Many women come to me for help because they have a closet full of clothes and don’t like most of them. So they wear the same few things over and over. After styling thousands of women over three decades, I’ve seen where it starts: how they shop.
Are you a clearance rack shopper or a late-night scroller? Keep reading to see if you relate to either of these!
Shopping For The Sale
You’re on your way home from work and you stop at Ann Taylor (or wherever your go-to is) and head straight for the clearance rack at the back. There’s a red blouse, 50% off. Into the bag it goes. At home you hold it up against everything you own, and nothing goes with it. You wonder what you were thinking, and then you feel bad that you’re not wearing it, as if there’s something wrong with you.
Shopping For A Fantasy Life
You’re scrolling your favorite online store at night and find a dusty rose slip dress and dark red pointed toe flats. You can’t resist either one. When they arrive, you realize you have nowhere to wear them, and they’re not exactly comfortable for working from home. Now you own an outfit for a life you don’t have, and you feel guilty about the splurge.
The Shopping Hangover
Both scenes came from my clients, and although they look different, the aftermath is the same:
→ Pieces hanging in the closet with tags still on
→ Guilt about the money
→ The same few outfits on repeat, and the belief that the problem is you
Our habits run deep. It’s easier to keep doing what we’ve always done, whether that’s buying because it’s on sale or buying because we love it even though it doesn’t suit our life. The WHY YOU BUY is what’s worth paying attention to.
My Latest Purchase
I just bought a new necklace!
I’d wanted to add color to my stack for a while, and when I was walking in Nolita I saw a green beaded chain in a store window. I went in, tried it on along with another option because I always like to try and compare, and bought it.
I’m wearing it now!
And that’s how I tell if I bought the right piece. I wear it right away.
Next month I’m hosting a shopping workshop to help you buy the right pieces for your wardrobe. More details soon!
Tell me below, when was the last time you bought something and wore it right away?