SURVIVAL GUIDE FOR ANXIOUS SHOPPERS
6 WAYS TO MAKE YOUR SHOPPING JOURNEY MORE EFFICIENT
I always like to compare: In-store vs online shopping is the same thing as Cinema vs Netflix. There are multiple benefits for both, but you won’t value or remember the experience the same way. As you actually make the effort to go to the cinema, you enjoy the movie more than on your laptop: The popcorn, the sound quality or the bigger screen….
Don’t get me wrong, online shopping is great! Since the Pandemic, local and international brands have allowed us to get access to everything, everywhere, whenever, which is awesome! But it is extremely valuable to consider using both channels - digital and physical - to create a successful wardrobe that works for you.
I do offer a Personal Shopping Service based here in Wellington, New Zealand. The overall idea is for my clients to no longer need a stylist by their side on the long term: I help them to (re)discover the technics to make successful purchase in store on their own.
Now, if you are getting overwhelmed or intimidated by walking into a store by yourself, here are my 6 Tips that will make your next shopping journey worthwhile and avoid an ultimate defeat.
1/ Accept the help of the Sales Assistant
There are Retail Assistants for a reason. I know that a bad experience with a staff that ignores you or worse, the pushy one who makes you feel uncomfortable, can make you want to avoid all stores and end up only scrolling online.
However, when you experience getting the help of a qualified Sales Assistant, it’s a whole different story. As they have seen their stock on so many different clients and body types, they know exactly what they sell and will have valuable advice on what styles would suit you best.
Also, don’t be shy to come out of the changing room to show the staff what you are trying on. You have no idea how many customers would be trying on pants and be like “Nop, doesn’t suit me, next…” when they should have simply tried a different size. These are things that you don’t necessarily guess on your own if you don’t work in the industry.
Here are some useful questions to ask when trying clothes on:
How are these trousers sizing? Do people tend to go up or down a size? (saving you time and avoid trying x3 different pairs and feel demotivated) .
What do people usually wear with this item? (helps you to understand how you will style it at home).
Sometimes, you don’t know if you can trust the staff because you think they would say that “everything looks good”, so you can test them: Simply try on voluntarily the wrong size and see if they mention it at all… If they keep saying “you look great!” then, RUN.
2/ Wear a practical outfit
Do you remember this time you saw the perfect jeans in store but you were too lazy to take off your jumpsuit to try it on? And then the following week it was sold out?
The ultimate practical outfit to wear when going on a shopping trip is an elasticated waist bottom + plain top + sneakers. Bonus if you can take off the trousers without having to remove the shoes! And extra bonus if you can take off the shoes without undoing the laces…
It is also smart to wear or carry with you what you are more likely wanting to pair your new items with. As an example, take your blazer if you are going to get new work trousers or wear the right underwear when trying an event dress.
3/ Take photos of your clothes
If you are one of those who ALWAYS forget what they have in their wardrobe, and end up buying the same things over and over AKA: “oh actually, I already have x3 floral printed blouses that I don’t even wear”. Maybe it’s time to set up a Wardrobe Album on your phone with photos of all your clothes. When you are out and about shopping, you can quickly look through it and ask yourself: “Do I already have a cream jacket? No I don’t. Ok, so what do I have in my wardrobe that could be worn with this new cream jacket?”
4/ Try on - FOR REAL
How many times have I seen clients trying something and standing like a pole in front of the mirror or worse: Doing the T shape with their arms to show that something looks too boxy… Listen: You will never walk in the street doing a T shape with your arms. Obviously nothing would look flattering when you do that! Instead, you could try the garment in a normal situation like : walking around the store or hands in your pockets. Maybe you can ask a friend (or the staff) to take a video: You will see the movement of the fabric and the overall shape more accurately than on a standing photo.
Next, always put back your shoes on when you try something. A dress or pants will always look like pajamas when you are hanging around barefoot.
Finally, make sure the garment fits you when you are standing as well as sitting. This is how you can avoid a bad surprise when you start wearing new clothes at work and realize they are too tight on the waist or too short in the length. So, sit on a stool or do some squats (let’s not rip anything though, go easy).
5/ Manage your spending
You can overspend in stores as much as you can online. We all got trapped by the “get free shipping when you spend over $200” even though you were just about to get a x3 pack of underwear.
If you know you have the tendency to spend more than you should when you get excited, maybe you should only carry cash with a limited budget. Especially when there is a big archive sales or if you are going Op shopping. Set your budget in advance and stick to it. This will avoid the mistake of buying too many things “just because it was cheaper”.
About Layby and Afterpay: my recommendation is to use these apps from time to time but not on a regular basis. It gets very useful to me when I see something pricey that I ADORE but was not planning on getting right now or if it’s the last one and I don’t want to miss out. I use the Layby app in this case to avoid digging into my savings. By having reminder payments every week or fortnight, it reminds me to still be careful with my spending over the next weeks ahead. Let’s be honest, if I simply take out the money out of my savings, I just forget about it and move on…
So overall, hold off using Afterpay for less than $200 if you don’t want to get trapped into a bad habit.
6/ Take your time to think
If you aren’t 100% convinced, you can ask for more details about the return policy.
Is the item refundable if you realize it doesn’t match the pair of shoes you have when getting home? Or can you only get an exchange? It’s good to know these things before committing.
However, I don’t encourage people to abuse of refunds especially with small independent brands that has limited stock. Plus, it’s super time consuming and you often end up being too lazy to go back in the shop and end up having your wardrobe full of garments with tags on.
So ask for refund options when you really need to check the item with what you have at home.
Also, when you get too over excited about something in store, ask yourself: What can I wear it with? Where would I be wearing it? How often would I wear it? You need to be honest with yourself and answer these questions reasonably. This will make you save on money and guilt.
Lastly, remember, it’s ok sometimes to make a shopping mistake. The important thing is to learn from it and try to not repeat the same error over and over.
xxx
Eugenie
