Shopping can be a hazardous pastime if we are not careful, not only for our wallets but also our state of mind. When shopping it is very easy to be distracted, buy on impulse and walk away with items that end up being costly mistakes. While the purchase may have looked great in the shop and it got the enthusiastic approval from the sales assistant, when you get home you find that surprisingly it does not look that great any more and to top it all off, it does not go with any of the other clothes, shoes and accessories already in your wardrobe.

You are faced with the dilemma of spending more money to update your wardrobe to match your new purchase, letting the new purchase make its way back to the store for a refund or pushing it to the back of your wardrobe with its tags still attached never to be worn. After several seasons of hiding in the back of your wardrobe you finally give it away because you no longer have sufficient space.

You still have nothing to wear and find yourself back at square one again feeling extremely frustrated. Sound familiar? A lot of time, effort and money goes into purchasing clothing items and you want to get it right first time. All these stresses can be avoided by following a few simple golden rules and guidelines

1. Only buy a clothing item or accessory if it goes with at least 3 or 4 other garments in your wardrobe. Always take your colour swatch wallet with you to compare and ensure that you buy the right colour tones. You will be amazed at how much time this will save you when shopping. Your own personalised colour swatch wallet can be obtained by attending a Colour Analysis.

2. Understand your body shape and the styles that suit you so that you know what you are looking for. Don’t buy an item just because it’s the latest fashion trend. Create a trend that will work for you. Remember not every item in every store suits every body shape. If you are not sure what styles suit you contact us about our Style Consultation.

3. Plan ahead. Think about your current wardrobe. Decide what you need to buy, what your budget is and then stick to it.

4. Think of the price per wear. How often will you wear it and is it really worth the investment?

5. Always dress according to the clothes that you want to buy. Style your hair and put on some makeup. Nothing is going to look fantastic if you are not looking and feeling your best. If you want to buy a new suit, wear an existing one. Not only can you compare and have the right shoes but you will also be taken more seriously.

6. Always take shoes with you that you plan to wear with the outfit so you can try them on in the shop and ensure that the outfit works for you.

7. Take a friend with you that you know will be honest or use the Personal Shopping services of an Image Consultant.

8. Don’t feel alarmed if you walk away without making a purchase. It just means there may not be anything in the shops for you on that day.

9. If you don’t absolutely love the item or absolutely need the item maybe it is not the right purchase for you.

10. Buy because the clothing item fits you not because it is the clothing size that you think should fit you.