As a curator of all things fashionable I think it is safe to conclude that you all know how much I love fashion. It really is my life. From my 9 to 5 to freelancing I am invested in the fashion world. However, as much as I love walking into stores I HATE trying things on.
Crazy I know!
I truly believe (although I do not always practice it) that everyone should try things on before purchasing especially if the style of the item is new to you, you’ve fluctuated in weight or if you are unsure on how the sizing is measured at that particular store. Not to mention when you try things on you dispel the hanger syndrome. The notion that the item looks better on the hanger or even a mannequin and it would not look the same on you. Real talk nothing on a hanger will look the same on anyone because we all have different body types. Trying a particular garment on ensures a few things:
1. That it fits correctly – FIT is essential as I have said time and time again on here.
2. That you still like/love the item enough to invest in it.
3. It triggers style inspiration. Physically seeing it on helps you to determine possible ways you could wear it and also helps you to conclude if you can work with it. Sometimes when you try something on you end up realizing that it really isn’t something you need/want anymore.
So trying things on really helps our purchasing decisions. Personally for me, I rarely purchase everything I decide to try on. I usually fall into one of the three points mentioned above with an item or two which helps me because most times I probably shouldn’t be shopping anyway. Lucky for me, I am pretty good at eyeballing my size and styles I look good in from the stores I frequent. Nevertheless, there are times when trying things on (even for me) cannot be avoided.
Images: Courtesy of Pinterest
So here is a brief guide to my art of trying things:
- For a day of shopping, even if you have an inkling that you may be shopping and not just picking one thing up, try to dress comfortably and efficiently. Dresses or skirts are easy to wear when trying bottoms on and easy to remove sweaters, tops or ideally tank tops are perfect for trying tops on. Lastly, footwear that does not require too much attention to slip on and off would work best. The more layers and complicated clothing you have on such as a lot of buttons, laces, zippers, etc only discourage you from wanting to try something on. Obviously sometimes it is unavoidable especially if you are doing some light shopping after work or what have you, but for a day of shopping, being comfortable and to the point with what you wear will help the process of taking off repeatedly and putting back on.
- When trying anything on especially if you are unsure about your size pick up a size under and over than what you think. For example: if you THINK you are a size 6 also grab a size 4 and a size 8. This prevents you from spending a longer time in the fitting room because you have to wait for someone to retrieve the correct size for you.
- Along with that, if you are trying something on that has several colors and you are unsure which color you like better try all the colors you like on. You would hate to pick one color, try it on only to dislike it and wish you could have tried on the other color. Again, grabbing all the colors in the beginning cuts down your fitting room time.
- If there is a particular item you like such as a blazer and you already foresee what you may wear it with such as a dress or trousers try bringing items into the fitting room that compliment it. This way you can immediately see how that particular blazer would look with it and what you may like or dislike about it. This also helps you determine if it is worth purchasing or not.
- Lastly, if there is an item that you like, but you are unsure if you should invest in it take a picture of it. I love to take photos of things I like and marinate on it for a while before making a decision. You could take a photo of the item on you if you decided to try it on or you could take a shot of the item on a hanger. Regardless of the type of photo you take the important thing is to have it saved so you can look back and make a more thought out decision.
For my fellow stylists/fashionistas out there feel free to chime in on any points I may have missed.
Was this brief guide helpful?