With every impending season, there’s an increasing abundance of exciting merchandise and even better discounts and sales. It’s also the time I see so many people indulge in spending their hard earned money on clothes and fashion items that they might never wear.

Unfortunately we habitually find ourselves making impulse decisions on purchases because it makes us feel or look good at a particular moment.

Many people excited by the prospect of a good bargain, forget to evaluate whether this is a smart or necessary purchase, and this results in a total waste of money. Trust me, after initial excitement wears off, the realisation that it was an impulse decision based on a spur of a moment, kicks in. We’re all guilty of this, one time or another.

Time, and time again, my STYLE – AND -YOU clients contact me for styling advice and for help with ‘putting outfits together’. They’re simply in a blind-sighted and confused state due to their humongous and unhinged wardrobe. I usually walk away with bags full of items for which they’ve ashamedly gushed ‘I don’t know what I was thinking!’

If you want to look like the goddess you know you are, look at garments that disguise or emphasize any body flaws or imperfections (which all of us have). Ask yourself whether it’s appropriate for you to wear in order to make the impression you want to leave. Is it too tight, too short, perhaps little too adolescent for you, or adding unnecessary years? Also avoid one hit wonders and ensure the item can be paired with existing clothes you have (rather than hanging in a wardrobe for an indefinite period of time)?

A typical impulse buying trait is neglect on whether a clothing item is right for you on one or more levels. The item will do you no justice if it simply does more harm than good. This could include the colour not being the best for us (depending on ‘warm’ or ‘cool’ colouring you belong to), or a compromise on fabric quality, or how well suited the cut is for your body shape.

If any of what I’ve said is not being considered at the time of purchase, then chances are that somewhere down the line you’ll be wondering why you have nothing to wear, despite a wardrobe full of clothes.

So are bargains good? Absolutely! But when making a purchase, consider the above as some key factors when investing in new clothes to ensure they’re a right and long-term functional purchase.

I do maintain that quality beats quantity. On that basis, consider purchasing classic pieces, and don’t be afraid to spend a little extra if you know your item is multi-purpose (note: do not use this as a rule of thumb or justification for future purchases)

Happy Shopping! XX

By Natalia Matveeva

Published on Is that so? Blog 10 August, 2014