7 Secrets of Successful Shopping

Apparently we women spend three years of our lives shopping......or does it just feel like that when you queue up in your local supermarket?

The average British woman will visit 84 grocery shops in a year; shop for 94 hours and 55 minutes (for household goods) and spend just over a 100 hours browsing the shops for clothes and shoes. Given that we are about to enter a marathon shopping period it seems right to talk about shopping - and offer some simple tips (for when clothes and accessories are on the agenda).

1. Always shop with a list...otherwise you'll end up buying your 'safe' item.....that thing in your wardrobe that you have multiple versions of.

2. Do your hair and make-up. Fitting rooms lights and mirrors can be extremely unflattering and morale is easily lost.

3. Take whatever you want to combine your new purchases with; it will be easier and more effective when you can see the whole ensemble before you buy - rather than when you've lugged it home and can't squeeze into it.

4. Dress comfortably - especially your footwear.

5. De-clutter your handbag - don't carry around a load of junk - this affects your posture, walk and general view of the world. Again, not good for seeing the best in your (possible) new purchases.

6. Do your research on-line. Easier; more productive and will save you time - and wherever you can, buy. On-line stores now have excellent and easy return policies.

7. Forget Saturdays - vile, crowd-filled shops where tempers are often frayed and it takes 30 minutes to walk 3 paces (well, nearly). Investigate late night shopping and extended opening hours which most stores offer during the holiday season.

Easy!!!

Good luck and enjoy it.

What Goes On Inside The Fitting Room?

This weekend I went shopping with a very dear friend who I have known for 20 years. She is also a client of mine. During our gloriously precious time together, I was reminded of what happens when women get into fitting rooms inside shops. We become the most critical, intolerant, harsh -sometimes even cruel - observers of ourselves and our perceived physical flaws.

No amount of cheerleading by a loyal friend will do the trick - we're on a "my bum looks the side of a house" kind of a roll and nothing is going to stop us. We lose perspective, patience, enthusiasm and often head home feeling frustrated and fed up...........as well as fat. It seems that as women, we're really good at beating ourselves up and really bad at being objective about our appearance. I've seen it so often with my clients.

It's time to stop this, and here are some practical tips to help you avoid a depressing slump in morale inside the fitting room:

1. Never come out clothes shopping and venture into a store's changing room without doing your hair and putting on some make-up. Why? Because the lights and mirrors are harsh. That's not our fault; that's the store. But don't put yourself through that kind of trauma. It's entirely avoidable.

2. Take whatever shoes with which you want to wear your new clothes. You can't 'imagine' what the outfit will look like on you as easily without your footwear - so think ahead and plan to bring it with you.

3. Always have a compact or small hand mirror in your purse. You want to see what's going on behind you there. The back view is important.

4. Forget the 'communal fitting room' scenario. Past the age of 24 who wants that whole scene? I guarantee that if you do have the guts to undress in public; a very svelte lady will come in who clearly doesn't have any cellulite anywhere and looks fabulous wandering around in her undies. Personally, any shop that still wants to do that to their customers is not a favourite of mine.

5. On the topic of undies - wear nice ones when you go shopping. You'll spend quite alot of time looking at yourself in the mirror wearing just these items, so make sure they're ones that you feel good in - pretty and feminine - rather than big grey knickers that have starting pilling. That's not good for morale. And forget the 'magic-knickers' on shopping days. You'll be in a sweat and and in a state trying to rock and roll in and out of those that's for sure.

6. Keep in mind that your weight isn't important when it comes to looking gorgeous in clothes - but your shape is. The key to successful shopping is all about finding cuts and shapes of clothing that work for your body shape. And staying well away from those garments which are never, ever, ever going to work for you.

Finally - and most importantly - always remember this. When you're inside that fitting room and you look in the mirror and don't like what you see - it's the clothes that are wrong - not the body. Remember that.