There's a big sidewalk sale at the mall so you and your best girl friend put on your most comfortable walking shoes and head straight to the mall. You heart is pumping as you think about all the great clothes you will buy at 50-70% off! But stop. Did you not just do this last year? Your closet is filled with stuff you can't, or won't wear anymore; they just aren't wearable! "What was I thinking?", you think to yourself, for the stuff looked great in the store. Was it the lighting? Did some alien being take over your body and cause you to buy stuff in bad taste? No. It is simply a matter of fashion faux-pas.
Although most of us are aware that style changes frequently, people seem to assume that fit and style are the only two important things to look for when bargain shopping. These days stores have sales all year round--all the more reason to know how to shop like a pro. Spring is a great season to push thoses drab winter colours aside in favour of the more vibrant spring colours, yet this seems to be the culprit of an unworkable wardrobe.
Colours go in and out of style just as styles of clothing do. One season the must-have colour might be purple, while pink might be the colour to have the next season. The point here is that one must pay much attention to the colour of the item you plan on purchasing with your hard earned money. A wardrobe that seems to work for several seasons usually includes neutrals like black, white, or beige(which in fact are key colours for this season). It's also very useful to find the colours that complement your skin tone. It's not really a crime to own more than one item in the same colour; in fact this makes waking up and finding something to wear much much quicker and easier, and you'll look good!
So now you know that colours are important, and that colours vary by season. Stores usually cleverly introduce a new colour palette every season(and between seasons) to ensure that you return to check out what's new. What you may notice as a frequent shopper is that what's in the sale section and what's regular priced isn't very different sometimes(especially in stores that sell classics). The only difference that determines whether something is $19.99 and $39.99 sometimes is simply the fact that the cheaper item is in last season's colours. The "season" that store refers to when selling their merchandise usually does not coincide with the actual season. What I mean is that stores sell their "spring" lines way before spring even arrives. This means as you search the sale items you will find that although it is still technically winter, spring has arrived or is on its way out in the store. Now back to the clothes in your closet. Purple doesn't look so nice when it's obviously from two seasons ago does it? Remember that two seasons ago is actually one season ago because the stores have long since introduced the new colour scheme. Usually after Boxing Day(Dec. 26th holiday in Canada), everybody is wearing new clothes that are old! People choose the $19.99 item in favour of something more expensive, but in the end the item that they've chosen is just like wearing a big sign on their heads that they just went bargain hunting. Eventually they'll realize that what they have doesn't look good anymore and the items will no longer be worn.
So what can one do to prevent all this? Remember the familiar wise old saying: it's quality not quantity that matters most. A few key items such as a great wool coat and great fitting pants in neutrals that flatter you go a long way. Usually accessories like a pink cashmere scarf can be the accent that makes your outfit look new. Also remember to buy only what fits perfectly; you'll save a lot of money this way. If it's too big or small in the store, it's likely that you won't be wearing what you bought for a long time. This may seem like a lot to remember but all in all just remember that if it looks good, and you can visualize yourself wearing it in the future(especially because it goes w/ at least two items you already have),then by all means purchase the item, but if the overriding reason behind your urge to shop is the price, then perhaps it would be better to take a deep breath, put the item down, and simply walk out of the store.
from Mayling's Themestream.com archive