Spinoff: What are you NEVER in the mood to buy?

Spinning off of Una's post on what you always love to buy: what are those things you can barely force yourself to buy, even if you desperately need them?

Me, I really really really hate buying underwear. There, I've said it. I wait and wait and then buy a huge, hulking, bulk utilitarian stack of them to replace the whole lot at once. I simply cannot be bothered with clothing not visible to the public. 

I also hate buying basics. They are the hardest thing to source for me, because without all the bells & whistles, they have to hide all my flaws and keep me comfy with very little to go on. PLUS they are so dang boring to look at. I only force myself to find them after the discomfort of going without reaches critical mass. 

Warm weather clothing. Makes no sense living where I do, but summer clothing bores me to tears, and I take it as a personal affront that my body instantly becomes my main accessory. I am hardly willing to part with any moolah for summer wear... in the land of endless summer. o_0

Over to you - what do you procrastinate on buying?

This post is also published in the youlookfab forum. You can read and reply to it in either place. All replies will appear in both places.

74 Comments

  • qfbrenda replied 10 years ago

    Bras.  I hate shopping for them with the fire of a thousand suns. 

  • Deborah replied 10 years ago

    Bras! I am large busted and struggle to get a fit AND SHAPE I want:).

  • deb replied 10 years ago

    Bras and underwear.

  • Lucy replied 10 years ago

    I hate buying jeans - I always have to try on a billion pairs! 

    But my best jeans experience was recently when I went to the Levi's store with my hubby, to get his jeans. While he was in the changeroom I was just browsing about, and the shop assistant came up to me and handed me three pairs of jeans, saying "You should try on these". I was a bit surprised, but I did, and guess what? I bought two of the three! 

  • Jeanie replied 10 years ago

    Swimsuits..ughh!  I think you kinda summed it up when you said "I take it as a personal affront that my body instantly becomes my main accessory".   Looking at all that not as toned as I was hoping body in the dressing room 3-way mirrors after a long winter is quite frankly shocking!

  • Ingunn replied 10 years ago

    Practical raincoats and wellies.

  • Caro in Oz replied 10 years ago

    Joining you lamenting having to buy summer clothes. Though I think I have done better this year, time will tell :)  Strangely enough, given my large bust & body shape, I don't mind buying bras & swim wear -  never said this was logical.

  • CocoLion replied 10 years ago

    I actually enjoy buying bras, socks and underwear.

    But I hate buying swimwear, so basically, I don't.  My swimsuit is ancient and it's from Marshall's so it was cheap.  I'm fine with that.  When I was in my 20s swimwear was really important to me.  Not anymore.

    I also dislike shopping for sleeveless tops because they always show my bra.Not necessarily the strap, but the part near my underarm.  Armhole openings are 90% of the time too big on me.  If the armhole fits then the bust is too tight.

    I think I should officially throw in the towel on sleeveless tops.  

  • dlb1960 replied 10 years ago

    Groceries! Lol!

  • gryffin replied 10 years ago

    Bras...I am very petite and they are expensive and never comfortable.  Swimwear, everything has underwire or it has cups that double as flotation devices or the fabric is too thin - hello headlights.  Nodding with Caro, don't like buying summer clothes but then I roast.  I think that's the most hated list.  Dress pants and formal wear next but hate that less.  If I could walk around in boots and a potato sack with leggings (okay toss in a nice blazer) I could die happy!!

  • ManidipaM replied 10 years ago

    Bras and swimwear.

    Non-jeans pants keep disappointing.

    Socks and tights. Gloves. Caps. I feel guilty (short winter). But am always cold.

    Raincoats and wellies or other seriously waterproof boots. Either ghastly to look at or else impossible to find and thus expensive.

    Rain-friendly tops. You have to be hot enough to melt into a puddle to stay dry and decent apparently.

    Summer tops... most everything feels too much (colour, embellishment...designers tend to go seriously perky in summer and i prefer minimal fuss because i am melting) and the rest is too sheer/skimpy. I end up with t-shirts... and then get bored to tears.

