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How do you shop?

celia

Veteran

Probably this was already talked about in the forum but when I looked at my current wardrobe, my list of 'needs' and the things I like in stores I hit a bump road and don't know what route to choose.
For example, , and now that I've seen Auburn and her orange dress , in the beginning of the month I tried a burned orange dress in linnen.
I know the color works very well for me and it is not very dificult to adapt to my life even if it is not your tipical MOTG dress.But I don't need more dresses, I need shirts and blouses(or I think I do).
As I want to put a limit to my expenses what do I do,buy the dress that looks good and will look good no matter what is the 'it' color next summer, or for the same price buy one more pair of clamms and a couple of t-shirts that probably will last only this season?
What is your aproach to shopping?How do you decide where to spend your money?

Shopping

19 replies

Latest reply was from Tessera

Kim

Veteran

80 percent of my wardrobe has to be able to be worn on a Tuesday afternoon. I spend most of my time as a MOTG (and that's not going to change until I retire from daycare) so I spend my money there.

That being said I still have (and am attracted to) things that *only* work on the weekend when I don't have little kids! LOL

If the linen dress adapts to your lifestyle and is easy to wear and clean then I say *why* do you need more clams and T's? Wear what makes you feel great if it works with your lifestyle.

I wear lots of dresses doing childcare. They are very comfy in the summer.

Aziraphale

Veteran

That's a good question, Celia, and I think there's more than one answer. For me personally, how I shop depends on whether I'm flush or tight for money. When I'm flush, I'm more likely to splurge on an item that I love but that carries a bit of risk -- like, is there a chance I might not wear it often? Is it a departure from my regular style?

When I have less to spend, I try to stick to things that are true "wardrobe holes," i.e. thing that really are lacking from my wardrobe. This is annoying, because when you're out and about shopping for a specific item, you will inevitably come across adorable things you don't need! For me it's bottoms -- I can always find skirts and pants I like, but rarely tops. I have to keep myself from buying more bottoms at the moment, because I have more than I can wear, whereas lately I seem to run out of tops, so I've given myself the green light to get more daytime tops if I find any I like.

Also, I try not to let myself buy duplicates of things that I already have, even if I love them and wear them all the time. For example, I have a denim short skirt that is super useful, and recently I saw another one in a different wash in the store I got it from. I was tempted to buy it, but didn't, because there's still lots of wear left in the one I have.

As far as the "it" colour of the season goes, I don't worry about that too much. The colours I like and that look good on me don't change, so if I find something super flattering that I like and need, I'll get it, regardless whether or not the colour will be "in" next year.

One more thing. Even if I'm on a tight budget, I always look for high quality. Sometimes that means paying a bit more for each item. If so, I just buy less -- one top instead of two, say -- because I really hate getting ripped off. When a garment shrinks or the seams go funny when you wash it, or it gets all pilled after a few washes, I really feel ripped off!

rae

(website)

Veteran

I personally sort of work backwards: find stuff that attracts me, and put it back before checkout if there is no true place for it in my wardrobe. My thinking is that, that way, even the things that make it home because I need them are things I really like. On the flip side, I've never really fleshed out my pants collection, simply because it's so hard to find ones I love... the hole pretty much remains indefinitely, until the perfect ones appear before me. :T

Lynne

Veteran

I work with a monthly budget, and I sometimes spend ahead! Right now I am using June's budget as Mays was spent last month :).

It depends on how difficult I think something will be to find again - if an orange linen dress is not something you come across often, and clams and tops are, I would take the opportunity to get the dress.

And if there is something you use a lot that is best bought at a particular time of year, I would give that priority. I have a hard time finding sunglasses that fit properly, so this year I bought a pair when the shops first filled up with them and there was the most choice available...now i won't think about sunglasses for ages as I have 3 pairs in circulation that are all great.

hope some of these thougths help...

Irene

Veteran

Items usually last for three years (before they become layingaroundathome items) so I'm really picky when it comes to very fashionable things. I'll only buy them if they are very cheap -normally on sale. I don't take the risk on full price items normally.

As for how I shop, I used to be crazy and buy whatever I wanted, but now that I'm jobless -hehe- and my parents pay for it, I have to be careful. Lately I've decided to buy what I need -ONLY. Like, if I feel like buying a pair of white pants because I have none, that's fine. Or if I feel like buying a couple of new tees or shirts because the ones I own are pretty old and I feel like I am missing some, then that's fine too. But I don't go to a shop, see stuff I like but hadn't thought about buying and purchase it anymore.

celia

Veteran

Thank you for your answers. You all raised very interesting questions.
Namely this two:

Why , indeed , do I feel like I need more clams and shirts? Is it because I like them or because as a MOTG I'm suposed to find them pratical?

