I hope you’ve had a wonderful and safe Christmas even if it was a very different celebration this year. You don’t follow me for doom and gloom, so I’m avoiding mentioning anything about this week’s news and am committed to continue to provide you with positive, uplifting content as a welcome distraction from everything else!
We’ve started a brand new year and it’s my mission to help you to make 2021 a more confident clothes-wearing year. I’d like you to start by changing your clothes buying habits.
I don’t need to spell out the perils of fast fashion and over-consumption, I’ve done that before, (read my ‘It’s Time For Change’ Blog here) but I urge you to make 2021 the year that you work out your true style and only bring new pieces into your wardrobe that you love and will cherish (and wear!) for years and years to come.
Typically, January is a dangerous time for voracious shoppers. Picking up ‘bargains’ in the sales because they are cheap and you think you need more options because you have nothing to wear that you love.
We’ve all been there, I’m sure. I know I have. But what I didn’t realise was this:
Buying more and more items of clothing will not magically mean that you have loads of great outfits. It just doesn’t work like that. You are just repeating the same mistakes over and over and accumulating more and more clothes that you don’t need and that won’t make you feel the way you want to feel.
Instead, if you are planning on a spot of sales shopping, work the sales to your advantage. Don’t be swayed by huge discounts unless you’ve checked in with yourself and my Sales Shopping Strategy, or my ‘SSS’ which I’ve outlined for you below.
My Sales Shopping Strategy
1. Know what you are looking for
It’s all very well picking up bargains ‘willy-nilly’ but if you never wear these pieces, you are wasting your cash.
There are a handful of things I would pick up in the sales without hesitation, because at the ripe old age of 48, I know what suits me. I have worked out what I wear often and what makes me feel good. These are things like my favourite jeans, over-sized cashmere jumpers and silk shirts. I know I will always get good use out of these essentials (and remember they might not be your essentials – we are all different!).
Start by identifying what your essentials are. What is your ‘uniform’, what do you like to wear day-to-day that is practical and appropriate for your lifestyle (but crucially what makes you feel great). Make a list and give yourself permission to pick these pieces up in the sales, should you see any. Even if you don’t necessarily need more right now, you know they will come in handy when your current pieces become worn out or tired looking.
If you still don’t know what your style staples are, download my Free Capsule Wardrobe Cheat Sheet. This is a comprehensive checklist that you can use in your own wardrobe to understand which essentials you’ve got covered (we often forget we’ve already got 5 pairs of black trousers!) and which you are missing.
This might be wrap dresses, colourful scarves, jackets, A-line skirts or graphic t-shirts. We are all beautifully different and have different wardrobe needs.
2. Get inspired
If you wear the same ‘uniform’ most days and have done for years, it’s definitely time to get inspired and try something new.
I love to use Pinterest and I keep a board running throughout the season for myself (as well as for some of my clients!). Whenever I see something online that I like the look of, I save it to my Pinterest board. Then when the sales start, I will keep an eye on these pieces and if something is reduced (and I still love it) I will pop it in my basket.
And sometimes I add something to my Pinterest board and when it comes round to sale time I’ve already gone off the idea – so I saved myself the pennies. That always feels good!
Having a Pinterest board (or any other way of creating a mood board, it doesn’t have to be Pinterest) means that you can keep an eye on what’s out there throughout the season, add things whenever you see anything you like and review as often as needed before you make a purchase.
3. Make room for non-planned pieces
And finally, sales shopping doesn’t need to be 100% planned and well thought out, we all need a bit of room for impulse buying.
Just ask yourself these 3 quick questions before you buy:
- Where am I going/what will I be doing when I wear this piece?
- What will I wear it with? (Do I already own that or does it require me to buy more stuff to make it work?)
- Would I still love it at full price – or am I being swayed by the price? If you wouldn’t love it at full price (even if you couldn’t afford it) you probably shouldn’t buy it.
So, this January, I urge you to implement my SSS and get planning.
I would love to hear what you’ve got your eye on or what you’ve already picked up. Drop me a comment!
And don’t forget to download your Free Capsule Wardrobe Cheat Sheet to get your wardrobe to a place where you always have the right thing to wear, rather than like a jumble sale!
