Sales savvy!

Savvy sales
shopping

We’re all guilty of buying clothes that we will
never wear just because the price tag is attractive.

The blitz is on, ladies, and it’s your
chance to grab some bargains now that
the the sales season is upon us. But think
carefully before you lose the run of yourself and
buy the wrong styles just because ‘they are such
a bargain’.

I adore shopping. I could shop for Ireland.
The minute the sales start I’m out there. However
I’ve made so many mistakes over the years and
collected so many ‘orphans’ (clothes that went
with nothing else) that I really had to rethink my
strategy and learn to shop smarter. After all who
needs more wardrobe clutter?

So before you whip yourself into a shopping
frenzy and start burning up the bit of plastic
here are a few tips:

1. Look at what you have in your wardrobe.
Only buy something that will fit in with your
existing clothes, in fact as a general rule I suggest
you only ever buy something that will go with
three items you already have.

2. When trying on clothes make sure they fit
perfectly, if you’re tugging and pulling at them
to make them sit right or fit more comfortably
then put them back on the hangar and leave
them there. They will not fit you any better
when you get home.

3. Does the colour suit you? Be aware that some
colours might look great under artificial lighting
but could end up making you look drained in
natural light.

4. Ask yourself if you need it? How many more
pairs of black trousers or white shirts do you
need? Work out your plan before you go shopping.
A bargain is only a bargain if you need it
and will wear it.

5. What about the fabric? Can you wash it or is
it dry clean only. If you have to bring it to the
cleaners after every wear then it’s false economy.

6. Can you really afford it? By this I mean will
you be paying cash for it or will you just be adding
more on to the credit card. Is it worth that?
If the only reason you are buying something is that it’s drastically
reduced then I suggest leaving it there.


Always examine something before you purchase
and ask yourself if you would be prepared
to pay the full price for it. If not, why? Are you
only buying for the label? You know you can’t
wear the label on the outside of your clothes so
unless it makes you look good and feel great,
then desist. Only buy it if you really love it!

If you’re unsure about something take time
to think about it - if it’s the last item in your size
ask the shop if they will hold it for you while you
decide. If you find yourself thinking about it a
lot then it’s probably a good buy.

Because she’s worth it

I’m constantly learning from my clients. One
young lady I met last week told me she prefers
to save for something that excites her rather than
endlessly purchasing ‘it’s ok’ items. She showed
me a tiny Valentino bag that was to die for. She
had watched it for ages and delayed the gratification
until she had saved the €1,000 to afford it.
Yes, girls, you’re reading it right - €1,000.

In a million years I could never justify that
kind of spending but then again if I added up
all my bargain and impulse buys they would
amount to a sizable sum that would have let me
afford an exclusive coat, handbag, etc.

But she has a point. I once tried on a pair
of shoes that made me feel absolutely wonderful
but on checking the price I nearly choked!
They were €400, so I walked away, unsatisfied.
How could I possibly justify spending €400 on
one pair of shoes?

Old habits die hard!

Later on the same day I totally compromised
myself by buying two pairs of ‘nice’ shoes for €80
each. If you find yourself in a similar situation -
trying to decide between something that makes
you feel fantastic and something that makes you
feel ‘nice’ - ask yourself which item you will get
more wear out of.

The lady is a vamp

Before I finish I thought I should mention a
fantastic workshop we had recently where we
ran a session on ideas for revamping your existing
wardrobe. We had clothes that were dyed,
shoes that were dyed, clothes with new buttons
added, nets added to skirts, corsages stitched on
tops, and hundreds of ideas were shared on how
to layer, and wear clothes differently. We even
ended up with a little sale when people bought
other people’s mistakes. After all one man’s meat
is another man’s poison. A great day was had by
all. I will look at some of these revamping ideas
over the coming months.