If you have trouble finding clothes that are comfortable and stylish, clothes that look good and feel good to wear, then shopping can be a nightmare. With that in mind I have pulled together my top tips for shopping in person.

I have divided the tips into two lists - one for if you are willing and able to try clothes on when shopping, and one for if you prefer not to try clothes on in store. However, you might want to pick tips from both lists.

Shopping Tips and Tricks if you Try Clothes on When Shopping

1. Wear good underwear. While an item that looks great wearing a poor fitting underwear or a bra that doesn’t support you is a fantastic find, it is too easy to blame a poor fitting item or one that doesn’t suit you on poor underwear. You should wear underwear that is smooth, comfortable, and fits well. If you can still see the seams of your undies or bra, if your breast seems to hang at your waist, or if pants (trousers) don’t sit at your waist when you are wearing your good underwear then no amount of wishful thinking is going to make it look better when you get home and try it on with different underwear. The other advantage of wearing good underwear is that if you are shopping with someone or if you ever need assistance, then you aren’t showing off more than you intended.

2. Know where you want to go. A little bit of research talking to people or doing some online research can save a lot of time and energy when you hit the shops. It can help you rule out places that don’t have anything that appeals to you, so you can avoid them at the shops. While the places that remain on your list might not have what you are looking for once you see them, you can still cross more places off your list if you have already weeded out some..

3. Unless you always wear dresses or jumpsuits, then wearing a separate bottom and top is much better than wearing a dress. It allows you to try on a wider range of clothes without finding something to wear with them. A skirt is the easier to put on and off then pants, and you might want to wear a cami under your top for even greater flexibility, particularly if you prefer to wear one under tops with lower necklines. However, see also tip 5.

4. Take anything you want to match. Not only do you need to think about what shoes you will wear with your new purchase, you also need to think about what outfits you will make with it. If you want to find clothes to match with existing items or with your colour palette then bring them along. If you don’t want to lug loads of clothes around, take photos on your phone and use them when shopping. Navy, black and white can be particularly difficult to match though, so it is worth bring items in those colours with you.

5. Wear clothes you love to wear. Clothes that make you look good and feel good. Looking and feeling good not only gives you more energy, you can compare how you look in your potential purchases to one of the outfits already in your wearable wardrobe. Any item that doesn’t leave you looking and feeling as good as the one you wear into the shops shouldn’t go into your shopping basket.

Shopping Tips and Tricks Without Trying on Clothes

1. Wear comfortable clothes. Shopping can be trying. Wear clothes that are easy to get in to and comfortable to maximise the amount of time that you can spend shopping. If already have clothes that make you look and feel good, where them. If you want assistance from the sales assistants, particularly if you are in a wheel chair, wear something interesting and avoid black.

2. Wear separates - bottoms and top. Unless you always wear dresses or jumpsuits, then wearing a separate bottom and top is much better than wearing a dress. It allows you to try on a wider range of clothes without finding something to wear with them. A skirt is the easier to put on and off then pants, and you might want to wear a cami under your top for even greater flexibility, particularly if you prefer to wear one under tops with lower necklines. However, see also tip 5.

3. Allow time for rest breaks. Give yourself permission to take a break for a coffee or a glass of water, a snack or lunch and a toilet stop in the middle of your shopping trip. While it does make the trip longer, it also helps break it up and can help prevent fatigue and mean that you need fewer trips to the shops.

4. Take anything you want to match. If you want to find clothes to match with existing items or with your colour palette then bring them along. If you don’t want to lug loads of clothes around, take photos on your phone and use them when shopping. Navy, black and white can be particularly difficult to match though, so it is worth bring items in those colours with you.

5. Take clothes you love to wear. No matter what you wear to the shops, you also need to take with you clothes that fit well, are easy to put on and whose shape suits you. If you know you struggle with sleeve width, take an item with the smallest sleeve width you can comfortably wear. If you struggle to get clothes over your head, take an item with a neck opening etc that you can comfortably put on. Etc. Compare the any potential purchases with the size and shape of the items that you took with you. Are they smaller anywhere? Is this going to cause you a problem? If they are a similar size, is the amount of stretch in the fabrics similar? If not, think about if this is going to be an issue for you.

Creating a WearAble Wardrobe

These tips should help you create a WearAble Wardrobe full of clothes that are comfortable and stylish, clothes that you actually wear.

For more tips, check out the blog or sign up for the newsletter. Or check out my personal shopping service.