Men are from Mars, and Women from Venius.
I’m an experienced London fashion stylist. And with over 20 years of personal shopping experience with both men and women I have concluded that men are from Mars, and women are from Venus. How men shop for clothes is different from women. Our shopping habits set us apart. Generally speaking browsing is a woman’s superpower and they have the endurance of a marathon runner. However, men shop for clothes in packs, and in short burst of focused energy. Like a sprinter.
70% of the clothes we own don’t make it passed the floor-drobe, and yet we still think we have nothing to wear. Our wardrobes are badly organised and full. Here’s some simple steps on editing your wardrobe, and preparing it for an up date.. Follow my basic traffic light advice to guide you through the intelligent practise of purge before you purchase.
PREPARATION:
Gather all you clothes. Empty your attic, loft, under the bed and any other storage. The aim is to create 2 piles. Yes No
The idea is to reduce down what you wear, and identify any wardrobe gaps. The ‘no’ piles should consist of clothes that are old, beyond repair, wrong size, colour, fit and any doubles. Resist holding on to any ‘just in case’ clothes. But be mindful of vintage and hugh value garments. There are many of places that will accept second hand clothes. The ‘yes’ pile are absolute certain items that fit and flatter. It’s perfectly ok to split you wardrobe into spring summer and autum winter.
If you are unsure about items, follow this simple hanger test. Face all your hangers in the same direction, and once you have worn something replace it the opposite way round. It will be obvious after 6 months which clothes are not being worn. Also, use the wardrobe edit as an opportunity to organise. Place all similar items together, and everything facing the same wat. I find doing up the top button on clothes stops the sliding off the hanger.
Here’s the processset out in a traffic light guide.
Red: Preparation..preparation..preparation. Purge before you purchase. Go through your wardrobe of redundant items, by donating them to local charity.
Amber: A cleaner space will bring about a clarity of mind, and any gaps will become more evident. Create a list of what items you needs or any missing essentials.
Green: Armed with your list, research and shop intelligently. Classics have a longevity over high fashion pieces, and a savvy shopper will only buy necessary items to rejuvenate style.
Resist buying anything you’ll slim into, as this is false economy. Be focused, and consider investing a little more money on items you are likely to hold onto longer than one fashion cycle. I hope this how men shop guide was useful.
Happy intelligent shopping!