Do the clothes you buy fit your lifestyle?

By Malu Fernandez

Every woman I know loves to shop for clothes but almost all of us have a tendency to buy a lot of things we don’t really need. Just take a look at your closet, how many items do you have that have never been used or used only once? Do you sneak in the house with your shopping bags and hide them from your husband out of guilt? Do you have clothes with tags still on them? If your answer is yes to any of these questions, than you’re not shopping according to your lifestyle and you’re wasting a lot of your hard-earned cash!

With today’s economy we should all be savvy with our money and seriousl,y you can have all designer bags and shoes you want but at the end of the day, wouldn’t you rather look at the cash? Someone I know once needed a lot of cash for an emergency and all she had was a closet full of designer bags and shoes!

You can still have the best of the best if you want to, simply break down your clothes according to your lifestyle. For instance, if you do a lot of socializing, then spend your clothing allowance on party clothes and practical items you can reuse for all your social functions. Load up on accessories so you can revamp your “LBD” (little black dress) or change the entire look of the current party clothes you have. Stock up on sensible evening shoes because if you go to more than four functions a week, four-inch Manolos are just going to give you a backache from hell! Try a three-inch heel or wear different heights of heels in intervals. If you must wear flats, use metallic jewelled flats to give it a more party flair.

If you’re more of a homebody then there is no reason you should look like crap in your own home. Your regular pambahay should consist of more than just a loose tee and pyjama bottoms. Try out some lounge wear like simple casual dresses or loose drawstring pants with a nice top. That way, when you have a short errand to run or an unexpected visitor drops by, you look presentable.

If your time is mostly spent in the office, then load up on good quality corporate clothes and shoes. Spend that hard-earned cash of yours on a designer tote for your laptop and a nice strand of South Sea pearls.

It just makes sense to buy the clothes that fit your lifestyle. Don’t you think it would be a waste of money for a full-time housewife to have a closetful of corporate clothes? Or for a party animal to have a trunk full of lounge outfits?

The solution is simple: Assess your lifestyle and shop according to it. With that in mind you can even clean out your closet and stick to what you actually use. But remember to always keep the classic items you already have.

Don’t be apprehensive because you can always buy whatever you need if you have a change of lifestyle. If you have a special occasion to go to and you find yourself without any special occasion outfits, make sure that whatever you buy can be recycled into another outfit. You don’t have to feel like you’re being stingy. You’re just being practical and savvy with your funds. When you do need to buy a special item you will find that you will be able to afford a high-end label without feeling the sting in your wallet.

If you’re among the privileged few for whom money is no object, wouldn’t you rather spend your money on assets that appreciate like real estate? This is the best time to buy land, you know?

I know it’s hard for a woman to refrain from shopping for clothes, shoes and bags, but with today’s global recession and the uncertainty of the economy, I think it would really give you peace of mind to look at the cash in your bank account rather than rows of couture in your closet or tons of cheap stuff you can only wear for one season. For you serious fashionistas out there, you don’t have to go cold turkey and stop shopping for couture: Just buy one key item of the season that fits your lifestyle. That way you won’t have to keep selling last season’s items on e-bay or secondhand shops. Just remember, stick to buying items that fit your lifestyle and cash on hand is better than cash in your closet!