One tip that I often share is to write a list before you go clothes shopping (your shopping will always be more productive with a list). But that might not be as easy as it sounds. How do you write a shopping list? What do you put on it? How do you know what you really need? And if you want to elevate or evolve your style – where do you even start?
But before I go into how to write a shopping list, I want to talk about one distinction – social shopping vs. targeted shopping. Social shopping is when you’re out with friends and you pop into a few stores. Social shopping is when you’re essentially window shopping and you’re not looking for anything specific. Social shopping is when you’re wasting time while your kids are at soccer practice (or you’re cruising around online to avoid work emails).
Targeted shopping is something entirely different. Targeted shopping is just like the name implies – you’re going shopping with a specific purpose. Whether it’s looking for an exact item or finding options for a certain occasion, you’re focused. You know where you’re going and what you’re planning to get. There’s a goal of filling an identifiable need (or needs) during this shopping trip. And you have a list.
So, for the purpose of this article, I’m talking about targeted shopping (just like I do with my clients). But how do you come up with a targeted shopping list (for clothes or accessories)? Here’s how.
WHILE YOU’RE GETTING DRESSED
At first glance, this may make no sense. You’re getting dressed, so why would you stop getting dressed to start a list? But hear me out – as you’re getting dressed, you may realize you’re missing something. Like when you put on a sleeveless dress and realize you don’t have a light jacket (or cardigan) to go over it. That goes on the list. Or when you suddenly notice the need for a camisole under a sheer-ish top. That goes on the list. Or when you’re almost fully dressed – and realize that none of your shoes work with your outfit. That goes on the list, too.
While you’re getting dressed is the best time to create a shopping list - because you’re in the moment. You discover a true gap in your wardrobe. And the best part is that when you fill this gap, you already know how you’ll wear it.
But sometimes, these gaps may not be easy to identify. You may realize your outfit isn’t complete, but you’re not sure what you need to complete it. And I’ll talk about that in a minute.
WHEN YOU’RE CLEANING YOUR CLOSET
When you’re cleaning your closet, you may realize a few things that can readily inform a shopping list. You may notice that all your white t-shirts are dingy. You may notice that most of your shoes are black. You may notice that you have jeans and dressy pants – but nothing in between. So, now you can start your shopping list: white t-shirts, shoes other than black, bottoms in between jeans and dressy pants. (If you are cleaning your closet, check out a few strategies to make it more productive.)
And when you’re cleaning out your closet, you can also look at what you’re getting rid of. Are you donating a bunch of tops that don’t fit anymore (but you loved)? Then new tops go on the list. Are you purging suit blazers from when you worked in a dressy office (but you like blazers)? Then casual blazers and jackets go on the list. Did you just get rid of your favorite (but not salvageable) loafers? Then replacement loafers go on the list. And so on.
WHEN YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT YOU NEED
It’s easy to make a shopping list when you know what you need, right? You just stained your favorite denim shirt and (no matter how hard you try) the stain won’t come out. Then a new denim shirt goes on your list. But what about when it isn’t that obvious?
Here’s what I mean – you’re a die-hard jeans and sweater person in the fall. But you want other outfit ideas that feel a bit dressier. Or more professional. Or just different. And you’re not sure where to start. This is when you look for inspiration.
And this may also happen when you’re getting dressed. You’re ready to head out the door and you go to grab a coat. And nothing in your coat closet feels like it works with your outfit - but you have no idea what kind of coat would. This is also when you look for inspiration.
What do I mean when I say ‘look for inspiration’? I mean that you’re looking online or at social media or in magazines/catalogs (or you’re even people watching), to see how others have fulfilled this need. In the above examples – you can search Pinterest for ‘fall dress outfits’ or ‘fall business casual outfits’. If you’re active on Instagram, you can check out what kind of coats your favorite influencers wear in fall. Essentially, you’re looking for examples, to see what’s missing from your closet to complete (or create) these outfits. And then these things go on your list.
But remember one thing – you don’t need to buy the exact item that your inspiration shows (aka you don’t have to click the link in an influencer’s stories). You can put an item on your list in order to find something similar, or something that captures the essence of your inspiration. Because more often than not, you’ll need to filter this inspiration into what works for your style, your lifestyle, your body, your budget, etc.
If you’re not yet convinced that shopping with a list is much more productive than shopping without one, here’s an analogy. Let’s say you go food shopping. And you throw anything that looks good into the cart. And when you get home, you realize that nothing works together to cook a meal (or you’re missing key ingredients). It’s the same thing when you go clothes shopping without a list – you buy clothes that don’t necessarily work with anything in your closet. And they may not even work together. And then all you have is a bunch of incomplete outfits, the same way you’d have a bunch of food (but no actual meals).
If you’ve read this far, you probably want to shop better than you have in the past. So, here are a few resources:
I often get asked, “should I buy this in another color?” Here’s my answer.
If you shop a lot online, these are the mistakes you want to avoid.
Shopping can be hard. Here are a few ways to make it easier.
If even the thought of creating a shopping list feels overwhelming, you don’t need to do it alone. I’ve helped over 350 clients determine their needs and shop to fill them – so that they end up with intentional outfits that make them feel great.
Click here to read through the framework I use with all my new clients. And click here if you’d like to chat about working together – I’m booked for the rest of 2023, but now is the perfect time to get on my 2024 waitlist.