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Outfits Ensembles Trends Advice

how do you maintain your overall wardrobe ? How often do you shop ?

Isabel

Veteran

These last two weeks of shopping have been very hard for me. I am not a shopper and I HATE browsing. Which got me to thinking, once I feel that I am at a good point with my wardrobe, how do I manage it ? In other words, do I shop or look around only when I have something specific in mind or do I always browse to stay updated and so on ?

What do you do ? How often do you look around casually or shop ?

Shopping

24 replies

Latest reply was from DragonflyJane

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I puruse the mall once in awhile; I would say if you don't like doing this; you could only do this when you need to replace something...

qfbrenda

Veteran

I'm finding myself shopping, at least online, pretty often but I'm still in building mode. I'm curious how often it will take to maintain things once they are established. But that will depend on the person, size of wardrobe, how well/carefully they wash and dry things, the quality of what they buy, etc.

taylor

Veteran

I am a mall rat and am forever looking in stores and boutiques. I don't need a thing, BUT there are tons of wonderful new ideas and items out there that inspire and motivate me to try new combinations.
Everything changes too often to re-buy every season , but a piece here and there really freshen things up.
I shop a lot...I clean out my closet alot...it is a vicious cycle and one that I love so I am never board with this hobby of mine:)

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I think that if you don't like to shop all the time, it's fine. If you are keeping up on the current trends through magazines, TV shows, online forums and blogs, then you may only need to go shopping once a season.

Kate

Veteran

I only go shopping in person when I have found things online that I want to check out. Sometimes I'll go 3 months without setting foot in the mall, other times I'll go two weeks in a row. It depends entirely on what's available. There hasn't been anything I love in the stores for about 2 months now, so I haven't gone to the mall since mid/early November and I haven't bought anything since then either.

When I go shopping in person, I'm not browsing, though I do scan the store to make sure I'm not missing out on something that's great in person but I dismissed when I saw it online.

Online, I check my usual stores every time they get new inventory. I think for most stores this is every 4ish weeks - I subscribe to their emails to know when the new stuff arrives. I keep track of what I like in my Amazon wishlist until I either buy it, or don't.

Do you enjoy (or at least not hate) shopping online?

I'm also a fan of buying a ton of stuff online, trying it on at home where I can take my time, get bf's opinions, and post pictures online, and then returning everything I don't want. I end up doing this a lot with AT and Loft purchases because they tend to have online only items that interest me. This might be a better option for you, even if everything is available at your local store.

Girl X

(website)

Veteran

(hiding under the table with a plate of date squares, pointedly avoiding the damning question)

☺

Makrame

Veteran

I cannot really stay away from shopping (or at least browsing) online for too long but I very rarely go to the mall (maybe once every 3 months when I have my oil changed? my dealership is near the best mall in our area).

Anyway, as I am trying to start a SYC period, I've been reading a lot of blogs on frugal living and simplifying and noticed that the author of Vivienne Files blog is on a 12 months "shopping fast". I think with her classic style and quality closet, she'll be able to look stylish without any new clothes. That got me thinking that in reality, once we have a working wardrobe, we don't really need to update it (meaning, add a few items) more often than once or twice a year.

I am also with Kate in that ordering a bunch of stuff online and then returning anything that does not work is a good strategy. I like being able to try new items with what I already have and to take pictures to see if they work.

Marley

Veteran

Before my current SYC (due to economic factors!) I would peruse the stores probably every 2 to 3 weeks. Most of the time I wouldn't buy anything, but it would keep me updated on trends and colors. However, those were also the times that I would most often find my most FAVorite items! Now, because I sometimes work part-time in our downtown, I will walk in and out of all of the small boutiques that line both sides of the street before I go to work or on my home. I just like to see what's out there!

Refugee

Veteran

I am a middle of the road gal when it comes to shopping. I like to shop but really get frustrated when I go into brick and mortar stores and find nothing interesting. I have become a big fan of what I call the online preshop. I will spend time browsing online in order to find things that I am really interested in trying on. Only then will I venture out to the stores to shop. I almost always include one unturned retail stone during my actual shopping excursions to keep things fresh. I also have several online only options that I regularly shop.
After reading this, I feel that this response really doesn't answer your question. I'm sorry if it doesn't.

AJ

Veteran

Isabel, I think you should find what works for you. If you don't like to shop, then only worry about replacing when things get worn out. If you see something that floats your boat from Angie's posts or from the forum members, then you'll know it's time to do some searching again. Everyone has such different wardrobe needs so there isn't really a right or wrong way.

Louise

Veteran

I'm a social shopper and used to spend most Saturday mornings at my local town centre with my mum. I don't always come home with anything but I seem to have lost the shopping bug a bit probably due to work stress and mild ill health. I am getting to the point where things are getting a bit worn and shabby so will soon need to think about pounding those streets again x

missvee

Veteran

I shop mostly at the beginning of each season. I force myself to look at my existing clothes, figure out where the gaps are and then go forth and do battle in the stores. This is the part of shopping that I really hate because it's hard work. But once I get the basics in line, I'm quite happy to browse periodically in the malls, try on some of the trend items, look at the sale racks etc. But at that point I don't feel any real pressure to buy so it's more of a fun experience.

Isabel

Veteran

Thank yoiu !!!! I guess I feel the pressure to be "out there" and it is not something that I enjoy. What I learned from you is that I need to relax and not be so worried about it ! LOL!

Refugee, you actually did answer my question ...thank you.

Makrame, believe it or not, I have been "downshifting" the last couple of years, too. Or at least trying to. It is hard when you are the only one in a family of 4 on board with it - whole other topic ! I guess that's why this is so overwhelming to me.

