Hustle & Shine Strategy #2: Shop Smarter

 

 

I'm self-admittedly, a horrible shopper - I don't make smart clothing choices, I buy on impulse, and I never consider my overall wardrobe. They say the first step of solving a problem is recognizing you have one, right? I definitely recognize I have a problem - it's coming up with the solution that's the hard part.  This led me to the creation my next Hustle & Shine Strategy: Shop Smarter.

I want to start applying the habit of buying clothing pieces I absolutely love and are practical and contributory to my overall wardrobe. I've heard once you should shop for the climate you live in. Since I live in New England, it is absolutely absurd the amount of shorts I own. I am definitely drawn towards summer clothing more - I love flowy tanks and breezy sundresses. This just isn't practical though, since I can only enjoy these items for 3 months out of the year. It would make a lot more sense to invest more heavily in transitional pieces to wear throughout my locale's climate.

Another good rule of thumb comes from Michael Kors:

"70 percent of the clothes you own should be meat and potatoes. 30 percent should be icing and fluff — that’s colour, pattern, shine, accessories. Too many women get the proportions the other way round, then can’t figure out why they can’t get dressed."

This quote resonates so much with me,  I buy stuff on impulse and because it's fun and pretty. I'm way more likely to buy the black, sequined shorts (that I might wear once, or not ever) than smart, black trousers (that I would wear weekly to work). See?! There I go again wanting to buy shorts!

 

Often while I'm in the hyped-up state of browsing through perfectly displayed racks of clothing- wanting everything in sight/being a retail marketer's dream - it's hard for me to make rational decisions. I've been in a dressing room for more than 30 minutes trying to decide if I should purchase something or not. I'll often unabashedly send pictures from a dressing room to my sister for reinforcement, always unintentionally making the most ridiculous wannabe-model face which she makes fun of every time.

 

So the moral of the story is, I need to learn how to shop smarter so I've come up with a strategy to do so:

 

 

Don't buy something if you don't already own other clothes to match it. You'll just have to buy even more-- buy items to fit into your current wardrobe. 

 

Don't buy crazy amounts of shorts if you live in New England, and don't buy a ton of wool sweaters if you live in Florida.

If I am even a little bit unsure if I should buy something- I put it on hold, sleep on it, and if I think about it again I go back and buy it. If I never go back and get it the next day, clearly I can live without it. This is  a good tactic for someone who is as indecisive as I am.

 

 Follow Michael Kors'  30/70 rule

 I love striped shirts- I own at least 10 already, yet I can't stop buying more. Know what specific  type of clothing you already have a ton of, and stop buying so many more that you don't need.

 ...buy it only if you would have paid full price for it. I do this ALL THE TIME. I'll buy a shirt for the sole reason that it was on sale for $10(!!!) but would never have paid full price for it, so I never wear it-- so it's not a good deal! My uncle says: "A deal is not a good deal unless you need it." so true.

 I bought a dress once and said to my Aunt "I'll wear this when we go shopping for my wedding dress!" a. That's ONE occasion I could think I would wear this dress and b. I wasn't even engaged yet. That's psychotic, and my Aunt thankfully told me it was (but I still bought the dress.) 

Don't buy stuff for occasions or events you might go to. If you wouldn't wear it today, don't buy it.

 

 

 Do you have any tips to shopping smarter and avoiding buyer's remorse? I'd love to hear!