Impulse Purchases

Posted in Daily Outfits, Fashion.

Confession time – I have a bit of a problem with impulse purchasing. Sometimes, I just can’t help myself. It’s those sneaky baskets near the till, full of ill-fitting socks and useless lint rollers, or the Buy It Now eBay listings for badly-made accessories from Hong Kong. I can pop in to Sainsbury’s for a pint of milk and come out £70 lighter, with a pink casserole dish, eight new towels and a garlic crusher under my arm.

It’s a sickness.

fashion blogger uk uk fashion blog

british fashion blog
Maxi skirt, eBay | Tee, c/o Lulu Guinness for Uniqlo | Leather jacket, Michael Kors via TK Maxx | Sandals, c/o Sarenza | Ring, Miss Selfridge | Lipstick, Idol by Topshop

This black maxi skirt is a classic example of an impulse purchase. I was browsing eBay for some crafty supplies when a misplaced click took me to this listing. After umming and aahhing about the colour for longer than was necessary, I eventually opted for one black and one mint green then promptly forgot all about it.

When the package popped through my door earlier this week, I pulled out two very crumpled, very cheap-looking skirts and mentally assigned them to my ‘useless impulse purchases’ pile. But a quick once-over with the iron and some waistband-folding-under later and I actually really like this skirt. It’s easy to wear, goes with my entire wardrobe and is comfy for a day spent sitting at my desk. And for £7.49 including delivery, I think I might buy a few more! So maybe some impulse purchases do work out okay in the end…

Are you an impulse shopper? What have you bought in the spur of the moment then instantly regretted?

38 Comments

Emily Alice

I bought this exact skirt on an impulse too! I’ve tried it on once and didn’t like the waistband so dismissed it but maybe I could try some waistband folding too!

Reply
Jen

Yes, fold it under! I actually cut mine right down the band as well so it was a looser fit, then folder under and belted. Much more flattering 🙂

Reply
Lauren Canning

I recently bought the mother of all impulse buys on Ebay – a huge pink tulle knee length skirt. What on earth am I going to wear this for? When does an event require a pink tulle skirt? Am I still 6 yrs old?!

That’s £12 I’ll never see again!

Lauren
http://www.thestyletag.com | @thestyletag

Reply
lady liquor vintage.

The skirt is gorgeous, and I love the jacket too!

I sometimes wish I could be more like you.. After years of pretty much only shopping at charity shops or on ebay, I find it so hard to buy anything more than a tenner without giving it a weeks thought before hand! I just feel guilty buying anything! XO.

Reply
Katiecakes

Useless lint rollers?! Aren’t you a cat owner? This should be a holy grail in your home. I’d look like a hairy bag lady without mine.

Katie xoxo

Reply
Jen

Only useless because I already have about 10, most unused, in all manner of different patterns and colours! I just keep buying them!

Reply
LilyLipstick

I am such an impulse shopper! I have a lot of shoe regrets that seemed like a good idea at the time but are actually so uncomfortable I cannot bear to wear them. I love this skirt, such a bargain and it looks fab on you. x

Reply
Chloe Verde

the skirt is really really nice!! and you cant go wrong for less than £10, right?

i’m the opposite of an impulse buyer, i see loads of amazing things, and just cant commit because i’m very, very indecisive. Then i regret it later, sigh!

Chloe x

Reply
Milly

I’m an awful impulse buyer, the bits and pieces around the tills will be the death of my bank account! I’m also very guilty of buying the Ebay accessories, they’re just so cheap!

Reply
Rachael Marian

This outfit is so flattering, I absolutely love it! I have a serious weakness for buying dresses that I never have the opportunity to wear from the Warehouse sale.. But biggest impulse purchase was a Hasselblad camera, also on eBay.. It had one minute remaining and I out-bid everyone in the last 12 seconds!

Reply
Mat

i’m not at all, i’m so considered and some times just too much. i’ll see something, try it on, fiddle about with it, go for a coffee or even home to think about it.

Reply
Gemma Satire

Such thrifty impulse buys! A girl can’t blame you for buying some! Such a lovely classic skirt. And I know what you mean…if a piece of clothing is in the sale or there is a special offer on a pair of sunglasses by the till I will suddenly get dead infatuated and probably buy them straight away!

Gemma x

http://www.gemmasatire.blogspot.co.uk

Reply
Emsipop

Aw this post made me laugh! Love the skirt. I bought a monochrome dress on eBay the other day completely on impulse – I found it by accident and it had 18mins left on the auction! Fortunately it’s come and I love it =)
xx

Reply
Gem

I always buy things on ebay, mainly jewellery. I’m trying to plan things a little more now and make sure that it will match things I already have. You really can’t go wrong with a plain black skirt though xx

Reply
Hannindrome

Yes, I’m a massive impulse buyer but usually I’ll think about it after and if I’m not bothered about it, I’ll just take it back. I have a question, is the mint skirt see through at all? It looks lovely but I wouldn’t want to be investing in a slip (eugh granny word) too. Hannah x

Reply
Jen

I haven’t worn the mint green skirt yet but like the black version it has a thick polyester slip attached which I’m pretty sure will be totally opaque and not at all see-through. And the slip is long enough to cover my bum too – I have another skirt which has a very short slip underneath! It comes down to below my knees 🙂

Reply
Finance For Girls

I am not an impulse buyer and therefore I hold many regrets of things I wish I had bought on impulse. I am still haunted by a £20 Warehouse jumpsuit from four years ago 🙁

Reply
Emily

Oh oh oh I’ve been tempted to buy this skirt for ages now but was worried it would be crap, but it looks lovely on you!

I used to be a total impulse buyer – hence why I now have a house full of clothes that I don’t even like – but now I’m the opposite. I dither over buying anything and I have become that person who walks round a shop 12 times fretting about spending £8 on a tshirt or something equally inconsequential.

Reply
Anonymous

I am the exact same when it comes to ebay, in fact it was only yesterday i made another impulse buy! As you put in your post cheap Hong Kong jewellery i had just received some and had totally forgotten about it and made my way to ebay to leave feedback but suddenly i saw an auction that had 2mins to go and suddenly in the mail is another vintage camera. I need to go to ebay anonymous!

Reply
Kelly

Total impulse buyer when it comes to online shopping, however I’ve got another bad habit when it comes to high street shopping. The pick and drop.
Spend hours walking round picking loads up, then slowly drop stuff, talking myself out of it. That’s bills for you. 🙂
xx

Reply
taffetaramblings

I am an impulse purchaser too but I normally find it works out ok. I would in some ways rather that than the pangs if regret at not buying something that I loved…alas this isn’t so good for my budget attempts. great skirt & it looks like it will go with everything. xxx

Reply
Laila

I love the skirt! I’m not much of an impulse buyer – apart from when it comes to charity shop pound rails. Only problem is I visit them at least twice a week!

Reply
Notting Hill Girl

Anything high street normally ends up an impulse purchase for me that either ends up on ebay or at the charity shop…I’m trying hard to stick to my ‘less is more’ theory and spend more on purchases that I really love. I really love your leather jacket btw! De x

Reply
charlienin

My last impulse buy was on Friday night – a vintage armchair from eBay! I instantly regretted it but when I picked it up yesterday I completely fell in love. I’ll be blogging about it soon!

Shopped and Dropped

Reply
Blue Belle

Hi Jen,
I am a chronic impulse purchaser also… I’m wondering, how do you justify the expense of these items? I feel chronically guilty…

Blue Belle

Reply

Leave a comment