Shopping Tip #1

One very common complaint I hear from Clients when I'm Personal Shopping is that they don't know what pieces coordinate with what.  You walk into a store and you're instantly overwhelmed with all the options.  The lights are bright, the music is loud, you look around and all you see are size 2's.  That's great if you've had six cups of coffee and you're a size 2.  Your instincts tell you to turn around and run.

Instead of running, take a deep breath and remember Chelsea's Shopping Tip #1.  Find one item that you like and approach the rack.  The clothes are hung from the smallest size in the front to the largest size in the back.  Find your size, and depending on whether it looks a little small or large, also grab one size up or down. 

Clothing racks normally have several bars on each rack and believe it or not, the clothing companies are trying to make coordinating your clothes easier than you think.  Right next to that beautiful burgundy blouse (pictured above at H&M) lies a pair of black skinny trousers.  Coincidence?  I think not.  They go together perfectly.  Grab your size and the next size up or down.  WHAT?  Right next to the blouse and pants hangs a versatile black and white blazer with leather embellishments?  Yup.  Get two of those and head for the dressing room.

You must try things on.  You're a fool if you think that you don't need to.  Fit depends on so much more than size.  The fabric, the cut, even the style can all have a major impact on how things fit.  So, you tried on the blouse, the pants and the blazer.  Thank goodness you grabbed two sizes of each because maybe the pants ran a little big or the sleeves on the blouse were too long on the larger size.  Keep what you love, toss what you don't and get ready to tackle the next rack of coordinates.

Shopping can be a lot of fun and very rewarding.  Walking out of a store feeling confident in your purchases will radiate throughout your life.  When you look good, you feel good.  I have many more shopping tips, but that's for another blog.  Try my Shopping Tip #1 and I would love to hear about your experience!  Still feeling overwhelmed?  Personal Shopping is my thing.  E-mail me at chelseakray@hotmail.com.