I Know Your Fashion Regrets
And now you know that I think Rocky Balboa is fashionable, so I guess we're even.
Hi! Last weekend, I put out a reader survey asking you all a few questions about your most and least regretted recent purchases, media influences, and opinions on current influencer culture, and I loved your answers. You’ll find a selection of them below and everyone who submitted should have already received their one-month comped subscription to Esque (respond to this email if you haven’t)! I was fascinated especially by the instances in which one purchase from a brand was regretted while another wasn’t—consistency seems to be a huge issue especially with DTC, predominantly-online clothing labels these days. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, everyone (mine are down there, too :-))!
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What is the most recent online purchase you DON’T regret?
“I hardly ever buy stuff that’s not made from natural fabrics UNLESS they entail pleating like the above tracksuit—it’s just so versatile, I have been wearing it to Fashion Week shows and it feels like cheating with how comfortable and breezy it is but still looks like a full Outfit, y'know?” - Anon
“I got these when they were on sale even more than they are now (around $60 I believe?) and they’re the only loafers I’ve ever tried that have enough cushioning on the soles to not feel like abject torture. I cannot do the hard-soled GH Bass shit but these look almost as good as those while maintaining an impressive level of squish. And this is coming from someone who can’t walk more than five minutes in most dressy-ish shoes.” - Me
“Oh, my vintage white handmade blouse from Oliba Vintage! Owner is from a village near mine and building a holistic brand based on sustainability, intention, and care for the earth. I’m wearing it rn, I’ve worn it for days—and yes, unfortunately, good marketing really works on me because seeing a brand whose values SO align with my own and the magic she puts into the description of each piece has me a repeat customer (also bought the burgundy corset on their website).” - Isabella
“Chef pants by Meals” - My sister
“Heretic's Voodoo Lily.” - Anon
“Not currently available [in this colorway] but a striped BBP cropped overshirt. The fabric is softer & lighter than most of their stuff and it goes with everything.” - Anon
“I actually learned about Floating World via Esque, and splurged on this clip after seeing them post it on their story! It’s so well-made and gets me tons of compliments.” - Anon
“Pink and Purple Plaid Dress from Depop.” - Anon
“Ecoalf sleeveless black demiturtleneck (?) recycled top.” - Anon
“A bunch of Jungmaven tees.” - Anon
“I’m really picky about pumps—heel height, etc—but these shockingly fit the bill, which is amazing because I REALLY didn’t want to have to return them lol” - Anon
“The matching shirt to the pants I regretted [below]. It’s an insanely cute top! At a somewhat reasonable price! And despite the whole pants being too big debacle I sized up in this and it fits perfectly.” - Sarah Isenberg
What is the most recent online purchase you regret?
“These fuck ass pants that I had been eyeing for a month and then panic purchased at the 11th hour before the tariffs went into effect because they’re a Spanish brand. I bought them as part of a matching set because they were styled and advertised that way (cute) and then when they arrived they were 1. ginormous on me despite being a size SMALL and made from a completely different fabric than the matching shirt (which I also purchased). They are shown on the model as a matching set and you got 10% off your purchase for buying both pieces together so I have NO clue why they would be made from two different fabrics??? Maybe that’s on me for not checking the fabric composition on both pieces, but the largeness of the garment seems like a whole other issue that I couldn’t have accounted for.” - Sarah
“It's half a regret because I might end up loving it in the future, but a white and black Calvin Klein silk scarf that screamed me but is a little too big to be worn cutely around the neck imo. Plus it looks better flat than knotted! 😱 Maybe I'll frame it 😉” - Anon
“Parade underwear.” - Anon
“The natural linen shrank instantly and was unwearable.” - My sister
“Pink Corduroy Big Bud Press Sailor Jacket from Depop.” - Anon
“The pants are fine but I got the wrong size and they’re from Canada so way too $$ to exchange. They also just don’t feel worth the price IMHO” - Anon
“These felt like bricks strapped to the bottom of my feet, absolutely zero give or support. I got them on sale so I had to sell them on Deopop.” - Anon
“Oh def some lingerie from a small fash fashion brand here in Spain. They were doing a crazy 70% liquidation sale so I took a risk and got some products in a momentary lapse of thinking i wanted to try lingerie as outerwear. I only kept two items of the 7 I ordered because of sensory issues and cheap production and the sizing being so restrictive. I think perhaps more than that when i saw the pieces on me i realized the idea I had of myself in them was divorced from my current reality to an extent that made me feel a little borderline dysphoric—I think I'm still learning the ways in which i can interact with cis womanhood in ways that feel clear to my trans masc nonbinary self.” - Isabella
“A pair of Jeanerica shorts.” - Anon
![Alex is 5'8" and wearing XXS Mid-Rise Pleated Trousers in Basic Black paired with a black Cropped Tank](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Oe-m!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F89c3ef36-67f1-46bc-b5bb-6c5211064543_1539x2000.png "Alex is 5'8" and wearing XXS Mid-Rise Pleated Trousers in Basic Black paired with a black Cropped Tank")
“I was seduced by the mid rise and have loved my other BBP trousers, but the sizing on these was insanely off and the sale return policy was horrible, so I ended up having to sell them. Size WAY down on these.” - Me
What is the most recent in-person purchase you DON’T regret?
