What I bought in the sales

Time to see what kind of things I buy to make my wardrobe work a little better....

Manchester was my shopping destination on Friday 2nd January. Rich was rolled up on the sofa watching TV with a nasty cold so I made my shopping list of items to buy and escaped from the germs.  I'll leave it until as near New Year as I can to shop the sales. I LOVE sale shopping a few days after the sales have gone live; it's quieter, there are more staff to help you and you can get even bigger discounts. On the train to Manchester I plotted my route: Selfridges (I had vouchers to spend), Zara (ditto) and H&M (I just love H&M).

My shopping list: 

1. Basic tops in grey, white and black.

2. Black 7/8 trousers.

3. Leather pencil skirt.

4. Gold chain necklace.

5. Jacket.

First up Selfridges. Heading to the top floor I made my way over to Sandro. I've been obsessed with buying a Sandro jacket for a while and with Selfridges vouchers in my pocket I was all "yeeeeaaahhh! Today is the day! Sandro get in my wardrobe!" Sandro did not want to get in my wardrobe - nothing left in my size. After a quick whizz around COS to look for basics (nada) I went downstairs to the designer floor and LO! A Helmut Lang Jacket! In my size! (Note - not many descriptive notes next to number 5 on the list - so Helmut fitted the bill! But seriously - I wanted a fitted jacket which would go with jeans, pencil skirts, you know the drill.) Price? £565. Just kidding. Reduced to £250. Reduced to £195. With vouchers £145. Winner.

My jacket for the next 100 years

Then off to Zara. With Zara comes patience. It was RAMMED. Kids, pushchairs, clothes on the floor and a queue at the fitting room. Nevermind. I did a couple of laps picking up trousers and the odd top then headed upstairs and walked into the fitting room straight away. Zara sizing has puzzled me in the past year or so; I've got dresses in M and jackets in XS so I always take 2 different sizes of the same item into the fitting room with me. On the 3rd attempt I found the perfect trousers: high waisted, pocketed, slouchy and slim fitting all rolled up in a buttery £15.99 reduced from £29.99. Grabbing a chunky gold chain necklace from the accessory stand £19.99 reduced to £12.99 I made it out of there alive.

Ooof H&M - you've done thy self proud

Then I headed to H&M. Loads of clients have told me they don't like H&M - too busy, clothes are always on the floor, don't understand the layout - and before I worked there I felt exactly the same. But after working for H&M for over 3 years I am eternally loyal to them. Now even more so since I found the perfect grey marl basic t-shirt. Again, I had to do a couple of laps and try about 15 tops on but BY JOVE! (who is jove anyway?) it was worth it. I'll go back for more next month when I've seen how it wears and washes.

So - I'm giving myself 3 and a bit out of 5 from the shopping list- not all basics purchased and not a whiff of a leather skirt since Helmut ate up most of, nay ALL, of my budget. Greedy Bugger. But since I'll be wearing it until the Year Dot, I forgive him.

What did you buy in the sales?

How to Buy on eBay

Last Christmas 1 in 4 purchases were made online and I predict that figure will rise this year. Hammering through my Christmas present shopping list, the majority of items have been purchased via the internet. It's been a joy to hear the sound of the thud on the welcome mat in my hall to know the postie has delivered all the Christmas cheer I need to spread around my family and friends.

I always find December to be a busy month on eBay and last year sales on Christmas Day and Boxing Day went through the roof - people were busy splashing their Christmas cash. I've done a couple of posts about selling on eBay but this one is about buying on eBay - what to do, what not to do and what to expect:

1. Do you really want the item or only the price.  If you are after a navy blue dress but you are bidding on a sky blue dress just because it is cheap then hold your horses; eBay isn't the only online shop! Sites like ShopStyle are a great way to compare and contrast clothing before you commit to a purchase.

2. Set your spending limit. The eBay auction system encourages panic buying by making you feel time is limited and will run out. As the clock counts down to the end of the auction your heart rate will quicken alarmingly. Panic sets in; you make bid after bid after bid and before you know it you've gone over your budget by £40 not to mention postage and packaging. Before you place your starting bid write down what you are willing to pay for the item on a post-it note and stick it to your computer screen. This will keep you focused when the bidding gets out of hand. Another option is to bid once with your final bid and then stay away from the computer screen - if your price is right then you'll win the auction without really having to participate.

