1. Being influenced by the sales assistant who is paid to get you to buy clothes (whether they suit you or not).
Retail sales staff are paid to sell you clothes. Some are even paid extra commissions based on how much they sell. So it’s in their interest that you buy as much as possible, whether it suits you or not. I’ve been shopping and told a client that something doesn’t suit them and they should take it off, moments later the sales assistant will pipe up and say it looks fabulous. Who is telling the truth?
2. Not bothering to try on the clothes
Many women are short on time and so rather than try on a garment they just pick it out in what they consider to be their ‘size’ and take it home, and justify to themselves that if it doesn’t fit they’ll return it. But so much doesn’t get returned because they don’t get around to it. Instead of having saved themselves time (by not trying on in the store) they’ve now wasted the time it took them to get to the store, and wasted money by not returning the unflattering garment. Always, always, always try on garments in the store. Yes it may look fine on the hanger, but so often, the cut is a little off, and it doesn’t work on the body. Don’t fall into this trap.
3. Only taking 1 size into the change-room
It’s true that so many stores only allow you 5 or 6 garments in the change-room at once, so you feel you have to be really selective about what you take in. Don’t be, take lots of clothes and lots of sizes – the sales assistant will keep all the extra clothes at the change room for you to try on if they have a numbers policy and then you can get them to bring you the other sizes and styles you want to try, rather than have to get dressed and leave the change-rooms. Try on 20 garments at a time, not 5 and you’ll have better success. Try on multiple sizes of clothes as even in the same store sizes vary between garments.
4. Buying on the sizing label not what fits you
I’ve seen some catastrophic purchases in people’s wardrobes because they bought a size not for fit. Look it’s a size 12! They tell me excitedly, even though the pin-stripes on the thighs are bent and bulging. Nobody cares what the size is, the label is on the inside not on the outside, so no one else ever needs to know what it is. If you don’t like the size, cut the label out once you’ve purchased it. You’ll look so much better when your clothes fit you well, rather than basing your purchasing decisions on a number that is completely arbitrary and varies from store to store. You are not a number!
5. Buying because it’s designer or a label, not because it suits you
OK, it’s easy to fall into this trap – we all love a bit of luxury and sometimes we may buy a garment not because it suits us, but because it’s a designer label. We buy it because we want that little bit of luxury in our lives, but beware, just because it’s a label, doesn’t mean it will work for us, our lifestyle or suit our silhouette or colouring and in the end could just be a costly mistake. Only buy designer when you understand what really works for you – then the investment can be worthwhile.
6. Buying because it’s on sale, not because you need it
Many of us love a bargain – it’s the hunter in us, out there stalking our prey, looking for the best catch. But just because it’s cheap doesn’t mean it’s really a bargain. Purchasing clothes that you never wear, not matter how cheap is a waste of money if they’re just going to take up space in your wardrobe and eventually be thrown out and end up as landfill. Make sure if you buy something on sale you’re not just purchasing emotionally, ask yourself is it really filling a gap in your wardrobe?
7. Not understanding your silhouette and what suits it
Understanding your colouring, body shape and proportions are key to what clothes you should buy. Clothes that suit you make you look and feel great. Clothes that are for a different body shape won’t flatter and you’ll never feel fabulous in them. Investing in finding out what suits your unique body pays for itself time and time again as you stop wasting money on clothes that don’t suit you, plus has the added benefit of making shopping easier as you know what to try on and what to avoid.
8. Not creating a list before you go shopping
Wardrobe after wardrobe I see has multiples of the same garments. Their owners will often exclaim in surprise “oh I forgot I had that” as we find clothes stashed away at the backs of drawers. So much money is wasted on buying clothes that people don’t need and that don’t add value to their wardrobes, filling the gaps and extending their outfits. Instead their filled with wardrobe orphans and multiples of the same garments. Before you shop, you need to do an audit of your wardrobe and work out what you really need so that you’re not going to waste another cent on something you don’t need.
9. Buying ‘different’ for the sake of different
Yes, it’s easy to get stuck in a style rut as we tend to keep buying what we feel works, or sometimes just keeping on buying the same garment in different colours, it become so boring. So we bust out of our rut and choose something completely different, but when we get it home we never wear it because it’s really not ‘us’. Clothing personality styles are closely related to our personality traits, if we move too far away from our personality we won’t feel great in the clothes we choose. Try a little bit different rather than radically different and you’ll have more success.
10. Going shopping without grooming first
Shopping for clothes means spending some time looking at ourselves in the mirror. So before you go, make sure you do your hair and put on some light makeup – groom – then you can assess how the clothes really look rather than just thinking that you look terrible (particularly as the lighting in some changerooms is harsh and unflattering anyway – give yourself all the help you can!).
