Here’s the weird thing about women who love clothes, fashion
and looking stylish: Not all of them
actually like shopping.
It’s true, there are many among us who don’t quite love that
necessary step of the process. If we had
it our way, we would just be able to snap our fingers and have a closet full of
gorgeous clothes, shoes and accessories that fit us perfectly.
I love the part when I get home with new items that I
immediately try on in various combinations; I adore wearing something new for
the first time; and I can’t wait to see what my friends will think of a
fabulous new outfit. It’s just the whole
getting there part I don’t always enjoy.
And I know there are many others out there like me, so I put
together a list of helpful tips that can help make shopping a little more
pleasant.
1 Hone In On Your Style
Half of the battle for many women
is just figuring out what they like.
Walking into a department store and staring out over a sea of clothing
racks can leave you feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed. How do you start? What should you try on? Which pieces go together?
If that’s one of your struggles,
begin with your signature style – and if you’re thinking, “I don’t have a
signature style,” then think about what you’d like it to be. You can even use Pinterest; spend a couple
hours creating an inspiration board.
When you’re finished, sit back and look it over, and you’ll probably see
a pattern emerge. Then look for pieces
that have the same feel as you browse.
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| North Monroe Tallahassee, photo by Mallory Brooks |
2 .Recreate Past Success
One of the biggest keys to
shopping success and sanity is to really and truly know your body type and what
silhouettes flatter it best. Think about
an outfit you have that you absolutely love and try to figure out what it is
that makes it so perfect. There’s a good
chance you love it because it conceals what you don’t like about your body and
highlights what you do.
Next time you go shopping, be very
intentional about looking for clothes that do the same thing for you. By the same token, stop trying on silhouettes
you know don’t do anything for you. If
maxi dresses are unflattering, just leave them be so you can stop feeling bad
about yourself every time you grab an adorable one and find that it doesn’t
work for you.
3. Dress for the Job
You know what’s pretty much the
worst? Fitting rooms. No matter how luxurious the store is, there’s
just something about fitting rooms that can leave even the most secure woman
feeling down on herself. This feeling is
only heightened by the struggle of getting in and out of clothing again and
again.
Make the whole thing a lot easier
on yourself by wearing clothes that are effortless to take on and off – no
buttons, no zippers, no snaps, no problem.
And it’s also important to wear good undergarments that will allow you
to more accurately assess the clothes you’re trying on.
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| Photo by Mallory Brooks wearing Banana Republic's skirt and Cole Haan's shoes |
4. Opt for Custom Tailoring
Never underestimate the power of
tailoring. The reality of real women’s
body shapes and sizes is a far cry from the very limited standard sizes
available in most stores. But you should
never interpret that as a reflection on your body, especially given the fact
that the sizes vary from brand to brand.
But the fact is that clothes just
look weird if they are ill-fitting, and that includes pricey designer ones
too. On your next shopping trip, keep
this in mind. If you try something you
love that has a slightly wonky fit, it doesn’t mean you can’t get it. By all means, buy it and then take it to a
tailor who can make it fit you like a glove.
5. Make Snap Decisions
We’ve all been there: You see something on the hanger that gets
your blood pumping, but you take it to the fitting room only to find that once
it’s on, it doesn’t look at all how you imagined it would. But there’s a part of you that thinks if you
stare at it long enough and fuss with it a bit more, maybe you can make it
work.
Stop that! It’s precisely this kind of thing that
results in buyer’s remorse. No amount of
fussing or staring will magically transform the thing. Instead of wasting time and getting
increasingly sad about it, take it off and move on as quickly as possible.
6. Shop at Low Traffic Times
If shopping isn’t exactly your
forte under the best circumstances, then it certainly won’t be any good if you
hit the shops at peak times. If
possible, try to go during the workday or early in the morning on the weekend. Another good time to avoid the crowds is during
major events – if you don’t mind missing the big game, you’ll have the place
all to yourself on Super Bowl Sunday for example.
7. Phone a Friend
You may not have a personal
stylist, but you do probably have friends who fancy themselves amateur stylists
and expert shoppers. Offer to buy one of
them lunch in exchange for being your fashion consultant for the day. She can steer you in the right direction,
grab you another size, and give you valuable feedback in the fitting room. And best of all, she’ll probably have no
trouble saying things like, “No way, take that off right now,” and sometimes
that’s all we need.
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| Photo by Mallory Brooks |
Shopping might not ever be your idea of a good time.
But if you love clothes as much as I do, you’ll at least
want to learn a few tricks of the trade that make it as painless as
possible. And just think, once you do
master the skill, you’ll be that much better at building your dream
wardrobe.
About the Author: Liz
Kores is all about fashion, in both her personal and professional life. She is the managing director of Oak Street
Chicago, an association of businesses in Chicago’s Gold Coast, which is home to
some of the best places to shop in
Chicago. Liz also sites on the board
of the Chicago Fashion Incubator and enjoys contributing to a variety of style
publications. Click here to learn
more.
About the Photographer: Mallory Brooks is a street photographer based in Tallahassee, Florida.
About the Model: Ginevra Adamoli is the editor and curator of Fashion For Real People.
About the Photographer: Mallory Brooks is a street photographer based in Tallahassee, Florida.
About the Model: Ginevra Adamoli is the editor and curator of Fashion For Real People.
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