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calling Beth Ann Ledonna, and all good shoppers: how to case a joint

Adelfa

Veteran

In Anna's recent thread, both these women stated they knew how to look over a lot of merchandise quickly and find the good stuff. Please, show me how!

I am the opposite: I get sucked in by details, can't find what I want, and get overwhelmed quickly.

How do you do it? Can I learn how? TIA!!!

Shopping

29 replies

Latest reply was from BrieN

rabbit

Veteran

What in particular are you shopping for? I use different strategies if I'm shopping in a targeted way (for a mental list of items) or browsing a new to me environment to get the lay of the land.

Give an example of an item you might be looking for and I'd tell you the process I'd go through to find it or move on ('case the joint' is a perfect description) in a chaotic brick and mortar retail environment --- low-price and thrift for a particular example, where a lot of the sorting through is left up to the shopper. I'd be interested to hear what strategies others use too. I think I'm a better shopper than I used to be, but have more to learn too for sure.

Adelfa

Veteran

Rabbit, let's say I need a couple of summer toppers for work.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Okay. And do you shop online as well as in store, or just in store? And if in store, are you going to department store or to a discount place or thrift or what? Because the strategies will differ.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I am about to laugh out loud here because when I joined YLF I HATED shopping and was probably one of the worst people in the world at it. To think I am even considering giving some advice!!!!

Pssst. Blame (credit!) Angie. Everything I know I learned from her....

Mochi

Veteran

For me online shopping, with all the categories , keywords and filters, has really allowed me to focus. Obviously it has its drawbacks and I'm still capable of having my attention splintered, but I still feel a lot of the dead ends are eliminated. And I live in a city with a lot of brick and mortar options.

rabbit

Veteran

So before shopping I visualize what I want as exactly as possible. I try to identify color, shape, material, with most wanted and 'also acceptable' options. I also try to be clear what I'm not looking for:

So for example, with some random preferences added --

summer topper - blazer, also possible - other structured jacket, not looking for: cardigan

colors -- powder blue, also possible - blush or cream. Solid or very subtle stripe or tweed.

shape -- hip length, low stance, nipped waist vs. boxy, different lapel styles fine as long as they work with both collared and no collar tops.

material - linen, cotton, or silk with man-made blends is fine.

price range -- ballpark this based on budget and projected frequency of wear.

I also review what I already have in this category so I don't accidentally duplicate.

When I have a clear mental image then I go into a store and look first for item type and then for color and then for size (depending on how the store is laid out).

I don't get sidetracked by cardigans (already have plenty), don't look at dark colors or bold patterns, immediately dismiss anything not the right length to wear with the clothes I'm wanting a topper for. I also try to wear the outfit I specifically need a topper for while shopping, so try-ons are easy. If there is nothing in the sections that have jackets (I check clearance too), then I move on to the next list item or leave the store.

Having a specific color or two in mind is key for me as it makes it easy to scan racks from a distance or super quickly as well, without needing to leaf through piece by piece.

This assumes I'd rather go to several stores for the 'right' item then spend time trying to find something I can make work, but that isn't quite right, at one store.

If there is something that fits all of this 'general' criteria, then (and only then) I look at details -- the brand, washing instructions, construction, fit, etc. If it seems largely promising and returns are hassle free, I take it home for additional try-ons.

I think of it as if I'm in a forest, and I want to mentally gray out everything but the raspberries, it's all just background visual noise that I can tune out. I don't approach or handle other plants unless I've already found the berries or am about to leave the berry-less store and have five minutes for random browsing.

UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

For some reason, when I am shopping IRL grey sweaters jump out at me wherever I go, no matter what I am looking for.

rabbit

Veteran

ETA: I used to shop more opportunistically i.e. walking around to check clearance, shoes, bags, and toppers in a new store just to see what is there when I was focused on building a wardrobe from scratch. Now, I usually have a specific mental list which might have one to five items on it. It's not that I don't see and bring home wild-cards occasionally, or do a five minute round of those areas in a thrift store just before leaving, but I'd rather do the planning and specific visualization before even entering a store. For me it's just more efficient in the long term and reduces 'what was I thinking' returns or unnecessary duplicates.

heh Ummlila for me it's saturated orange. But I think I've gotten to the point where I can admire orange from a distance without needing to approach and handle it - since I have some orange lovelies at home already.

rachylou

Veteran

Since we've been shopping together, is this a bad time to mention I need to improve my shopping skills? Hehe

My thing is attention blindness. I need to prepare myself to see. Like rabbit does it.

