Comments Suggestions QuestionsComments – Suggestions – Questions #1: 

When I started this blog, I mentioned that I was looking forward to sharing your comments, suggestions or questions. Alice has started us out with a wonderful suggestion, along with some great questions. She has agreed to allow me to share her e-mail:
Hi Michelle,
After using your wonderful service, many of your clients may have similar experiences: we now have a lot of clothes we love and have grown attached to them as a result, so it can feel devastating when they get stained, especially permanently.
For instance, in our most recent session together, you pointed out a yellow stain on a white cardigan I love, so I did my best to try taking it out–treating it with Zout for 20 min before washing. But it does not come out after multiple tries. I felt very frustrated because this is the 3rd beloved piece to get a permanent stain.

If you have experience and advice on how to handle this situation, I’m sure your readers would be very happy to hear about them. Here are some questions you could address:

    1. Unlike men’s fashion, there’s a lot of variety in women’s fashion and every season the clothes seem to be different, so we may get the feeling that we can’t easily find the pieces we love again. Is this mentality accurate? How do we alleviate the frustration that this mentality could bring?
    2. What specific steps do we follow to ensure that we treat stains effectively?
    3. If a stain becomes permanent, what can we do with the piece of clothing? If it’s not prominent and can be hidden, is it okay to keep wearing it?

Many of your readers probably feel similar frustration, so you’d be relieving a huge pain point for them by providing guidance on this topic.

Alice

 

Alice, thank you for such great questions. I am so delighted that you took the time to share your frustrations so that everyone else can benefit from the answers as well. Today, I am going to address Question #1.

Question #1:

Unlike men’s fashion, there’s a lot of variety in women’s fashion and every season the clothes seem to be different, so we may get the feeling that we can’t easily find the pieces we love again. Is this mentality accurate? How do we alleviate the frustration that this mentality could bring?

Answer:

Yes, the good news is women have so many choices. The bad news is women have so many choices…as the clothing styles can change often season after season. This is especially true for fashion or trendy items that are not your classic “core basics.” And the frustration can happen when you really love a piece and it becomes stained, lost, or just too worn to wear anymore, and you desperately look to find a replacement.

To alleviate this frustration, my first suggestion is to borrow a trick from the men and do what they do all the time. When men like an item, they buy two of the exact same piece in the same color. This not only eliminates “competition” in the closet (this is where you always end up choosing your favorite item over another very similar item. Example: two black T-shirts but because one is softer, you end up wearing it more or always leaving the other black T-shirt barely worn) but this ensures that if a favorite piece gets lost, damaged or just too worn, you have another to replace it.

So you might ask “Well, that all sounds really good, Michelle, but what if I don’t know if it is a favorite piece yet? Sometimes, I really like something but it isn’t until I wear it for awhile, that I realize how much it is really a key item in my wardrobe.”

My second suggestion is to shop at the beginning of the season, and pay full price. Then after wearing it for awhile, if you discover that it is a key piece in many of your outfits, your chances of finding that piece again will be much easier. If you have bought it on sale toward the end of the season, try to buy two on sale if they are available. Wear only one, and see if it becomes your favorite. If it does, keep the second one. If you love it but don’t feel you need another one, then return the second one. This may sound like a lot of work, but believe me, it is more work and frustration tracking down something that you love than returning something that you find you don’t need.

Many times “core basics” are so classic that the designer will offer them over and over again year after year. My third suggestion is, if it is a seasonal “core basic” piece such as a cashmere cardigan, you may have to wait till the following year to find it again, but you will at least be able to get it again, and this time you might want to invest in buying two of the same item.

My last suggestion, is to shop the brand website of the item that you love but can’t seem to find another. Sometimes, it can be found on their website and many times, if it is later in the season, it can be found on sale. If you have no luck on the brand website, try looking on websites that offer discounted clothing from past seasons. You may need to do a little sleuthing but your effort may be totally worth it if you find the item you’re coveting. One of my favorites is My Habit.  I also like these websites: Bluefly, Gilt.  You might even check Amazon and Ebay…because you never know!

PS: I have even suggested to clients that they call the manufacturer directly and ask if they have any back stock on the item they are looking for. Some manufacturers still have back stock from items that are over a year old. You many be pleasantly surprised that they have it! And if they don’t see if they are willing to give you a list of stores that have carried it, so that you can call those store directly. Good luck!

Now, it’s your turn. I’d love to hear from you.  Your insights and inspiration are appreciated so please share your stories in the comments below.

Blog me.

Love,

~Michelle

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