STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

BargainQueen · Marc Jacobs

RE: how has your shopping strategy changed in the past few months

NCshopper · Hermes

My shopping strategy hasn't changed hardly at all. DH and I make more money now than we did a few years ago, but we've banked our raises so our take home pay is not all that much more than we were living off of a few years ago. It's not always the most fun way to live, but it makes times like these much easier to get through because life carries on as usual as opposed to us having to cut back.

Anyway, long story short, my shopping habits haven't changed that much. I buy one or two things clothing/accessory items every month and don't spend that much on them. I'll stalk an item that I've wanted until it goes on sale and stay out of stores where the quality of their product is inferior. Also, I have everything that I *need* need, so if I don't love something, I don't buy it. It's got to fit well (or at least be alterable), be the right color, good quality, and the right price otherwise I'm not buying it.

ViViDogWear · Kate Spade

I'm definitely in the same boat as D - shopping online, putting things in my cart, and then closing the browser. Or similar variation in the store. I often come out of a store with nothing at all. My shopping habit hasn't changed too much - but I do find myself buying more accessories than clothes (a new pair of earrings, necklace, or scarf, or shoes) vs. new jeans. I haven't bought new jeans in forever! But a new accessory makes me really happy! I'm also at the point of realizing I've bought so much stuff I've never worn for over a year, and still has tags on - because it just didn't suit me or my lifestyle. i.e fitted DVF and Mara Hoffman dresses. Although gorgeous and great quality - I just can't run around and do what I do in them. I'm about to plan a sell-off of things I just have never gotten around to wearing. I'm also planning on making my spare [dressing] room a cooler place - like a store so I will be happy to shop in there!

Oh and I've also taken on to FIXING things and taking care of my belongings more! I have taken my nicer shoes in to get protective soles and fixed wonky heels. I also just got my J brand jeans zipper fixed (as opposed to buying a new pair).

-- Edited by ViViDogWear at 01:11, 2009-03-05

ico · Dooney & Bourke

leah_leanna wrote:

I've notice I make a lot more lists of things we need and things we want. I actually carry a notebook in my purse with those list in it...
And rather than shopping for independent items, I've switched to mostly looking only for items that compliment something I already own.

Me too, I have found that having an on-going list of items I need help me avoid random purchases.
I also found that writing a list of daily outfits foir the upcoming work week is helpful in using all I have in my closet - otherwise I'd just go wear the same 3 dresses.

kenzie · Chanel

NCshopper wrote:

My shopping strategy hasn't changed hardly at all. DH and I make more money now than we did a few years ago, but we've banked our raises so our take home pay is not all that much more than we were living off of a few years ago. It's not always the most fun way to live, but it makes times like these much easier to get through because life carries on as usual as opposed to us having to cut back.

Anyway, long story short, my shopping habits haven't changed that much. I buy one or two things clothing/accessory items every month and don't spend that much on them. I'll stalk an item that I've wanted until it goes on sale and stay out of stores where the quality of their product is inferior. Also, I have everything that I *need* need, so if I don't love something, I don't buy it. It's got to fit well (or at least be alterable), be the right color, good quality, and the right price otherwise I'm not buying it.

Ditto to all this. BF and I are both making more than we made before and so far, haven't been affected by the economy. We are, however, banking our raises and also saving extra for our move to California, so our spending power is pretty much the same as it was before.

I have really been trying to focus on quality over quantity, but sometimes I get sucked into the F21 trap. But, even at stores like that, I must really, really love an item to buy it. I won't just buy something that I sort of like. I'm slowly working on completely purging and rebuilding my closet and I'm about 3/4 of the way there.