For me, a well-functioning wardrobe requires well-honed shopping skills. Of course, I've found it helpful to learn the ins/out of individual stores. Angie is a great example of this -- her knowledge of Nordies benefits her clients and everyone on the forum. But, over the years, I've also become more aware of many different types of shopping. Here are some of the shopping styles I use --- the silly names help me remember my purpose while having a bit of fun with fashion. What are the "types" of shopping (mine or your own) that you use most often?

Fly-By Shopping: Yesterday, my DD and I visited our "upscale" mall. We had more focused shopping to do in Nordies and Soma (new undies, woohoo!), but we also did a quick turn --- a fly-by -- through one of her favorite shops, Altar'd States. We were in and out of the small store in 2-3 minutes, gaining quick inspiration from the displays, the predominant colors, and making a quick note of newer merchandise. Often, some I see in a fly-by will prompt a return trip on another day.

Reconnaissance Shopping -- A bit more in depth than the fly-by, this is my specialty. I engage in a lot of this sort of shopping in Autumn, because I use it to scout possible Christmas shopping. Doing "recon" means noticing, for example, that Loft has a great selection of pullovers this season. It means noticing that Macy's has a better pricing for KitchenAid mixers than Kohls does.

Restock Shopping: Yesterday's trip to Soma was specifically to restock my undies (love the Vanishing Edge). I did a bit of "Plus One" shopping in the store as well........

Plus One Shopping: When I'm running errands seem a bit mundane, I will allow myself a few minutes to, say, pore over just the handbag section at Macy's (I just discovered Patricia Nash), or to try on an item not on that day's list. At Soma, I found and purchased one of their "slimming tanks." Awesome, and practical for Autumn. I rarely buy while doing this kind of shopping, and it often involves accessories.

Refresher Shopping: This kind of shopping trip is most common during the end of season sales in late January and July. I set aside a bit of money for injecting a little bit of new energy into my seasonal dressing.

Project Shopping: My least favorite, unless I'm buying evening wear. This is the short of shopping I do when I need, say, a new pair of flare jeans. A week ago at Macy's, I went into the store with the purpose of finding a couple of pairs of casual pants (non denim), I did try on a few "Wildcards," but mostly, I scoured the racks for, and tried on, at least 8 pairs of pants.

Wildcard Shopping: I don't like trying on 10 pairs of jeans, or 6 denim jackets, although I'm a stickler for getting it right, so I press ahead. When I grab 5 pairs of pants, I frequently pick up one item that's completely different, and often something that would not be a typical choice for me. This is when I try a new silhouette, color, or trend.

I don't spend hours at time shopping, but living in the burbs of urban areas means that I can pop into stores often --- usually only a couple of stores at a time -- utilizing one or more of my shopping styles. I use versions of these shopping styles when I shop online, usually only for about 20 minutes at a time.

Tomorrow, I suspect a trip to DSW is in order tomorrow after lunch, and before the (ugh) grocery shop! That will most likely be a recon trip. Winter boot season is almost here!