You are right, abc, I really should hine about WHY I want the list. Yes, part of it is for my need for organization, but there should be more to it. I might start a second post on that!

Elizabeth P, I thought I was the only one with a chore list! (And I was sure I was the only one that wrote additional things on it, just to be able to cross them off! I even typed out the chores list on the computer so I can just print it).

Thistle, my sister starts her chore list with "write list". We are not alone....

"And I was sure I was the only one that wrote additional things on it, just to be able to cross them off!"

THIS. Yes, I am glad that I am not the only one!

Haha! Late checking back in but I admit to wrong things on my to do list just to be able to check them off. Tee hee, doesn't look like I'm alone!

I'm with Deborah and Caro......I always have a list. Before clothes shopping I analyse my needs and wants, what will work, my budget and various websites. My shopping is always purposeful and mindful, thus avoiding wasting money and buying clothes that I regret or which end up orphans. Occasionally I buy things unexpectedly, but not without a coffee shop stop and time to think before I purchase. Since I don't buy cheap clothes and shoes, this method makes sense to me.
Paradoxically, I'm less likely to write a list for food shopping. I tend to arrive at the fresh fruit and veg market or the fish market or whatever and buy what is in season and what looks freshest and best at the time.

Funny myself, DEB and Caro are all Aussies and seem to follow a similar path re clothing shopping and lists... hmmmm

I'm not a list person -- for shopping or for anything. My brain's just not wired that way, and people who make and stick to lists might as well be a different, slightly superior species as far as I'm concerned.

I do try to be generally aware of what I own, what I reach for regularly and don't reach for, and what could use a replacement or upgrade. So I'm pretty good at not buying things I won't use, although I don't know if what I buy is always the best purchase ever. For instance, if I see a cute casual dress I like, I know I'll wear it, like I wear all the others, but should I be putting my energy into identifying HEWIs and potential wardrobe game-changers and trying to seek them out instead?

The closest I get to sticking to a list is when I have a need that's so obvious it's kind of hitting me in the head, like needing to replace a winter coat or get something to wear to a special event. But I don't think making one thing a priority and following through on that is quite the same thing as an actual list.

Oh, and I am SO a list person. Right now I have a grocery store list, a Target list, a packing list for our Belgium trip, a personal to-do list, and a work to-do list.

But clothes shopping? Nope.

I am such an emotional shopper and dresser, that my typically over-analytical, over-planning self takes a backseat. Sure, I will have a little wishlist in my head of things I'd like to find, but I rarely set out thinking, "today I'm going to shop for a pair of jeans" for example. I'm more of an explorer when I shop -- I just see what's out there that grabs me.

There are exceptions, when I discover a wardrobe hole, but it's usually very occasion-specific: a dress for an event, cold-weather items for a trip, a swimsuit, gear for running or biking, etc. Or it's for a basic item -- last year I went on the search for the "perfect" lightweight white sweater, and lately I've been keeping an eye out for a great replacement for my white silk blouse that has developed yellow stains (found a good contender at BCBG). Oh, and socks that don't slide down into my boots.

l make all kinds of lists. Recently listing everything I wear each day has resulted in a sub list of wardrobe holes and things that I want to replace. This has become a huge help in staying focused when shopping, especially at thrift and consignment stores and sales where often sale goggles are my downfall.
This is possible because I am pretty happy with where my wardrobe is now but need to replace some of the successes from thrifting, like a sheer black shirt and brown booties.
I should also start a list just for things I want to try or experiment with, like culottes and tunics.
With a list I can resist other things that I would have bought even a year ago. Just yesterday I resisted buying an EF cardigan even though it was an extra % off and a steal. But it was not something I need and, as often with EF, was an unusual color that might be hard to work with.

My challenge with lists: If I ever write down SPECIFICALLY what I think I need, that item is never available at retail, So I tend to settle for something that is sort of like what I REALLY want and then make-do. But I'm never really happy with it.

Then magically a year later, the exact item I was looking for appears....I get all excited....buy it....and now I have TWO similar items in my wardrobe. Or worse, THREE because I found something slightly but not exactly more like what I want....THEN I find the exact one. You get the picture.

This past year, I have acknowledged that I have this tendency and changed my habits. I now shop for CATEGORIES. (example: black, slim knit bottoms to wear with long tops) Sometimes you need to work with what Retail provides and not beat yourself up searching for a specific item! I found that category list making has actually cut down on my purchases because I'm less focused on the details and more on function and how it works with what I already have. So if an item is not going to work how I need it to...it stays in the store. It's pretty amazing how this has changed my shopping style.

Yay fellow Aussies I'd love to go shopping with you both
DEB - I forgot about the coffee stop. It has saved me from impulsive buys many times