If you’re like many of the women who come to me for help, it’s because you have a closet full of clothes, and you don’t like most of them. So you end up wearing the same few things over and over while the rest stays on the hanger untouched.
After styling thousands of women over three decades, I know why this is happening. It starts with the way you shop.
Whether you shop only sales, or you scroll online late at night, 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
Want to know the two kinds of shoppers who end up here most often, and how to tell if a piece was the right one?
Sale Shopper
You get an email that your favorite store is having a big sale, so you stop by on your way home from work. There’s a red blouse, 50% off, so into the bag it goes. At home, nothing you own goes with it, and you feel bad that you’re not wearing it, as if there’s something wrong with you.
Fantasy Shopper
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.
There’s Another Way To Do This
Most women I style have been one or both of these shoppers, and that says nothing about who you are. But there is an easy way to know if a piece was the right one.
I’d wanted some color in my necklace stack for a while, so when I spotted a green beaded chain in a Nolita window, I went in, tried it on along with another option, because I always like to try and compare, and decided the green was the one.
I wore it right away.
And that’s the check: if you wear it right away, it was the right piece. It works for a necklace, a blouse, a pair of pants, anything you buy.
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?