Shopping Strategies
- Sep 19, 2024
- 10 min read
Use the links below to jump to a specific strategy:
Plan Ahead
Did you know that retailers begin putting out inventory about two months before that season/occasion?
Swimsuits and resort wear in January (for wear in March)
Fall sweaters in August (for wear in September/October)
Holiday decor and dresses in October (for wear in December)
and so on...
What does this mean for you?
Plan ahead.
Know what trips, events, occasions and everyday items you will need for the next 3-6 months. This will allow you to be looking for those items when they hit shelves with fresh inventory instead of when you need it with low inventory.
Closet Gaps
Build and maintain a list of closet gaps - items missing from your wardrobe.
How do you start? If you want, you can easily find articles online with "closet staples" or "items everyone should have in their wardrobe". I think these are okay for brainstorming but I am not a believer in every-wardrobe-should-have-the-same-staple-items. There are too many factors... lifestyle, work attire, climate, body architecture, personal style/clothing personality, etc.
Instead, I suggest starting a list of items you wish you had when getting dressed. This will be built over time (Rome wasn't built in a day) but is the most accurate for you. When putting an outfit together, if you find yourself wishing for a certain color shoe or style of shirt, make a note! And be specific. "Blue sandal" is less helpful than "royal blue dressy sand, no heel". This will become your own personal list of closet gaps. Social media and Pinterest are good places to find inspiration as well.
And remember, these should be items you would actually wear in your normal life and for the usual events you attend. If you're a healthcare worker who wears scrubs everyday and hates blazers, don't put a blazer on the list just because someone else says its a "closet staple".
When you are browsing online or shopping in-store, use your list of closet gaps as a guide.
We are creatures of habit and tend to be drawn to (and purchase) the same items over and over. The first time I did a big closet clean out I had EIGHT short sleeve black-and-white striped shirts *facepalm.
Use your closet gaps to narrow what you are looking for and as a gut check. If you only have shirts in your cart, but zero shirts on your closet gaps list, you probably don't need any new shirts ;)
Don't forget to delete items from the list once you've added them to your wardrobe!
Watch Sales
The fashion industry divides the year into to major "seasons" - Spring and Fall. These are the collections major fashion shows are featuring (very far in advance).
Spring: January-June
Fall: July-December
Of course, there are smaller launches and collections built into these overarching "seasons" to cover the wide range of weather and events/holidays in that six month period.
Here's what you need to know: major markdowns happen as the industry changes from Spring to Fall and Fall to Spring. This means BIG sales in June/July and December/January as they are clearing out inventory.
Plan for those big sale seasons. Have your next several months of events, trips, etc. in your mind + your list of closet gaps to help you navigate these big sales.
Color Trends
It's no secret that retailers feature different colors throughout the year. Spring and Summer collections often feature light and bright colors like pink, orange, yellow and light green. Fall gives us warm and rich colors like burgundy and mustard. If you're a Winter, you know Fall is probably the most difficult buying season for us.
Colors also become trendy - think Pantone's Color of the Year. Certain colors will become dominate for a season (or longer).
How can you use these patterns to your advantage? Think about your best colors within your palette (given to you through color analysis) and map out which seasons those might fall into throughout the year. This will help you plan for what colors to shop for and which ones will be hard to find. For example: we probably aren't going to find much Burgundy in April.
I suggest grouping your colors by the months/times of year they will hit shelves. Again, factoring in that retailers are about two months ahead. Include your ratings/wow colors as well (if you have them) so you can zero in on the most and least important colors to seek out during that time of year.
Here's an example of what my list would look like:
Jan/Feb:
Electric blue (50%)
Acid yellow (50%)
Turquoise blue (50%)
Light emerald (50%)
Cerise & Shocking pink (25%)
Lagoon blue (25%)
These are the colors I think will show up for Spring collections, which usually launch in January. Then, as those items become available adjust your list if you expected to see a color and it shows up at a different time.
Seasonless Wardrobe
Have you heard the term "seasonless wardrobe"? Maybe not, but you might be shopping that way already!
A seasonless wardrobe is an approach to building your closet to be more versatile and easy to wear throughout the year. Seasonless wardrobes lean heavily on layering and simple staples. Think capsule wardrobe but bigger and forever :)
Since many of us work and live in air conditioned spaces, we are less impacted by extreme changes in weather and temperature than say 100 or 200 years ago.
Seasonless wardrobes can be beneficial because you can justify more "investment pieces" and get a better cost-per-wear. They are also less influenced by seasons changes in color and trends.
If you've had your colors done, you already know what colors look best on you - regardless of the time of year or temperature. Seasonless wardrobes are well suited for those who have had their personal coloring analyzed.
Here's an example:
If you are building a seasonless wardrobe you might start a collection of solid medium or lightweight short sleeve tshirts.
These can easily be layered with sweaters, jackets and cardigans in cooler temperatures and worn by themselves in warm months.
Because you have already planned which colors will hit stores throughout the year (from the Color Trends strategy), and know which items you are missing from your wardrobe (noted in your Closet Gaps list) you can spend the next twelve months filling that collection. After one year, all of the colors will have through retailers and you will have a complete collection of short sleeve tshirts to wear all year long!
Another advantage of a seasonless wardrobe is vacation packing.
If you are traveling somewhere that has different temps than your home currently has, you can still easily pack without getting bins or boxes from storage. Shoes may be the exception (thinking about sandals vs. winter boots) but being able to pull from your closet to plan your vacation clothes is much easier than pulling something out of storage.
This is also the case for climates that can change rapidly or have mini seasons like "false fall". You can be much more prepared for a quick dip in temps for a few days if your full wardrobe is at your fingertips all throughout the year.
