REPOST: How to Have a Productive Shopping Experience

Hey, guys!  Welcome back to Talk Fabulous!

Today, let’s talk shopping.  It’s Black Friday here in the US and that means all the sales.  Let’s face it, we all might be guilty of buying that cute top/skirt/dress/etc.giving little thought to how that piece might fit into our existing wardrobe.  This habit breeds a closet full of clothes and yet we have nothing to wear.  Sound familiar?  Let me share some tips with you to make your shopping experience all the more fabulous and productive.  

Recipe Style:

These tips are based off an article on the Inside Out Style blog called “The Five Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Buy Any More Clothes” .

My Style:
Before you put that cute top in your cart, ask yourself these questions:

1.  Do I already have one like it?
We are obviously drawn to things we like.  This means we may see an item in the store we love but we already own something similar.  When this happens, really think about the cut, the fabric, the pattern, etc. of each piece. If you feel both items are different enough, then by-all-means, go for it.  If they are too much alike, though, pass and keep looking.  Having two items of the same thing in your wardrobe is not a great idea.  One will always win out leaving the other alone to get dusty in the back of your closet.

2.  Can I dress this up or down depending on occasion?
To maximize wearability of an item, it’s essential it can be worn for a variety of occasions.  That super cute top you just put in your cart can be worn plain for a weekend brunch with friends or paired with some dazzling jewelry for a night out on the town.

3.  Can I wear it with other pieces in my wardrobe?
This point can be a little tricky.  I aim for 3-5 pieces that can be worn with the item I’m admiring. That super cute top can be worn with jeans, slacks, a skirt, a cardigan and jeans, and a cardigan and slacks.  Sweet!  It’s going in my cart.

4.  Can I wear this throughout the year?
If you live in a place where the temperature stays the same year-round maybe this is not a big deal. For the rest of us, though, it’s important that the items in our wardrobe can work for a variety of weather conditions.  I find this is a little more difficult with winter clothes, but for summer clothes this is a must.  Very rarely do I ever buy a summer top that can’t also be paired with a cardigan in the winter.

You may be saying, “Listen, MissyAnn, there’s a lot of rules here.  How are we ever going to remember this when we’re out and about?”  Don’t worry.  Here’s a great mnemonic device to remember all the rules:

LOWS

Like item?

variety of Occasions?

works with my Wardrobe?

can be worn in any Season?

Will you use these rules next time you’re shopping?  Let me know how they work for you!

That’s all for today.  See you guys in my next post!

lylas,
MissyAnn