Shop till you drop!

This past weekend I took my good friend (and first official client!), Amanda, on a shopping extravaganza. I'm not kidding. It was a 5.5 hour shopping event. I get on a tangent and can't be stopped until you pump the breaks for me.

This trip came on the heels of our Great Closet Purge of 2011. You see, Amanda is married to this lovely man, Andrew, who hired me for her birthday to do a closet audit and personal shopping trip. I think it's only fair since she was the one who gave birth to their adorable son, Jack.

Amanda found herself in a position a lot of mommies find themselves in: Post-Baby Mystery Body. I've never had a baby, much to my mother's chagrin, but I've had a lot of friends who have and they've basically described it as waking up one day in someone else's body. You don't necessarily know how to dress it nor do you want to. Change is hard for anybody, especially after having a baby. You want your pre-baby body back but the unfair tragedy is that it doesn't come back over night and the fact is you need clothes in the meantime that fit and make you feel good about yourself, no matter what size. Unless, of course, you are Gisele Bunchen. She should be tarred, feathered, and nibbled to death by ducks. But let's not get sidetracked.

Amanda is a beautiful, young, new mommy who is working on getting back to her pre-baby size but needed some clothing that fit her NOW and is stylish to boot. Her main request was jeans, pants, and casual attire for a quick trip to the grocery or a few drinks with friends. Mission Accepted!

We hit the mall and we hit it hard. We were taking no prisoners and the sales associates saw us coming a mile away when we had stacks of clothing that needed to be brought to the dressing rooms. I got a little attitude from the fitting room attendant at Express but HE can get over himself. Let the record show I'm a very polite dressing room attendee. I hang up all clothing items and fold what needs to be folded. So there! (insert face with tongue sticking out).  

We started at LOFT. I know it might seem a little square but I was strictly thinking about pants. I've had luck there a few times before but I have to admit it's hit or miss. Saturday was a miss. I don't know what the deal is but apparently they think women like to wear their pants up around their boobs? I don't think so. After we were done there we went to Express where they apparently think women, or tweens, like to wear their pants right above their lady parts. Again, I don't think so. We did find some great deals in the Sale section. She ended up getting some cute casual navy rolled crops, white straight leg pants, and two tops. Our next stop was Gap where we hit the motherload for jeans. I have to hand it to Gap. They seem to have a wide selection of styles and appreciate the curves of a woman. Thank you! She ended up getting two pairs of jeans, one pair of black casual pants, and some tailored shorts that can be carried into fall with the addition of some tights! Score!

Our last stop of the day was at Macy's. At this point Amanda had tried on about 2,000 pairs of jeans and was nearing the end of her rope. We managed to squeeze in one more fitting room session and found a great skirt and two tops. She mentioned the golden word 'shoes' but once we made our way over to the shoe section, it was time to call it a day. Like I said, I get on a roll and must be told when to stop!

The main highlights of this shopping session were to find great looking clothes that made Amanda feel sassy again and to also retrain her brain into trying on new styles, colors, brands, etc. If you want to beef up your wardrobe you have to be willing to swim in the deep end and take some chances. You have to pack your patience and try things on! There are very few of us, if any if we're being totally honest, that can just buy off the rack. I always stress that you shouldn't purchase something if it doesn't make you feel good, or better yet, fabulous! However, don't turn your nose up at something if it just needs a little tailoring. A quick hem or taking in the waist is not the end of the world. Also, don't get stuck on 'styles'. People say "oh that's not me" or "I would look silly in that!" and it's just not true. Don't pigeon hole yourself into a certain style. Be willing to explore. Amanda was a great sport, had an open mind, and in the end, purchased some great items. I must admit, I still have a few ideas in mind
for her;-)

Remember, building your wardrobe is an ongoing process. Think of it as a revolving door. You must purge and reload. Keep it fresh but also stocked with go-to items that you can throw on and dress up in a pinch.

For those of you that are visual, photos of her treasures will be coming soon. Stay tuned, fashionistas!

Love and shoes,
Kim