  • Joyce B replied 10 years ago

    Bras. It's hard to find the right one and even the best one is not 100% right.

  • April replied 10 years ago

    I was going to say definitely underwear and then CocoLion reminded me how much I hate buying swimsuits.  So much so that I often don't own even one.

    But the underwear thing is serious since it can't be avoided.  I want all cotton and I want it to be invisible under clothing but not a thong -- good luck with finding those two (three) things in one pair of panties.

  • ironkurtin replied 10 years ago

    Car repairs.

  • Aquamarine replied 10 years ago

    Another vote for swimwear. That's why my bathing suit is 10 years old...

  • Aubergine replied 10 years ago

    Jeans. Bras. Winter coats. Running shoes. I'd hate buying swimwear if I couldn't order it online.

    I think I'm the only one who loves buying summer clothes.

  • Parsley replied 10 years ago

    For me it's pants. It's just so darn hard to get them to fit. I haven't got much of a waist, and I've got high shelf hips and very slim lower hips and thighs, so pants always fit like jodhpurs on me. I've resigned myself to always having them altered, but trying them on is still frustrating and makes me feel like a freak. For some reason jeans aren't as much of a problem, although skinny jeans often end up fitting kind of like boyfriend jeans on me.

    It's funny, because I'm perfectly happy buying swimwear, bras, and most of the other things most people hate.

  • Lisa replied 10 years ago

    Swimsuits, skirts, dresses, and work trousers.  My hardest to fit items.  I currently don't even own any skirts. :)

  • Windchime replied 10 years ago

    Socks and stockings because I never have an accurate count of what I have and what I need. I get the stockings I need and then a couple of them run. To inventory socks, every piece of laundry has to be washed, folded, and put away, or I'll overlook a pair. And then the washing machine swallows them, and I end up with single socks and don't know if I should replace or hope the other one shows up. So much hassle for such small items!

  • replied 10 years ago

    Another vote for bras! Knickers are a close second.

  • Beth replied 10 years ago

    LOL. Check out my response on Una's thread. Like you, I really don't like buying warm weather clothes. There's no real reason, I just don't love them the way I love winter wear. Leather and wool will always hold my heart in a way that linen and cotton make me yawn.

    Other than that, I don't like spending money on sleepwear or underwear. With a finite budget, I'd rather spend money where I can see it.

    Outside of clothes, buying tires and heating oil make me cranky. So expensive with nothing to show for it. Grr. :P

  • merwoman replied 10 years ago

    hmm...formal/party wear. I have very few occasions to wear a dressy ensemble so I agonize over the decision, and the searching, and on spending money on something that will get little use.  I am hoping to find a fabulous tuxedo jacket and dressy pants that will fill this need....

  • Von replied 10 years ago

    At one time in my life, I counted that I had about 30 pairs of jeans, I LOVED jeans with a passion. These days, when I say "I need jeans" that means I need a full day of shopping with the possible outcome of 1 pair of jeans that fit my needs (dressy, bootcut, dark, not too tight or whatever).  Last Saturday I went out searching and came up blank.  I loathe denim shopping, but still love a great pair of jeans.  The closest I came to a good pair was at Gap (surprise of all surprises!), but they had a lot of spandex and the pair that felt great in the store was sure to fall off in an hour.  The pair that was sized down, wasn't as comfy and I had my doubts.  So, after hours of shopping and refusing to compromise on what should be an easy buy....I left with no jeans.

  • lyn67 replied 10 years ago

    Button downs...Oh why don't they love me???-so I hate them too(on me, only).

  • Thistle replied 10 years ago

    Bras.
    Jeans.
    Swimsuits.

    I have given up completely on button downs.

  • Isabel replied 10 years ago

    Underwear and swimsuits for me too. Especially since I gained all the weight. I used to be able to eyeball something and tell whether or not it would work. Now my body just punks me all the time .  : ) 

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    Basics. That has always been true. I think some of my first posts were about this problem. I have since learned that I don't really need many basics - I need under layers and statement pieces.

    Button-downs.
    Pumps.
    Scarves.
    T shirts.
    Swimsuits.
    Cardigans.

