Ok. So you’ve gotten organized, cleaned out your closet, and now you’re ready to shop! But, how do you know you won’t be in the same position next year, drowning in a pile of last season’s clothes that you hardly wore at all?
According to Stylitics data, in 2012, only 23% of the items in your closets were actually worn. That means almost three quarters of your clothes failed to see the light of day! Avoid your debut on Hoarders: Buried Alive and follow these tips to buy things you’ll actually wear this year:
1. Caution on Clearance! Just because it’s on sale doesn’t mean you need to buy it. We’ve all experienced sample sale bias: the feeling that, because it’s marked down, it’s somehow more special, more unique, and you have to own it now. Only buy things on sale that you would have bought otherwise. Seriously.
2. Buy clothes that fit you now. As in, not 10 pounds from now. Daily Mail says that 80% of women own clothes that don’t fit, and 66% of them think they’ll one day be able to wear them again. This can all be avoided if you just try them on before buying! You will save time and money in the long run. Note: you can also record the size and brand of all your items on Stylitics so you have this information with you while shopping.
3. Think of at least 3 ways you can wear something before you buy it. I hate to break it to you, but you probably won’t be able to wear that purple sequin feather mullet skirt with everything in your closet. Take your Stylitics mobile app with you, and make sure you can make at least three outfits with the item in question using the clothes in your closet before you splurge.
4. Quality trumps quantity. Let’s do the math here. If you spend $60 on a pair of shoes you don’t really love, maybe you’ll wear them three times. That’s $20 per wear. Now, you’re left with a pair of shoes you don’t wear, and you’ll probably have to go out again and buy some you actually like this time. Alternatively, you could spend $120 on a pair of shoes you love, and wear them once a week for a year. That’s $2.30 per wear! Which one’s the better deal?
5. Don’t buy things you already own. Sigh… this one should be a no-brainer, right? And yet I still find myself buying three chunky black sweaters or four little black dresses. In fact, I’m pretty sure I now have six pairs of ankle boots. The key is not to buy multiples when one will do the trick. If you think you might already have something similar but aren’t sure, consult your closet.
So, there you have it. Let’s try to get that 23% up to 100% this year! It’s totally doable if you pare down, shop smarter, and get creative by shopping your own closet instead of buying more.
What are some of your shopping tips?
