It’s been a while since I put together one of these not-buying posts. It’s good to praise items that work in our wardrobes. But let’s also talk about when we don’t buy things — especially when the price is tempting. Just because the price is right doesn’t mean you should buy it!
In striving to shop more mindfully, I’m also trying to avoid making returns. After all, returning stuff takes resources (my time, plus fuel and labor to process the return — if the brand even processes returns instead of trashing them). Sure, buying things online is often a crapshoot, but sometimes there are clues to whether something might work or not. Sometimes I miss those clues.
So today, I’m examining five things I didn’t buy from Quince, a brand I shopped the most from last year, to see if I can learn anything from these unsuccessful purchases.
100% Organic Poplin Longsleeve Shirt
100% Organic Poplin Longsleeve Shirt – $39.90
Why I Bought It: I’ve been in the market for a white button down since I accidentally shrunk the one I used to own.
Why I Returned It: I thought the 100% Organic Poplin Longsleeve Shirt would be a good idea since I like the idea of a crisp shirt. But the cut didn’t work for me. It was also too long for me. (I am petite.) Since this was a shirt I’d have to tuck in for the proportions to work in my favor, the crispness of the poplin seemed like it would be annoying in that context. It did seem like a fine poplin shirt, just not for me.
Cotton Modal Muscle Tank
Cotton Modal Muscle Tank – $14.90
The same tank on 5’4″ me.
Why I Bought It: I wanted to relive the early 2000s, in which I wore a lot of muscle tanks.
Why I Returned It: The Cotton Modal Muscle Tank is not petite-friendly. I’m wearing my normal size here, a small, and it was too long as well as too big on me. I liked the fabric, though. It was soft and smooth. But I should have paid more attention to how the tank looked on the model and realized it wasn’t going to work for me.
Washable Stretch Silk Notch Collar Blouse
The same blouse on 5’4″ me. Also wearing Uniqlo jeans and dr. Liza flats [review]
And tucked in, like the model. But the sleeves are still too long for petite me. See that lumpy arm on the left? That’s because the sleeve is too long and bunching up.
Why I Bought It: Quince’s silk offerings have generally worked for me — see my review of several silk garments — so I gave the Washable Stretch Silk Notch Collar Blouse a try.
Why I Returned It: It’s way long for petite me. And even though I can tuck it in for a more flattering look, the sleeves are still too long. A size small runs 26.5″ long in the front and is longer in the back by 2″. Otherwise, it fit true to size. (The small is approximately 20″ pit to pit.)
While Quince only shows the model wearing the leopard print shirt tucked in, I should have paid attention to the photos of the other colors, which showed how long the shirt runs.
Organic Cotton Bucket Hat
Organic Cotton Bucket Hat – $29.90
Why I Bought It: Because the sun is my enemy. I thought that the Organic Cotton Bucket Hat could be useful on days I didn’t want to carry my wide-brimmed hats around as those take up more space. The idea was I could easily keep a bucket hat in my bag.
Why I Returned It: The material felt too thick and stiff, like it might make things hot underneath there. It was hard to tell what the fabric would be like from the photos. Since I tried this cotton hat, Quince has come out with a nylon version, which might be thinner? But the brim also looks too short.
100% Leather Everyday Sneaker
100% Leather Everyday Sneaker – $79.90
Why I Bought It: I could use a simple black sneaker, something that goes with almost everything and the 100% Leather Everyday Sneaker seemed like it might fit the bill with its simple design. Out of all the thing I bought and returned on this list, this one seemed the most reasonable purchase — one that actually filled a gap and was on my Wardrobe Wants list.
Why I Returned It: I wear a 6.5 in most brands. For some reason Quince doesn’t make the smaller sizes in half sizes (at least not in the black, though the white does come in 6.5). I’m not sure if this just means that my size has been sold out in the black for a long time, or if it doesn’t come in the black to begin with.
My feet are on the wide side, and I read a few reviews where wide-footed people say they sized up. So I ordered a 7 to try. But nope, too big. The interior did have some cushioning though, so I could imagine these being comfortable if they come in your size.
My Takeaways
From all this buying and returning, I’ve learned that a lot of Quince items are not petite-friendly. While Quince has a generous return policy (a whole year to make a return of an unworn item), to avoid unnecessary transactions I should pay closer attention to how the clothes look on models. Most models are taller than me so if it looks long on them, it’s going to be too long on me.
Plus, I resolve to continue being picky. This is one of my shopping rules. If the details aren’t quite right, you’re not going to be comfortable. Which means you’re not going to wear it much. A good deal is not a good deal at all if you don’t wear it!
This post contains affiliate links but was not produced in partnership with any brand. You can find a directory to all my clothing reviews here.
