When I take a client shopping, it’s worthwhile suggesting an outfit, as we want to make it as easy as possible to get changed repeatedly.
Having spent many hours/days/months shopping with clients over the years, I’ve learned that what you wear can make a huge difference to your shopping experience.
Here are my recommendations.
What to Wear on Your Next Clothes Shopping Trip
- Earrings/Jewellery: Wear jewellery that won’t snag or come off when you’re trying on clothes and pulling them over your head. In general – avoid necklaces and earrings, bracelets, statement rings and bangles. Otherwise, you’ll need to remove repeatedly each time you get changed.
- Wear your best, most supportive nude underwear – there is nothing worse than trying on something and being really distracted by your underwear.
- Neutral colours: wear clothes and shoes in more neutral colours, so that you can try on coloured clothes with them and they won’t clash.
- White tank: wear a white or cream tank so that you can try other clothes over the top if necessary, such as tops with lower necklines that you would layer over a tank.
- Avoid buttons and difficult to fasten clothes: make it easy to take your clothes on and off, so that you aren’t tempted to not try on clothes before you buy.
- A skirt can be a great option as they’re often easier than trousers to get on and off.
- Elastic waists or any sort of pull on and off clothing is ideal.
- Ballet flats or any sort of slip on and off shoe or sandal are the best kinds of shoes to wear. Make sure you can walk in the shoes – flats are often more comfortable.
- A watch is essential – make sure you don’t overstay your parking limit. No point in getting a parking ticket – that won’t make your day.
- Make sure your handbag is easy to carry – a messenger style that can be slung across your body so your hands are free for rifling through racks of clothing. Empty it of clutter and heavy bits and pieces before you leave home!
- Carry a bottle of water so you don’t dehydrated, and remember to eat before you go, and stop for a snack to revive when necessary.
Avoid wearing
- Dresses or jumpsuits – they will make it tricky to try on just a top or bottom (without having to find a top or bottom to go with).
- Jeans are not the answer as they take effort to get on and off.
- Fabrics that snag easily
What else do you need to know before you go shopping?
- Do your hair (a bad hair day spent looking in the mirror) makes for a terrible shopping experience. You want to like what you see on your head!
- Wear the makeup you’d normally wear – but avoid the red lipstick (as you don’t want it to rub off on the clothes you’re trying on
What do you wear shopping?
Thanks for the great tips. I love your blog!
Rachael – thanks so much for coming by my blog and commenting – I really appreciate your thoughts! Hope to see you again soon.
I’ll admit, I’m usually not as nicely dressed as you recommend.
But I do make a point to wear makeup because it makes me feel better when I look at myself in the mirror–especially in that awful store lighting. It helps me to better see which colors work on me as well.
I really love your blog too. I really look forward to checking it each day for your great tips. I wanted to send you an email but didn’t see how. Can you let me know how? Thank you for your fabulous blog,
great ideas!!!! also with a skirt you can get lazy, like me, and just try on pants underneath it! sad, I know 😉
I agree about a skirt that’s flaring enough to try pants under it. Or other skirts. Especially good for thrift stores that have no dressing room or even for regular stores where they severely limit what you can bring in plus there’s no sales help and sometimes no unoccupied dresing “room”.
I miss the old days when there was a chair or chaise in the dressing room so you could sit in what you want to buy. I suppose finer stores still have them.
I dress for shopping pretty much the way you describe with the addition of preferring a light down coat when I have one. Easy to carry around whilst looking in a heated store. Tote bag for stuffing hat, gloves, scarf in or for carrying some item with me that I want to match.
Love this! I’ve done a similar post myself. I typically wear a zippered cardi for easy on-off, and a pair of shoes that have heels about the same height as most of my pairs. Especially helpful for trying on pants and checking for length.
Such a thoughtful post.
Betty – thanks so much for coming by and commenting. And makeup is a great tip – you want to not be distracted by bad hair or the like when buying clothes.
Julianne – thanks so much – go to my website http://www.bepokeimage.com.au and use the contact us form to email me (otherwise, too much spam).
Christina – I love the lazy way!
Vildy – not coming from one of those freezing climates, I don’t need the coat, but that would be a great addition for those who do!
Sal – have to admit I just stand on tip toes – I also tend to have to hem pants anyway as these days they cut them all really long!
Jane – thanks!
I love this outfit and advice. I really want those shoes and skirt. I never do pants when shopping or anything that involves buttons. Like you, I tend to do ballet flats and a tank top as a base piece. I never wear a watch and what is this water you speak of? Is that the stuff you use to make coffee?;-)
Call me a seasoned shopper Imogen! I follow all of these guidelines with great success. The flats, hands-free bag and easy off clothes are a must. Though I often make my T a black one.
Belette – ha ha! This water I speak of is a miracle cure for what ails you – try it sometime!
K-line – you are obviously a woman of style!
This was such a helpful post. I never considered what I wore shopping, but it makes complete sense — particularly the tank top. I love that idea!