Julie Rath: Secrets from a Shopping Pro

“I hate shopping, except for the part where I am back in my  apartment with new clothes.”

Does that sound like you? A prospective client once emailed that line to me.  It made me laugh, but I get it. Shopping can be tiring, stressful and  frustrating. Planning an effective shopping trip takes strategic thought. While  it should be easy, often things get in the way. But, take it from me, shopping  can be a smooth and seamless process. Below are 9 of my best tools and  tricks for a well-executed shopping trip.

Here’s a dressing room snap from yesterday as I was  getting things ready for a client.

1) Find a good salesperson. Some of my best  relationships have resulted from following my intuition in a store and simply  walking up to someone, introducing myself, and explaining what I was looking to  accomplish. A good salesperson will make shopping hassle-free – without an  overbearing salespitch (more on this in #6). They’ll also give you advance info  on when the sales are and in many cases ‘pre-sell’ items to you – which means  you get dibs on things before they go on sale to the general public.

2) Shop when stores are least crowded, in the morning and  early in the week. Try to avoid after work or the lunch rush.

3) Shop with a plan. No good shopping decisions are ever  made by wandering into a store without an agenda. Have a list, printed out if  necessary – I always shop with the client’s list in my pocket – prioritized by  need and budget. Consider getting multiples of basics that work.

4) Once you’ve assessed your needs (conducting a closet edit can give you clarity on that), shop early. If  you need an overcoat, but you wait until January to start shopping, you’ll be  out of luck. The fashion calendar is quirky and requires you to think  ahead. So spend time before each season begins thinking about what  you’re going to need before you need it. Ask yourself, what did  you run out of, or what were you missing last year? Put your answers at  the top of your list.

5) Take a break when you need one, and bring reinforcements.  Pack a bag with anything that will help you stay focused – snacks, drinks, etc.  Hungry very quickly becomes hangry while shopping. What else might you want to  have on hand? This may be TMI, but a client once had something in his teeth that  was distracting him during a shopping session. I happened to have a package of  floss with me, which he was grateful for. He took care of business, and we got  back to business.

6) Be wary of overzealous salespeople. It gives me stomach  pain when I look in new clients’ closets and see that thousands upon thousands  of dollars have been spent on items that don’t even come close to working for  them. Sure, the clothes are beautiful in many cases, but if it doesn’t work, it  doesn’t work. In one case, a client was sold a whole slew of dress shirts from a  major luxury brand that shall remain nameless – half of them were different  sizes from one another (he had obviously been coerced into buying whatever was  in the store), and most of them hadn’t even been bothered to be tailored. The  sleeves were a good 5 inches too long on every single shirt. Remember, most  salespeople work on commission, so they’re incentivized for you to buy more. If  they’re telling you how absolutely amazing everything looks on you,  chances are they aren’t being sincere. It’s actually a good sign when a  salesperson tells you not to buy something.

7) Related to the above, make sure you buy your actual size, not your  fantasy size. I frequently encounter people who say that they’re going  to lose weight and that they should therefore buy things that are too small for  them. That doesn’t work, and it’s a trap. You’ll feel awful about yourself if  you have a closet full of clothes that don’t fit you. And how can you expect to  lose weight feeling crappy about yourself? If you really are committed to  dropping lbs, purchase a few things that fit you now. When you  have clothes that fit you as you are and therefore look good on you, you’ll be  more likely to take care of yourself and reach your weight loss  goal.

8) You must love everything. If you’re a Rath & Co.  client, you’ll hear this from me time and time again. You should only buy things  if you absolutely love them. Usually when you know, you know, but if you’re  having trouble deciding, picture yourself on a morning when you’re heading out  to work or an evening when you’re going to an event. Would you “go-to” this  item? If not, it’s a no.

9) Many no’s are simple. If for example, button-fly jeans  have always driven you nuts, you’re not likely to change your mind once they’re  in your closet. Move on!