because I only got to wear it once for half a day. The next day, it was ruined by a local dry cleaner in Indonesia. My mum insisted on taking it to a ‘trustworthy’ dry cleaner in my hometown and although I knew the delicate pleating required a specialist, I didn’t want to argue with her at the time. As I feared, the dress came back completely flat, with all the pleats ruined.
To this day, I regret it deeply. Not only because of the money I spent but also because of the time and energy I poured into making it my dream wedding dress. I’m not sure what happened to it after that but I think my mum ended up donating it.
Bianca O’Neil, writer
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A while back I was having a great year as a freelancer, so I invested in a very expensive vintage designer bag. I think I’ve worn it three times in about seven years, so in terms of cost per wear, it’s at an appalling $1,800 (per wear). I’ve thought about selling it but my only saving grace is that it’s a Chanel flap that has greatly increased in price over the years, meaning it’s worth almost double what it was when I bought it. I try to convince myself regularly that it was an investment purchase.
Erik Yvon, designer
I had been eyeing off a Marc Jacobs piece for quite a while. Unfortunately, the item was sold out since Kim Kardashian was featured as the campaign lead wearing the piece. I refused to be defeated and kept digging and googling all avenues for weeks until I landed on a website that stocked them. I ended up purchasing the item and turns out it was a scam. I never received the piece.
Monique Thomas, director and founder of Goodbyes
My piece is an Aimé Leon Dore large brown leather tote I picked up at their London store. I was drawn in by the hype, the opulent decor and the decadent refuge it offered from the torrential London rain. Far removed from my usual shopping environment, I walked out with a bag I didn’t need.
It’s plain, inoffensive and functional, but something about it doesn’t feel right. If I’d taken a little more time, I wouldn’t have bought it. For staple or basic pieces, they have to be perfect, otherwise, I’d much rather choose something secondhand, quirky and unique that’s fun to wear.
Georgina Woolcock, Fashion Journal‘s Branded Content and Production Executive
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With Dion Lee’s recent permanent closure (RIP), I’m sure I’m not the only one who stocked up on pieces before they became too hard to find. There was a particular dress I saw and immediately loved, so decided to purchase it online at a great price. I was devastated when it arrived and didn’t fit like it should and since I purchased it from Ssense, the international return process was too complicated for me to go through.
In hindsight, the colour isn’t particularly flattering on me and it’s not a silhouette I would usually wear, so consider it an impulse purchase. It’s still hanging in my wardrobe with tags attached and there’s a listing on every resale platform, so if you’re in the market for a Dion Lee apron dress, it could be yours.
Carlos Mangubat, stylist
I have too many expensive items that never get used but I just like the idea of owning them. I have a Chanel bag that I’ve worn once since buying it. It was purchased secondhand and can only fit four cards and a lip balm in the bag. Plus, it’s also beige coloured… when I only wear black. I mean?
For more on investment pieces, try this.
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