10 fashion and beauty items you should ‘refuse’ to buy

‘Almost all of us have fallen into the trap of buying so-called “needs”,’ writes Abraham – RF Minute

We’ve all been influenced to buy something, be it by friends, colleagues, social media stars who make a career out of it and, since you’re reading this, probably Telegraph articles too. But are you ‘de-influenced’?

Disinfluence has emerged as one of the contenders for Word of the Year 2023 by Oxford University Press. It was preceded by ‘rizz’ but its inclusion as second place shows how the term has grown over the past year. .

The activity itself – deterring readers or fans from buying a product – is nothing new. Who hasn’t consulted taste test features before buying a box of supermarket mince pies or Christmas sandwiches?

In a cost of living crisis, leverage is a valuable currency for anyone making recommendations. Explaining what is not worth the money will add credibility to the products they choose to champion.

There is also the sustainability factor. “I think the overspending is so normalized now that that has been put back a lot. We all have very poor taste,” says Lucy Owen, founder of boutique talent agency Lucy Owen Talent.

In practice, however, this is not always noticeable to the consumer; the disincentive is happening behind the scenes, says Owen. Her middle-class influencer clients tend not to bad-mouth anyone, but she will turn down endorsement deals from brands that don’t reflect her client’s values.

“The most successful content creators, the ones that go far, have a lot of trust from their communities,” she explains. “Followers know that if they share a brand or product, it’s because they truly support it. And there’s enormous power in that, I’m more than happy to say no to brands. I think consumers can really sniff it out, they can see when it’s not authentic.”

Mostly, our attention is focused on the brands and products that are worth our hard-earned money, but almost all of us have fallen into the trap of buying so-called “necessities” only only to get buyer’s remorse. , usually after the return window has closed.

So what should we avoid buying this winter? Read on, and if it’s too late, just hope and pray you kept the receipt…

silver trouserssilver trousers

silver trousers

Silver pants

Shoes, great. Ears? Chic. broken? Please, no. Almost every high street brand has a pair of silver leather or faux leather trousers in their collection, but I would advise you to steer well clear. It is one of the flash-in-the-pan trends that will not have a place in our wardrobe from January, that is not particularly flattering to anyone, and is unlikely to have the power to stay still looking chic when the party season 2024. starts.

feather dressfeather dress

feather dress

feather trim pyjamas…

…Or dresses or trousers – don’t say. If the trim is not removable, the garment needs to be dry cleaned, which is a faff, expensive and bad for the planet. I can also tell you from personal experience that the fluff sheds everywhere. Avoid like the plague – your vacuum cleaner will thank you.

handbaghandbag

handbag

Mini handbags

I remember a friend’s disappointment when she bought a £990 Bottega Veneta Cassette bag, only to find it couldn’t even fit her smartphone. The lesson here? Don’t let fashion trump practicality – a great product, luxury or high street, be a marriage of the two.

shearling linen sandalsshearling linen sandals

shearling linen sandals

Shearling linen sandals

Inexplicably everywhere. Your toes are still exposed to the cold, the fluff will surely eat and wear, so what, exactly, are they for?

shower headshower head

shower head

Shower infusions

For around £100 you can hack your shower head so that the water is infused with essential oils and skin care ingredients. Money down the drain, literally.

sequin dresssequin dress

sequin dress

Sequined clothes

That delightful sequined top you’re planning to wear for Christmas lunch could ignite more family debate than the Government’s Rwanda scheme. The main things to note are: the manufacture of sequins (usually plastic) is terrible for the environment; they are difficult to recycle, which is also energy intensive – as well as recycled sequins yet take eternity to break down in a landfill. If you must wear them, look for biodegradable versions or buy your clothes second-hand.

SunglassesSunglasses

Sunglasses

narrow sunglasses

These nineties-inspired colors aren’t for everyone, but eyewear brands have gone big on them anyway. Unless you’re a Gen-Z model who knows how to look into the paparazzo’s lens, leave them alone.

CBD skin creamCBD skin cream

CBD skin cream

CBD skin care products

Your skin does not need to cool off. Research on the benefits of CBD is limited; What we do know is that it won’t get you high, and it is thought to help with chronic pain relief if consumed. And as an ingredient in skin care? There are vague claims that it can reduce inflammation, but beauty editors are generally quite skeptical about CBD skin care.

men grooming productsmen grooming products

men grooming products

Aggressive masculine grooming products

You’ve probably seen ads for these brands on Instagram; as is the Telegraph’s men’s style editor Stephen Doig; “They are all designed to be ultra masculine and macho because God forbid a man buy a cleanser without it being called something like ‘War Paint’,” he says.

‘corset lounge’ skims

Only a Kardashian would come up with something as ridiculous as a ‘lounge corset’. By all means wear this £64 fleece piece for a night out with wide-leg trousers and a blazer, but keep it away from your off-duty wardrobe. The whole point of loungewear is that it’s comfortable, and nothing designed to cinch the waist is worthy of that description.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *