Clothes Shopping Tips
[ 25 July 2007 ]
Shopping with my mother is quite an amazing experience. We don’t just walk around, try things on & say, “Oh, that looks nice” to one another. No, no, no. It is strangely efficient, fuelled by intuition & coffee, & everything is dissected, analysed, pored over — from the shop display to the sales assistants, from the clothing construction to the way the garment looks on.
After talking it up with her the whole time, I decided I should write down some of my observations.
Don’t just buy it because it fits
Just because you can slide those jeans over your hips does not mean you should own them! When looking at clothing, always always always take your body shape into account, & trends be damned. Why would you want to make yourself look bad just so you can be “in fashion” (which is so boring, anyway)?! It doesn’t matter HOW popular skinny jeans get, I am never going to wear them — because they make me look like a chubby midget. Look in the mirror & assess your image before buying ANYTHING!
Choose your shopping companion carefully
Yesterday, my mother & I saw several people trying on awful things while their friend said, “Ooh, I like that on you”. I don’t know whether the friends were blind, cruel or didn’t know what they were talking about, but it was pretty bad. If you don’t like to shop alone, take someone who is as well-dressed or better dressed than you, & who has your best interests at heart. Not someone who is just going to tell you what you want to hear, or with whom you are competing for a cute boy or girl’s attention!
Listen to the sales assistant at your peril
Just like when choosing a hairstylist or manicurist, sometimes it pays to judge a book by its cover. A hairstylist with a mile of roots & split ends is not who you want to touch your tresses. Similarly, a girl who looks like she just crawled out of a dumpster is probably not going to be able to assist you much when it comes to putting an outfit together, judging the size of a pair of pants etc. Definitely be open to suggestion, but if you’re not sure about a dress & the sales assistant assures you that it’s “rad”, remember — she probably works on commission, & she’s not the one who has to wear it. If you’re not sure, don’t buy it! You can always come back later.
Go easy on yourself
If there is one shopping task which you particularly hate — like shoe shopping, or buying jeans — set yourself aside an entire day in which you do ONLY that. (I hate shopping for jeans, to me that is like hell on earth. Sometimes I think I should give up on pants entirely.) Afterwards, even if you don’t find anything which fits the bill, reward yourself with a cupcake, pain au chocolat, or bottle of tequila.
Have a good breakfast
Ahh, you think I’m foolin’! I’m not. If you’re not adequately fuelled up before you go, chances are good that you will pass out in a changing room or walk into incoming traffic by mistake. Professional shoppers (ahem) tend to take snacks with them. I, for example, carried a bagel with me yesterday until it went soggy. Delicious! But seriously, eat something decent, chug a coffee & go.
Today I think I’m going to be on the hunt for jeans (& boots). Keep your fingers crossed!
P.S. Listen to A Pre-Shopping Primer (& Podcast) for more tips & tricks!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
Tags: consumption,
how to Share this! + Email This + Del.icio.us
+ Facebook
+ Stumbleupon
+ Technorati
Comment
Read more tagged how to...
Keeping Your Relationship Fresh The Fashionable Jew Dealing With Online Nastiness Long Distance Love How To Have A Great Picnic Gala's Guide To Tennis Chic EFT A Basic Shoe Collection
Read more tagged consumption...
Daily Outfit -- 24th July 2007 The Fashionable Jew Daily Outfit -- 12th July 2007 Daily Outfit -- 10th July 2007 Irregular Choice Shoes I Love & The Imaginary People Who Wear Them Gala's Guide To Tennis Chic Initial Rings I Love Sarah Jessica Parker (& I Don't Care What You Say)
Excellent advice! I would LOVE to meet your mum! (And you too of course, my pumpkin!)
I would also add: have a plan, ie know what you need. Tops to go with those gorgeous skirts you seldom wear? Shorts for the beach? Accessories to go with all the blue clothes you own?
And: move around to make sure it fits properly. Things that look good while you’re standing there posing like a fashion-shoot model may take a drastic turn for the worse once you put your hands in the air and wave them as though you simply can’t be bothered.
PS – Forgot to say, I feel your pain on the pants issue! If only they weren’t so damned practical . . . Good luck on your quest!
i agree with the breakfast thing! hahah! i have to remind myself while shopping to EAT, because i get so caught up in it, i tend to forget, and feel rather faint later!! in fact i only ever remember to grab a bite whenever i stop for a drink and my legs are hurting from running around. yikes.
to add: don’t forget excellent shoes. leave the stilettos behind.
Nadine — So true! You know, I once bought TWO pairs of pants (same cut, different fabric) because they looked great on but as soon as I actually started walking… they were the most uncomfortable thing ever, & they looked terrible. Talk about heartbreak!
gilda — Definitely wear “long haul” shoes. But if you’re shopping to match a specific pair, carry them with you.
I think it’s important to assess the individual merits of clothing items. So often when we feel the urge to spend we can rationalise buying the stupidest crap. The ‘it’ll match …(the skirt May gave me/ jumper Mum made/etc’ line of reasoning is persuasive, but unless the piece stands alone (classic versatility, charm and character, decent tailoring, flattering cut etc) on it’s own it probably won’t make you smile in the morning.
I never wear pants. I think I’ve gotten to a point where I only own one pair of pants that aren’t pajama bottoms. Skirts are so flattering and feminine.
My mum was just up in Auckland for the weekend, and we spent a day shopping together. (If it doesn’t sounds too brat-like, it’s extra-good to take someone shopping with you who is in the mood for spoiling you rotton!) One thing I struggle with is resisting being influenced by the style of the person I’m shopping with. Even if they have your best interests at heart, and especially if they are your mother, there can be a maternal instinct to create a mini-me! I managed to resist buying a belt that the shop assistant and my mother teamed up to talk me into, because it just didn’t feel like me. About two shops later, the perfect belt appeared (never mind that it was twice the price — eeek). Sometimes it’s hard to disagree with someone else’s advice, and I always feel like a spoilsport when I’m dragging someone round the shops and not actually loving anything they’re picking out, but it’s always best to go with your gut and stick to buying only what feels great — although I’ve learned to try on things I think will look wrong (they usually do look wrong, but sometimes they don’t, and it makes me feel less of a spoilsport to give stuff a go that I wouldn’t pick out myself). Mum and I are finally understanding each other’s tastes better by actually trying on the wrong stuff and seeing why it’s wrong, and it makes our rare shopping trips so much more fun.
Ah, shopping. Simultaneously a great hobby and the bane of my existence. Most of the time when I have no money I want everything, and when I do have money, nothing interests me!
I’m going to be visiting Melbourne in about 2 weeks and I’m priming my shopping skills…I need to buy a dress for a wedding that I’m heading to in Sydney after Melbourne. I don’t suppose you could direct me to a shop that sells reasonably priced semi-formal attire?
What I have to remember is not to buy things just because they are on sale. Even if it’s $5 marked down from $68, you’re not saving money; you’re wasting it if the maroon bolero is just sitting in your closet and you never wear it because it’s actually quite ugly and that’s probably why it was marked down so much to begin with!
Advice I’ve heard (but never tried):
- to carry with you a piece of cardboard with offcuts from your pants/skirts/etc so that when you buy items to accesorise, you can be sure the colours ‘go’. I think this is a great idea but alas, I am not nearly organised enough to put it into action.
Revo, I’m not sure what your budget or tastes are but there’s DFO in Spencer Street for bargains, Chapel St for high fashion, Sydney Road for vintage (or really really OTT dresses – you know, multicoloured, sequins, feathers – all in the one dress) and there’s even a darling shop there by an up and coming designer if you want a one of a kind piece – http://www.chitrascloset.com.au/home.htm
I’m sure other people will have other suggestions…
Well, personally I’d love to find a knock-off of the blue dress in this picture. :p
http://today.ccopinion.com/olsen-twins-does- badgley-mischka-ads/
I can’t tell which twin is wearing it, and I doubt that I’d ever be able to find anything like it, but a girl can dream!
Maddy — Definitely. Buying one item because it goes with one other item is a very stilted way of building up a wardrobe. Ideally your pieces are versatile enough that you have a number of options — having a pair of shorts you can only wear with ONE shirt, for example, is very tedious & limiting.
Katoo — I have a whole lot of pairs of trousers but they just don’t light my fire. I find them hard to wear. Really though, the problem is in my head, not my body — know what I mean?
Annabel — Being in a good mindset is so important when you go shopping! (Especially if someone else is paying!) Otherwise it turns into a very ugly ordeal. Also I think one of the benefits of taking someone else (with different taste) is that they will pick things you would never look at. Sometimes they will pick things you loathe, but that’s okay! & trying things on doesn’t do any harm. Once something is on, you can make a true assessment of whether you could wear it, what it might work with, etc.
revo — I have absolutely no idea, since my Melbourne shopping experience is pretty limited! I suggest you start looking now, in the city you’re in… spending a few days frantic in the shops over here isn’t going to be very relaxing. Plus, all the shops are between seasons & I gotta tell you, there isn’t a lot on offer… (& it’s Mary-Kate in the blue, hee, ain’t she cute?)
Sherry — Yes! My mother has the opinion of “why would I want something no one else does?” re: sales, & a lot of the time, I am inclined to agree… I am not a great sale shopper. But! You do come across the occasional gem, i.e., my Manolo Blahniks! So it’s worth checking them out!
Lately I’ve been very pleased with the clothes I get while shopping with my mom. After 30+ years, she gets my style more than anyone else. And she’s really good at telling the difference between stupid risky and cute/wearable risky.
Great tips, Gala! And I most definitely agree with the suggestion for companions. Just like Annabel, I have the problem of taking fashion advice from my friends who dress nothing like me. I recently realized I have one friend who I simply cannot shop with. She is too conservative in her dress and hates EVERYTHING I love. A different friend, who is also conservative in her dress, is still honest about what looks good on me and what doesn’t, whether she would wear it or not. When I really need the perfect outfit, she’s the one I take.
Also, recently I was with my sister-in-law sharing a fitting room. I tried on a beautiful dress, loved it, and decided to buy it. Before I could make it to the counter, sis took the dress from me and hung it up, saying “No, it makes your ass look big.”
i’d have to add:
don’t buy something that you think you’ll fit into eventually.
boy have i learned that one the hard way. :D
great tips!
jj — Yay, good for you :> My mother is my greatest shopping ally, she’s wonderful.
tee tee — How frustrating! I really don’t go seriously shopping with anyone except my mother; if she’s not around, I just go by myself. I just find that usually, there’s a huge disparity between what I consider to be an acceptable level of quality & what my friends think is worth paying for. Of course, this also means I am a nightmare whilst shopping. Also… I’m not really interested in anyone else’s opinion in what I’m wearing. Maybe that sounds a bit cocky but it just doesn’t really matter to me! I know what I like & whether I will wear something, & that’s all that’s important to me…
audrey — Great point! Buying something with the anticipation that you will lose/gain weight is a surefire spirit crusher! When it comes to that sort of thing, you never really know where you’re going to lose the weight from anyway, so the item may not even end up fitting — that’s if you lose it to begin with! Always always always buy your size!
gala – oh god, hear hear on the skinny jeans! God, they make me look horrid. HORRID! I’m waiting this one out. It can’t be too much longer, right?
In addition to going easy on myself, I’ve learned that for those really difficult shopping trips (BRAS! rrrrgh!) to spare no expense. If it fits and makes those problem areas look good, just get it and don’t bother hunting for a sale.
and you know? My favorite shopping partner (though he hates shopping, so I don’t get him along on many trips) is my boyfriend, because no matter what, I can always count on him to play straight with me: does this look good on me or not? No hemming or hawing.
Plus, he actually loves my body the way it is (curvy hips and all) so he always picks things that play up my attributes in the best way, god love ‘im.
hey, Gala…thanks for the advice.
it really helped. and i’d love to meet you
well…could you give me some advice on how to make my hair better.
they’re very frizzy and dry.