Mauvish

ooooh... i totally need to learn this too. wonderful topic. i will be watching/reading this thread.

Rabbit your process sounds very clear and already helping me "how to think about needs/preferences"
... but may i ask if you do not mind. does that make shopping a chore?

Suz

(website)

Veteran

If I were in the market for summer toppers for work, I'd first consult with myself about which outfits lacked the toppers I needed -- so what colour range etc. do I have in mind? And what proportions? Very similar to rabbit's process. I'm a little less analytical about it...I'd probably narrow down a general colour range (based on my preferred palette but with room for a surprise) and level of dressiness needed. Then I would start looking online. But not randomly. So, how?

Well, thanks to Angie's expert advice and some trial and error, I know the type of styles that tend to work for my general body type and body type modifiers. I also know which brands tend to be cut pretty well for my body and which brands don't work as well. That rules out a whole lot and narrows down the stores that I bother with.

Since I'm in a small city in Canada and have to shop online a lot and yet we don't have many options here offering free delivery/ returns, I generally begin by looking at the few places that do offer this service. I also look at those lines that are more likely to be a good fit for my body. By looking online, even if I plan to buy in an actual store, I get a clearer sense of this season's "playing field," so to speak. I get the overview.

It's like looking at a map before going on the route.

Sometimes I'll also peruse higher end options than what I am hoping to buy. What is Shopbop carrying for jackets? What about Nordstrom's designer lines? I look at that stuff even if I have no intention of buying because it tells me about style directions. I might also look back at the season's fashion shows a little bit. I might look at some of Angie's more recent ensembles. Do I have the elements for one or more of these? What are the shapes of the jackets she's shown with the type of bottoms I want to wear? I might browse Pinterest (though I do that less when I'm actually shopping and more often when I'm going through a style shift or want some inspiration for how to wear an item a different way.)

What happens next depends. Often I start ordering. Or, if I have a trip planned to a major city, I decide which stores I want to try to visit. Typically, I'm going to have to order online anyway because even if I do find something I like in store, it won't be available there in my size.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Note -- I don't thrift any more or buy on consignment, but that process was quite different. Most of my thrift/ consignment buys were interesting "wild cards." Or great accessories.

There, you learn to go through racks really quickly pulling out the best fabrics. You ignore sizes on tags (which are often wrong or different from current sizing) and hold the item up to yourself to see if it's worth trying on. Ordinarily things are separated by colour within their category (e.g. brown jackets, blue jackets, white blouses, pink blouses) so there are whole parts of the store you can safely ignore because you know you want a blue jacket and a white blouse, not the other stuff. (Unless you want to surprise yourself, that is.)

Look for labels, feel for fabric content. Are you trying to find your version of a retro trend for less? Are you looking for high end stuff, really good quality? Then this is where knowledge is power. Know your designers, know your trends.

rabbit

Veteran

Mauvish, not really I don't think, because I'm excited about the thing I visualized and I'm looking for -- I suppose if I was shopping for underwear or in a huge rush or something it would be a little more like grocery shopping :). I also keep an eye on outside store window displays and what other shoppers are wearing walking around, so am taking mental notes on colors and silhouettes just to learn and for fun -- but inside the store I save that kind of thing for last, or skip it if I'm really focused or want to hit several stores. I have to make a mental effort to even look at store mannequins and displays inside now -- I figure they are about the store's merchandise priorities, not mine.

Nodding along to everything Suz says about shopping thrift. I just blank out jersey altogether, lol. Knowing brands and knowing trends and knowing what shapes fit your body is all key, and always there is still a lot more for me to learn it seems.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Dang it! I missed out on everything. Suz and Rabbit have said it all. All our YLF Fam have given the best advise.

I also only shop discount and op shop or thrift. I can run my hand over an item and pretty much tell if what type of material it is and if I want to take the time to look at it.

I look for color texture print and pattern. My eyes are always scanning even when I'm having an hour long conversation in the middle of an op shop. True story.

Another true story I get overwhelmed going into a regular store. I'm getting better at it. Something about having to dig and sort at the thrift. The bigger the better. I usually circle the complete store befor I do anything else.

