April 10, 2014 by Debbie Roes

The Ins and Outs of Custom-Made Clothing

The following is a guest post from Maharani, a regular reader of this blog, who is sharing her experience with having her clothing custom made. Awhile back, Maharani had suggested this option for me in response to my pants shopping difficulties. Since I was intrigued by the custom clothing possibility but knew so little about it, I figured others would also be interested in learning more. So I asked Maharani to share her experiences in a guest post, and the rest is history! Read on to learn lots of useful information about custom-made clothing and how it might be an option to consider for your wardrobe.

Have you ever had your clothing custom made?

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February 27, 2014 by Debbie Roes

Building a Workable Wardrobe – Part Two

The following is a guest post from Dottie, a regular reader of this blog, who is sharing some strategies for building a workable wardrobe. This is the second part of a two-part series (read part one here). Part One covered essentials like body type, color palette, personal style, and so forth. This section focuses on a further strategy for building a workable wardrobe. Dottie welcomes feedback from “Recovering Shopaholic” readers, especially those of you who have additional strategies that you’ve used for creating your own wardrobe.

How to Build a Wardrobe Using a Color Palette

Years ago, I had a color analysis, which helped me identify the ideal colors that I should wear. My palette consists of: black, charcoal gray, medium gray, light gray, white, navy blue, medium blue, red (blue-red), burgundy, dark violet, icy violet, icy blue, icy pink, and a blue teal. The colors you wear near your face should be the most flattering colors for your hair color, skin tone, and eye color. Continue reading →

February 24, 2014 by Debbie Roes

Building a Workable Wardrobe – Part One

The following is a guest post from Dottie, a regular reader of this blog, who is sharing some strategies for building a workable wardrobe. In this first part of a two-part series, she focuses on personal style, color palette, and other considerations that can help in the selection of clothing for a wardrobe that “works.” Dottie welcomes feedback from “Recovering Shopaholic” readers, especially those of you who have additional strategies that you’ve used for creating your own wardrobe.

For most people, building a wardrobe that really works may take years of trial and error. A lot of what we buy for our wardrobe is driven by what’s promoted as the latest fashion – and as this is constantly changing, it can be confusing when faced with so much choice. Just think of the options available for jeans: Slim leg or skinny? Dark wash or distressed denim? Bright colors or patterns? Coated or not? Mid-rise, low-rise, or natural waist?

One approach to building a wardrobe is to buy what fits and works within your budget. But you can end up with a lot of clothes that don’t work well across your wardrobe. When I was just starting to build a wardrobe for work years ago, I bought items in pairs – a top and a skirt or pants, for example. I made an attempt to purchase clothes in a particular color palette (the wrong one, it turns out). But, looking back, there was less cohesion – less of a wardrobe than a collection of odds and ends. Continue reading →

February 14, 2014 by Debbie Roes

Some Thoughts and Links on Ethical Shopping

For much of my life, I shopped almost constantly and brought hundreds of new items into my closet each year. Over time, I came to realize some of the negative consequences of my behavior, but I thought those deleterious effects were limited to the confines of my personal closet, bank account, and relationships. It was only after I started my recovering shopaholic project that I became aware of the ways in which my overshopping was also harmful to people outside of my inner circle, as well as to the environment.

How much do you know about ethical shopping?

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January 14, 2014 by Debbie Roes

How to Tell if a Garment is Well-Made

The following is a guest post from Dottie, a daily reader of this blog, who is sharing her insights on how to spot quality in fabric and construction of women’s clothing. Dottie learned to sew as a teenager and has used her knowledge of clothing construction to look for well-made clothing, preferably on sale. She lives in a 4-season climate, so some of her tips may resonate less with people in warm climates. Dottie welcomes feedback from “Recovering Shopaholic” readers, especially those of you who have additional tips for – or tales of – finding quality clothing.

You spot it from across the store – the perfect dress in “your” color, in the style that flatters your body, at a price that won’t bankrupt you. A quick dash into the fitting room – and you decide it’s perfect!

Or is it? Before you head to the sales desk, take a few minutes to really examine the dress (blouse, pants, jacket, sweater, etc.), preferably in good light. This may require you to leave the more dimly lit dressing room for natural light or even the more brightly lit check-out area.