How Do You Shop?

Back in the day (read: pre-husband, pre-kid), I used to shop much differently than I do now. I may have had something particular in mind I was shopping for, but my try-on pile would be fairly large. And if I liked it? I bought it. That created a couple of problems: Not only was I spending too much money, but my closet was also over-stuffed with things that I fell in love with under the fluorescent lights but didn’t really love so much in real life. I found that I would wear things a couple of times and then move on to the next most appealing item – not an efficient use of my hard-earned dollars, limited closet space and really, my time. Who wants to spend every weekend cleaning out her closet? (Hint: I DO NOT.)

For Christmas, my best friend gave me a gift card to TJ Maxx (how I love thee) and it was burning a hole in my pocket. Although I didn’t necessarily have anything in mind that I wanted to buy, I needed a break at lunch one day and headed over to my local store. Let’s take a look at what I found:

Not sure what the brand was, but it was a ruffled black and gray dress.

The first item up for consideration? This black and gray ruffled dress. I grabbed it off the clearance rack, where its $10 price tag was screaming at me. I thought it might look cute with leggings? Back in the day, I totally would have bought this. But my more mature self (HAHAHA) decided that it wasn’t flattering enough to spend my money on it. Next!

It's more of a poppy color in real life, but you get the idea.

I know it’s not news to anybody, but my STARS were there a lot of ruffles on the racks. This is a trend that can be difficult to pull off – too many ruffles and you’re walking out looking like Bozo the Clown, which is obviously not a great look for anyone (sorry, Bozo). But this shirt was very flattering, a good length and the ruffles were pretty subtle. Or, you know, as subtle as a ruffle can be. Let’s put this one in the maybe pile.

Rocking the curves with this one!

Although I was initially looking for some springier pieces, this one caught my eye right away. I’m no skinny minnie, and they always say that a belted waist can help show off your curves. Ooo la la! I really like this one. And for just $16.99, I’m OK with only wearing it for a couple of months now and saving it for the fall. This is in the yes pile!

This also came in a stunning dark blue color.

By now, it is well established that I am a cardigan junkie. It’s a little hard to tell in the picture, but it’s basically a sheer cardigan with solid stripes throughout. The color was great for my coloring – my eyes looked like they matched the green, and it was pretty flattering. I tried on the matching shell underneath, but decided that I could probably get away with one that I already have. I originally put the cardigan in the yes pile, but something was making me question that decision – so I ended up leaving it at the store that day.

That said, I was thinking about it ALL weekend long. I usually take that as a sign that I need to go check it out again. So, on Monday, I stopped by on my lunch break and tried it on again. And you know what? I didn’t like it as much the second time. So I’m glad I just said no. Moving on…

Every closet needs a little black dress, am I right?

OK you guys. I totally did not see this one coming! I had it in my try-on pile only because I have a couple of other Evan Picone dresses that are similar in style. I like how they wash, I like how they fit, and they’re generally very flattering for my body type. But, again, this had ruffles – tiered ruffles, to be exact. I thought for sure this was going to be awful. But seriously, it was like magic. Quite frankly, I looked HOT. I have no idea when or where I will ever wear it, but for just $29.99 I am willing to take that risk. And for the record, you are seeing it on the hanger only, because otherwise you would have seen my glamorous bra straps hanging out. And that’s just a NO.

I ended up buying the poppy ruffled shirt, the belted gray sweater and the little black dress. I spent more than my gift card amount, but I’m pretty pleased with my purchases and feel happy that I walked out of there with pieces that I will be happy to add to my closet, not my consignment store pile.

What do you think, did I make the right decisions?