The Joys of Shopping

Recently I had a ‘special occasion’ to go to (a family wedding) and I wanted to wear something special... and so I joined the ranks of those ladies who say to us ‘I’ll know it when I see it’. What fun... or was it??

Here's a bit of a confession - I’m actually not the sort who likes shopping (shock horror). Maybe that’s because I do enough of it for the shop when I'm deciding on next season's ranges. Or maybe I’m just not your typical shopaholic woman. So I took on the challenge... and it turned out to be an interesting experience. I learned a lot.

Ok, so maybe I have a little more knowledge than some of you (I do work in fashion retail after all) but it was a special item that I was after and I suddenly got concerned about getting it right. I was a teeny tiny bit stressed, to say the least.

So based on my experience, here are some guidelines for those of you who don’t like shopping:

1. Allow yourselves the time to shop - so you don’t get frustrated and stressed (don’t be like me and leave it till the last week)
2. Wear suitable underwear, if you plan on wearing supportwear, wear it on shopping day and take a high heel with you (be made up, or at least wear lippy)
3. If you have no idea what style of garment you want, just try, try, try on everything (for me, that part was fun - I don’t usually have the time). In doing so you will find out what length dress to look for or what neckline etc (make notes if you need to)
4. Don't go shopping with a closed mind, because as much as you might like perusing overseas fashion mags, you need to be realistic. Our local shops might not have picked up on those styles yet (Europe is a season ahead of NZ)
5. Let the shop staff help you - they should know their garments (and if they suggest it, try on something slightly out of your comfort zone - it might surprise you)
   
   This will then narrow down the search when you...
6. Go to more than one shop unless you managed to hit the jackpot first time round! (congratulations!)
7. Take a photo of yourself in the garment if you need a second opinion (but beware, it’s probably better to use your instincts, and how it feels when wearing it)

So, what did I end up buying, and why didn’t I buy something from Diversity? Well... it may surprise you, but while I love my wardrobe from Diversity (yes I do have a few items) I wanted a slightly different look. So I trawled the malls.

Being small I wanted a garment that fitted but would let me ‘partake’ so to speak - and not wanting to be the centre of attention I needed a subtle colour.

Staff in some shops were helpful, others not so. Some shops didn’t even have anything in my size, and some shops were just uninviting.

I eventually ended up with an Anna Stretton dress. And of course ended up paying more than I wanted to... but hey! it was probably worth it.

From this foray I picked up a lot of important info that can only help improve my buying for the next season (we start placing orders in about a month) and in ways we can improve your experience at Diversity Fashions. We've always prided ourselves on the wide range of garments and sizes we keep in the shop, and hopefully have always made our customers feel welcome (but not badgered into purchasing).

And the Wedding? Well it was fantastic, and YES there were lots of fascinators being worn, and some very glam shoes!

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