Buy In Preparation Not Desperation™ – Tip #8

This is my favorite shopping quote that I use all the time when working with women.

The concept is simple. If you take the time to purchase in preparation, you tend to be in relaxed mood, and therefore, you can make sound decisions about your wardrobe. This calmness helps you to anticipate what you’ll need in the future, enables you to get tailoring done, and opens up the door to possibilities outside of your normal purchasing outlets.

When you buy in desperation, you not only run the risk of purchasing an unflattering garment, you may over spend, or make everyone else’s life miserable in the process. Besides, now you have a garment in your closet you don’t like, which clutters your life.

Take the time to shop when you’ve got time and energy, and you’ll be surprised at how fun shopping can be.

Top Five Necessities Needed When Shopping – Tip #7

Can you guess the five necessities you need to bring with you when you shop? I’ve asked countless woman what they believe these are and I’ve gotten some typical and also wierd suggestions. Here are a few most common:

• Credit card and Money – Yes, a biggie, but you’d not shop without this, so it’s not on the list.
• Water – Good idea, but you can pick this up along the way. (Plus, how many bathroom stops do you want to make?)
• Attitude – Yes, the type of attitude is important.
• Friend – This might actually be bad if they’ve not good taste or know what’s right for you.
• Sneakers – or comfortable shoes would be useful.
• Snacks (Nutritional bar) – I’d prefer to eat on the road, but make sure you have something healthful in you before you start so that you can think clearly and prevent delays.

All good but not the top 5.

Here they are:

1. A color chart of your best colors. This way you can insure that the colors you’re selecting fit your personal requirements. You would be surprised how helpful this is when looking at colors that are close in value. It also helps the sales staff to keep on target when advising you.
2. A backback or bag with an assortment of shoes and accessories. Women’s stores are set up with most shoes and accessories in different departments and often on different floors. If you have your particular size shoe and one in your style, you’re ahead of the game. The accessories are there to do the same.
3. Your made up face. – If you don’t wear your makeup as you wear it every day, you lose that little eye that tells you what your wearing really works for you.
4. A white/off while form fitting, collared, fitted shirt. This way you can try on anything your heart desires. If you’d like a scoop neck in your bag, that’s OK, too, but I’d shop with the shirt.
5. The right bra and undergarments. – The bra: to make sure the garments you try on fit you the way they should fit. The undergarments: so that your shape is the way you’d expect to wear the garment and so the color does not show through and become a distraction. (If you don’t often wear a bra, you can take it off to try on specific items.)

If this appears to be a lot of work, consider the time and energy invested in selecting an item; do you really want to have to return something because you get it home and it doesn’t work. The better prepared you are, the more complete becomes your wardrobe and the better you look.

With these five necessities taken care of, your entire shopping experience will be more enjoyable and productive.

I will cover more details about each of the 5 in the months to come.

Petite is Not Petite – Tip #4

I’ve read the average woman in the US is 156 lbs and 5’4” tall (71 Kilos and 1.65 meters). The trouble is the petite size starts at 5’4” and below. Which to me make no sense. Tahari I guess believe the same way given that they eliminated the petite sizing because it was easier to just make one line than multiple lines to achieve the same result. So next time you go shopping remove some of the stereotypes about size and try on multiple lines of clothing. You’ll be surprised at what you’ll find.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, the average weight for an adult female in the United States is: 162.9 pounds This statistic for the average weight for an adult female is from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) conducted from 1999-2002.

The Test: Packing For a Trip – Tip #2

When making a purchase, ask yourself, “If you had to pack for a trip and had limited space, would I select this item or would I bring an alternative item that makes me look better?” If you say no, then walk away. If you say yes, take a second look while asking yourself the following questions.

1. Am I just adding something to my wardrobe that is very similar to another item knowing full well this is just an extra you’ll throw out one day?
2. Does this item first match my color (winter, spring, summer, fall), the style and fashion sense you’re looking to achieve and lastly, could you find something better.

I often ask myself, if I purchased this item would I bring it on my next trip and most of the time I’ll hesitate just enough for me to stop. That’s the signal to put it back.

« Previous Page