How to Make the Right Decision When Buying Clothes

Do you really need to buy that? 

After my 365 challenge finished I found myself going a little bit crazy in the January sales! It got to the point where I was standing in the H&M changing room with a dozen sale items as well as some full price items and I realised I needed to give myself a little bit of a stern talking too before I undid all the hard work from 2018. It’s easy when the sales are on to get carried away and not make informed purchases, especially when you haven’t bought anything for 12 months. I managed to leave that changing room with only one item (a full price item) that I knew was going to be perfect in my wardrobe; I had selected this item by asking myself a few questions about each item.

Shirt – United Colours of Benetton |Jeans – ASOS |Shoes – Converse.

Do you really need it? I know, an obvious question but when those sales tags are on often this goes out of your mind and the only question in your brain is do I really like this? With fast fashion taking a slight back seat investment pieces are peoples first thought when shopping and working out how it will integrate into your wardobe is really important. Do you have multiple items in your wardrobe that will already work with the new item? Is it multi seasonal? Can you see yourself wearing it in 5 years time? If the answer to all of those questions is NO then you don’t really need it and you need to put it back!

Do you have the money to buy it? Again when those sale tags are about we often justify purchases that we might not actually be able to afford. Are you going to go into debt? Have to cancel the haircut that seriously needs to happen because your ends are so dead? Have to borrow from savings to pay the rent? If the answer is YES then you don’t have the money to buy it and you need to put it back because if you do buy it every time you put it on you’ll feel a little bit of guilt – slightly dramatic, but true.

Does it fit 100% ? As a more petite lady often I find items slip off my shoulders, fall a little longer than I would have hoped or don’t hang in the right way but I’ve bought the item regardless and then not been able to be comfortable in it when I do wear it. If it doesn’t fit in all the right places and you can’t see any easy way of fixing that once you’ve got it home it’s best not to purchase it and look somewhere else. Often this can be incredibly frustrating but in the long run it means you’ll be able to look in your wardrobe and love everything you own.

If you’ve asked yourself those questions and the item(s) has passed, then off you go the checkout feeling very smug. I do however also think about some other things when I’m shopping which I think are worth mentioning; do you know where the clothes you are buying are from? Do they treat their workers with respect and source their resources responsibly? This year I really want to take responsibility for who I’m giving my money to when it comes to buying clothes. It’s going to be difficult but I’m hoping to do it as much as possible and I can bring my readers some great brands to try!