3. Be prepared to walk away. You'd be surprised how often things come back around again on eBay. If the bidding goes crazy stick to your budget then set up an email alert for the item you want. Give it a few weeks and your item will pop up again from another seller and probably at a cheaper price. I was after a leopard H&M Coat and it has popped up 4 times from 4 different sellers this year alone.

4. Read, read, read. Some eBay sellers (mostly using the mobile app) keep their descriptions brief. I like a lengthy text detailing size measurements, when and where to wear the item in question. Read all the information that the seller gives at least twice before you bid or ask questions. Check their postage and packaging charges meet your expectations, check the sizing, the colour and enlarge any photos which show defects. If what you want to know isn't there then contact the seller, don't jump the gun.

5. Pay straight away. You've won the bid! It's yours! Congratulations! You can't walk out of a shop without paying for something so don't irritate your seller by withholding payment. Set up the automatic payment option on your account and settle your debts immediately. The sooner you pay, the sooner you receive your item.

And on a final note, shop wisely and safely: keep your transactions inside eBay. At this time of year there is a bigger risk of your parcel getting lost due to the high volumes being posted. If you have agreed to a transaction outside of eBay you will have no re-course if you don't receive your item. You have been warned!

Shop happy!

Til next time...x

Black Friday - catch yourself on, petal

Last time I checked we folk in the Great British Isles (you too Scotland) were British. Yet as the Black Friday hype enveloped Social Media this week and more and more retailers promised Black Friday discounts, it appears we have gone all American. Black Friday is a day of sales following the Thanksgiving holiday in America. Yet like proms and Twizzlers (Twizzlers are ace, though) Black Friday has found its way to our shores and we have jumped on it like a bouncy castle and bounced until we have our monies worth.

But are we getting our Black Friday monies worth? Two other Conscious Style Pioneers whom I mightily respect think not and I agree. A Thrifty Mrs dispenses wonderful advice today:

Catch yourself on, petal

Meaning just because something has a name which authenticates it, doesn't mean you have to join in with it. And over on Antiform's website they are saying NO THANKS to Black Friday and have closed their online shop for the day, boycotting the mindless consumption that Black Friday brings.

I'm all for a bargain, I love finding the perfect item at a reduced price BUT Black Friday is akin to one HUGE sale to me, and I know how many people go to pieces in a sale:

"It was only a fiver"

"I'll get loads of wear out of it."

"It looked great on the hanger."

The average British woman has £71 worth of unused SALE ITEMS in her wardrobes.

Before you make a clothing purchase this Black Friday step away from the mindless confusion of the sale shopfloor today. Breathe. Is the garment you are holding:

A) Worth the price tag - seriously, even at 30% off is it worth it?Will you wear it?
B) Something you need and have been looking for for a long time?
C) Are you buying the price or the garment? Get the two confused and you'll end up with a wardrobe full of reduced price tags that you can't wear.

Finally, is the garment YOU - is the garment YOU? Does it truthfully and authentically represent YOU, your style, your visual signature? Nope? Catch yourself on, petal. Better leave the shop.

How to Shop at TK Maxx

I have a  TK Maxx horror story I'd like to share with you. Picture the scene....

It's 2007 and my wardrobes, much like my life, are in a constant state of free falling chaos. It's the day before one of my best friend's weddings and I am in the Hammersmith TK Maxx in London town frantically searching for a dress. I return to the fitting rooms again and again with arm loads of dresses that don't fit, require adjusting, look hideous.  And all because I wanted to look 'different', I don't end up with a dress, instead I end up with a scarlet red hat that wouldn't have looked out of place on Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. 

Fastforward 7 years and I'm still reticent to set inside the doors of TK Maxx due the cold sweat which breaks out every time I go near the place. I've managed to bag a Lucas Jack ring from the one in Leeds but believe me TK Maxx is a place of bad fashion memories as far as I'm concerned. Once bitten twice shy -  the last time I was in the TK Maxx at Crown Point in Leeds I nearly had a panic attack because I couldn't find the exit! 

It seems all taste goes out of the window when I'm in there - I can't seem to differentiate between what's awesome and what's s*%t. Lucky for you, one of my clients can. Everytime I send her a bespoke shopping list of bits and pieces she can buy to make her wardrobe work even harder after a Wardrobe Update she responds with - "thanks! I've found most of it in TK Maxx!" Whaaaaaat? 

