The Paradox of the Wedding Dress
The more I talk to people about their clothes, the more I notice that there’s a resistance to investing time, energy, and resources into finding the clothes that make up our everyday wardrobes. Putting effort into finding good clothes feels like it’s a luxury experience, one that, for some reason, we think our everyday lives are not worthy of. It seems that we can buy clothing pretty much everywhere these days, and with retailers coming out with new collections so frequently, spending time hunting for good garments and getting them to fit us just right seems to be a bit pointless.
In contrast, I have noticed very little resistance when it comes to buying things that would fit under the ‘special occasion’ category. Whether it’s a blazer for a job interview, a bridesmaid dress, or heck, the wedding dress itself, it feels to me that we just accept that these things should cost more than what we spend on our everyday clothes.
In my experience, there is a simple mindset shift when it comes to shopping for items in your wardrobe that can make a big difference when it comes to how you feel about yourself: Shop for your clothes as if you were shopping for a wedding dress.
The process of shopping for a wedding dress
Think about how much effort most brides put into finding the dress they will wear on their wedding day. They:
Take the time to find inspiration,
Set a budget,
Invite friends to shop with them,
Give themselves plenty of time to find a dress,
Get their gowns tailored and altered to fit them just right; many times if they need to,
Are willing to spend a pretty penny on their gowns.
“The average cost of a wedding dress in the United States is $1631. ”
And if it all goes according to plan, they will only wear that dress once, making the cost per wear for that dress the same as a month’s worth of rent.
Tips for Shopping Success
While I don’t recommend spending all of your income on everyday clothing, I do believe that adopting a few pointers from wedding dress shopping can make a big difference for your wardrobe, and in turn, your confidence and your self-esteem. There are 4 key things I do before shopping for any new item, either for myself, or for a client:
Take inventory of what is already in the wardrobe. This helps me make sure I am not getting any duplicates, and I’m actually filling the gaps the wardrobe has.
Define the need that the new item needs to serve. Whether it’s a jacket that would work for the office or a casual pair of pants, I make sure the item has a specific purpose. This helps me not get distracted and get something just because it’s cute.
Set a budget. This, to me, is vital. Without a clear budget I tend to either spend more than intended, or not explore beyond my usual places.
Make a specific shopping list. “3 tops, 2 bottoms” and so forth. "Clothes for work” doesn’t cut it, you will just end up with more of what you already have (tops, in my case).
If you’d like more tips for making the shopping experience a lot easier, check these out next:
How to take your measurements for shopping more confidently online
The easiest wardrobe fix to look 1000x better in your clothes
How to identify your personal style and apply it to your wardrobe
Have you shopped for a wedding dress before? If so, what about that experience did you enjoy the most? Leave me a comment below and let me know!