  • replied 10 years ago

    The one that gets me, consistently, is pants. I have thick thighs (it doesn't matter whether I'm at my thinnest or my heaviest) and it's hard to find things that have enough curve in the thigh area to fit properly. The proliferation of straight-leg pants in the last few years has been the bane of my existence. If I size up, then they are completely wonky in another way.

    I also dread shopping for special occasion dresses. Even the cheap ones are expensive for something that hardly gets worn and so many "fancy dresses" are just not my style, at all. I'm quite happy I'm past the stage in my life when I attended weddings every weekend.

    I don't love shopping for swimwear, but I suck it up and do it several times a year because swimming is one of my favorite activities. I don't own many pretty lounge-y suits, though, which isn't a problem until I go on vacation and want to break out of my usual sporty stuff.

  • Suz replied 10 years ago

    Swimwear. (shudder)  I tend to do it online in a hurry. And never mind if it isn't great -- it's just for swimming. If I were going to take a beach vacation I'd be in serious trouble. 

    I used to procrastinate on shopping for bras and undies, too -- but now I simply do it once a year. I think Angie sets a similar schedule. I examine the bras -- which need replacing or updating, and do I need a new style? And obviously I keep those that are still good. And same for undies. I actually get a long period of wear from those for some reason -- maybe because I have quite a few pair. 

  • Joy replied 10 years ago

    Swimwear! I'm not fond of shopping for hot weather items in general. Too much exposure.

  • Janet replied 10 years ago

    I have to psych myself up for underwear and bra shopping. I'm glad I am pretty well stocked up right now.

    Ugh, ditto to that for swimsuit shopping. I've found the secret is to go swimsuit shopping immediately *after* a beach vacation, when you're already accustomed to seeing yourself in very little clothing, and with a bit of a tan.

    I find it boring to shop for socks because it's become such a utilitarian consideration. Last night I actually bought some new socks at Nordstrom (the Angie-recommended ones) because the socks I was wearing were slipping down into the foot of my boots. I literally took my old socks off in a dressing room and put on the new ones -- the old ones went in the trash!

    Jean and pants shopping is always an exercise in frustration for me, for exactly the opposite reasons Parsley mentioned. I would actually love to have the experience, just for a day, of pants that hang unimpeded by my hips and thighs. I really have to force myself to try on pants because I'm rarely hopeful they will look good AND be long enough.

    Oh, and I'm rarely in the mood to grocery shop either! Funny because I love to eat. :-D

  • Mo replied 10 years ago

    I didn't think I'd have as much company in the bra shopping!  It's not that I hate buying them, it's that they never ever ever ever fit.  For 30 years now I've never had just the right fit.  THAT I hate.  I'm returning a Simone Perele today that is just a bit off, as are all.  I might go back to buying 32's and cutting and sewing the bands myself.  

  • Angie replied 10 years ago

    Gosh. I love buying bras and knickers. They're so pretty. 

    I don't hate buying anything, actually. 

  • Parsley replied 10 years ago

    Janet, I'd trade you issues for a day! The grass is always greener!

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    Parsley, me too!  I had so much fun shopping for my pretty pear friend, making her try on everything I can't wear...

  • Aziraphale replied 10 years ago

    Towels. I finally asked for some for Christmas.  :-)

  • Janet replied 10 years ago

    LOL at Elisabeth!

    I found the holy grail of towels we love -- Restoration Hardware. I'm slowly replacing all the towels in the house with RH towels, and relegating the old ones to "dog towel" status.

  • retailgirl replied 10 years ago

    Swimsuits are the worst. You know, I am in retail and have been for a long time. I've sold swimsuits and I have never understood why a customer balks at price when a suit looks good on her. I think a flattering suit is worth any price! Well, within reason. But if the difference is $10 or $20, buy the one that looks good! Customers are weird about price with coats, too. They'll spend hundreds on random sweaters, jackets, what have you but not want to spend $200 or more on a winter coat that will be worn every day for several years, at least. That's what makes my business interesting! It's all about people and products.

