If you’re coming to this site then it’s safe to say shopping is a solid part of your fashion repertoire. Shopping tips are one of the key things I’m always asked about! The thing with shopping is that if you don’t have the proper guiding principles in place you can often end up with items you don’t wear, wasting money that could go towards other purchases or simply end up with multiples of the same item. It’s happened to me and I know that it’s one of the key reasons behind frequent “I have nothing to wear” problems. The fact of the matter is, your closet isn’t working for you because some or all of your shopping strategy is letting you down. The things you’re bringing in aren’t working for the way you want to dress. So, it’s time to put a stop to it.
Over the years, I’ve managed my fair share of buyer’s remorse, or rather guiltily culled so much of my wardrobe only to realise just how much money I wasted, and also how wasteful it is to consume so much. So, I’ve tried to implement a few rules to help me shop smarter. And it has really helped as far as being able to pull together a more cohesive wardrobe. Here are a few of my most important shopping tips, the key things to consider before buying anything this year…
Plan your purchases
If you want to avoid impulse purchases or buyer’s remorse, it definitely pays to plan what you’re shopping for. Have a list that you constantly revisit and revise, so you can see what you should be looking to purchase. Being able to hone in on exactly what you need will help keep you on track. I always come back to my list so if I’m about to purchase something on a whim, it helps steer me back in the right direction.
Set a budget
Whether you shop monthly, bi-annually or every season, it definitely pays to have a budget in mind so you can keep yourself in check. If you have an idea of what your budget is, it helps to avoid excessive spending and will help you spend your shopping dollars in a smart way. This will help ensure that you have enough funds to buy the things that you actually need, as opposed to spending up big on things that largely won’t have longevity.
Ask yourself some key questions
I have a few key questions I always ask myself before I buy something. They’re questions I’ve devised over time and have really helped me to weed out the purchases I will be glad I made to the ones which I’ll be regretting in a few months’ time. The questions should be things that will help you determine the value of something to your existing wardrobe, and also just how closely it aligns to your fashion sensibility. I find when those two things are in check, you’ll never regret a purchase.
Resist anything that doesn’t feel right
There are times where you may see something on someone else, or you’ve fallen under the spell of something you’ve seen on sale and all of a sudden you get the urge to buy something—even if you have a tiny gut feeling that you might get over said item pretty quickly. Listen to that feeling! When you see something or try something on, it should automatically feel like a natural part of your wardrobe. Anything that requires convincing or strategising as to how to make it work, realistically, probably won’t.
Know what’s in your wardrobe
How many times have you bought something only to discover that you already own something similar? This is why it pays to do a stocktake of your wardrobe so you have a mental snapshot of what you already have. This is hugely helpful when shopping because you’ll know when to stop yourself from buying your 50th grey tee and direct your shopping budget elsewhere.
Do the overnight test
I always like to do this when I’m considering a big investment purchase. I’ll often revisit an item a few times before I consider adding it to cart both online and offline. When I’ve finally decided to take the plunge I’ll often sleep on it and if I’m still thinking about it the next day and set on buying it, that’s the time I’ll pull the trigger.
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