In a workshop I love to teach, Closet Chaos to Closet
Confidence, attenders are instructed to purge their closets of unloved
clothing. After the purging process, they are encouraged to fill in wardrobe
gaps, especially the dress gap. Why? Dresses are the great “go-to” piece of the
decade, quickly edited with accessories, heel heights, jackets, cardigans and
belts. One dress can go a long way, all the while making a statement for the
wearer.
And then there’s the fabulous party/cocktail dress on the
sale rack that fits like a charm….and it’s NOT black. If ever there was
something that made listeners stop and take note, it was when I made this
statement: “No wardrobe is complete without a couple of great looking cocktail
dresses, so for heaven sakes, buy the dress you found on the sale rack, that
you love, that fits wonderfully, even though you don’t have an event on the
horizon, because you WILL need it and when you do, you WILL already own it.” It
was permission given and written down, like a hall pass from the teacher…”yes,
she has permission to buy a dress she doesn’t need, just in case.”
Ask Betsy about this. A few years back we were shopping the
sale racks at Macy’s and the party dresses were deeply discounted. She tried on
a dress that fit beautifully and was
very affordable. However, it was after the season and she “didn’t need it” so
she didn’t buy it even though I warned her that she would have regrets, and to this
day she still does.
Because shopping for the perfect dress when you must have
one is not efficient. It’s too stressful, too demanding and usually too
expensive.
Shopping for dresses should be on-going, therapeutic and
sensible. Dresses are plentiful and a good value in stores everywhere from
consignment stores to regular retail. Even prom dresses can be found at
consignment stores like Forever Young in Lilburn, where an entire floor is
dedicated to formal wear, long and short, simple to extravagant but all
extremely affordable.
Of course I tout shopping resale, because that’s my life.
The dress walls at both Finders Keepers locations are an array of beautiful
colors, textures, fabrics, designers and styles at extremely affordable prices.
As a shopper, one must be willing to try on many, even those that may not have
great hanger appeal, to find a dress or 2 that add pop to a wardrobe. Of all
the dresses I tried on that evening, I only bought one, the yellow Calvin
Klein. Embrace the fact that it takes continual additions to have a wardrobe
that is ready for any of life’s events and go shopping often and only buy what
you love. Chaos will give way to confidence and with confidence comes peace. We
all need more of that!
Make sure to scroll down to the bottom of this week’s email
for the coupon for 20% off one regular-priced dress, my Easter gift to you. (Not on our email list? Visit our website to sign up: http://www.fkconsign.com/Join-Our-Email-List.html)
Bonnie
Kallenberg
