Shopping with Purpose

Hi Everyone! It's so nice to be back blogging after my looong high seas adventure. What was the first thing I did when I got back? Yep, you guessed it!

Let’s face it, I love shopping, and as my friends routinely point out to me, I have no qualms about spending my money… What could possibly go wrong, right?

Admittedly, this does tend to get me in trouble from time to time because I’ll end up with clothes I don’t need (is there really such a thing?), spend too much, or make somewhat questionable fashion choices in the heat of the moment while in the spirit of shopping. Trust me, I could do a “what not to wear” from my closet at times as easily as I could do a fashion blog. I’ll spare you the pain of seeing my previous shopping blunders. It is all good though! Why? Because we learn from our shopping mistakes… or at least we are about to start learning now ;-)

Given my history of somewhat frivolous shopping habits, I’ve taken to being diligent about shopping with purpose and with specific goals in mind. My latest shopping adventure proved to be a wonderful example of my new strategies successfully in motion.  I was lucky enough to find myself this past weekend at the Providence Place Mall (one of those insidious, three story malls with tons of stores). But before I get into what works for me when it comes to being an effective shopper, I want to talk a little about learning the stores you frequent and tailoring your expectations accordingly. During this particular trip I visited Forever 21, Express, and H&M. Knowledge of the ins and outs of each store comes with experience, so I’ll share mine with you now:

Forever 21 – As the name implies, F21 is targeted towards a younger crowd (teens and early twenties) and are sized to fit typical body types of that age group while being super “trendy”. Whenever I shop there, I ask myself “Is this age appropriate?” (I’m 28, so with many items, the answer is no). Luckily F21 has a huge variety of styles with several different lines, one caters to a slightly older, more contemporary look... this line is called “Love 21”, and is geared towards more adult body shapes, it usually has its own section in most locations. This is where I focus my efforts and find classier pieces that better fit my body and wardrobe.

Forever 21, in my experience, is pretty hit or miss… but has potential to offer unique hidden gems of creativity. Items are way cheaper than most places, which is awesome for shopping on a budget, however, as you may imagine sometimes (not all though) the quality suffers as a result. Clothes from F21 will fall apart, seams will come loose, there will be errors in stitching… its only a matter of time (I've often joked that the name means the clothes will only last 21 days, but thats probably a bit harsh). If you are ok with a little mending, you can easily sew things back together. If not, just set your expectations for your garments to have a limited lifetime. I encourage checking out F21 online to shop, the in-store locations are pretty jumbled, I sometimes feel like I’m literally rummaging through a teenage girl's room looking for clothes to borrow. The organization online makes finding things you want much easier.

Express – I love most pieces from Express, they have clean lines, sophistication, and just the right amount of femininity for my taste. Unfortunately, Express is also expensive, as many “name brands” can be. It pays big dividends to watch for sales at these places, they happen regularly, so be patient… twice a year or so they may even hit clearances where everything is 50% off (or more!). Don’t fall into the trap of paying full price, it takes a bit of vigilance to wait for the sale but it’s well worth it, especially for more expensive items. Express has a rewards program, many stores do, it’s not much, but saves you $10 here and there, every little bit helps! You can also shop online which is nice to catch quick sales and snipe a piece you’ve had your eye on in the store for a bargain.

The tailoring of Express clothing trends towards favoring more slender, less curvaceous body types and is subsequently more flattering for those who have more subtle curves (I fit into this category… one more reason Express is a good store for me). Not everything they sell fits that description, but its a definite trend in their lines. Also, I have found that sleeves on Express tops are always too narrow. Tops that fit me wonderfully across the back and chest are often pretty tight around my forearms. I work with it, but if you have more muscular arms, it may cause fit problems. Bottom line, if you're looking for higher quality, classy looking apparel, and don't mind spending more... Express is a good match for you.

H&M – H&M is another one of my favorites. It falls pretty nicely between "F21" and "Express" type stores, offering a reasonable range of prices, great clearance deals if you can catch them, and a solid variety of styles from which to chose. I’ve found sizing is pretty consistent without many quirks. The clothing tends to be geared towards more of the mid/late twenties age group and up on average; it still has some edgy/trendy vibes but airs usually more conservatively than F21. It is a shame there isn’t a location nearer to me or I would shop there more often. They have an online store, however I’ve never found it to be as helpfully accessible as other sites… not entirely sure why. 

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Given that these three are probably my most common stores to shop (aside from ideeli.com), I know my sizes in these stores by heart, so shopping at these locations (and online) is a bit faster and more reliable than at stores I’m not as accustomed to. I don’t always have to try everything on (though it never hurts and saves on returning items).

So, how do I go about shopping with purpose? There is no right or wrong way to shop, I firmly believe that shopping should make you happier! If it doesn’t, then try approaching it differently. Below are a few tips that keep me on track and happy whilst spending my hard earned money.

