Clothes shopping tips in a weak economy: Part 1

Happy Thursday, ladies!  Today, I would like to ponder and process with you clothes shopping tips in a weak economy, part 1.

We all are well aware of inflationary times in most countries of the world…with some facing recession.

So, I have been pondering how to look at clothes shopping tips in a weak economy.  I am processing this right along with you.

Many of us are reading or have read Linda Grant’s book, The Thoughtful Dresser. 

Since I was a kid, I have always marked up the books I read.  It is difficult for me to read almost anything without a pen in hand.

When I read this book over vacation, I was captured by her thoughts of clothes shopping tips during a recession.

She writes that due to advancing age and economic uncertainty, she has ceased shopping like a teenager and more to shopping like an adult who uses caution and advance thought.

Grant writes many words about this topic and I encourage you to read her thoughts on pages 64-65.

What captured me the most is when she said this,

“The last thing I want to feel is depressed, and depressed I would feel if I was wearing dreary, cheap clothes; if I had abandoned in a mood of austerity, the very notion of style.  So, shopping must happen less often, but with more thought, for in an economic downturn, you cannot afford to buy cheap, disposable clothes.”  And after telling the story of purchasing a fabulous coat, she writes, “In a recession, you cannot allow life to turn beige.”

CLOTHES SHOPPING TIPS IN A WEAK ECONOMY

I have spent so much time lately processing clothes shopping tips learned this year as I spend time in retailers at all price points.

So, today, I would like to share with you the clothes shopping tips that help me, and I hope will help you.  Part 2 of this post runs tomorrow….as I said, there is much to ponder….

These clothes shopping tips in a weak economy have been developed with the intention to help you not waste money and make fewer clothes shopping mistakes.

My goal here is to encourage you to maintain a bright outlook and more confidence despite what is happening around you.

TIP #1

Before you set foot in any store, assess your wardrobe needs.

I entered 2023 with several wardrobe needs.  I faced a wedding as Mother-of-the-Groom accompanied by wedding happenings around the main event.

I was looking at two big trips this year with Mr. B, so I assessed those needs as well.

I also have been losing some weight…not vast amounts…but enough that I am looking at my wardrobe differently right now.

In January, I assessed the closet…what I own, what I love, what no longer works, and what I need.

I actually re-arranged the closet to allow for new styles…like dresses which were practically non-existent in the wardrobe.  That needed to be fixed.

Of course, any wardrobe assessment created a new assessment of what I want to tell the world about me with my clothing.

TIP #2

Select five adjectives that you want to tell the world about you with your clothes.  Then ask yourself with every garment or outfit, does this say those five adjectives about me.

I know…most of you hear this from me over and over again…but I cannot stress enough how important it is to understand, “What do I want to say with what I wear?”

It will save you money and sharpen a wardrobe that is your own unique personal style. 

It will keep you from taking a garment out of your closet, that you rarely wear and wonder why you bought it in the first place.

You have to ask in the dressing room if the clothing speaks your five adjectives to you.   If not, leave it behind.

My adjectives are…Polished, approachable, joyful, current and creative.

Just this week, I received an email from one of our wonderful readers and she shared this plaque that she took at a Native American Exhibit at the Detroit Institute of Art.

The plaque says….

Clothing as art and identity

The clothing you wear can say a lot about who you are. This statement is particularly true among the Native American nations of the Great Lakes region and the Plains to the west.

Clothing displays the skills of those who make it and the social identity of those who wear it.

The three groups of clothing in this gallery show the identity can take many forms:

*Personal identity: What does the clothing communicate about the individual?

*Community style: How can clothing identify someone as a member of a specific community group?

*Native American Identity: How did clothing play a role in asserting a broader “Native American” identity when missionaries, officials, and others pressured Native Americans to assimilate?

Throughout history and today, Native American women have made clothes with elaborate, colorful, designs to serve as expressions of cultural strength, community pride, and the persistence of traditional cultural values.

She sent this to me knowing that these are timeless messages I share with you often.

Thank clothing sends a message about us and is often influenced by our communities.

I love a historical perspective.

I am going to pause at this point today.  I will continue this conversation tomorrow.  Any thoughts today on clothes shopping tips in a weak economy?

Tomorrow I have so much to say about fashion retailing, so I hope you will return for Part 2 of this discussion.  Thanks for being here….

KEEP SMILING!

Pamela Lutrell

I appreciate your support of this blog by shopping with my SHOPPING LINKS, and if you don’t see the retailer you need for anything, just send me an email and I will see if I have a link or if there is a sale you are looking for!

Email is over50feeling40@gmail.com.

Recent requests have been for SHEEC NO-SHOW FOOTWEAR and Bombas…and Tuckernuck …just click the name and you will be there.

I am here to assist you with any gift ideas as well, and hope you will consider shopping gifts with these links!  AND your home purchases!

I know many like to make Home Depot purchases online and then drive to the store to pick them up.  You can still use my HOME DEPOT link to do that.

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