




In this video Jill Chivers of 16 Style Types and I discuss shopping processes and share how ours are quite different from each other. Understanding how you shop can help you know more about what does and doesn’t work for you and even if you should shop alone or with a like minded friend (check out our last video on this topic here).
As you can see in the video that understanding how you search through a store, your shopping processes, will influence who you shop with (and the kind of experience you both have if you’re shopping with others).

We’d love to know how do you shop?






interesting video, my style is similar to Imogen’s, I scan, also colour scan, I only look at items that are in colours that interest me, I never look at black items, I then go back and pick out what I’d like to try on.
It’s funny as we often assume that everyone thinks the way we do! So discovering just how different others are in their thought processes is interesting.
The funny thing is, I love clothes, but don’t like to shop–at least not in big stores or enclosed malls. Stimulation overload! But whenever I’m out and about, especially when I travel, I’m on the lookout for great boutiques and resale shops. Occasionally I spend quite a lot of money on something fabulous that I know I’ll wear repeatedly, but mostly I look for nice-quality basics at resale shops. I like stores that separate clothing by color as well as by type, so I can zero in on my own colors. Then I let my fingers do the shopping, searching for good-quality fabrics. I try not to talk myself into purchases. My ideal is to buy clothes that make me catch my breath with delight. P.S. I don’t actually like to shop with friends because too often they’ve tried to persuade me to buy things that aren’t right for me.
What a great topic. I scan for colour first, often look for sales rack (my economic value coming out) and then look at detail. I actually really love internet shopping as I find I can scan looking at design lines in garments very quickly. I can quickly pinpoint design lines that will suit me in pages of garments, things I might miss hanging on rack I can find online. Will often pre-shop online and then go to bricks and mortar to try on fit and buy.
The internet is great for “pre-shopping” and finding places to decide to visit in person.
I start with items on my list and scan for colors in my palette. Otherwise I get too overwhelmed with the options.
Very interesting discussion which made me think about my approach. I will enter a store I am unfamiliar with and stand just inside the door make a quick scan to determine the level of quality of garments and general target age range. You can often determine the quality of items from the stores decor, organisation and tidiness as well as how the staff are dressed. If I assess that the items will be poor quality or too young for me I immediately leave the store. In stores I am familiar with I scan for my palet colours head for those racks or items and look in more detail. I don’t like shopping in department stores where items are organised in sections according to brands as I find this confusing. If I am looking for a particular item in a specific colour I like to have all similar items grouped together not wander around different sections. I prefer to shop alone especially after culling my wardrobe and realising most of the items culled were bought when shopping with a friend. I now know I shop more carefully and thoughtfully alone.
This was a very helpful video. Thanks to you both.
In shrinking down the volume of clothing I owned, my first step was to make a list of just how much I really needed to have in each category of my life. I pitched items that didn’t work, for one reason or the other. Then came the question: What do I need to fill in?
Shopping? I am overwhelmed by department stores in malls. In recent years I have avoided them completely. The core of my wardrobe is black. I never pass up a great black skirt or pants. Even so, not in excess to really consider. I became a careful thrift shopper: consignment and thrift stores. I look for brands I know fit me, especially Eileen Fisher, since I like conservative clothes. I go down the racks quickly and touch garments in colors I wear. Good fabrics have the right feel. Fussy details are out. (I rely on my nice pieces of jewelry and scarves to add those touches.)
By the way, it pays to look at neighboring sizes since out-of-place garments show up anywhere in used clothing places. I check each garment very carefully before I consider it. Any flaw I cannot fix rules it out before trying on.
Tops usually will be plain but if patterned, there will be a bit of black to ground the piece. Here and there I find dresses. Not many though. (I have an hour-glass figure so separates tend to work best.)
I always shop alone, on purpose, and take my time. No retail therapy. I carry a small notebook listing what I already have. Also swatches of clothing, if I possibly can nip some from an inconspicuous place, but if not, I carry the garment itself or a paint deck for specific things. In black garments I look for two pieces made to match (top and bottom) since random black pieces seldom look like anything other than near-misses.
Good undergarments make dressing more successful, especially bras. Professional fitting is a must.
At-home wear is important to me. If I feel put-together I get more done. That includes some makeup and jewelry possibly. Fragrance always.
I see too many woman who dash out without taking the time to tend to how they look. I also don’t get the ‘new’ but torn-up jean look or the combining styles of clothes that look like contradictions: bomber jackets and lace dresses.
Call me out of the swim, but I’m sticking to my guns.
I hate to shop. I shop with a wardrobe need in mind. I know what colors are likely to look good and what styles. I do use the shopping time to see what else is on offer, but I am not an impulse shopper.
For me, shopping is more of a hunt for a particular piece or accessory that will fill in a gap or enhance my existing wardrobe. I already know what I’m looking for, so a scan will usually tell me if a store or section might have that item. My wardrobe is a minimalist basic black, which absolutely works for me. It’s a showcase for my statement jewelry finds and designs. I’m always on the lookout for a bargain costume jewelry, tee shirt, or tunic that I can remake and make my own. Any clothing piece has to be of very good quality and alterable because nothing will escape the scissors or the needle and thread. You could say that shopping is really part of my crafting hobby. With that said, I have to mention that travel and backpacking are also a big part of my life, so online spending for clothing made of performance fabrics is where the majority of my shopping budget goes. I love merino wool for year-round wear in socks, underwear, pants, and tee-shirts for its comfort and maintenance features.
It’s interesting how most of us shop by colour first. I’m the same. I can literally stand in a shop doorway for 3 seconds and if I don’t see a colour that coordinates with my wardrobe and my palette, I just move on ( a small shop, of course ) Large department stores just confuse me! If I’m shopping locally and I do find something I like, I’ll try it on, then put it back on the rack, go home and think about it. It’s surprising how something that rates an 8 out of 10 on the Imogen/Jill scale in the shop, drops a couple of points after you’ve “slept on it.” It’s only then, when I’m really excited about how the item is going to work with my wardrobe, that I’ll pop back in the store and quickly purchase it. Painful aren’t I !!!!
Great that you sleep on it before purchasing – as something in the store can often feel like an 8 til you get it home and then it’s no longer an 8.