Style Guide June 2009

The Art of Shopping

Shopping is an art and once mastered can give you immense joy and satisfaction.  Indeed I hold a PhD in shopping and am well known as a Master Personal Shopper.  Knowing your style is the first step to a magnificent you but lets get you shopping smartly.  Why people have a fear of this delight in life I’m not too sure of but let me help you fix it. One of my dearest friends has a fear of shopping; she is overwhelmed with frustration when it comes to going out to buy something new; it could be the sometimes pushy or inexperienced sales assistants to not knowing where to go.  Like the food we eat, buying clothes should be equally enjoyed, so when shopping do not deny the pleasurable aspect.

Change your attitude to the shopping experience forever and allow yourself to be introduced to new and exciting brands and boutiques to suit your needs, requirements and budget.

Practise makes perfect and I have perfected this art completely.  Lets go through a simple checklist to make life easier before entering the shopping world.

• Decide what you want to buy
• Know what occasion and what audience
• Set your budget
• List 3-4 different names of places, stores and shops.

Shopping becomes much easier once you have established your colour palette and your unique style otherwise we just buy out of desperation, emotional or sale seduction.  Focus on what you are buying and don’t sway or get distracted that’s when shopping becomes lengthy, frustrating and confusing because you lose your focus.

Trying on garments are absolutely vital, you need to experience how the fabric fits on your body.  Imagine the feeling of buying your fur coat, your perfect wedding dress or a pair of shoes that give you that Cinderalla feeling.  Experience different styles and designers, brands and boutiques and experiment with finding new places to shop.

When it comes to shopping I don’t believe in online shopping.  Shopping is a real life experience that cannot be satisfied through the Internet.  However I may suggest the Internet a wonderful way of sourcing shop locations.

For those who are too busy or still have a shopping phobia I suggest that you gain help from an expert.  Personal shoppers will help you shop for your new wardrobe and advise where and what to buy and save you time, energy and effort and avoid embarrassing mistakes.

Shopping is the foreplay to looking good, so take your time and enjoy your experience, and feel pleasure each and every time as a sea of shops and wonderful styles and designers await you; now practise to perfection until you shop smart.