  • Aleta replied 10 years ago

    Jeans!! you always have to take two sizes in each style into the changing room and you still cannot find one that fits.  Too tight on the thighs, wrinkling on the thighs, bagging in the waist, muffin top, the list of faults seems endless.

  • Liz A. replied 10 years ago

    Works clothes ugh!!

  • rae replied 10 years ago

    Looks like I have plenty of company on Team Unshoppable Unmentionables! 

    Angie, if pretty underthings worked for me, that might make it more fun. But with all the lightweight, thin tees and such that come round in the summer, I have to have stuff in nude that disappears under clothing... not even texture works as embellishment. 

    Oh yes, forgot swimwear... I don't mind buying that since I have always found lots of closeout swimwear at the flea market. I don't get to try it on, but I swim so little that I don't care. 

    I hear you on jeans and pants, ladies! For me, though, even examining the fits and washes is fun. :)

    Interesting that some of you hate shopping for winter gear... I can't stop, and we barely have winter. o_0

  • milehighstyle (Linda) replied 10 years ago

    I guess workout clothing, which probably gets more use than anything else in my wardrobe. But it's so hard for me to find the perfect running shorts - I'm very picky about the material, length, and they can't have that mesh inner panty. I wear the ones I have year after year after year. And replacing running shoes - important, yes - but I already have them and I could buy this other pair of shoes that I don't have!

  • Alassë replied 10 years ago

    I second Mo -"It's not that I hate buying them, it's that they never ever ever ever fit." Hence I'm in bra camp.

  • Keix replied 10 years ago

    Like April, I need all-cotton non-thong underwear that stays invisible--and preferably in black or nude. Seems like all the high-tech undies are made from microfiber or nylon, which just doesn't work for me even if the gusset is cotton.

    However, I also hate shopping for... shoes! Yes, really. I love how different shoes can change up an outfit, but I wish they would just magically appear in my closet and fit me perfectly. I wear an unusual size and have fussy feet, so shoe shopping is an exercise in frustration. Last year I spent 6 months shopping (though not intently) for black dress heels, and I ended up buying a pair at full price one week before my event. They're pretty but not especially comfortable, a little tight in the toe box--and I bought them from Clarks, which is a comfort brand! Sigh.

  • Dee replied 10 years ago

    Shoes! I have foot issues that puts 90% of shoes, including anything with a heel above half an inch, out of the realm of possibility. I always freak out before nice events because I have planned the perfect outfit but no shoes to go with it.

  • rae replied 10 years ago

    So interesting how most of the replies revolve around fit issues! Are there also things you simply have no interest in?

  • TraceyLiz65 replied 10 years ago

    Swimwear is the most agonzing thing to buy in my book! Put it off until i have to!

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    Well I listed mine, but many other things I have no interest in or struggle with are also items I don't need (all summer wear, open toed shoes). Happy coincidence or sour grapes? I don't know.

  • karymk replied 10 years ago

    bras swimwear and jeans.  

  • milehighstyle (Linda) replied 10 years ago

    I don't really have much interest in swimwear. Or swimming. I really only use it in hotel pools on vacations and sometimes the hotel pools are outside only and it has to be really really warm for me to swim outdoors. Most of the time I'm too worried about ruining my hair color in the pool and just skip it.

  • Gigi replied 10 years ago

    Bras and socks. Not that I don't like the idea of buying a pretty bra, but it's next to impossible to find one that fits my petite frame. And with socks, I refuse to wear socks with polyester in them or that are made with lots of synthetics as opposed to cotton. I swear, someone is trying to put the cotton growers out of business! And I have a smaller foot, so the regular-size socks get bunched up in my shoe because they're too big.

    Time to go. All this talk about socks has my blood boiling!

  • lyn* replied 10 years ago

    I hate shoe shopping. Very frustrating.

  • Angie replied 10 years ago

    I hear you, Rae. Nude undies aren't as fun. I wear lots of lace though, and I always a cotton cami over my undies. That prevents texture from showing through. 

