Lots of shops are in sale and it’s not even July!!!
I’ve been tempted and bought a few pieces – a pair of shoes from Office for only £10 and a jumper reduced from £125 to £37.50 – a bit of a bargain!! They are both autumn pieces, so whilst I can’t really start wearing them now I know I’ll get loads of use out of them when the weather starts to get colder!
But what if I’d purchased summer garments, a pair of sandals or summer dress? With our fickle British weather, how much wear would I get from them? Most of us like a bargain and we often justify something by how much we’ve saved (I’ve just done it!!!). It’s only really a bargain if it becomes a capsule piece in your wardrobe.
So here’s a bit of advice, steel yourself for the challenge, and follow some of these guidelines:
- Go armed with a bottle of water and the earlier the better – shops will be tidier, staff more helpful and less frazzled to assist you.
- But even before you head for the shops have a think about what you are really looking for – what’s your wardrobe currently missing, which garments don’t you wear because you’ve got nothing to go with them?
- Don’t forget what colours you should be looking out for to best suit your complexion.
- Have a budget in mind, so you don’t get carried away with ‘alleged’ bargains.
- It will be hot in the shops, so wear thin layers, nothing bulky, something you can easily change in and out of!
- Fit is everything – don’t buy anything that needs altering or that you think will be perfect after you’ve lost a bit of weight (the opposite might happen if you’re just about to go on holiday!).
Buy for now!
- Trends move on very quickly, hence ‘high fashion’ items are often on the sale rail. Unless it is a trend you wanted to ‘try out’ and felt it was too risky at full price, focus on classic garments and neutral colours will last the test of time.
- Ask yourself, would you have bought it at full price? Remember, it’s only a bargain if you are going to get good wear from it and it works with your existing wardrobe.
- If you are shopping on-line, read the reviews and check the returns policy. Garments can look very different on ‘real’ bodies!
So, remember those 3 magic rules:
Can you wear it with 3 different things already in your wardrobe?
Can you wear it to 3 different events?
Can you wear it for 3 years?
Love it madly, need it badly or put it back!!
If sale shopping isn’t your thing but you wardrobe needs a bit of updating, don’t hesitate to get in touch!