January 15th, 2012: Shopping Tips

January 15th, 2012: Shopping Tips

Many people have thought that my parents make a lot of money to buy the clothes I wear.  I'm going to tell you a secret...

They don't.  ; )

So, wait, you're thinking.  What about all your clothing?  Here's the next secret.

I shop cheap.

 : O !!!

NO!  

Yes!  

So, I'm going to teach you how I shop.  It might not be THE best way, but I manage and for the most part, I do well.  

So to begin, here is a list of stores I typically shop at:

1. Charlotte Russe.  I adore Charlotte Russe with a passion.  They have awesome sales and their clothing is extremely fashionable.  A note to remember in Charlotte Russe is that the clothes don't look that great on the rack, but when you put them on, they're fabulous.

2. Goodwill.  Obviously!  I love Goodwill!  I especially love Goodwills in larger cities because the richer people drop off their clothes and then you get them for an extreme knocked down price.

3. Forever 21.  There are no Forever 21s in my area, but I do order online from them and when I can, I'll shop at Wolftrap in Virginia with my sister.

4. JC Penny's.  Believe or not, JC Penny's has THE best sales ever on clothing, especially if you're signed with their company.  Mom gets coupons and such all the time from them, and her birthday is the best time because she gets the big percentages then. 

5. Wet Seal.  I love Wet Seal occasionally.  Their clothing is sometimes too preppy for my taste, but I do love their 1 penny sale thing.  It's always on, and sometimes you can get really good deals when you can play your cards right.

6.  White Oak Consignments.  It's a local store in town, and the store sells second hand designer clothes.  Sometimes the prices can be steep because of the name brand, but they have awesome sales on their shoes and jewelry.  If you can find a local consignment shop near you, I encourage it.  Always go local if in doubt.  

7. My favorite online store: Etsy.com.  LOVE ETSY!  They sell vintage and homemade clothing.  I will have to say, I only buy from it for birthdays and Christmases because I'm a cheapo, and I don't care to spend over $15 on a shirt.  And that's stretching it for me.  

8. Icing.  Icing is a spin-off store of Claire's.  I do like Claire's, but I enjoy Icing much better because Icing carries more vintage looking and sophisticated items.  It is expensive, so I usually put things from Icing on my wishlists.  

9. TJ Maxx.  I LOVE TJ MAXX!  Period.  : )  

10. Gabriel Brothers.  Need I say more?

11. H&M.  I always shop at H&M when I am in the big cities such as New York, Chicago, or Milan because there are no H&M's our area, and this upsets me because they're fabulous!

I do shop in American Eagle when they're having jewelry sales, but that is it.  I admire American Eagle clothing, but I always feel that I can never pull it off.  I also admire Urban Outfitters from a distance, as well as Dehlia's.  I also enjoy Old Navy, but Old Navy is a little too preppy for my style.  I also shop in Hot Topic in the clearance section for things such as hairpieces and always old habits never die (being a former emo kid, the things they have still fascinate me.)  

Stores I NEVER Shop In: Hollister, New York & Company (I do buy NY&C at White Oak), Pac Sun, Fashion Bug, Abercrombie And Fitch, Journey's, etc.  

Why?  Because they overprice clothing that honestly...doesn't look good.  I have NEVER liked anything Hollister ever put out, and that goes for many of the other stores.  I have only liked a few things Pac Sun carried, but I could buy the same quality of shirts that were more fashionable at Charlotte Russe.  I have never understand the love of Hollister clothing nor will I ever.  I have determined that people that shop at Hollister are people who don't have time to be fashionable, so they just shop in there because it's a famous name brand  store.  And that's my hypothesis.  

Some other shopping tips to keep in mind (credit due to what-do-i-wear.tumblr.com):  

1. Do your research.

‘Research tip’ browse online before you go. This way you can compare prices and since most of the stores nowadays have online stores or at least lookbooks of their collection, you’ll learn which stores are going to be worth your visit and which ones aren’t.

2. Make a wishlist.

Nothing can be more distracting than mountains of clothing and those crazy colored sale signs. Therefor it’s a must to create a list of all things you need and things you really want. If you see something in the store that you didn’t put on the list, it’s not an option to take it home with you. Remember to keep next season in mind when making this list, try to get pieces that will either match the trends next season or pieces that are timeless.

3. Set a budget.

It’s best to set a budget for three different types of pieces. Set a price limit for items that are actual essentials (basics that you ‘really’ need), one for items that you have to have and an ultimate price limit, for that one single designer piece that forces you to eat bread and drink water for a whole month. Once you’ve reached your ultimate price limit, it’s time to go home.

4. Prepare.

Wear the right clothing during sale shopping. Something comfy, something that is easy to take off and put back on again. You don’t want to be in those changing rooms, getting frustrated about the super tight jeans you’re wearing, just because you can’t get them off. If you’re on the hunt for the perfect shirt to match with a particular pair of pants, wear those pants.

5. Be an early bird.

When sale starts, get up and be the first in front of your favorite stores. This way you’ll snatch the best items, before someone else does.

6. When in doubt, don’t buy.

If you wouldn’t consider an item at full price, don’t even bother to get it in sale. 

7. If it doesn’t fit, don’t buy.

Always try it on. I have all kinds of sizes in my closet. From a European 40 to an American size 2. When an item is labeled as L, it doesn’t mean it fits that way. If an item doesn’t fit you right, don’t bother to take it home with you. The fact that it isn’t right for you, doesn’t change once you get home.

8. Check for holes and such.

Especially during the sale period, there’s a lot of items to be found in stores with wholes, missing buttons, etc. Do an extra check – it’s best to check when trying on – before you run off to the cash register.

9. Go for basics and lovers.

It’s best to buy your basics during sale. This way, you can afford a basic that is a little more expensive. Basics stay the same every single season and it’s better to invest in a basic that is made of better quality than to have to buy them again every half a year. 

10. Break one of the above rules.