  • Laura (rhubarbgirl) replied 10 years ago

    I don't have interest in swimwear either. I think I still own a tank which is probably too big now, but I haven't worn it in a couple years. I never swim when I'm at home and we tend to vacation in places that aren't the sit around the pool/beach style anyway.

    I dislike buying panties because I've worn the same style/brand for going on ten years now. Every time I try a different style it doesn't work for me and I end up feeling like I've wasted my time and money. In person shoe shopping can be frustrating and take a long time, especially if you need something urgently and it's just not findable. Thank god for the Internet. I resent having to pay so much money on boots.

    As I said in the other thread, I've resigned myself to having to try on lots of pants and don't mind it now. It helps that I've gotten better at knowing what brands and cuts are likely to work for me.

  • maryjayne replied 10 years ago

    Another vote for swimwear. After discovering that Tommy Bahama brand swimwear usually fits me well I have become quite brand loyal. I just buy variations on the same one-piece V neck theme online when necessary. Not creative-- but this approach has certainly reduced my stress level when shopping for swimwear. I prefer to save my energy for endeavors that I truly enjoy --shopping for shoes, handbags and jackets!

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    So I detest swimwear, but I ADORE swimming.  If I lived by the beach, I would definitely be a surfer!  I can't get enough of riding waves!

  • replied 10 years ago

    I hate hate shopping for bras! I've always had a hard time with fit and after nursing two kids the whole situation is just sad. I get drawn in with all the pretty brad butthey rarely fit, so disappointing.

  • Summer replied 10 years ago

    Things that are a hard fit for me since it means hitting several stores and lots of trying on (and typically I've waited til there's a dire need!)...pants, bras, shoes are all tricky for me.

  • cuffcat replied 10 years ago

    Swimwear.  But, I will have to try Maryjayne's suggestion.  What a great idea!  Thank you for sharing.

  • Tina replied 10 years ago

    Bras by about a million votes. I have literally spent hours trying on all sizes, styles and price ranges- the ones I settled on were the size I usually wear but they don't fit perfectly. I did go into a specialty store and there they were, bras in my size in plain view and ... more than 1! But, they were 120.00 each:-( Really?! Maybe I'm just too cheap and behind the times. Is a C30 or C32 too much to ask for in a more mainstream, affordable brand?
    End of rant.

  • replied 10 years ago

    Bras and swimwear, no doubt!

  • minimalist replied 10 years ago

    Bras and underwear, purely for logistics reasons. I'm lucky to have found a brand and series that works. But tracking down all the pieces and getting them shipped to the U.S. takes a lot of time and attention. My Belgian pusher can supply most items, but manages to jinx every shipment. Hip-briefs I ordered in March arrived in September; fortunately, the bras in that set were still going strong.

    Each season, I choose a line and color from which I buy two different bras (one moulded/t-shirt style and one unlined with seamed cups) and six bottoms (a mix of hip-brief, short/hotpant and thong). That's where the major, major annoyance comes in: it's become nearly impossible to find all of these items from one shop or on-line supplier.

    I used to actively support B&M stores with my underwear purchases, because the proprietors helped so much with fittings. But a few years ago, the manufacturer changed its inventory policy (or whatever it's called in the fashion world), no longer allowing shops to return unsold items. So boutique owners stock limited sizes and colors. Worse, many proprietors and SAs push items that don't fit perfectly, and even suggest "coordinating" bottoms from other lines. With a straight face. Ugh.

    Undergarments is the *one* category I never mind spending money on. I wear it for more hours each day than any other item of clothing, it affects the fit of anything I put over it, and I feel the fabric against my skin, my very own skin. Whatever shape my body is in, putting on nice underwear sets (or undressing to find them) makes me feel fantastic. Hard to imagine how so many women so easily compromise in these areas (perhaps without experiencing it?), but to each her own.

    Oh, and for another reason: the unpredictability of color options, specifically reds. For a few years, they were too orange or too burgundy. This year, finally a pure red ...but look at the pattern:
    http://www.lace-lingerie.com/c.....es=so_chic
    Not a motif I need on my undergarments, when there's already a live one running my life!

  • Karie replied 10 years ago

    Swimwear and dress pants. Dress pants never fit me correctly, and the ones that do are always too short. Very frustrating!

