’m an incredibly fussy shopper and as such I rarely make mistakes with clothing purchases. I’m also a total tight-arse. If I’m going to part with my money, it’s going to be for something perfect. I often snap pictures of myself in change rooms and ask my readers whether or not I should buy a particular item and even if the reply is a unanimous ‘yes’ I’ll sometimes still refrain from buying the item. Why? Because the answer to one of my essential questions was ‘no’.
If I’m going to buy an item of clothing, I must say yes to all of the following questions. If you’re sick of having a cupboard full of clothes that aren’t quite right, you need to start quizzing yourself with these 3 questions to ask yourself before you buy new clothes…
1. Would you wear it out of the store?
If you would happily exchange what you wore into the store for your potential new purchase, that’s a great sign that you should buy the item. If what you wore is better than what you’re trying on, it’s a no go. Everything you buy should be an improvement on your current wardrobe.
2. Would you buy it if it was full price?
I’ve never really been a sucker for a sale (unless it’s Marimekko, in which case SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!!!) but I know how tempting a little 50% off red dot can be. Ask yourself honestly if you would pay full price for the item and if the answer is no, leave it. Just because something is a good buy doesn’t mean it’s a good buy for you.
3. Can you do a (theoretical) cartwheel in it?
I am officially over wearing uncomfortable clothing. I’m just not doing it anymore. I will not buy anything that I can’t do a cartwheel in. I have to be physically capable of doing any kind of full body activity in my clothing. It’s the only way to make sure it’s truly comfortable. Not that I would do a cartwheel (everyone would see my undies!) I just have to have it available as an option because you never really know where life will take you. I include formal wear in this too.
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Do you struggle with clothes shopping and whether or not to buy an item? Any tips to share?
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