Tonight’s bit of honesty may be harder to hear & openly agree to for some of my readers, but I assure you my words come from a place of compassion & care. That being said…

Let’s be frank, the fashion industry is an entire world based upon image. Yes, I did just say that. HOWEVER, a person’s image makes up 97% of first impressions during the first 5-30 seconds upon meeting someone new & the fashion industry is the medium from which your wardrobe speaks. Which is why choosing the right pieces for YOU is dire.

I cannot stress enough how aggrivating it is to watch my friends, family & clients struggle through department stores, only to come home with the entire outfit that the [size zero] mannequin was rocking. They swear they love it, place it in the deep, dark, sad corner of their closet [with the tags still on it] & then donate it to Goodwill or a friend when they’re participating in their yearly Spring purge. Or better yet [& my personal favorite], the “I’m going to lose weight for this” outfit…we’ve ALL done it & I love the intensity, but chances are life will happen first.

So why don’t we cut the crap & just be real, honest shoppers. Be real about our body type & honest about what clothes truly work for us. Trends are the exception, not the rule. They are the building blocks from which consumers are to be inspired, not mimicked. If you know a particular shape or cut doesn’t work for your body type or doesn’t make you feel like a better version of yourself, then it needs to be left behind.

I always tell my clients that they should never make a purchase unless they agree to these tried & true questions:

1. Will I wake up tomorrow & want to immediately put it on?
2. Will I be wearing it in a year? [Always consider the investment & it’s longevity]
3. Do I absolutely LOVE it in the store? If not, don’t buy. [Department stores are perfectly groomed & planned out to help motivate their shoppers to buy, so if it ain’t working in the fitting room, it’ll work even less at home].

If you can answer those three questions with a yes, regardless of a trending item or not, then it’s worth your money. I just ask that the next time you find yourself aimlessly shopping, that you consider whether or not your purchase is bettering the way you feel about yourself & your intrapersonal perception. Let’s change the way we view shopping as a whole & start creating our best self, today. We deserve it. Xx