  • Elly replied 10 years ago

    I'm not a big accesory shopper-- either I have no idea what I like or what I would do with it, or I have something in my mind and can't find what I want. Usually my happiest purchases are gifts or things I stumble across.

    I have problems fitting pumps and flats and don't own either, which is problematic since you can't wear open toe footwear, sneakers, and boots everywhere. Pumps cause issues when I need to wear a dress or skirt in a non-boot/bootie appropriate situation . . . as for flats, in the summer I crave a closed shoe with an open vamp, but no luck. Part of it is that my toes are very long and I have one that starts very far back on one foot because of contracture from an old injury.

    Jeans-- because of length issues-- so many brands don't come in long enough lengths except in one basic bootcut style. I want straights and BFs that are long enough . . . in different fits and washes and in premium and non-premium options. I end up wearing a lot of basic bootcuts.

    Similarly, I often have issues finding sleeves long enough --- I NEED AND LOVE LONG SLEEVES! I shouldn't have to layer everything over a proper-length L/S tee. There are pitfalls to being almost 5'9" with even longer arms and legs. Plus, I don't even look particularly tall because I'm proportionately curvy.

    Right now I'm battle some IT blues . . . but I also have a very curvy rear and thighs. It is very easy to look unbalanced either way, amd conventional wisdom doesn't necessarily apply (i.e. ITs should show of great legs).

    I also HATE paying for prescription medication, basic non-luxury toiletries, vitamins, etc.

    Unlike most ladies I enjoy shopping for utilitarian items, basic tees, bras, undies, socks, swimwear, and gear. I love my gear! And PJs/Loungewear--- all feel like special treats, and most don't break the bank (with the exception of bras) so my inner tightwad is happy.

  • Gaylene replied 10 years ago

    Dresses and dressy shoes. I always think I ought to have one such outfit as a stand-by, although for what occasion I don't know. My eyes glaze over as soon as I hit the dress department because most look ugly to me. Same goes for dress shoes. Just not interested.

  • miburin replied 10 years ago

    Bras and jeans for me too. It's so hard to get a good fit in either.

  • Kristin L replied 10 years ago

    Like a lot of people have said, I hate buying swimwear. I will try to wear a suit into the ground before I buy another. 

  • MsMary replied 10 years ago

    I have zero interest in swimwear.  I don't use the pool at the Bachlorette Pad, I generally only get as far as the tiki bar at the beach, and bottom line is I wear swimwear maybe once a year.  Maybe.  I have one suit I got from Lands End a few years ago and although it isn't setting the world on fire, it is good enough to keep me from shopping for anything new!

    Gymwear is also challenging because I hate to spend the money, but I think I have gotten over that this week.  I bought a pair of Athleta capris and oh my goodness gracious they are so so so much nicer than my usual on-clearance-at-Target gear!!  Who know my booty could look like that?  ;)  So I decided to bite the bullet and stock up -- after all, I'm in the gym almost every day and it makes sense to wear something that makes me feel great, right?

  • Neel replied 10 years ago

    I hate spending on and shopping for lounge wear! I hope no one catches me unawares in my *lounge wear* :D

  • Greyscale replied 10 years ago

    All the bra shopping frustration makes me hopeful that my friend's new bra store in Oakland will do well. She's going to carry a really wide size range. I'm going to check it out as soon as she opens this spring. I'll let YLF know how it goes, in case any bay area people are interested. 

  • Marley replied 10 years ago

    I honestly can't think of a darn thing that I don't like buying! Everything feels like a "treat" to me. Love that!

  • catgirl replied 10 years ago

    MaryK, you have a POOL? And a tiki bar?

    *packs bag*

  • rae replied 10 years ago

    *Girls' weekend at Mary's!*

  • Halo replied 10 years ago

    I find it really hard to buy trousers long enough and in the style I want (I'm only 5'6" but they seem to be short as standard in Britain!)

    And I hate buying summer clothes, I never feel quite right in them and summer here tends to be a few sporadic days of very hot then back to cool and drizzly.

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