A fellow petite named Jane from Facebook suggested I do a post on my top 10 shopping rules. I thought it was a genius idea!!! She shared some of her rules with me so I going to borrow some of her ideas and use it for this post because they were so similar to mine:) Thanks Jane for the great suggestion! (if you haven't LIKED me yet on Facebook, please support me by doing so)

MY TOP 10 SHOPPING RULES:
(in no specific order)

1. Buy things that fit. I know- being petite, this is extremely difficult to follow and sometimes we have no choice but to break this rule. Alterations are so insanely expensive so if I can avoid having to completely alter the item, I will  pass or at least try to. Expensive lesson learned within the last 2 years: Victoria Secret skirt/pant suits. I stopped buying pants because I would always have to tailor the waist, hips and hem. Just not worth the investment for me. I stick to skirts and dresses that fit and will splurge on the hem if I love the item enough. So for petites, try to buy things that fit or need minimal alterations. It will not only look better but will help your pocketbook too.

2. Don't let sales cloud your judgement. I have a very difficult time w/this one. Who doesn't love a good sale? I certainly am a major sucker for a good deal and low prices but due to my impulsive purchases, I am left with a large pile of donations. I am definitely guilty of breaking this rule multiple times. I am working on getting better but it's not looking good. 

3. Be Practical. I tend to get really excited when shopping and jump the gun on anything I think is nice. Since I work and don't do much else, 95% of my wardrobe is business attire. So when it comes finding a casual outfit, it's like going to the dentist- excruciating. I always think to myself, is this REALLY practical for me? Even if it's the cutest dress on the planet and fits perfectly- am I really going to go to the club on a Saturday night? Like for instance, this dress below is in my opinion, super cute and  sexy but I have to be real with myself, where on earth am I going to wear this?

4. Buy things you LOVE. A year ago, I would buy anything and everything w/out even giving a thought to fit. Unfortunately, I was buying all the wrong sizes which left a hole in my wallet after alterations. Now I try to give my purchases some thought and I have to really LOVE what I am buying otherwise it will end up in a blog sale. If you just feel "eh" about the item, it's probably not going to get much wear so practice some self-control and put the item back on the rack or get away from the computer (if online shopping).
5. Try everything on before buying. I have a big issue w/this because when I am shopping, time is always not on my hands. So it's a rarity I get to try things on. So it leaves me with tons of returns which in-turn is a lot of gas spent and time wasted driving back and forth. I could just easily save myself the hassle by just going into the fitting room to begin with. This obviously does NOT apply if you are shopping online.
Image Credit
6. Don't buy based on price. Anyone guilty of this? Hahaha because I sure am! This rule kind of goes along with Rule #2. I sometimes will buy things just because it's dirt cheap and then guess what happens? You guessed it- it sits there, tags attached and then ends up at Goodwill. I can't even tell you how many times I have done this, continue to do this and have that sick feeling of regret. I am working on this one!!!
7. Buy quality vs. quantity.  If only everyone could see all my closets filled w/clothes that are just crap. How sad and so much money has been wasted. Thank goodness for blogging because it forces me to really stop buying all the poor quality, ill-fitting clothes that I used to.  I went from shopping at Ross Dress for Less, Marshalls/TJMaxx and any discount stores I could get my hands on. There are some great finds at Marshalls/TJMaxx so please don't take this the wrong way. I am not a snob even though I may sound like one right now. I have found 2 Vince cashmere cardigans at TJMaxx which I love and wear all the time (Runway Collection). 
8.  Buy things that will go w/other items in your closet. This is a tricky rule because I think you should definitely try new things, styles and colors.  What I don't believe you should do is buy an item and then have to buy more items to go with it that first item. For example, I love the idea of some red pumps (classy ones not the hooker style) but I know it won't go anything I own. I could wear them with an all black or even gray outfit but would I really do that? It's a bit bold for my business but I do love the idea of it.  So then I would have to buy outfits that go with those red pumps. Result = unworn red pumps that collect dust.
9.  Buy things you feel good in. I know what makes me feel good and I hope most of you do to. I feel GREAT in skirts and dresses so I don't bother with pants. I have a couple pairs of LOFT pants that I feel somewhat decent in but other than that, I have given up on pants all together. Every time I wear them, I feel weird and self-conscious in them so why bother?
10.  Give yourself a budget/Make a list. Instead of spending sporatically every month, I suggest a list of of things you really want/need to buy. Set a budget and stick to it. I personally don't have a budget now (in progress) but I do make a list for myself of things I want. It's amazing when you actually write things down, they come true! Before getting my beige Chanel, I had on my list: Chanel beige flap and what do you know, it's in my possession now:)
Which items have I excelled in? Definitely #3, #7 and #9. I definitely  have to work on the rest! Blogging has really helped me a LOT and I just want to say hats off to the ladies that blog and the twitter friends that respond when I am in question whether to buy something or not.

And if you haven't entered my $100 LOFT gift card giveaway, please enter HERE. There's not that much time left! Ends on April 1st!

Readers: Which ones do you need to improve on?