Stop buying clothes for your future body that might never exist.
2. Buy a few pieces from that pricey label you're obsessed with. Everyone says don't be swayed by labels, but sometimes paying more for special items will make you feel confident and pulled together every time you wear them. I actually wish I had been more swayed by labels (especially when the clothes were unique and fit me really well) in the past and less swayed by dumpster clearance racks full of clothes that were going to rip off me like a skinsuit the second I put them on.
3. Don't be embarrassed by where you shop if you actually find great stuff there. I used to think it was uncool to mostly shop at thrift and vintage stores. Like, it's cool on the one hand, but on the other, it can definitely make you feel like a weirdo. But the fact of the matter is, most stylish people find amazing shit wherever they go. Pretty much all my favorite clothing pieces were picked up at some random place and come with an added cool factor of, "Yeah, you can't buy this because I got it at a bus station in Cleveland."
4. If you're investing in good pieces of clothing that you plan to wear for a while, spend the extra $20 to get it tailored so it fits perfectly. I know it seems annoying and time-consuming and expensive, but if you've already shelled out good money for a great suit jacket or the perfect dress for every summer wedding or a classic pencil skirt, what's another $20 to make sure it looks like it was created to fit your specific body?
5. Don't let salesperson flattery influence your decision to buy something if you don't feel good in it. I had a salesperson tell me recently that I looked great in something I really did not feel great in and I didn't buy it because I knew I would always hate wearing it. I so wish that I'd been able to feel that confident five years ago when someone was trying to tell me that I could wear a babydoll dress even though I have #SeriousBoobs.
6. If something trendy looks awful on you, skip it. I want a pair of leather joggers so badly but they just make me look like I'm wearing tougher, squeakier sweatpants, so I do not do that. Simple.
7. It's better to have one super-special signature piece than something that everyone else already has. I coveted Marimekko dresses for so long but also knew how crazy expensive they were. But then I thought about it and realized that I'd rather have one weirdo dress in a cool design and awesome fabric that made me feel like Bjork for $200 than 10 kinds of too-short, cheaply made dresses that everyone else will be throwing away in the same dumpster in five months.
8. Don't buy anything for the new body you think you might have some day. Years ago, I spent so much time buying clothes two sizes smaller than my actual size hoping that some day I'd morph into that size by magic. Did I ever wear them? No, because I am a tall person and simply not built that way. So it was a waste of money and then I just felt like a failure on top of that. Worst plan ever. Plus, worst-case scenario if you don't buy it at the time, if you do lose the weight you want to lose, go shopping then.
9. No one likes jean shopping, so don't feel bad if you want to stab the mirror. I truly don't believe there is a woman in this world who enjoys shopping for jeans and leaves feeling like she's attractive to people with eyes. Most jeans are made to fit a specific body type and it's easy to blame your body for not looking right, but it's not you that's wrong, it's the jeans. Find a pair and brand you like and just stick to that. Your body image will thank you.
10. Don't buy it because it's "only $5, why not?" Whenever I'm tempted to do this, one of my favorite tricks is to look at that $5 piece of toilet paper that's trying to pass for clothing and ask myself if I'd pay $20 for it. If I wouldn't, that probably means I don't really like it and just want to feel like I bought something and got a "good deal." If we're being honest, a true "good deal" is something well-made that makes you look amazing. Which leads me to my next point...
11. You need to know when you're just buying something because you're sad and you think it will make you feel better. And also that it won't make you feel better. All you'll have is less money and a bag of clothes you know for a fact you're going to return or shove into the back of your closet and ultimately never see again, which is a waste of your time and money.
12. You can actually treat yourself without spending so much money that you become a homeless person. I spent many years worrying about how much money I spent on clothes, like if I splurged on something expensive even one time I would suddenly be begging for nickels on the street. But also in that time, I bought so many $5 thrift store shirts that I never wore and garbagey faux leather belts that didn't go with anything and I could've taken that money, bought that timeless piece I thought was so kickass, and I'd still have it now. Instead, all that remains from that time is the memory of so many flares.
13. Seriously, you don't need any more black T-shirts. Or striped shirts. I love them, but when it comes to plain black and white T-shirts or striped shirts, unless that's your whole look and you wear them all the time and nothing else, you do not need 20 different versions of the same thing. Plus, if you're anything like me, that'll just result in you looking in your closet and seeing a sea of boring shit you don't want to put on your body and then sighing and collapsing on your bed because you have made poor choices.
14. Stop obsessing over the size on the tag. So many women refuse to buy their actual size because they hate the idea that they're that size, even though the sizing in women's clothing stores is all over the place. So what happens? Well, we all just squeeze into our too-small-for-us jeans and dresses and tops, and suck in all day long because we know they don't fit, but we also didn't want to buy the larger size because if what the tag says is true, we're too fat to exist. STOP DOING THIS, FORMER ME. There is no such thing as "too fat to exist" anyway. Plus, spoiler alert, you're going to be a few different jean sizes over the years and you're going to look like a fucking knockout in all of them. So rip it off if you must, but ignore that stupid tag.
15. Yes, you do need to try it on. I know, I know. Dressing room lines are the worst and you get in there and the lighting is terrible or it fits weirdly or the salesclerk says, "Did any of those fit?" and you have to say, "No, they didn't" and feel like an asshole, but making trips to the store every weekend to return the crap you bought last week without trying it on does not make sense. Just.Try.It. On.
By Lane Moore
Featured in: cosmopolitan
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