FASHION - Before You Add To Cart
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Summary -
Do you struggle with impulse buying? Or perhaps you have a stack of unworn items with the tags still attached? If so, then this episode is for you. I have no doubt that after listening to this, that you too will begin to shop strategically and with purpose - no more one hit wonders!
Things I Mention -
What to ask yourself before adding any clothes & accessories to your shopping cart.
How to adopt a more mindful approach to shopping to avoid impulse buying.
How to know when clothes & accessories won’t suit both your style and lifestyle.
What to buy to increase the wearability and versatility of your wardrobe.
PLUS, I teach you how to shop like a Personal Stylist including when to say yes and when it might be best to put a particular item back on the rack.
Links & Helpful Resources -
Join FEEL BE LOOK - The ONLY only health & fitness program that includes Fashion!
Improve your personal style with my individual Body Shape eBooks
Invest in personalised Fashion, Nutrition & Wellbeing support with 1:1 Coaching
Think it’s impossible to improve the way you feel, be & look in just 30 days? Download my FREE 30 Day Challenge
Follow me on Instagram - @elishacasagrande
For more about me and how I can help you, check out my website
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I am back with another solo episode today. I really hope you’ve enjoyed the guest interviews as much as I enjoyed recording them for you. If you’ve been listening to my podcast for a while, you’ll know I run a tight ship. I like to keep things in neat & tidy order which means I like my episodes to fall under the categories of Fashion, Nutrition & Wellbeing and in that order if possible which does prove a little tricky with the introduction of guest interviews as recording really depends on the guests availability. Having said that and for the time being, I’ll continue to upload future guest interviews in 3’s under these same categories which means that there could be a few weeks between guest interviews however that just means you’ll get to listen to more epic episodes from me and today’s is no exception ….
Today, I really want to share a few of the questions that run through my mind before I add any clothes and accessories to my online shopping cart. As someone who considers themselves to be quite minimalist and as I head into my fifth year following the capsule wardrobe approach, I’ve become quite selective with what I buy and it’s not often, that I’ll let any old thing make its way into my cart.
From my experience, becoming a strategic shopper or someone who is able to shop more mindfully and with purpose starts with questioning your actions. What I mean by this, is that before I add anything to my cart, I ask myself a handful of questions first and it’s the answer to these questions that always determines whether or not an item is shipped to my front door or it it stays put -
The first question you want to ask yourself is - Does It Suit My Defined Personal Style?
Knowing your defined personal style and staying true to this is key to being able to live with a small, edited wardrobe. If you’re unsure what your defined personal style is or you have absolutely no idea what I’m even talking about, do you and your wallet a favour and go back and listen to episode #16. In this episode, I teach you how to define your personal style but the reason this matters at all, is because chopping and changing your style completely whether it be each season or every few years in fact, is the quickest way to lose the versatility of your wardrobe. Before I add an item to cart, I’ll always double check that the item reflects my defined personal style and that it’s not just something I’m getting caught up in because it’s on trend or a sales assistant is pushing it onto me or because I loved the look of it on somebody else.
The next thing you want to ask yourself is - Does It Suit My Lifestyle?
I spend most of my days running from a to b with two kids in tow, one often glued to my hip. This usually means that I'll fall victim to the occasional food spill or stain which is why you'll rarely see me add a luxurious white, silk shirt to my cart. If it doesn't fit effortlessly into my lifestyle and work well with what I spend most of my days doing, oh and if it requires too much time & maintenance, then it's not worth the investment.
I’m actually going to dedicate an entire episode to this topic so keep an eye out for that one!
Next, ask yourself - Can I Dress It Up And Dress It Down?
For me to see value in something, I need to know that I can dress it up for night and dress it down for more casual events. All it should take, is a simple change of accessories or perhaps just styling it slightly different but this is a question that I've always asked and some of my oldest pieces that I continue to wear and love today are still favourites and on high rotation because of this question.
Does It Fill A Gap In My Wardrobe?
One of the very small negatives of knowing your defined personal style and what suits you and your body shape is that sometimes this can result in owning too many of the same clothing styles. The best thing to do in this situation is just to be honest with yourself and determine whether or not an item is actually filling a gap in your wardrobe because you need it or is this an already over-represented area in your wardrobe and you just continue to buy the same style because you love how it looks and the way it makes you feel. No one needs 6 black, v-neck t-shirts.
And finally, ask yourself - Can I Think Of At Least 3-5 Ways To Wear It?
This question is a personal favourite of mine which does take a few minutes to visualise but this is where you'll get more bang for your buck. Often, I'll just sit and create a few different outfits in my mind first just to ensure that an item is versatile and that I'll get a stack of wear out of it.
And because I’ve mentioned my love of Capsule Wardrobes in this episode and think everyone should try this approach at least once in their lifetime, I want to take the opportunity to remind you about my Capsule Wardrobe Workbook which is an eBook that you can purchase instantly via the shop on my website - wwww.elishacasgrande.com.au/shop
Inside this eBook you’ll find a stack of exercises, experiments and flowcharts to help you cull your wardrobe down to capsule wardrobe size. You’ll learn how to create a capsule wardrobe that’s perfectly suited to you and your lifestyle and you’ll learn how to define your personal style. You’ll receive my list of wardrobe staples to help increase the versatility of your wardrobe, information on how to edit your existing wardrobe and how to continue with a capsule wardrobe for years to come. If you’re interested, please check it out.
So that is it from me - short & sweet, just how I like it. I hope the next time you’re shopping either in store or online that this episode springs to mind and that you’re able to ask yourself those 5x little questions before you add to cart.