When it comes to dressing up, every person’s experience is different. Some have an easy time creating a suitable ensemble for any occasion, while others struggle to find an outfit they feel good in—even though they have a closet that’s overflowing with clothes. In the latter’s case, a lack of wardrobe planning and doing impromptu shopping can result in a large but poorly-curated selection of clothes.
If you’ve experienced feeling like you have nothing decent to wear, you probably understand how frustrating and time-consuming it is to decide what to put on. You may also regret wasting your hard-earned money on pieces you either only wear once or never wear at all. If you want to avoid making this costly mistake and stop filling your closet with things you don’t actually enjoy, you need to be more mindful of how you shop and stop buying these types of clothes.
Cheap and Low-Quality Garments
If you have a limited budget for clothes, you might be paying more attention to an item’s price tag than its quality. This is quite understandable, as you want to be able to get everything you need at the lowest possible cost. However, making smart shopping choices takes more than just choosing garments that have the lowest price tag.
Neglecting to consider the garment’s quality can result in accumulating clothes that wear easily and need to be replaced frequently. You may end up spending even more than if you had chosen a higher-quality garment. Quality clothing lasts longer because it is made using better materials and craftsmanship. For example, buying cheap hosiery might mean being able to wear a pair only once compared to getting premium tights that continue to look new even years after buying them.
When you buy good-quality garments, you have a higher chance of wearing them longer and getting good value for your money. Additionally, many well-made clothes use premium materials that don’t wear out easily or fade after several washes. As a result, you get clothes that will continue to look good even after multiple washes.
Sale Items
In a similar manner, many budget-conscious individuals head to a store’s sale rack or clearance bin to take advantage of the lower prices. While you might find a rare gem or two, limiting your shopping to marked–down pieces isn’t the best way to save money. This habit can hinder you from building a functional and stylish wardrobe and contribute to your frustration.
You should be especially wary of buying something just because it seemed like an amazing deal. More often than not, the reason a piece of clothing is marked down is because no one else wanted to take it home. So before you buy something on sale, ask yourself if you’d still buy the same item if it was at full price. If your answer is no, leave it at the sales rack and walk away.
If you truly adore an item that’s on sale, consider how you’ll use the piece you’re about to buy. Think of three different outfits you can wear with it and if you would feel good about wearing them. If you can answer yes, then go ahead and purchase the sale item. Otherwise, it’s better to save your money for something that you’ll love and enjoy wearing.
Trendy Pieces
When you fill your closet with current trends, there will soon come a day when you’ll no longer be able to wear them with confidence. Trendy clothes go out of style fairly quickly, so you’ll have to keep buying them if you want to stay in vogue. Not being able to replace them regularly will mean that you’re stuck with a closet full of outdated clothes. As such, it’s better to skip buying these types of clothes.
Instead, opt to buy clothes with a timeless appeal. These are typically elevated classic garments that never go out of style or look dated. You can continue to wear these pieces for years without feeling unfashionable. By buying classic pieces, you also get versatile garments that you can easily mix and match with the other items in your closet and wear on different occasions. You’ll certainly get great mileage on these clothes, so make the smart choice to invest in timeless pieces that will outlive any trend.
Garments That Don’t Suit Your Lifestyle
When you’re shopping for clothes, it can be difficult to resist a cute short dress or a cool leather jacket. Before taking these items to the checkout counter, you should first consider if the garment you want to buy actually matches your lifestyle. The bulk of your closet should be made up of items you can use regularly. If you rarely attend formal events, you don’t need a bunch of fancy gowns in your closet. And unless your job requires wearing formal business attire, you can forgo multiple pants suits, skirt suits, and suit dresses. Instead, focus your shopping on getting smart-casual clothes that you can wear to work and the events you normally attend.
By keeping your lifestyle in mind when buying clothes, you can build a wardrobe that has pieces appropriate for your activities. This ensures that you can maximize wearing them and reduce those instances of feeling like you have nothing to wear. It will also help you be more cost-efficient as you’ll only get the pieces that you really need.
Clothes That You Didn’t Try On
One reason your clothes don’t look good on you may be because they don’t fit you well. You can easily avoid this by trying them on first before buying them. Simply relying on clothing tags can be misleading as different clothing stores can have different measurements for the same sizes. So if you don’t have the time to do a fitting or if an online store doesn’t specify measurements, postpone your shopping for another day and reach out to customer service for guidance.
When trying on clothes, observe how they look and feel on your body. It’s a good idea to walk a bit in the changing area to see if the garment feels comfortable when you move. You should also check how certain design details will look once the garment hugs your body. You might find that the neckline is much deeper than you are comfortable wearing, or that a design element has an awkward placement on your chest or butt area.
Having a good sense for shopping isn’t just about knowing which clothes to buy but also which ones to avoid. Changing your shopping habits can help you build a functional wardrobe. Once you get used to staying away from these items, you’ll find it easier to come up with outfits that you look and feel good in, even if you only have a small selection of clothes to choose from.