Cladwell

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HOW TO THINK ABOUT SHOPPING

Picture yourself walking into a store. You see a cute t-shirt dress. And it's on sale. Move to fitting rooms. The dress is a little bit short and it's not your favorite color in the world, but how can you pass on this sale? So, you buy it and the dress sits in your closet. And every time you reach into your closet to get dressed, you steer clear of that little sale dress that just doesn't feel quite right.

I think we all can agree that skipping the sale-dress would have been a good move. And that's all we mean by intentional shopping. Capsule wardrobes often get a bad rap as boring, restricting, and difficult. But in reality, capsule wardrobes are simply closets that are done on purpose. Our closets – these things we spend hundreds of dollars and hours on - shouldn’t just happen to us. They should be purposeful, meditated results of our priorities and preferences.

ALREADY HAVE THE CLADWELL APP? HERE’S HOW TO SHOP INTENTIONALLY.

  1. View the items/outfits you love and wear: By logging your outfits every day in the app, you'll slowly see what items in your closet you naturally gravitate towards. That way, you'll be able to complement these items in your shopping and buy similar things to add to your closet.

  2. Review what you never wear: By, once again, logging what you wear, you'll be able to see the things you never wear - those things that just aren't you. Lighten your load. And note the qualities - what makes this something I never wear? Is it color? Fit? Style? Formality? Arm yourself with this information for your next shopping trip, so you don't simply re-stock these unworn items.

  3. Make a list of the items you feel like you're missing from your wardrobe: These are the items you look for first as you enter a store. And be patient with your list - don't feel compelled to buy right away. Hold out till you find the summer sandals you love. Don't quickly buy the first pair you see and then buy another pair half way through the summer.

  4. Each item should withstand a few intentional queries: Do I love this item? Does it fit well? Is it comfortable? Do I own the same thing already? Do I need a new one? Does it match with other things I own?

  5. Still unsure, add it to the app? Try adding the item you're contemplating temporarily into your app closet and see how many outfits it can create and if it goes with the rest of your wardrobe. Or, try putting it on hold and going home. Still thinking about it all week? Go back and purchase it.

  6. Buy fewer, higher quality clothes: Change the way you shop. Rather than buying multiple cheap items that you’ll like for only a few months, purchase one or two really nice things (it’s okay if they make you feel uncomfortable from a spending standpoint). Our bet is that you'll wear they again and again, and they will last for years.

Remember, these are not shopping "rules." These actions that form better shopping habits, so that you can actually love your closet more. Because it will be 100% wearable and 100% YOU.

Ready to create a capsule wardrobe? Sign Up for the Capsule Wardrobe Program.