| d="body"> | | | | spend their hard-earned cash on the wrong thing in |
| During the time I have spent as an image consultant | | | | the first place. My advice to anyone who can think of |
| I have seen the contents of many men's and | | | | these items in their wardrobe now is to bite the |
| women's wardrobes. Very often the items that stand | | | | bullet and throw them out - yes, gents that includes |
| out are the items bought in the sales. Why is that | | | | the Hawaiian shirts, the cardigans you will never wear |
| the case? Well usually because something happens to | | | | because they make you feel like your dad! And that |
| us in the sales when we are faced with the bargain | | | | roll neck sweater you bought thinking it'd look cool |
| of the century. We imagine ourselves a different | | | | under your suit which you can't quite bring yourself |
| person, leading a different life and purchase the item | | | | to put on. |
| that we think we will be wearing in it. Only to | | | | And ladies that coat in orange when you never wear |
| discover some months later that our lives haven't | | | | orange and have nothing to go with it! The skirt you |
| changed, we're still the same person - and we've not | | | | fell for and bought because you thought you were |
| worn that sales purchase. | | | | going to change from a lifetime of wearing trousers |
| I can remember doing this myself in pre-image | | | | etc. The party outfit of chiffon and sequins when |
| consultant days when I decided that a summer | | | | you don't go to parties. |
| weight aqua two piece skirt and top was what was | | | | My advice for buying in the sales is know your |
| missing from my wardrobe - and my life. It fit | | | | colours and your style, what your body's shaped like |
| beautifully, more to the point it was a wonderful | | | | and how you like to be seen. Buy second items of |
| bargain, so despite there being a loud floral print | | | | sweaters and trousers which you've bought before |
| shawl adorned with purple and yellow pansies | | | | and hammered or buy those items in a different |
| attached to the top which wasn't removable, I | | | | colour-way. Avoid high fashion colours or styles as |
| bought it. Any of my friends at the time could have | | | | these won't last more than a month. Go for your |
| told you that I wasn't a pansy woman but that didn't | | | | neutral colours - if there's a bargain pair of black |
| stop me, after all it was a bargain. Every now and | | | | shoes or trousers which fit well then go ahead and |
| again I used to take it out the wardrobe, try it on, | | | | buy them if you know you wear black a lot and they |
| marvel at the great fit and promptly put it back | | | | are a classic style so will be usable next year. |
| again. As a women who can count the number of | | | | In fact good advice with any sales purchase is to |
| floral prints she has ever worn over her lifetime on | | | | look at the item if it's near the end of the season for |
| one finger what was I doing purchasing an outfit with | | | | that particular purchase and think whether you will |
| a huge print attached? Let alone purple and yellow | | | | want to wear it in ten months time because the |
| pansies! Utter madness! | | | | likelihood is that you will get 2-4 weeks wear out of |
| Since then I have realised that I was not the only | | | | it and then have to put it away as the weather |
| one and other people make strange purchases | | | | changes and makes it inappropriate. Do this and you |
| particularly during the sales that they never wear and | | | | won't go far wrong. |
| which clog up their wardrobe and they spend a long | | | | Happy sales shopping! |
| time regretting the impulse which caused them to | | | | |