it is no secret that i love a good shopping spree. who doesn’t? retail therapy is real, y’all and it’s like sending yourself christmas presents year round. some retailers even wrap your items with tissue paper, or present jewelry in nice pretty boxes. christmas! it’s very easy to get caught up in the must haves and gotta have it’s with the ever changing seasons. i’m all on board with freshening up your wardrobe, but unfortunately going around and buying everything just isn’t feasible, or practical.
i like to kick spring off by cleaning out my closet of all the items that have made it a full circle of seasons and have not been worn. i find a charity to donate all of the re-wearable pieces [some have been worn too many times and just don’t make the cut] and replace the empty hanging hangers in my closet with new pieces. before making any purchase, even if it is a lower cost $30 shirt, i ask myself the following 5 questions:
1. will i actually wear this?
if you aren’t feeling an outfit in the fitting room, chances are, you are going to make the purchase only to have the piece sit in your closet. don’t make a purchase just because everyone else has it or because you want to carry the name brand [this is easy to get caught up with, if the name brand was removed, would you still want to buy that item?]
make sure you feel comfortable and confident in what you are trying on. does the piece fit your body type now? with summer around the corner, i know we are all wanting to look good in that itty bitty teeny weenie yellow polka dot bikini, but be patient with yourself and don’t get ahead of the process. if you’re on a weight loss journey take yourself shopping to reward yourself after you’ve accomplished your goals. but as for now, be proud of yourself in the moment, and buy what fits you.
lastly, make a purchase because it fits in with your style. be proud of your style and rock it. it reflects your personality and your uniqueness.
2. what will i wear this with?
always pre-plan some outfits in your mind and think how you would style the piece before buying it. do you need to do some additional shopping to make it work? or will your new addition fit right into the rest of your style and wardrobe. can you wear it more than one way or are you buying a one trick pony? a versatile piece is always the greatest investment.
3. what is the return policy?”
can you return the item if you get home and decide you really didn’t like it all that much? or maybe you went home to find you have something nearly identical already hanging in your closet. if you ordered online, can you send it back if the fit doesn’t work for your body type? or perhaps you need to exchange it for a different size?
nordstrom, shopbop, revolve, amazon and zappos all have amazing return policies and are some of my favorite online shops to frequent. they all offer free returns and ship quickly, so you aren’t waiting for your items for weeks at a time [which is never fun].
a number of sites require you to pay for the return shipping and some even ask for a re-stocking fee. if you purchased only one item, sometimes it is not even worth sending it back because the cost almost amounts to the item itself. if you are purchasing from a new website, you can typically find the return policy near the bottom of the page, or simply type “returns” in the search if one is provided.
4. can i afford this?
i set a monthly budget for myself to spend on clothing, beauty and adventures [i give myself a little extra on my birthday month and around the holidays]. having new pieces is fun and exciting, but not worth it if it is not in your budget. credit card debt is avoidable and being financially responsible is an important part of growing up. it’s okay to splurge every once in a while, because you deserve it. but take a look at your purchase before you buy it and make sure it doesn’t put you over the edge.
beware of sales because it is easy to spend just as much if not more during them. i’m guilty of spending money because i feel like i’m saving money during a sale, but a good rule of thumb is to ask yourself, “would i have bought this at full price? or am i more attracted to the lower cost than the item itself?” if the answer is the latter of the two, you probably don’t need the new item.
quality v quantitiy comes into play here. if you bought 3 sale pieces that you normally would not have purchased, you could have bought 1 non sale items that would be on repeat in your wardrobe instead of being a one time wear sale piece. [this doesn’t happen every time. some sales really are phenomenal and a number of sale pieces that i have purchased are worn religiously, but i have had some sit in my closet because the saving was so great that i felt i couldn’t pass it up. turns out, i really could have passed it up.]
5. do i love it?
are you going to walk away thinking about an outfit or piece of clothing? or will you forget about it the next day. finding a piece that you love is exciting, but make sure it’s true love and not just an infatuation. if you’ll forget about it the next day, then chances are you don’t need it. if you can’t wait to wear it and are already planning how to style it for tomorrow’s outfit, then go on with your bad self and enjoy your newest closet addition 🙂
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