10 Ways To Know You Will Regret A Purchase

Image via Complex Original

It's Extremely Bright And Colorful

While no one is doubting that those multi-color Bapesta's or metallic wingtips will be head turners, there's a distinct difference between a double take and a "what the fuck is that asshole wearing?" And if everyone else is tired of seeing you wear that pink and blue floral print dip dye shirt, trust us, sooner or later you will be tired of seeing it in the mirror as well.

You're Buying It To Remember This Special Moment

If you're at a concert or a food festival or some sort of fleeting event, one of the biggest wastes of money is merchandise. Almost always overpriced ($80 American Apparel hoodies, $30 Gildan T-shirts), merchandise is certainly more beneficial for the people selling it than the ones buying it to ultimately wear it. If you want to remember the amazing time you're having at the Enrique Iglesias concert, be like everyone else—take 200 pictures and upload them systematically onto every social media channel you possess over a 2 week period. Sure, everyone will want to murder you, but at least it's free.

You're Buying It To Remember A Passed Special Moment

Nostalgia is a powerful weapon against your wallet when it comes to shopping. Sometimes the urge to relive our childhoods through clothing is overwhelming, but that doesn't mean you should spend $100 on some vintage T-shirt with your favorite cartoon on the front or honor some shit you weren't even at because it makes you feel warm inside like when your mom used to make you PB&J's with the crust cut off. You know what else does that? Calling her and saying you love her, you ungrateful piece of shit.

You Didn't Go Into The Store Wanting To Buy Anything

"Just browsing" is a dangerous game to play with yourself if you're someone who loves clothes. I mean, while not nearly as severe, you wouldn't send an alcoholic into a liquor store to browse the selection, would you? Sure, if it's a store or brand you love, you already know that there will be at least one or two things you like, but if you didn't even know they existed in the first place, chances are you'd be just fine without them. Sometimes it's just best to avoid retail altogether until it's actually time to buy something you really want.

It's Meant To Be Ironic

Ironic clothing, much like the jokes they convey, are extremely time sensitive. Just because something is funny now doesn't mean it's worth wearing around as a billboard on your chest forever. Clothing doesn't have to be overly-serious, but telling jokes through your wardrobe implies you either aren't funny enough to make people laugh with your own words or that you're just a fucking clown.

You Just Decided Yesterday That You "Need To Have It"

You know how quickly that feeling of "need" for a particular garment just washes over you? Well, that's a bad sign because now you've instantly created a whole set of fantasies that this inanimate object can never live up to. Saying that you "need" an item implies that you think it will somehow complete you. Chances are, after a week, you'll realize there's even less of you than there was before buying it, particularly in your bank account.

You're Buying It Because A Website Said You Should

We give a lot of great fucking advice, but that doesn't mean everything we or any other publication says shouldn't be filtered through your own tastes and preferences. Just because some blog says floral ties are the "it" accessory of the season doesn't mean they won't look stupid on you.

You Really Want It, But It Doesn't Fit As Well As You'd Hoped

Sometimes when we have our minds made up about a particular garment, we abandon the crucial criteria for whether or not we SHOULD actually buy it. Meaning, does the thing fit and look good on me? Even if you were dying for those new sneakers or designer T-shirt, chances are if it doesn't fit right you're not going to want to wear it. And if you wear it anyway, chances are it will not look good on you.

It Will Put Stress On Your Finances

No matter how good a piece of clothing looks, if it puts you in a precarious financial position then sooner or later you're going to hate what it's done to your stress levels. In turn, you will start to resent yourself and, yo, straight up, self-resentment is a powerful thing. Oh shit, you know what else? It's usually best remedied with retail therapy. A little fiscal responsibility will go a long way in helping you prevent getting caught up in a vicious cycle.

You're Buying It To Impress Others

This is obvious, but as the saying goes, "Please yourself and in turn you shall please others" or some other corny quote we saw saw Helvetica'd out on Tumblr. If you're main motivation for buying some new shit is that you think your friends or, worse, people on the Internet will like it and then subsequently you, then you're solidifying yourself as one sad, pathetic and thirsty individual.