My Shopping Secrets
I’m an extremely picky shopper. I agonize over purchases when I’m in the store or online, often putting something back that I thought was a sure thing if I don’t really need it. And when I do pull the trigger on an item, I don’t take the tags off right away so I have the option of returning it within the return period. I like to wear the item in real life a bit before making my final decision, and if I realize it was a mistake and I’ve already cut the tags off, I will go so far as to retag the item and return it.
I discovered tagging guns while selling items on Ebay. Sometimes there would be a great thrifted clothing item that still had the original tags on it. But it would smell like the thrift store, so I’d need to spray it with vodka before selling it (vodka is such a great trick to get smells out of ‘dry clean only’ items- it’s odorless and gets rid of that thrift store smell). But I wouldn’t want to get the tags wet, so I’d cut them off and then simply retag the item. The tagging gun was a worthy $10 investment that made reselling easier at times.
And then there are the times that I’ve used the tagging gun on my own clothes. If I was ever hasty in cutting the tags off of something, then wore it for a couple of hours and wanted to return it, out came the tagging gun and voila! - I could return it. I’d always make sure the item was in flawless condition, no deodorant stains to be seen. I mean, I’m not trying to run a scam here. I’m just very, very fickle when it comes to clothes. If something looks great in the dressing room but you get it home and find it cuts in under your arms or rides up as you walk or sit down, I really think it’s best for everyone if you just return it.
I have the same policy with shoes: with my most recent shoe purchases, I walked on the treadmill in each pair I was trying for up to 2 hours at a stretch. With something as expensive as quality shoes, I have to make sure that they won’t hurt my feet or cause blisters. Again, I’d always make sure the shoes were in perfect condition before returning them, but I find this process absolutely necessary before committing to a piece of clothing or a pair of shoes.
And the same goes for online shopping. I always order enough items to get the free shipping and then return what doesn’t fit directly to the store (I usually shop at Old Navy, GAP, LOFT, etc.). There’s pressure from these retailers to order more to get the free shipping, meant to get you to buy (and keep) more clothes. This doesn’t exactly work on me, however. I just order multiple sizes, colors, or even duplicates to make sure I have the luxury of deciding exactly what I want in the privacy of my own home. Aside from trying out different sizes, I am notorious for ordering multiples of an item. This is to make sure that if I really love it, I have the option of buying multiples before my size sells out on the website. I always feel that if it’s that good, I’ll probably want to wear it more often than I can wash it. So it’s common for me to have two of something: two pairs of grey joggers, two pairs of black shorts, two of each T-shirt. A lot of times this exact-duplicate-tendency has to do with the colors offered. I might branch out and buy multiples in different colors, but so often the only good (neutral) colors are black, navy, or grey. I do like a lot of soft, muted colors, but when I find that perfect item, it’s usually only available in black, fuchsia, and neon green. So I just stick to black and black. Because that’ll be the color I reach for most anyway. When I’ve cleaned out my closet in the past, it’s always the neutrals that win out in the end. And when I do buy multiples, I’ll start out wearing one at first, testing the waters to see if two are really necessary- leaving the tags on the unworn item in case I change my mind and only want one. This has turned out to be the case with my black camis that I recently decided we’re too big. I only ever needed to wear one, so the other still has the tags on it. It’s way too late to return it to the store, but having tags on it means it’ll bring in a bit more on Ebay than its untagged counterpart. Often I end up not losing any money from the whole debacle, just the time and hassle of listing the item on Ebay.
My methods are extreme. There’s no doubt about it. But while I may feel guilty shopping at unethical, unsustainable retailers for items on sale, I do deliberate over every single item. I consider it less of a waste to do this- less of a waste of money for me, and less waste when it comes to the environment. Because less clothes end up wasted in the back of my closet, and less clothes are donated and end up in a landfill. Because while I may not be able to afford (or even find in my size) sustainable, ethical options, I can reduce my negative impact by simply buying less.
I also try to reduce my negative impact by buying secondhand. I’m just as careful and deliberate with these purchases as I am with new clothes, so I have my methods for shopping secondhand as well. I like to start off at an expensive department store (counterintuitive, I know). I try on different brands and sizes, noting my usual size in each brand. I jot down favorite brands and even favorite styles. And then I go on Ebay. I look for “new with tags” items in those favorite brands and styles, knowing exactly which sizes will work. That way I know going in if something will fit or not and it saves me the cost and hassle of doing a return. I also check for explicit measurements of items- especially preworn items, since they’ve been washed. Then I measure my favorite T-shirt or jeans or whatever the item is and compare. This gives me a much better idea of fit than wrapping a measuring tape around my body, and I find it far less depressing. I may not have a big budget for clothes, but I do search high and wide for those perfect items. Keeping everything to a capsule wardrobe is something I can do right now to save money and keep waste to a minimum.