My "No-Buy"s for 2025
Doing this to hold myself accountable
We all have them - as the queen herself, Allison Bornstein first pointed out for me, they are the items we “love to buy, hate to wear”.
These are the items I’m refusing to buy in 2025 (no matter how much I think I want to).
Just a disclaimer - there is nothing wrong with any of these items, and the examples I’m sharing are things that I’ve been drawn to but have just learned that they don’t work for my personal style!
1. Button-up Shirts
Without doing any sort of analysis, I’d hazard a guess that this is one of the most common “love to buy, hate to wear” items out there. Despite being on 99% of “must-have” or capsule wardrobe lists, I’ve noticed plenty of us on here actually struggle to find and style button-ups that actually feel authentic to us.
Why I keep buying it: I feel like if there’s any part of your personal style that includes “classic”, “minimal”, or “polished”, the classic button-up shirt is constantly on your pinterest board. The problem is that I usually just end up feeling like I’m dressing up in someone else’s clothes.
The only exceptions to this rule for me are denim or silk shirts (both of which I already have). Something about the texture and the way they fall still feels true to me and I’ll continue to love them.
What I’m buying instead: This year is about adding proportion and interest to my wardrobe. I’m thinking either boxy or unique silhouettes or textures that I can pair with different jeans or bottoms that make outfits feel a little bit more interesting.
2. Sporty Sneakers
One thing I really leaned into this year was comfort. I’m done wearing things that I have to squeeze into or feel squished in all day.
While sporty, chunky sneakers were great in theory, I think I leaned too far into the function of this one without really thinking about my personal style. I’m talking specifically about a more athletic looking sneaker to wear for every-day. “Sporty” is just not a word that exists in my personal style, and I really struggle to style my sneakers in a way that feels like me.
What I’m buying instead: After years of comfortable shoes that I could walk literally miles in, I’m craving shoes that can add the the “polished” (one of my 3 words) element to my outfits. I’m also looking for shoes that offer something a little bit unique (very tibi-esque) rather than more simple basic pieces.
3. Cheap Accessories
Until 2024 I feel like I totally neglected my accessories. I had some, but just didn’t take them ‘seriously’ when it came to putting together an outfit.
While the cheap accessories I bought in 2024 have arguably helped me understand what pieces to invest in, I am so sick of buying earrings or a necklace that lasts a month before it’s completely tarnished.
In 2025 I’m focusing on quality over quantity and resisting the cheap costume jewelry.
4. Ultra-fitted tees
I went through a brief phase this summer where I believed that the perfect outfit formula for me was baggy jeans + a super tight-fitting t-shirt (think Aritzia’s contour line or Skims T-shirts). While I don’t hate this, I just don’t feel comfortable in this and it doesn’t feel like “style” to me.
What I’m buying instead: while I’m mostly staying away from buying tees this year - I am still on the hunt for the perfect white tee - any that I do buy need to be comfortable and a little looser.
Honourable Mentions
In addition to the absolute no-gos above, I’ve noticed a few patterns in my buying from 2024 that I want to leave behind:
Trousers that “just” fit: bodies fluctuate, and I’m so over pants that fit only on a “good” day. I bought several pairs of trousers in 2024 that I no longer wear because the fit is just off.
Cheap Amazon accessories: This one is tricky too because I actually have 1 belt and 1 bag from Amazon that I wear all the time and have been totally worth it. But the cheap price just makes it too easy to over-buy and I have a belt and 2 bags in my closet that I could have done without this year.
Same item, different colour: I’ve realized that this almost never works. More often than not the thing I love about the original item INCLUDES the colour. Not to mention I get a bit bored with the same thing in multiple colours. Jeans are totally excluded from this btw - same jeans, different wash has been a lifesaver for me in 2024.
This really made me think! For me, it’s dresses. Love to buy ‘em, imagining a future occasion to wear them. And then I almost always want to pivot to pants instead. I have come to accept I am a Pants Person and luckily there are many brilliant options for all occasions out there that I am fully leaning into!
Long coats. I live in Massachusetts. If it’s cold enough for a long cloth coat then I just wear a puffer type jacket. And since my days of waiting for a bus in the elements are behind me, a long coat is awkward in the car. Also blazers. I have 2. A black one and a navy one. For interviews and funerals. 3. The “perfect” white t-shirt. Yeah I refuse to spend money on anything that ends up with a coffee stain on the boob (actually most light colored Ts) after 2 wears.