Kate, yes, that is what I have started doing. I realized that I just don't make good decisions in a store for several reasons. And I don't think that is going to change soon.
I also don't want to feel as if I am spending all my free time "maintaining" my "look".

Taylor, this sounds so silly, but OF COURSE.......just looking around for inspiration is a great way to do it. I just have to notice more....duh ! Sometimes things are pretty straightforward.

mrseccentric

(website)

Veteran

Thanks Isabel for starting this topic - i'm not good at this either! And thank you to all who commented - some helpful ideas here!

The 'online pre-shop' really helps me focus and get less overwhelmed in the stores. Also, some sort of record of outfits, what i've been wearing (written, pix) is helpful in figuring out how well my wardrobe is working for me. If i'm constantly reaching for a certain piece then i consider getting something that can double for it to increase my options. I also look at laundry considerations to get a feel for how much i need.

But this is an area i'd like to streamline! steph

Stephanie

Veteran

You know, I've been thinking a lot about this too. I shop frequently when I have the time, but I'm afraid that spending so much time in acquisition mode is neither a good use of my time nor conducive to me having a manageably sized wardrobe. (I've been purging my closet and I'm very aware of how much! stuff! I've bought over the last, say, five years.)

At the same time, nothing mellows me out like taking an afternoon to comb a thrift store. (But I do tend to enjoy it more when I find something to buy, which I guess is the problem!)

Honestly, I think I could probably go at least two years without buying *anything*. The more I get rid of, the more possibilities I see with what I already have. But the thought of going two years with nothing new is sort of sad to me.

I know this isn't very organized--I just wanted to put my thoughts out there in case anyone else was struggling with similar issues.

Jjsloane

Veteran

I shop all to frequently. Online and in stores. I buy more online, return more in stores. I do like to browse just to be inspired. I think of that line from "The Devil Wears Prada" where Meryl Streep tells Anne Hathaway she did not just choose the sweater, the color was determined by a long line of fashion moguls who puppeteer the industry to get us to buy what they want. (ok I totally took liberties here, but the point is I like to see what's new and fresh and also to see what's on sale. I shop specifically for events and don't really enjoy that pressure as much because I often have an idea of what I want and naturally once you want something it no longer exists.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I browse a lot online. But I have a limited budget so I really need to keep an eye for when things become affordable, and that means more time spent looking. I seem to buy in spurts. 3 things in a week and then nothing the rest of the month type of thing.

I'm on a SYC for the winter but hope to have devised a rough plan for this year's updating. I'm thinking about a dozen warm weather purchases and a dozen cold weather purchases should be enough to keep current, but not clog my closet again with too much stuff.

I also think this is better than waiting another whole year or two and having to revamp rather than just refresh. Trends, in tops particularlly, move on and if I buy a dozen shirts every two years, by year 2 they are going to be more obviously less current. If instead get 3 shirts at spring/summer and then 3 for fall/winter each year, it is still the same 12 tops at 2 year's end but they will have gradually spanned the time and not be as outdated by the next buying cycle.

rachylou

Veteran

I like to shop, but don't have the stamina or time to spend all day at it. I sorta do these commando hunt-and-pecks. I also like to check out store windows while walking the dog, to see what's what. If I like something, I'll come back at some point.

I have this belief, though, that twice a year should actually be enough to stock up. With a little something in spring.

cheryl

Veteran

I just shop when i feel the urge. More in stores than online. I am a sale/clearance shopper though so its hit and miss for me. I have a large wardrobe and am constantly refreshing, never completely revamping. No right or wrong here, do what feels right and good to you! Fashion should be fun, not work.

Sylvie

Veteran

I think Angie mentioned that some of her clients only shop twice per year, so I believe that is doable with the help of an expert who already knows what is out there and what your wardrobe needs.

I think a person shopping by themselves will need to either spend a concentrated weekend of shopping/research at least once each season or casually browse at least once/month.

I'm in wardrobe building mode and I'm team online and team sale. Sometimes I'll have a flurry of orders (all December) and then sometimes I'll take a 2-3 week break before placing another set. I have my goto stores but also get a lot of inspiration from items I see posted here/on other style blogs, which helps me add variety.

maharani

I dislike shopping so I do a big shop 2 or 3 times a year. I occasionally explore the mall, usually for a specific item, but i find it exhausting and neither instructive nor efficient. I chart what I need and buy with a list. Frankly, I am not interested in fashion per se-I wear classics and rely on my shopper to update them. My goal is to develop a uniform that works at work, which is where I spend most of my time, and have things custom made, and I am otherwise indifferent to what seems to me an increasingly irrelevant industry.

Scarlet

Veteran

I don't have a lot of time, but I really enjoy shopping at the beginning of the fall and spring season to see what is new and I usually buy a few things to update. I am approaching the point where a lot of my things are getting worn, so I will have to start dealing with meat and bones searches.

Vicki

(website)

Veteran

I keep LOL at Taylor prowling around as a mall rat! I go in spurts and love to look for inspiration. I also look at the Nordstrom and J. Crew catalogs that come to the home for the same. Shopping online is something I do quite often, whether it's Zappos for shoes or another site for clothes. Returns seem to be so easy these days that it makes this option a lot easier. Having said all of this, I'm still in a dream state with Angie's recent blog on "classic wardrobe items" and I want to shop less and learn to wait for that perfect blazer, pants, shirt, etc.

DragonflyJane

At the moment I've been doing most of my clothes shopping online but I've been disappointed with the fabrics and the quality of some items. I'm also remiss at returning items I don't love so have been accumulating an "it'll do" wardrobe.

I'm wardrobe building at the moment so my new strategy is to check out items online and then go to the shops & actually try things on the old-fashioned way! I'm hoping I will then buy things I love, that fit well & are a good quality. I'm imagining I'll probably shop once or a couple of times a month as I have a few gaps to fill.