How to Enjoy Shopping For Clothes
Shopping for clothes feels like too much of a hassle for many of us. Of course, there are the diehard ‘shopaholics’ who would fall sick if they didn’t go shopping for clothes at least once a month, but for most people, and especially men (the traditional macho type), shopping for clothes is a hassle that we only commit ourselves to do because it is something we have to do anyway, if we are to continue looking decent.
This aversion to shopping for clothes is typically not even consciously known to those of us who have it. It tends to manifest in subtle ways, through things like procrastination, where we keep putting off the task of going shopping for clothes endlessly, till we are left with no alternative but to get down to it. And even when we get to shopping for clothing – after having procrastinated the task endlessly – we are still eager to do it quickly, and get done with it.
Yet shopping for clothes need not be an unpleasant task, and it is in fact something you can get to enjoy.
The first step towards enjoying shopping for clothes is identifying the subconscious causes for the aversion to the task. Could it be the clothes salesmen (whom some of us consider a bit domineering) whom you don’t want to interact with? Could it be that you have been unconsciously conditioned to view shopping for clothes as being wasteful? Or could it be just a plain case of lack of motivation that you can’t really pin down to a particular cause? Identify clearly the subconscious cause to your aversion to the task of shopping for clothes.
Having identified the subconscious causes for your aversion to the task of shopping for clothes, the next step would be to take steps to counter those causes. Shopping for clothes is something you have to do, anyway, so you better find ways of enjoying it. If it is the ‘domineering’ clothes salespeople you don’t like, then you can consider opting to go shopping for clothes online, where you won’t have to interact with them. If on the other hand your aversion to the task of shopping for clothes is due to a subconscious feeling that shopping for clothes is wasteful, then you might consider working towards overcoming your guilt at spending, keeping in mind that clothing is a basic human need and money spend in meeting it is money really well spend. And if it is a simple lack of motivation behind your aversion to the task of shopping for clothes, you can address it through strategies like changing your pep talk or rewarding yourself for every cloth-shopping trip you carry out well, so that your mind is (in the future) subconsciously attracted to the task, in search of the ‘reward’ it got the ‘last time’ you went on the task.
Four Things You Need to Know As You Go Shopping For Clothes
You will find yourself having to go shopping for clothes from time to time. As you do so, here are some four things you need to know and keep in mind.
The first thing here is that the clothes you buy (and thereafter start to wear) will be continuously sending messages about you to the people who will be meeting you when clad in them. This means that you need to think very carefully about the specific items you select when shopping for clothes. Ideally, you should work out how you would like to be seen – and then go for clothes that convey that message, keeping in mind that the clothes you wear might end up being taken more seriously in making judgments about you than anything else that you do. So how would you like to be seen? Would you like to be seen as a serious person or an easy going person? Would you like to be seen as a quality conscious person or a ‘cheap’ person? Would you like to be seen as ‘rich’ or ‘poor’? Answer these types of questions in your mind, and ensure that the items you pick when shopping for clothes collaborate your answer.
The second thing you need to keep in mind as you go shopping for clothes – and which is closely related to the first – is that unless you make up your mind on what you what in terms of clothing, you are not likely to get it. So ideally, you should avoid shopping for clothes on impulse – and prepare for every clothing-shopping trip with a session of planning on what you want, up to the very last detail, like its size, color and make, and then go get it.
The third thing you need to keep in mind as you go shopping for clothes is that, contrary to what many people have been led to believe, the most expensive clothing items are not always the very best. Ideally, your guide on what makes ‘superior’ clothing items should be their quality, rather than price – as you can end up paying hefty price for a very poor quality clothing item, just because of its ‘big’ brand.
And the fourth thing you need to keep in mind as you go shopping for clothes, which is closely related to the third is the fact that clothing items that are sold for ‘too low a price’ are typically sold for such a price for a reason. You might think that you are getting a bargain by going for such ultra-low-priced clothing items, but the feature that is making them be priced so lowly could be obvious to others out there (while hidden from you), thereby making you look ‘cheap.’ The moral in these last two points is that you should try to find a balance with regard to the pricing of the clothing items you ultimately opt for, keeping in mind that the most expensive items are not always the best, and that the cheapest items tend to be ‘obviously cheap’ in one aspect or another, therefore portraying you badly as the wearer.