Shopping Tips

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October Accountability Update

With one more month in the history books, it’s time for another accountability update.  For my newer readers, I’ve committed to post on a monthly basis about what left my closet, what came in, and how I’m doing with my clothing budget and shopping rules for the year.  These posts help to keep me honest and on track for fulfilling my goals for 2013 and beyond.

Shopping Accountability Updates

Even though most of you don’t have blogs, I highly recommend that you conduct some sort of regular review (if not monthly, than at least quarterly) of your wardrobe in-flow and out-flow and how much you’re spending on clothing and related purchases.  Although I’ve engaged in wardrobe tracking for almost three years and clothing expenditure tracking for nearly eleven years, the reviews I’ve been doing this year have been even more enlightening.  For one, I’m usually surprised at how many new pieces have entered my closet each month, even during the months when I believe I’ve shopped very little. Continue reading →

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Useful Links: Tips for Shopping Smarter

Many of us love to shop, but do we know how to shop wisely?  I know that I, for one, have frequently struggled with making the right buying decisions.  How else do you think I ended up with so many wardrobe “benchwarmers”?

I’ve learned some things along the way and do my best to share my knowledge here on the blog, but I don’t have all of the answers!  Fortunately, there is a wealth of information available on the Internet.  In today’s useful links post, I share some great articles on smart shopping.  Enjoy!

Shopping Tips

Sure, you like to shop, but are you a savvy shopper?

Continue reading →

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Useful Links on Pants and Jeans Fit Issues

In my Monday post, “Neglected Wardrobe Areas – Part Two,” I wrote about my issues with finding pants that fit well and are flattering on my figure.   In the comments to that post, I not only received lots of suggestions for finding pants (many thanks!), I also learned that many of you also struggle in the pants arena.  Consequently, I decided to devote today’s useful links post to sharing resources to help us deal with these (usually) essential garments that can be troubling to find, wear, and love.

Pants are Tricky, But Online Resources Abound!

Shopping for pants and jeans

Do you have trouble finding pants and jeans that fit you?

In this post, I share some links on the following topics:

  • Proper pants fit
  • Finding pants and jeans that fit
  • The proper length for various types of pants (and tops to wear with pants)
  • How to wear those tricky cropped trousers we see pretty much everywhere these days (for those who dare!)

Continue reading →

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How to Tell if a Piece is a Classic

The following is a guest post from Erin DePew (this is Erin’s second guest post – read her first one here).  Erin is a web developer and graphic designer who happens to love shoes almost as much as “hackathons.”  She also enjoys musing on minimalism, client-side scripting, and the pursuit of the perfect pumps.  

If you have an idea for a guest post on “Recovering Shopaholic,” please connect with me to share your thoughts.

Every woman knows that having a closet of classic pieces is the secret to a versatile wardrobe. Of course, actually finding classic pieces is a lot easier said than done. While top-ten lists and fashion blogs are a good place to start, it’s important to take the time to learn your own personal style and to find out what your classics are. Because at the end of the day, some of us are just never going to wear a white button-down.

Distinguishing Classic Pieces

Can you tell if a piece will stand the test of time?

Even if you know what your personal classics are, it can be overwhelming to wade through the myriad of options out there. Here are five simple ways to tell if a piece is a classic or a trend du jour. Continue reading →

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Learning from Our Shopping Mistakes

Since the beginning of 2013, I have purged 150 items from my wardrobe!  These pieces – garments and shoes – have either been sold on consignment or donated to a local charity.   Hopefully, other people are now enjoying the wardrobe castoffs that were gathering dust in my closet.

Shopping Mistakes - Lessons Learned

Do you ever wonder, “What was I thinking when I bought this?”

While some of my purged items were previously worn and loved but no longer fit my body, lifestyle, and personality, many others were “wardrobe benchwarmers” that should never have been purchased in the first place.  Since I’m making good progress with paring down my wardrobe and cultivating a wardrobe that better suits my needs, I want to make sure not to repeat my past mistakes. Continue reading →