Fashion Shopping Tips: How To Buy Better
If you are looking to update your wardrobe by hitting the shops, you should consider the following fashion shopping tips to guarantee it is a success. We all appreciate a bit of retail therapy can be an enjoyable and leisurely experience, but you can often come away with items that are simply not right for you. My advice is to pre-plan your shopping trip and make a wish list before you leave the house.
The Wardrobe Inspection
Make time to assess all your clothes, and I mean all of them, not forgetting items stuffed in the spare room wardrobe, under your bed and in your chest of drawers! Work your way through your wardrobe methodically, taking mental notes of clothing that makes you feel good, items you wear often and pieces that just aren’t suitable, for one reason or another. Identifying where the gaps are will help you to determine the key items to buy to complete your favourite looks.
Online Window Shopping
A good tip is to look online first at your favourite retailers and use their search facilities to find what you are looking for. It will save you heaps of time to determine which retailers are worth looking in and it may also help to provide you with some much-needed style inspiration with how to pair different outfits.
Consider A Budget
It’s always savvy to set a budget for your seasonal shopping trip. Having a pre-set budget in mind will help you to determine which items to invest in wisely. Have you heard about cost per wear and how to calculate it? What even is cost per wear, I hear you ask?
When it comes to calculating cost per wear, it’s very simple and here’s an example to demonstrate how it works.
Let’s say you want to purchase a pair of trainers that cost £100. Take that cost and divide it by the number of times you think you’ll wear it. They could be pair of beautiful evening shoes, that realistically, you’ll only wear twice a week…
That’s twice a week times 52 weeks in a year; estimating 104 wears over the next 12 months.
£100 (the cost of your trainers) divided by £104 (number of wears) will give you a cost per wear of £0.96 per wear if you stick to your plan!
To demonstrate this further, let’s say you own another pair of shoes that cost you £150. You also own a Chloé handbag that costs you £1,000. At first glance, it seems like the shoes are the cheaper buy when you are considering just the price of this item. However, if you’ve only worn the shoes twice your cost per wear is £75. If you wear your handbag every day for a month, your cost per wear is £33.
So, in reality, your handbag purchase is actually the cheaper, better and a more sensible purchase, with low cost per wear associated to it! Therefore, it could be considered an investment, and knowing where and how to spend your budget could literally save you hundreds of pounds.
Don’t Shop in the Sales!
It can be a huge mistake if you go shopping in the Sales, as quite often we are lured into buying something because it is cheap, and our shopping rules can go out of the window. Stick to the ‘#30wears’ rule, successfully launched by climate activist Livia Firth, if making a purchase in these enticing periods… If you don’t think you’ll wear an item 30 times, then don’t buy it. Simple!
Check-in with your Emotions
It sounds crazy but try to make sure you’ve had a good night’s sleep, and you’ve been fed and watered before your shopping trip. Getting into a Zen-like state will help you make good decisions and prepare for the most successful shopping day ahead. It might even be a good call to postpone your shopping trip around your time of the month, if you feel a sense of unbalance, as some women can feel bloated or more emotional during this period. This can have a detrimental effect and may result in low confidence levels on the day.
Shop Alone?
This is personal preference – some people prefer to shop solo and others like to have a friend who will offer advice. If shopping solo, ensure you conduct the pre-planning phases, above, to help you make the best purchasing decisions. If shopping with a friend, pick the right individual who will be honest in an encouraging and supportive way.
Shop Smart, Not Cheap
Changing your mindset to shop smarter, in terms of buying less and investing in more quality items will happen gradually, especially if you have a limited budget. Considering sustainable and ethical fashion choices, will make you feel so much better and it will have an impact on, not only our environment but ultimately the makers of our clothes. This will pay dividends long term, as your clothes will also last longer!
Consider a Professional Stylist
If you are serious about investing in a capsule wardrobe that really works hard for you, choosing a personal stylist to assist you is a very smart move. Your personal stylist will essentially take the stress away by doing all the research and pre-planning for you. They’ll recommend new colour and style choices, introduce you to different brands and create stylish outfits that you’ll love to wear for your lifestyle, whilst providing you with valuable styling tips and advice you can take on board for years to come. On the day, your personal shopping experience will be focused and fun, whilst saving you huge amounts of time and money by utilising your stylist’s professional expertise.
Interested in Booking?
I’d love to have a chat! My in-person personal shopping packages are available as introductory, half-day or full day sessions, and you can find out more here. Alternatively, you can get in touch by calling me on 07971 484882 or emailing me at chantelle@personal-stylist.co.uk.