Take it away Moyra:

" Why do I love shopping at TK Maxx? Because it really, really is worth it. The things in my wardrobe that I love most and wear often are usually from… TK Maxx. And it didn’t cost me a fortune. You can bag yourself a bargain – and I don’t mean a “at this price, it’s a bargain” kind of item. I mean something that is good quality, something that is special, something you really like.

At this point, you may be thinking - “ I can’t be bothered  – I haven’t got the time” or “It’s too confusing – it’s like a jumble sale in there.” So .. here are my top tips if you are short of time:    

• You don’t need to browse through the whole shop. If you are really in a hurry, look at the clothes in the aisle displays, or the ends of the racks. These are the “best in shop” items.
•  Or, you can just go and look for one particular thing – a cashmere jumper, or a branded leather handbag  – and ignore the rest
• The best sections are – day dresses, party dresses, tops, knitwear, coats, accessories, handbags.
• Definitely try things on – American and European brands may size up differently to your usual UK size.
• If you like the look of an item, but isn’t in your size, then quick! check on the website. Free and easy returns to the shop.

However, if you have time to spare, and enjoy the thrill of the chase, here are some more tips:

• Allow yourself plenty of time to browse, preferably not on a Saturday afternoon
• Don’t be afraid to look at labels and styles you wouldn’t otherwise consider –maybe you’ll find something unexpected that really suits you.
• So, be prepared to try lots of things on, and reject most of them.

And also, some advice on how to get the best value from those famous low prices…it is easy to get carried away in this permanent “super sale”!

• Don’t be pulled into “sale mentality” – “at that price, I would be crazy not to buy it” – do you really like it/need it?
• Don’t be swayed by the price differential between the “original” price and the TK Maxx price. Is it worth the price on the ticket– full stop.
• There are some “labels” that are really TK Maxx own brands so beware. Again, do you like it? Is it worth it?

A wool Paul Costello coat that Moyra picked up from TK Maxx in Manchester for £70. BARGAIN!!

Happy shopping and I hope you will become a TK Maxx convert like me."

ONLY IF YOU TAKE ME WITH YOU MOYRA!!!

THE WEIRD AND WONDERFUL WORLD OF SELF-EMPLOYED FOLK

When I first started The Wardrobe Angel I met Isla from Ruby Star Associates at a networking event. What struck me, alongside the bright red lips and the vintage dress, was the sheer energy that Isla expended. There were over 40 women in that room that day and Isla stuck out. A year later I was in need of some help - my business was off the ground but it wasn’t moving as fast as I wanted it to. I seemed to be unable to articulate what made me special and different: in other words I couldn’t distil my own awesomeness into words. I needed help with sales and could’ve gone to a hardcore sales pit-bull for some wise words but I cowered at the thought of using language to ‘hard sell’ and ‘close a deal’. So I called on Isla, and thankfully I am still here today.

I wanted to kick February off by finding out what was next for this sales powerhouse. And after about 10 minutes of Skype chat we hit gold: in conjunction with Salford University, Ruby Starr Associates are interviewing the spouses of entrepreneurs to find out what effect self-employment has on children, money, time, sex – everything. By finding out what really goes on in those relationships, Isla and her team of associates can start to tailor make their products to suit those people: by finding out what people really want, they can give them what they need. The interviews will be conducted anonymously but I have a feeling that the information will be wildly anticipated, sought after and shared. Here’s one example of self-employment affecting a relationship which Isla shared with me:

“A stand-up comic is working the comedy circuit work all weekend. His partner is doing a normal Monday - Friday job. Consequently they get little time together. The partner was able to change her work pattern to work Wednesday – Sunday thus giving the couple a full ‘weekend’ together on Monday and Tuesday, when the comic returns from the stand-up circuit. The mind shift that took place in the relationship was that days aren’t so traditional anymore.”

This is so true! Being self-employed I set my own hours and yes, sometimes they are crazy: when I’m listing items on eBay I can work up until 2am in the morning if I am on a roll. I am also available to clients 7 days a week which is my choice but this has affected some friendships along my self-employed journey with people who worked that typical Monday – Friday and simply didn’t understand the effort and commitment having your own business demands.

Just take a look at the cool, childish images on rotation on their website homepage: this research is anything far from dry and ordinary.

Tweet Isla up by clicking here

Visit their well-branded website by clicking here