Cococat

Veteran

I've done a lot of op/thrift shopping in the past and I had a reputation for finding the treasure amongst the trash..lol.

For op-shopping and super discount shopping (eg. I always hit Ross's when I visit the USA), I look along the rack for fabric quality first off. If it's nice fabric, I then go by colour/print. Using that strategy, 99% has been discarded in the first sweep.

Then I look at style, shape, quality of production and label. I've found some gems using this strategy, but in future, I will also consider if I NEED the item and if it fits in my capsules, instead of shopping as a sport and ending up with a mish mash of stuff that doesn't work together.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Ledonna, you bring up a really good point.

We get overwhelmed at unfamiliar places!

It is hard work shopping, and every type of store organizes its stuff differently. If you are used to thrifting, you get used to that type of organization. If used to higher end dept. stores you get used to that. E.g. you learn that you need to focus on the parts of the store with the designers you like.

I used to get very, very overwhelmed and overstimulated at our local H&M. I still find it an unsettling shopping experience but I am able to go in there now and come out with the odd thing I really like, either for me or my daughter. I do have to psyche myself up for it a bit before I go. But I can do manage it.

I don't care for shopping at Zara in person because it is usually insane unless you go first thing in the morning on a weekday. I don't like lining up for fitting rooms for ages, having to wade through mess on floors, etc. Online is much easier there.

Adelfa

Veteran

Oh, you all are amazing! I tried this, just for practice, at Bed, Bath & Beyond where I get super overwhelmed. I needed a glass pitcher, some glass storage containers, and an ironing board. (Not clothes but this is where I was.) I had to force myself to stay focused, but it paid off. I came away with exactly what I went for. Luckily the Fiestaware in Lemongrass was not in stock or a big fail might have happened!

Rabbit, I love how you describe the visualization. However sometimes I don't know what I want! This is where some of Suz's ideas might help, browsing online. Ledonna, I love what you are saying about focusing on the hand of a fabric, its color and texture.

I do great online because I just buy Angie or Rae picks mostly. But I would like to be able to go shopping in B&M stores and feel good about the process. Can't wait to try again.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Adelfa, I really used to hate shopping in stores, I mean hate it, and now I do enjoy it. There are days when I'm not really up for it, but mostly it's fun for me. I'm not sure that would be true, though, if I didn't read the blog, consider my capsules, and think in terms of outfits for various activities, or trends that I would like to try to incorporate in a given season.

Sometimes we're driven by purely practical requirements. Like if the AC is really high at work and you need toppers more because the room is so darn cold than for the sake of creating a cohesive outfit. I think it's good to acknowledge this, because then you can rule out certain fabrics/ cuts. You might need a summer cardigan, for example, and not a linen jacket. So then you can go back to the blog (or your other fashion inspiration sources) and see what kind of cardigan would make appealing outfits together with pieces you already own.

Having said all this, I would also have come home with the Fiesta Ware if it jumped out at me. Wild card!!

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Alright Suz you broke it way down. I found myself nodding in agreement. I have to sit it the car in the huge parking lot of Walmart to convince myself to go in. Lol I'm getting better.

Adela. What a great thread I always learn so much on YLF everyday. It like one big virtual class.

catgirl

Veteran

I'm good at this too. If I don't have a goal in mind, I search by color/pattern first to narrow down, then by material by look or feel. I can recognize a good quality item just by glancing at a rack or row of stuff. Basically what everyone has said here. I think you need a natural love of hunting and gathering to enjoy this kind of shopping.

CocoLion

(website)

Veteran

I am focused at on line shopping. Not so with B&M. Because I don't get to do it that often, I am emotional and impulsive.

Recently I have been looking for a white sweater/caridgan/topper. On line really drags things out. I buy it, mull it over for a while, return, repeat. The same has been going on with a bag. Have been looking for a bag to match my Acne booties since the fall! Nothing, nothing, unless I want to spend $1000 or more.

I don't think I'm answering your question at all. Maybe just commiserating, but from a different perspective. Instead of getting fatigued I get a rush from real B&M shopping and could go on all day, without food, buying everything I feel like buying with no pattern. Then going home and thinking WWIT. But without being able to return the item because I don't live near the store where I bought it.