1. Set a budget – I’m probably the worst at this one, however setting a budget forces me to be a pickier shopper. Its good to be picky. If I can only spend $100, then I want to get the most for my money. That doesn’t necessarily mean buying a bunch of cheap items though, I want value, not quantity. For example, a nice $100 jacket that goes with everything, and I’ll wear often is so much more valuable in my wardrobe than 10, $10 tops that all look cheap.

2. Keep a Running List of what you Need or Want – Write it down or just remember it, however you want… there are always items we need either for an upcoming occasion, replacing a worn out piece, rounding out a gap in your wardrobe or jumping on the latest trend. The point of this list is to keep yourself focused in the sea of shiny, glamorous, advertisement filled stores designed to coax your hard earned money from your wallet. Having reminders of what I’m looking for helps me develop this jedi-like focus I need to not simply buy an entire store (if only I could!). I love using Pinterest to keep a list of wants and needs in picture form, its fun and useful! Check out the link to see my list in action. I also often provides motivation for shopping for me (as if I’m ever lacking motivation to shop!). Identifying things you’ll need in the future well ahead of time saves the stressful panic of trying to find things at the last minute.

3. Allow Yourself to be Fluid while Shopping – My best discoveries, as with most of life, are of things I wasn’t looking for to start. If something catches your eye, go for it! Let shopping inspire you. Don’t get locked into looking just for specific things on your list. Creativity comes from not being restricted.

4. Evaluate each Purchase before you buy – Ask yourself those difficult questions to really decide if something is right for you.

1.     Does this fit and is it flattering?

2.     Does it fit into my budget? Is it on sale? Or can I get this for less later? 

3.     Is this a stand alone piece? Or is it something likely to be used in combination with other things (layering, etc)? How does this go with the rest of my wardrobe?

4.     Do I have an occasion to wear this? Will I wear it often?

5.     Is this on my list of needs and wants?

6.     Does this fit my personality/style?

If you answer yes to all or most of these then it’s probably a great choice, if not… there are so many options out there, why settle for something that isn’t exactly what you want? If you are unsure of a piece, be sure of the return policy!

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Let's see how I did!

The Plan: Expanding my summer wardrobe by finding some cute, loose fitting tops, and a pair of nice white pants to be more of a staple piece. Oh! and explore... thats always part of the plan.

The Budget: $200 

The Results!

I ended up spending about $240, so not too far off my goal, but still over (yes, I'm still a work in progress). But! I ended up with 9 new items, so it was a good haul.

I bought several button up, flowy blouse tops at Express that are perfect for stylishly beating the heat as well as a found that pair of white pants on my list. One great thing about light colors on the bottom with darker colors on top is that it emphasizes your lower half, this is a great trick for those looking to lessen the appearance of broad shoulders. Take a look at one of the tops and the pants: 

Essentially I purchased everything I "needed" at Express, but since I went there first... I obviously had to check out my other favorite stores, just in case there were treasures to be found :-)

And there were!

Both this lovely creme, polka dot, tank top (F21) and the purple crop sweater (H&M) were amongst my purchases. I loved the color on the sweater (the pictures don't do it justice really), its soft, was basically a homerun in all the other evaluation categories too. Crop cuts (the bottom hem of the shirt is cut higher than normal hitting at the waist rather than the hips) help define the waist, which is usually flattering. Plus, it was only $10 and I know I’ll get plenty of use out of it throwing it over just about anything, probably my favorite purchase of the putting. The polka dot trend has recently struck my fancy so I figured this top from F21 would have possibilities as a bottom layer piece to add a fun, more feminine texture to an outfit (as you can see here). At $12 if it doesn’t work out, its not a big loss.

And more!

(with dramatic lighting)

This dark grey ruched sleeveless top (H&M) caught my eye and it fit, so the rest is history. I have a weakness for this gunmetal color which just so happens to be one of my colors! If you're looking to find your own best colors, check out my guide to color analysis. The ruching on the sides is super flattering. Ruching can be used to break up the body's true lines as well as hide any areas that may have a bit extra. It will be a great top for a night out. Now I just need someone to take me!

Thanks everyone! It's nice to be back blogging for you!

I'm pretty psyched about it, as is my wardrobe ;-) 

If you have any shopping tips please head to the "A Stylish Transition" Facebook page share!

As always, spread the love with a "Like" while you're there.

Sizing Up Your Style

            While soliciting input from readers I’ve received several requests to do a post regarding finding the right sizes and fits for clothing. Women’s sizing can be difficult to decipher because there really isn’t much, if any, consistency. With variations between brands and body types you end up being a range of sizes, and potentially different sizes on the upper or lower halves of your body too! Not to fear though, we'll make sense of it all :)

Before we start, let’s take a moment and figure out our measurements (if you have a willing friend, measurements turn out better if take by another person):

Bust: measured around the largest section of your bust. If you regularly wear breast forms or heavily padded bras, be sure to wear them while measuring since you will likely be wearing them under your clothes.

Waist: measured around the narrowest part of your waist. This is a bit tricky because a women’s waistline is naturally a couple inches above her navel (take a look back at my post about bodylines and see where the waist line falls). This may not be the narrowest part of your waist, however it will be where the waist portion of clothing hits on your body and that is how the size is determined.