(Of course, closet space is a factor in this method, but that's to be said for really any wardrobe, right?)
Trends: all in or opt out
Fashion trends are changing faster than ever before. Thanks to social media, influencers and fast fashion, what used to be "on trend" for 12-18 months now might only last three months.
What this means for you: when a new trend hits the market, go "all in" or "opt out".
This will depend on your body architecture and personal style/clothing personality. (PS if you haven't had either of these services done I HIGHLY recommend them. They are life changing, literally. Read more about them on my Style Journey post.)
Once you know what shapes, patterns, fabrics, details and colors are best for you, it becomes SO MUCH EASIER to determine if a new trend is right for you.
And, because trends change quickly, you have about 3-12 months to shop for that trend if it is right for you.
Here's an example:
Right now pleated active skirts are trending. These are great for my Clothing Personality and help me elevate my athleisure which can be challenging as an Ingenue Romantic. So, now is my time to purchase these while they are still in stores! This is what I mean by going "all in" - don't wait too long because the trend you love might not live for long in stores, but it can live forever once it is in your closet ;)
Buy It Now vs. Searching Later
All of these strategies bring me to this point: buy it now vs. searching for it later.
This is absolutely not a "more is more" method or a pressure tactic.
This is about using your strategies to find things you know you will need in the future so you aren't panic shopping or frustrated later.
Here's what I mean:
If you find something that checks all of these boxes:
budget
fit/size
fills closet gap
personal style
lifestyle/occasion
then purchase it!
If you know that you take a beach vacation every year, but don't have one booked at this moment but you find a perfect beach dress that fills a closet gap, then buy it! Your future self will thank you when you aren't scrambling to find the same item a week before your trip.
If you know you attend a fancy holiday party every December and find a stunning dress on sale in March, buy it! Come December you will be so happy you didn't pay full price for one.
You know your work attire, your typical vacations, and your everyday lifestyle. You know what items you usually wear. Build your wardrobe according to that - not just what is on the calendar next week.
Use your tools (watching sales, color trends, closet gaps, personal style, etc.) to build a cohesive wardrobe that will serve your future self in a thoughtful and intentional way, and perhaps save a few dollars, too.
Know Your Measurements
This is a universal tip that applies to everyone, whether or not you've had your color or style analyzed.
Take five minutes and grab a flexible/fabric tape measure (or some string and a traditional tape measure) and TAKE YOUR MEASUREMENTS!!!!
We've all been there. We are browsing an online retailer we purchase from often. We get our "usual size" and when you try it on at home it doesn't fit. Why? There's a number of reasons including tolerance in manufacturing (the variance something can have and still meet "quality" standards), type of fit (slim vs. oversized), material, etc.
How do you combat this? Know your measurements!
Use them every time you purchase something online. This will significantly decrease the number of returns you do, I promise! It will also make shopping secondhand online much less risky (like on Poshmark).
These are the measurements I would suggest taking and keeping on your phone (or somewhere you can easily reference):
bust (at fullest point)
waist (at smallest point)
Hips (at widest point)
Inseam (for shorts and pants)
I'm sure there are articles or videos online if you aren't sure how to take these accurately.
I cannot emphasize enough how helpful this is. Size charts have becomes almost standard on nearly every retailer's website. Check the measurements of each item you plan to purchase and adjust your size accordingly.
Fabric Content
Understanding fabric and what clothes are made of has become more prevalent as people focus on sustainability and durability. Fast fashion has made it obvious which fabrics hold up (and which don't) after just a few wears and washes.
As you are shopping, start to pay attention to the fabric content of items. This will not only tell you about fit (example: polyester has very little stretch) but also washing instructions and durability. If you love an item but it is "hand wash only" and you know you don't hand wash clothes, it is something to consider before purchasing the item.
Even if sustainability isn't a focus for you, fabric types play into comfort, sizing and personal style. Some fabrics are better suited for specific clothing personalities. Romantics do well in drapery and luxurious fabrics (like silk and velvet) while Naturals do well in cotton, linen, etc.
Read Reviews
Strangers on the internet can be a wealth of information. If you haven't gotten into the habit yet, I encourage you to start reading online reviews.
There you might find information about fit, durability, color and even photos of the item (which we all know can vary drastically from the retailer's product images!) There have been a number of times I've changed the size I ordered based on reviews, or even decided not to purchase at all because there were so many negative reviews. You will thank yourself later for saving a trip to the post office to make a return.
I find reviews especially helpful for accurate color information and shoe sizing and fit. (Reviewer: not for wide feet; Me: deletes from cart lol)
Return Policies
Returning an item is never fun, but there are definitely retailers that make it way more painful than it needs to be.
You get to decide how inconvenienced you will be by a return - for some people it is no big deal, for other it will literally never get done.
Knowing the return policy beforehand is key to "taking a chance" on something. I've found that many stores are moving towards store credit vs. full refund. Ask yourself: if this item doesn't work out, do I shop this retailer enough to spend store credit? If the answer is no, you might reconsider your purchase.
Some retailers also have short return periods, like 14 days. If you know you are heading out of town for a week, you might save your purchase until closer when you get home just to be sure you have time to receive the item, try it on and decide if you are keeping it or sending it back.
When all else fails, sites like Poshmark and The Real Real can be good ways to get new items off your hands if they didn't work out and can't be returned.
Wrap-up
That's a lot of information all at once!
These are not all things you have to start doing today, but slowly incorporating them into your shopping can help you save money, make fewer returns, be more intentional about what you are shopping for, and feel less overwhelmed. If you find decision making difficult, I definitely encourage you to adopt some of these strategies - they will make it SO much easier for you to make or pass on purchases!
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