Adventures in Shopping
A Mini-Guide to Making Your Fashion Life Easier
By Christen Ellis
Alright ladies, your challenge should you choose to accept it, is to enter a clothing store of your choice, with wallet in hand, and pick an outfit. Sounds simple enough, right? Factor in the numerous shops there are to pick from, long line, ever-changing fashion trends, and finding something that fits your personal style (and budget), and it quickly becomes mission impossible.
Before you become too frustrated, I would like to try to simplify the whole process for you. Let us start with choosing which stores to visit, shall we? Every girl has a few shops she frequents. I find that starting with the less expensive is easiest. These shops are usually the best in which to find your key pieces. I suggest H&M, Gabriel Brothers, and even thrift stores or consignment shops.
Key pieces are important because they not only help build your outfits but they can also be used to create many different looks. For instance, denim jeans are a staple in most wardrobes. Jeans can be casual with a sweater or blouse, and casual or flat shoes. Jeans can also dress up quite nicely with a decorative blouse and/or jacket and heels. Other recognizable key pieces are tank tops, turtlenecks, khakis/slacks, basic skirts, and the little black dress.
Once you have found your key pieces, shoes and accessories are next on the list. It is a good idea to save the high-end boutiques for these items. You are more likely to find better quality items at those shops. This is an important factor when buying shoes and accessories, as you do not want these things to fall apart. The only time I disagree with this statement is when it comes to purchasing very trendy items. This is due to the fact that trends change very quickly, and you do not want to waste several hundred dollars on an item that will retire to the back of your closet in a few weeks.
Okay, let us start with shoes! You should know shoes are one of my obsessions. If I could have more than two feet, I think I would just as an excuse to buy more shoes! When you are looking to purchase shoes, boutiques are a great place to look if you have a particular designer in mind. Larger department stores prove to be more helpful if you have a broad idea of what it is you are looking for. I suggest Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Fred Segal, and Lord and Taylor.
Now that you have successfully acquired your pair(s) of shoes, it is time to complete your outfit with accessories. I have categorized handbags with accessories because I have found that most people do so. However, I believe handbags are in a class by themselves. This could be due to the fact that bags are another of my obsessions! Bags are a versatile way of expressing style and creativity with your clothing, plus they serve a function! The beauty of handbags is that a great one can be found at Prada, Yves Saint Laurent, Hermes, and even your local vintage shop or thrift store. Many styles tend to reappear over time, so the latter are an inexpensive way to find a fabulous bag. I also recommend thrift stores, and vintage or consignment shops for other accessories such as jewelry, hats, scarves, and gloves. Searching for these items will usually require more patience, but almost always guarantee you a unique look.
All you have left to do is to grab your credit cards and start shopping! Hopefully this information will help make your shopping trips a little less stressful, and make it a little easier to build outfits that can be mixed and matched for different looks. The only thing I can not tell you is how to avoid the long lines you might encounter while shopping. Unfortunately, my fashion knowledge can not conquer everything. But if you are like me, as soon as you find the perfect outfit and the price tag says SALE, the lines will probably be worth it!
Happy Shopping!
