5 TIPS on How to Shop like a Wardrobe Consultant

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I’m inspired everyday by my clients, friends, and family for my business.  Honestly, this inspiration has evolved over the years.  Currently I’m hyper focused on being smart on what we bring into our wardrobes.  This mostly comes from cleaning out so many closets and analyzing our habits in our wardrobe.  This involves how much we shop, acquire, hold on to, let go of, what’s sentimental (in a good and bad way) and all the emotional baggage that hangs out in our closets.  Also, how our upbringing influences these habits.  It’s all SO fascinating to me!!!  I’m so intrigued by what’s behind the “layers of the onion” of our wardrobes that I’m considering creating a coaching arm of my business to help women create new healthy sustainable habits.  As for today, I thought I would just start with some quick tips on How to Shop like a Wardrobe Consultant…

  1. Shopping List-I always start by taking an inventory of all the wardrobe essentials in my client’s closet.  This allows us to know what is missing and what we need to add to our shopping list.  I recommend visiting this list twice a year at the beginning of each season.  In Texas, we mostly only have two seasons ☺ This creates a strategic shopping list so you can shop with a purpose.  This is definitely a starting point to shopping smart.

  2. Great fit/flattering-When trying on clothes one of the TOP questions that you must be brutally honest with yourself is if it’s a great fit.  If the answer is no, don’t waste anymore of your time.  If it’s a yes, continue down the rest of my questions below.

  3. Do you have anything else like it?-This question is for all of you that have a closet full of all black.  All the New Yorkers always challenge me on this one.  I want to encourage my clients and followers to ensure that they are acquiring pieces to round out their wardrobe.  If you are constantly buying the same color or style, then you most likely have some holes in your wardrobe.

  4. Is it a YES right away?  You know those pieces that you put on and you instantly say “I LOVE this!!!”  That is the goal with every piece that you decide to purchase.  So often we buy things that are just okay and are not a “9 or 10” item.  This takes discipline to create this habit, but I assure you that if you can stick to this you will eventually have a wardrobe full of clothes that you LOVE.  And if you don’t ever love anything you try on, then maybe we need to do some one on one coaching to get you out of this rut.

  5. Is it a quality garment? As a wardrobe professional, I focus on building wardrobes that last.  Quality pieces are one of the top priorities for me.  Now don’t get me wrong, I do buy “fast fashion” and will infuse some more trendy pieces at a low price point.  However, overall I aim to focus on purchasing quality garments.  We all have different price points that we are comfortable with, but I will say that there are tricks to finding lower price point quality clothes.

So the next time you are out shopping, work through this list to see if the item checks off all the boxes.  If so, it’s definitely a YES!!!  Here’s to shopping SMART and taking your time to curate a wardrobe that fits your individual style.

HAPPY Smart Shopping my friends!!!

with LOVE and grace,

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Elias