7 Tips for Shopping for a Wardrobe
04. Nov, 2009 
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Most of us can’t go on a big shopping spree on Rodeo Drive like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman
According to my client, Oriana Khatso, of Terra boutique in Dupont Circle, these are the seven keys to shopping and budgeting for a wardrobe:
1. Assess your lifestyle
Figure out how and where you spend your time and assign a value to each segment.
2. Assess your closet before each season & prioritize your needs
Figure out what you have, where the pieces fit on the wardrobe pyramid, what the pieces work with, and what is missing.
3. Shop at the height of the season to maximize your options
Spring: 3/15 to 4/15
Summer: 5/15 to 6/15
Fall: 9/15 to 10/15
Holiday: 10/30 to 11/15
4. Shop Strategically
5. Shopping Checklist
When you shop, put each item through a checklist:
1) Is this item part of my closet checklist?
2) Does it fit well and compliment my figure and coloring?
3) What else will this item work with? Think concretely- identify the specific top, skirt, etc 4) Think which colors and fabrics the item will work with
5) Does this item needs additional accessories to make it work and if so, do you have them? 6) Think of different ways to work this item. For example, if you are buying a suit, can you pair the slack with other tops and sweaters?
6. Adopt productive shopping habits
1)Stop piece-meal purchasing.
2) Do not purchase an item that you can’t immediately think of what else to wear with it.
3) Avoid purchasing items with patterns (until you have a more
developed wardrobe) or non-descript colors.
4) Change how you look at sizing and fit. Your size will fluctuate between designers so focus on finding pieces that fit instead of the size on the label.
5) Try clothing on- it’s the only way you will learn what cuts, colors, and fabrics suit your figure and which designers work for you.
7. Develop relationships with sales people
Develop relationships with the sales people at your favorite stores so they can get to know your taste, needs, and figure. You are not under an obligation to buy just because they call, so don’t feel pressured. Sales people are a resource to be utilized.
Andrea Rodgers has been in Washington for over a decade, and is well-known for giving back to the local community. She has co-founded three major fundraisers - Blondes vs. Brunettes in 2005, The Courage Cup where she serves as President in 2006, and Fashion for Paws in 2007. In September 2008, Andrea launched two businesses — AskMissA.com, and Socialite Marketing, a full-service boutique marketing firm that provides businesses and brands with social media, public relations, marketing, and event planning services. She attended boarding school at Salem Academy, and graduated from Wake Forest University with a double major in Economics and Politics. Rodgers was recently hand picked by Vogue magazine to be a founding member of The Vogue 100, an organization "of influential decision makers and opinion leaders known for their distinctive taste in fashion and culture, [and who] personify the rising influence of women over the past several decades."
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