Carla

Veteran

I'm a B&M shopper and I like to do non-purchasing reconnaissance about once a week for an hour or two as 'entertainment.' That way I learn the merchandise in my favourite stores, and the new stuff stands out. Also, there is no pressure to make a purchase since I'm "just looking."

I also make a 'look book' either cutting out pictures from magazines and taping them in a notebook, or making a pin board on Pinterest. When I go shopping in earnest, I refer to my look book and shop the way rabbit describes. I am not adverse to consulting an SA and showing her (or him!) my look-book. The look book keeps me focused on what I want/need.

Also, when I am doing serious wardrobe replenishing, I plan ahead, and dedicate the day so there are no conflicting demands and I don't feel rushed. I make sure to dress well, but comfortably, including neutral coloured foundation garments. I take breaks, and make sure I stay hydrated. If I feel tired or uncomfortable, rushed or desperate or the driving music starts to get to me - I leave.

Staysfit

Veteran

My first step either online or in a B&M store is to go by color only. It's easy to screen for color. If it's not there, I'm done. If I know I need something specific, like a topper, the only thing I will define is the color. I never get more specific than the color though. I don't consider lengths, styles, finer details. I also don't think about what I already have in my closet before I shop, but I probably should emulate more of Rabbits wisdom!

Once i see something in the correct color, I then use my style descriptors and what I have learned from experience about proportions that look good on me. I also like to touch everything. If I don't like the way something feels it is immediately rejected. I do the same with online purchases, so there are some I never try on, they get sent back immediately. My DH likens me to the old fable "The Princess and the Pea" because I am so picky about material. I also get picky about construction. I look at seams and how buttons are attached, etc. if an item passes inspection, and kind of fits, I look to see if it needs alteration and if it can be altered. I have most of my clothes altered so I usually don't worry about finding a perfect fit from the start. It's rare for that to happen. Maybe that's because I'm tall, maybe that's because of my frame, I'm not sure. In any case, I look for items that are high enough quality to be worth altering, and that takes some knowledge about the kinds of work that can be done by the tailor. Fortunately we have a wonderful tailor locally who can render an opinion when I'm unsure. Blazers/toppers are particularly tricky and the tailor has had to remake them for me on many occasions. I often purchase a larger size so the sleeves are long enough and let her work her magic. I add tailoring costs to almost everything I purchase.

I hate shopping when there are crowds grabbing at items off racks, tables, or from bins. One of my neighbor's is a sales representative for a popular sporting goods label and he has sample sales all the time out of his garage. It's a zoo, but the items are pristine and beautiful if you can stand the crowd. The same is true for the local H&M store. It's always crowded and in disarray. I like orderly and calm, so it's hard for me to manage. I try to avoid these settings but will go there to purchase items for my children and husband. I try to get to the mall during off hours whenever possible. Online shopping with its many filters and the convenience of sitting at home in a quiet and calm space is by far my favorite way to shop.

Like Cocolion if I'm out and about I can end up shopping for extended periods of time to the detriment of my nutritional status. My dearest friend and shopping buddy came up with a solution for me, a small snack Baggie filled with almonds, white raisins, salted pistachios and white chocolate chips. Fortifying, tasty, and it raises the blood sugar and sustains it too. (I'm not saying it's the healthiest, but it isn't the worst either).
Somehow the snack bag works better than a protein bar. I always carry a Cliff Builders Bar (Vanilla Almond) with me.

BrieN

Veteran

CocoLion (and others) what is WWIT ? From CocoLion's description and context, it seems like an acronym that I would need.

Ledonna N.

Veteran

Alaskagirl. You are so right I wonder about this mentality.
" I think you need a natural love of hunting and gathering to enjoy this kind of shopping."

I have to go and ponder this.

I'm enjoying this thread.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

WWIT = what was I thinking?????

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Or to use another metaphor, maybe you need a natural love of winnowing. Sifting the wheat from the chaff...

or panning for gold...

Gail

Veteran

I have the WWIT moment pretty regularly after B and M shopping with no plan. I can get VERY impulsive and regret it later. If do go with a plan of what I want I look on line first for ideas and then go to some of my local B and M stores and see whats available there. Then I either make a purchase or come home and start ordering on line.

BrieN

Veteran

WWIT -- uh, yes. That's an acronym that I definitely need. Classic.

Thanks Suz for the help.