SKIMO’S TIPS AND TRICKS: How I shop right

Ha! It feels so good to be back!!! Happy new month guys….

Just like anything that should be done right, shopping has to be done strategically. I am of the opinion that shopping goes far beyond grabbing your credit card and dashing off to a boutique or surfing some online store. A little amount of thought must be given to it.

Many people do not have a mind map or mental picture of what they want before they go on a major shopping. I say ‘major shopping’ because I’m aware that there could be days when you suddenly stumble on something nice and you just know that you gotta have it! Impulse buying is permissible (discipline is also important).

Here’s what I do…

Before any major shopping,

I try to get a feel of what my wardrobe is like (ie. Know what I have and what I do not have).

Before I buy anything, I ask myself:

Have I bought all I really need?

Do I really need this now?

How well does this complement other things in my wardrobe?

Am I choosing the right color? For instance, it might just happen that you’ve been stocking up on red dresses of recent and you find yourself wanting to buy yet another. Then you remember you actually need a little white dress….go for the white dress. That seems like the reasonable thing to do.

Are my foundation pieces in place? I often preach that you buy at least one basic wardrobe item on every major shopping day. Invest in wardrobe essentials. They yield good returns. Click here if you missed my post on ‘how strong is your foundation?’

I also like to balance out my wardrobe by buying items that are really lacking in terms of color, prints or styles. There was a time I realized I had so many prints with very little basic colored pieces to match up. It could be that all I needed was a basic black top or black denim and then I would suddenly realize I didn’t have one available. Damn!!

I had issues with getting anything black (bag, shoes, dress, skirt….).Well, I kinda still do. I would ask myself-why buy black when there are so many other colors to choose from? Most of the black items I have in my closet were most likely given to me and the other few, I struggled to buy. But really, black works every time, regardless of my sentiments.

Believe me when I say this; when I see an item I like especially clothes, my brain goes to work on the spot. I begin to think of the very many possible ways to wear it. I wouldn’t say I shop much or say i have a very large closet. I still wonder why some people think I have more than I really do. I think I’m just better able to maximize the little I have. That’s what’s most important. Maximization.

It’s not enough to buy expensive or nice things, you must be able to use them well. Many people have really nice individual pieces stocked up in their closets but you almost cannot tell. They just can’t make it work.

But hey, that’s why we’re here to gradually guide you through the journey. 

Remember, your views are always welcome.

Thanks for stopping by…..

YS: Ogunrinde Olayemi