In honor of the Garment District half-off sale...

[snugglekitty]

Tell me something about how you shop for clothes. Where do you go? What do you look for?

Comments

[notpiecebypiece.livejournal.com]

H&M and Urban Outfitters. Sometimes Target, the Gap, or Old Navy. although I try to avoid UO because heir clothes fall apart so fast. I usually know some specifics of what I want (dark sweater... a short dress... a pair of jeans) and then find a few that resemble what I want, try them all on, then buy one. I'm a really, really, really fast shopper. I'm in and out within 15 minutes. Also, I get impatient when I'm with people who take longer. I'm a terrible person to shop with. So I shop alone. :)

[tisana.livejournal.com]

I skim, the way some people speed read looking for important parts. I scan quickly for colors (because it seems there's very few that actually flatter me), as my hand moves over the fabric, seeing if any texture grabs me.

When trying on, unless it's a one-off thing that's cheap, I try to go by the rule: "If I don't absolutely love it, I'm not taking it home." If I can't think of when or if I'd realistically wear it, I don't buy it.

I stretch, squat, sit and stand in clothes to see how they'll feel during the day. I always like to make sure I'm feeling not-ugly that day (if it's a poor self image day, it's just not a good day to shop for clothes). I also take price seriously into account--really cheap means I don't have to fuss quite as much, but a really great item that I'd wear all the time that's more expensive...well, might be an even better deal, in some ways. I try not to replicate things I already have something really similar to at home.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

Oh...where do I go. Right.

Target and Goodwill, mostly. Tello's for some skank-things, Marshall's for work-things, Filene's Basement when I can deal with the crowds and am willing to hunt a bit for nicer pieces. Frugal Fannie's can have great things, but it's a distance enough to discourage regular shopping.

Talking about this has reminded me I need to do a serious purge if I want to ever get new clothes...

[bossym.livejournal.com]

I look for bargains, because I am cheap but like expensive-looking clothing--and I define bargains by cost per wear, so the up-front cost of the item is considered as well as the number of times I'd wear or use it.

I mainly shop at Filene's Basement, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls; as well as sales at Banana Republic and Ann Taylor; and also Gap and Old Navy for t-shirts. I used to love Second Time Around, a consignment place, but it's hit or miss, and I haven't had much luck there lately.

Sometimes I like shopping, sometimes it's frustrating and unpleasant, but I like having pretty clothes that fit well and suit me, and shopping makes that happen. I tend to stick to a set of shapes, colors, and fabrics that I feel work for my body and style, in order to expedite things--for example, I know that I shouldn't wear light blue, and that button-downs are hard to fit my body, so I skip those items, but if I see a rack of pencil skirts, I'm there. I'll sometimes buy-and-return, but I try to decide in-store whether I'll want the item.

[veek.livejournal.com]

Actually, for the most part GD -- although I won't be going today (both to avoid crowds and to avoid being tempted to buy more stuff than I need). I look for things that flatter me and that feel comfy and good, and if they're also hot, all the better. But I don't sacrifice comfort for hotness, pretty much ever.

I look for darks and saturated colors, not so much lights or whites. I look for interesting socks! I generally look for the things I feel I lack, either through wearing them out or through them not fitting correctly anymore (that'd be most of my clothing, currently).

What about you?

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

Shopping alone! So sad. No wonder you said no when I asked you to go shoe shopping - I can spend hours figuring out what I want, in any kind of store. If I don't find the perfect thing, I won't buy anything at all.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

I actually do most of my clothes shopping at Goodwill (and other sources of thrift goods). My schedule means that I can be there during the day when it's not packed (except with clothes). I think I spent at least an hour in there yesterday, and bought three shirts and an awesome polarfleece jacket thing with the tags still on it.

[abilouise.livejournal.com]

I buy pretty much everything used. I really love expensive things and can't afford them at all. I mix it up between Goodwill, Garment District, Poor Little Rich Girl and The Second Time Around (both Harvard Square and Charles St. locales). Sometimes I'll go to Filene's Basement, too, but not since the actual Basement closed. I'm still learning to predict what I will wear and love and what I will take home and immediately become suspicious and hateful of, or what will or won't fit into my life. I have this problem that I love dressy clothes but don't really have a lifestyle to accommodate them, or the patience to wear them on my days off, so skirts are usually unworn. Dresses always make me happy though, and when it's warmer out I will even wear them.
I mostly shop alone due to circumstance; it's hard to get a time to go shopping with a friend who is a good shopping buddy, and easier to go on a weekday day off by myself.

[lady-anemone.livejournal.com]

What about you?

Thanks for asking. :)

I buy almost all of my clothes used, because it's cheap - but also because it's interesting and fun (at least to me). I mostly use the Davis Square Goodwill, Boomerang in JP, and the Garment District, but I don't hesitate to frequent other sources of thrift.

I keep a list of things in my head that I need to replace or add to my wardrobe. For example, right now I know I'm looking for a non-black thigh-length cardigan that doesn't have any wool in it, a better-fitting pair of black jeans than the fading ones I have, and a pair of red or burgundy boots. So, when I go through a store, I will check various sections based on the needs I have in mind. This is helpful because I don't generally wind up with a bunch of stuff I don't need or duplicates of things I already have. But if I can't stop looking at a piece of clothing that I like but think is odd, impractical, or not my style, I try that on too. If it looks great, I buy it. That way my style is evolving and not everything in my closet looks the same. I shop for entertainment but I only buy things that I love. I'm actually fairly picky. :)

It's uncommon for me to buy clothing that is new (except for things like socks and undies) but when I do, I like H&M the best. Cheap and interesting and so much variety! And it doesn't fall apart when you look at it.