Hips: measured around the widest part of your hips. This should be relatively easy to find. If you use hip padding be sure to include that in the measurement as well. 

For the sake of example, my measurements come out to be 37-30-38 (eerily similar to my high school locker combination). Now that we’re measured let’s figure out our dress size:

            Dress size is a numbered scale from 0 to 16 (or higher, not sure where it stops). For adult clothing, these sizes are all even numbers; junior’s sizing is all odd numbers. This numbering scheme is used in general not only for sizing dresses, but also tops, skirts, pants and more. Below I’ve included a condensed version of the Amazon.com general women’s sizing chart as an example, and reasonable place to start.

The most important measurement to consider in finding dress size is your bust measurement because that it the area that a dress will fit around primarily. So, ignoring everything else and just using your bust measurement, find the corresponding size on the chart: I have a 37” bust so that makes me a size 10. If you are in between sizes, go with the closest larger size to your measurement. That wasn’t too bad, but lets look at the rest of the chart to make sure we get confused again. 

If you notice… the corresponding waist and hip measurements for a size 10 are 29” and 39.5” while my actual measurements are 30” and 38” … what gives? Size charts are based upon some archetypical female body shape, if you ever find a brand that you match all your measurements exactly to the size chart it is basically like hitting the lottery. Much like winning the lottery, that has never happened to me.

The lesson to be learned from this is that we need to determine which measurements are important depending on what type of clothing we are buying. An obvious example would be buying skirt or pants. You would not want to use your bust measurement to determine pant size! That’d just be silly. Looking at the chart again… my hips are 38” so that would put me between 6 & 8 for pants (I know from experience that I’m typically a 6). Note that I did not use my waist measurement for pants since a women’s waist is above her navel and that is not where I plan on wearing my pants. Probably a point of contention with some, but that has been my experience and has worked well for me. Skirts on the other hand tend to be worn higher and around your waist. Therefore, consider your waist measurement more in determining size.

For dresses and tops you may also see sizes simply listed as Small, Medium, Large and Extra Large with no numbers at all. On the size chart above you see these indicated by XS,S,M,L, and XL on the left for a range of sizes. Small is 4-6, Medium is 8-10, Large is 12-14 etc. It is tougher to ensure a good fit with these ranges and due to subtleties in our body shapes, we may not always come out where we expect. For example, I tend to be a large when it comes to this sort of thing even though a 10 falls into the medium category. I surmise that this is due to the fact that my upper body is “thicker” than a woman who is of similar height and measurements. With experience you will be able to figure out where you fall in the S-M-L scale.

To further add to the already dizzying confusion of sizing schemes, clothing can also be divided into specialty sizes such as misses, juniors, plus, petite, and tall. You have likely seen most of these sections in department stores. These categories are defined by the cut and tailoring of the clothes for different body shapes:

Misses - Cut to accommodate the curves found in the average adult women. Designated by even numbered sizes. 
Juniors - Cut to better fit typical body shapes of younger women (less curves). Designated by odd numbered sizes.
Plus - Cut to fit larger sized women. Designate by a "w" after the size.
Petite - Cut to fit shorter height women (5'3" or shorter). Designated with a "p" after the size.
Tall - Cut to fit taller women (5'9" and above). Designated with a "T" after the size.

Each of these categories will have it's own size charts, so if you feel your body shape falls into one of these categories, you may want to experiment with trying specialty sizes. However, even if you are a specialty size (I'm 5'10" so technically a Tall), you are by no means limited to shop only that sizing... I rarely shop the tall section since I can find clothes that fit well in the normal size schemes.

Being transgender puts a bit more of a twist on easily finding sizes since typically we are less curvy than the average woman. This is notable in our waist and hip measurements. In general, we have larger waists and smaller hips. The trick I’ve adopted to find the best fits is to take my waist, see what size that would be (a 12 on this chart) and take my hip size (an 8) and then split the difference between them, which puts me at a 10 (the size I’d arrive at using my bust measurement).

Each brand will have its own size charts, so check them with each item you buy until you learn your sizes in all your favorite brands. The best way to ensure a good fit is obviously to try something on, especially since size charts are not always readily available in stores, but shopping online (which I find happens more often with the transgender community due to anxieties about shopping in public) means relying on charts exclusively. If you’re uncertain online, order two sizes of the same item, try them on, and return the one that doesn’t fit (be sure to check the return policies first though!).

Summing up the important lessons:

1. Use sizing charts for each brand you shop, they will be different.
2. Use the most relevant measurement to determine your size:
   Dresses: Bust, then waist
   Tops: Bust
   Skirts: Waist, then Hips
   Pants/shorts: Hips, maybe waist
3. Be wary of the S-M-L sizing scheme, learn from experience what fits you best
4. Try things on, keep track of your sizes, don’t be afraid to try on multiple sizes

Discovering your sizes is a bit of a trial and error process, but with the things we discussed here you should be able to at least start off in the right ballpark. Happy shopping!