In case you didn’t know, it’s Black Friday this Friday and if you are anything like me and love a bargain, you might be tempted by the low prices and into buying something you really don’t need on impulse. As Oscar Wilde once said:

I can resist everything except temptation.

You should think about your wardrobe as your own personal boutique - new pieces really have to earn a place in your wardrobe. You need to know you’re going to wear things and not have them hanging in your wardrobe taking up that valuable space. They need to fit your lifestyle, your style, your budget and they need to fit your body too!

Sales are great for buying things you’ve been eyeing up for a while, especially higher end and designer pieces, because the discounts will be greater. But low prices can tempt the best of us, so ask these questions when you head to the shops or to your computer on Friday!

Do I need it?
At the risk of sounding like Martin Lewis (the Money Savings Expert guy), do you actually need it? Does it fill a wardrobe gap? Is it going to make your wardrobe bigger? Is it a really good quality basic you need and that you couldn’t afford at full price (the holy grail of sales shopping)? Make a list of things you need before you go!
Is this item my style?
The more about your style personality and your values that you know, the better and easier it is to resist temptation and get it right when it comes to sales shopping (or regular shopping come to that). If you have a style recipe, know how you want to be perceived and what you want your overall look to say about you, you will be able to stop yourself from buying items that aren’t you.
Does this item fit my lifestyle?
Lifestyle also comes into this and it’s quite a simple exercise to think about all the areas of your life and how much time you spend doing each thing. Do you really need another going out top if you actually don’t get to go out much?! Do you need more gym gear if you still have the tags on the last set you bought? You get the picture!
Can I style it three ways?
This is a good question to ask whenever you buy anything - can you and will you wear it in different ways? You might need to be creative with some things like dresses that can be a one-trip pony, but layering up dresses can make them a lot more versatile. If you know your colour palette, then any item you choose will work with the rest of your wardrobe.
Does this piece make me feel good?
This might be as simple as whether the fabric physically feels good on your body, if that’s important to you (check the fabric content too). But really we’re looking for a more visceral response about whether you LOVE it or not (the other holy grail of shopping, finding the ONE)!

With all that, if you’re not sure about any of these things, then maybe just stay away from the shops on Friday! And only open emails from retailers that you love and that you can’t usually justify at full price. If you do buy something, check the returns policy just in case you’ve been seduced by the price and it will give you some time to reflect on things when you’re not so emotionally charged about your purchase.

Speaking of emails, I will be sending out my own Black Friday offer later this week, so if you’re not already on my email list, then sign up below! Remember that experiences also make great Christmas presents!