Am I putting duplicates on my 'need' list?

Aziraphale

Veteran

I'm MOTG too, and I do indeed find clams and shirts comfy and practical -- but there are lots of other options that are comfy and practical as well!

I think a garment is only a "duplicate" if you have another one almost exactly the same. I've got quite a few pairs of jeans, but I don't consider them duplicates of the same thing because they're all quite different in cut and wash.

Cilleena

Veteran

I tend to buy separates as a MOTG because I feel like I will wear them more than a single dress. Even if I wear my separates in the exact same way, I don't feel like I'm "repeating" like I do when I pull out the same dress to wear again.

GGB

Cilleena, what about an orange linen shirt or blouse to go with the clams?

Carole

Veteran

The way I shop keeps changing, right now I'm trying to stay focused on shopping for what I "need", however, if I found something that I loved in a color that I loved that I knew I would get lots of wear from, even if I didn't need it- I would buy it! I guess I'm immature.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I'm also trying to buy what I 'need' but I don't want to forget to honor the 'what I love' part of the equation either. Ideally, the two collide to fill a hole and warm my heart at the same time.

Misia

Veteran

I got NO system!!! Just buy things that makes you smile and heart flicker!!!
And I usually find things that I like when I'm just browsing, and not looking for something exact to buy on that day.

Kate

Veteran

My current system has three parts.

First there are the clear wardrobe holes that I'm constantly keeping an eye out for. Today I bought a very basic knit brown tank top because I don't have one, and have thought at several times how helpful it would be to have one. It fits well but certainly isn't an amazing piece, and it took me almost a year to find the right one (aka not ribbed and a good chocolate brown color). Luckily, I don't have any other items like this that I'm hunting for, and I don't usually have more than one or two very specific items that I need.

Second are the general wardrobe holes/wants. Right now I'm generally looking for dresses, nice tops that work both with pants and tucked into pencil skirts, and a pair of lightweight wide legged pants. These are confined more generally (as opposed to having to be a certain color or very specific style). They need to be in my colors, flattering to my figure, not a duplicate of something I already have, things I can wear for teaching, fit in my budget, etc.

Third are the things that I'm not looking for but fall in love with. I wasn't looking for wide legged pants, but today I saw a pair at Anthro and, on a whim, decided to try them on. They weren't perfect (and neither was the price), but they made me realize that I should buy at least one pair of wide legged trousers to wear with heels while teaching. While I didn't actually buy the pants, every now and again I will buy something on a whim. They often still have a lot of the constraints as the second category, but sometimes they also help me to redefine my wardrobe or shopping limitations.

Aida

Veteran

This has been a very interesting post to read! I'm aspiring to shop like Kate's system. I do the first two already but hardly the third (purchase those things on a whim that you fall in love with). Before I was also being less critical of items and getting them because they fit the checklist. Hoping to improve that as well.

Anonymous

Such an interesting thread. Before actually getting out my hot weather things, I thought I needed more clams. I wear them a lot. I'm glad that I put off buying any because I actually have enough to get through a week. My hole has turned out to be new tops to wear with them. It's so easy to duplicate without realizing it. I'm going to try to hold off buying until NAS, or at least until our new coming-this-summer Rack opens and shop the closet heavily.

Tessera

I'm so interested in this topic. I never know when I'm going to stumble across something to fill a wardrobe hole, which makes it hard to buy pieces that will work with the thing that is missing. For example, I'm looking for a white fitted skirt for summer. It can take tops that are longer than most of the tops I wear with pants. Do I buy the cute longer tops when I see them, hoping that the white skirt will show up?

Can someone tell me what MOTG is? I thought it was Mother of the Groom, but that doesn't seem to fit the posts. I tried to google it and got mortgage information. Help?

celia

Veteran

Tessera MOTG means Mom on the Go

nancylee

Veteran

I keep a running list of wardrobe "holes" for each season and try to spend most of my time and money filling those. My second priority is picking up a few trendier items....for example, if stripes are in that season I might pick up a striped scarf or top. My third and more ongoing priority is buying outstanding and unique (and usually more expensive) items to give my wardrobe more interest. For example, for several years I've been looking for a great patterned coat. When I find the perfect one, I'll jump since it's on my long-term purchase list!

As far as buying duplicates, I think we're all guilty of that. I just ended a three-year cardigan-buying jag....and ended up with 12 cardigans, which is ridiculous. I think part of the secret to avoiding duplicate buying is regular closet editing and pruning. I had no idea I owned so many cardigans until I pulled them all out and counted them. Now I am on a strict no-cardigan diet! Also, I think sometimes I end up buying the same things over and over because they're in my comfort zone and don't require as much creative thought.

Tessera

Thanks Celia, the posts make much more sense to me now. And I'm a MOTG too!