Hands up if you have ever got carried away in sales season and ended up with a wardrobe full of pieces that still have the tags on a year later?
You are not alone.
It is all too easy to be swept up in the excitement of Black Friday and end up making poor decisions that are not in alignment with your lifestyle or personal style and ultimately wasting money.
So what are some of the most common mistakes people make this time of year when shopping sales, and how can you avoid them?
I have listed the five most common mistakes below.
1. Buying Things Because They Are Cheap
Ahh the classic! Buying something because it was a “bargain”.
I find this interesting because even if something is on an amazing sale, it still ultimately cost money. 50% off $200 is still $100, and $100 can go a long way towards things in your life that truely bring you joy.
My motto for combatting this one is, if I wasn’t planning on buying it full price before I was even aware of the sale, then I do not need it. The sale should be a bonus, not a deciding factor.
Get really clear on what pieces you truely need in your wardrobe, or might move the needle on your style, and walk away from anything else.
2. Buying more than you need
This one goes hand in hand with the first one.
Loading up with pieces from the sale rack, or buying multiples of similar things is not going to serve you in the long run.
Think about it. How often have your clothes worn out since you were under the age of ten? I can think of precisely two items I have worn out in my adult life.
Repeat after me, I do not need back ups of clothing items.
It is really that simple. If by chance you do wear something out within the next ten years, then go right ahead a purchase a replacement. But don’t add to the clutter and overwhelm of your wardrobe unnecessarily.
All this will achieve is create a storage issue, and make getting dressed harder every morning. Is this something you want? No? Move right along then.
3. Buying the wrong size
I have personally been guilty of this one at many a sample sale. Falling in love with a piece but its one size too big or too small but I buy it anyway to “make it work”.
Fit is imperative to creating a polished look that looks intentional. No matter how expensive your clothes are, if they are ill fitting, then you might as well have paid $10 because they will look low value and drag down your entire personal brand.
If an item is too small, then you need to find the discipline to put it back. Wishful “when I lose weight” items have no place in your wardrobe and will just remind you of what you are not. You need to buy for the size you are today and focus on the positives.
If an item is too big then be very realistic about the likelihood of you actually making the effort to go to a tailor to have that piece fitted correctly. 99% of people don’t have the will to go through this process or want to spend money on alterations, and that is okay. Just don’t buy that item.
4. Being lured into trends
Working in a Buying Office for a fashion brand and having access to insanely discounted samples made this point a big problem for me.
I would buy pieces to “try out a trend”, but quickly get over it once I had worn it once as it ultimately was not in alignment with my personal style.
This led me down the path to a wardrobe overflowing with trendy items I had no intention of wearing and a lack of options to put together timeless looks that suited me and would give me endless outfits.
This practice is not sustainable financially, mentally or environmentally.
Buying into trends is fine. My rule with buying a trend is to ensure that it is something you genuinely love and would honestly wear once the hype of the trend dies down.
But if you are realistic here, if you do love a trend you probably will buy into it immediately in the season, not after its been marked down.
5.Shopping Without a Plan
I think this is usually where it all falls down and we end up falling for all of the traps I have mentioned in this post.
If you shop without a plan, then you don’t have a clear direction and leave yourself open and vulnerable to clever advertising and shiny object syndrome.
What I like to do is perform regular reviews of my own wardrobe, and note daily the pieces that I wish I had when I am putting outfits together. If you find yourself frequently thinking to yourself that a loafer would really compliment the outfits you are creating then that is when I would start hunting for loafer options, as you have demonstrated a genuine need in your wardrobe.
I actually keep a very rough document in powerpoint featuring screen caps of the items on my current wishlist. Then whenever a promotion is sent through to me that directly correlates with one of those pieces, I immediately pounce and feel smug about scoring a piece I love, value and appreciate on a discount.
In regards to Black Friday, start research a week or two prior and follow these tips to create your shopping plan so that you don’t miss out on any of the pieces you have been eyeing off.
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