“This was my birthday present to myself this year and it is probably the palest thing I own right now.” - Sarah
“A nice bra from Tezenis, a store on my main street. I distanced myself from bras because of sensory issues and changes in gender identity and it feels nice to have a well fitting bra (probably some bullshit about the patriarchy and needing my breasts to feel socially acceptable) but also just having a comfy bra to wear around my place when it's hot. Yes I am still of the no bra community and I refuse to wear one under my clothes.” - Isabella
“This is only the millionth time I’ve mentioned this product, I know, but I now own it in three shades and have a backup of the Cherry Cola color, that’s how good this shit is. The price is right, the longevity is impressive, the watery formula is completely comfortable, and the color selections are lovely (I also own Left on Red and sleeper hit Orange Crush).” - Me
“Trader Joe's pumpkin candle lol.” - Anon
What is the most recent in-person purchase you regret?
“I just decided I didn’t like it and could find a better/cheaper blue striped button down elsewhere so I returned it.” - Sarah
“I don’t dislike this piece, but I found an almost-identical pinafore online for like 10% of the cost riiiiight after I took the damn tag off this one.” - Anon [Ed. note - Here’s a cute one for those who can fit into children’s sizing (goes up to Youth 20) that costs about 20 bucks]
“The color and longevity were great—the single time I could wear this before the pen crusted over and became completely unusable.” - Me
What movie, TV show, book, or other piece of media has most inspired your fashion sense lately? Has it led to any specific purchases or returning to items already in your closet?
“Sofia Coppola’s Virgin Suicides costumes are the platonic ideal of the types of dresses I want to wear and have led to several inspired vintage purchases.” - Sarah
“Warren Beatty in Shampoo (1975). Tight jeans with a flashy belt, button-downs, tank tops, and no regrets.” - Anon
“THE BUCCANEERS. I watched it a month ago and I've been obsessed with the wild ways in which those damn American girls inhabit the world. I love the shots of messy undone corsets and free hoop skirts and sitting with your legs open on the grass, just the ideal time period of the 1800s to be this like peak of social etiquette and rules vs these girls deconstructing elegance to include their definition of wildness. It's everything to me.” - Isabella
“Unfortunately, I fell a little too in love with Sylvester Stallone’s ‘fashion’ in the first Rocky—I love the minimal wardrobe, the constant rewearing, the completely styleless layering, the ridiculous caps. I have to say, though, if you spill egg yolk and blood on your shirt, you gotta wash that shit before wearing it to bed, then the next day, and the next day, and…” - Me
“The Bold Type! It has, I bought a billowed shoulders lace black short top because it looked like something Jane would wear (funny because I am usually more high-brow in my refs).” - Anon
“This might sound weird, but I’ve been really inspired by the clothing in the less fantastical Studio Ghibli movies like Whisper of the Heart [Ed. note: my favorite!]—the simple, comfy shapes and modest silhouettes are exactly my vibe for fall.” - Anon
Please share anything you're comfortable with regarding the way you feel about influencers marketing luxury goods in the current economic and political climate.
(All anonymized)
“Part of me feels like they’re just getting their bag and to leave them be and part of me feels it’s really dystopian 🤷♀️”
“I am so bored with 99% of influencers. Being gifted a bunch of stuff doesn’t make a person stylish. The most stylish people have fewer clothes (that get worn on repeat) and weird accessories collected over time, wear pieces with personal meaning, and draw inspiration from unexpected places.”
“Easy answer is fucking tone deaf but expected? I don't hold anyone with a platform to a standard because I know anyone who cultivates a following based off of a brand will ultimately fall short of the platonic ideal of said brand by the very nature of being human. Idk call me a pessimist, maybe I've just been working on one side of the brand interactions with the world as a journalist, but I don't think its natural as a society that there is the concept of people who exist above us, fame is bullshit. So in this marketing of luxury goods when everyone already has a sort of dopamine lack --> higher online spending habits as has happened to me, it feels general sell out vibes and distasteful.”
“Just a blatant cash grab I think. Especially when you see like ten of the same people posting about the same thing/brand.”
“I think it can be angering—I appreciate an occasional luxury good if it’s super well-loved by the recommender but too much is not relatable and boring.”
“I mostly ignore any influencers who are marketing anything new. As a plus size person, luxury clothing doesn't come in my size so I'm never tempted. I almost exclusively shop second hand and if I do buy new I have just a few repeat places I shop for specific items like tights or basic tank tops. Second hand shopping is just more interesting.”
“On one hand it feels very out of touch and worse case scenario is putting people deeper in debt and wrecking mental health perpetuating a false sense of happiness/fulfillment. But I also understand the world we live in and all have to survive in! I try my best to always remember I don't know everyone's story, and if I really am rubbed the wrong way by any internet presence or feel things I see are against my values, I choose to just steer clear. I really try to put my energy into my community and into other ways I feel directly help - rather than chew out a stranger on the internet.”
Thanks again for being part of this roundup, and if you’re reading this, I hope you don’t get raptured today so you can party on with the rest of us heathens tomorrow.
<3 ESK
This was such a fun read! I bought Parade underwear five years ago and still regret it...
fascinating OF COURSE