IT’S NOT NEWS TO ANYONE THAT SHOPPING FOR CLOTHES CAN BE DAMN HARD.

I love it, don’t get me wrong, but I completely understand why my clients, especially my new ones don’t like to shop. As it’s almost April and the season of autumn and winter shopping is starting, I wanted to give you a few handy tips to whip your shopping plans into shape in the new year and stay away from impulse shopping.

DON’T GO WITHOUT A GOAL

Before buying anything, or heading to the shops, know what your style is and what you need. Going in and waiting for inspiration to hit will result in your wardrobe ending up a mismatch of different styles and shopping moments.

Organise your wardrobe and look for items that can be fixed or altered by a tailor first. See what you’ve got and try to come up with ideas for how you want to style them so you’re buying items that will help you achieve your styling goals.

MAKE DETAILED LISTS TO DETER IMPULSE SHOPPING

There’s nothing as effective as a detailed shopping list. It’s always smart to go through your wardrobe first and make a list of priorities and other items that you’ve been wanting to add. If you can be specific about what you need, list colour, even fabric and cut will help you to narrow your search and stay focused. Before heading out, jump online and research what brands have so you have a hit list of stores you can visit.

SET A BUDGET

My average client spends between $1200 and $2000 on updating their wardrobe, very rarely do my clients spend upwards of $6000 on an entire update unless that client is shopping strictly designer or has a love for something like antique jewellery, or evening wear. To update your wardrobe, you really only need a small collection of clothing, a little can go a long way so don’t think you need to spend big to get a better outcome. Break down how much each item you plan to purchase is, add 10% for a safety net and if you don’t trust yourself to stick to it – do it in cash.

BE IN THE MOOD

Never shop in a bad mood or after a particularly crappy day, you’ll overbuy and still come away with things you don’t like. When major life changes happen, it’s not the time to go to the shops, a break up or a change of job mixed with credit card debt doesn’t feel good.

Firstly, work out if finding some new clothing will make you feel better in the long term. If so, plan by picking a date to shop, do it by yourself and give yourself enough time to shop properly. An extra handy tip is to wear clothing you can change in and out of easily, this will stop you from feeling exhausted from changing clothes a lot.

SLEEP ON IT

Last but not least, if you aren’t so excited about the item you’ve tried on that you want to wear it first thing tomorrow, then it’s a good idea to sleep on it. Leave it at the store, give it a day or two and if you find yourself thinking about it and you can see that it will work well with your wardrobe, go back for it.

Give it a go and report back! And if there’s something you struggle with when shopping and staying on track, get in touch or leave a comment below! It’s amazing some tactics the stores use that are getting us to shop, so don’t feel silly about it. Stay strong!