Let’s be honest, everyone loves a deal. And when it comes to your precious wardrobe, deals are especially sweet! But discount shopping can be difficult. When saving money is involved, we start to get swept away by the deal and not the item itself. We start to compromise, settle and let price drive our purchase rather than our personal needs and tastes. As we continue to buy mediocre pieces on sale, our wardrobe reflects our purchasing habits and becomes, well, mediocre. And as a result, we end up with a closet full of nothing to wear.

So how do we resolve this perpetual cycle? When shopping, check in and asking yourself a few questions….

Would I buy this at full price?

We all know the feeling of falling in love with a garment, bringing it to the register and finding out it’s on sale. Ah, life is good! But it doesn’t always work out this way. It usually looks more like this… You’re shopping around, find a few things you love, look at the price tag, gasp, and put it back. You find your way to the sale section, pick out a few pieces you like, try them on, decide they’re good enough and purchase them.

Stop right there, before you purchase ask yourself, “do I like this enough to pay full-price for it?” Now, I understand you’re budget might not allow you to pay full price for it, but do you love it so much that you would dream about that top and stalk it until it went on sale or find a way to purchase it? If the answer is yes, that’s a good discount purchase.

Am I settling?

Deals are very attractive. You are literally swept away by the idea of having a designer dress at half the price. In fact, you’re so swept away by the price that you don’t notice (or care) that it’s a little too small, the print is obnoxious and you swore off cold shoulders last season. So you buy the piece anyway, spend a significant amount of money on it (even thought it’s on sale) and still have nothing to wear. I think we can all agree that you would have been better off spending a little more on something you actually love.

Do I have something to wear with this?

Often times I find ah-mazing statement pieces in a client’s wardrobe with the tags still on it. When I ask why the gorgeous garment has never been worn, I usually get one of two answers, 1) they have nothing to wear it with, or 2) it still needs to be altered. Either way, it can’t be worn and it’s wasting space.

Before you buy something on sale, ask yourself, do I have anything else to wear with this stunning garment? If not, am I willing to devote the time and energy towards building an outfit around it or getting it altered. 

When all else fails…

If you’ve asked yourself the questions above and still can’t think clearly, put the item on hold, LEAVE THE STORE and get your head right. Sometimes, stepping away will bring all the clarity you need.

xx,
Lauren