The Tipping Point: When to Give a New Style a Try and When to Give it up

Ever gone shopping, tried something on and wondered, “Does this look awful, or is it just me?” How do you really know if a new trend looks bad on you or whether you’re just stuck in a serious style rut?

Welcome to the Tipping Point- that place of limbo where you must decide to either give a new style a try, or just plain give it up!

Here’s are a few helpful Do’s and Don’ts to help get you off this fashion fence.

1. DON’T blindly listen to sales people

We’ve all fallen into the trap of relying on a salesperson to talk us into buying something, that deep down, we’re not crazy about. While there are some good salespeople out there, most are on commission. Although they mean well, they subconsciously do want you to buy, so always keep this in mind.

Better to listen to your gut about an outfit or develop a long term relationship with a particular salesperson that you like and trust and who won’t steer you wrong.
Also, be sure to take a good look at how the sales person has put herself together. If she’s not looking so chic, how can you expect her to help you look chic?

2. DO take it home to test drive

The wonderful thing about shopping these days is that most stores have excellent return policies. If you’re not sure how you feel about something, take it home and try it out. It can look very different at home the next morning when you are more rested or you are in a different light. Maybe you’ll even notice how well it works with something else in your closet or be inspired to keep it because of all the compliments you get from family members when you slip it on. Or, perhaps, you’ll realize that your instincts were right after all, and promptly return it.

Just be sure to keep the tags attached and keep all receipts and you should have no problem. Trust us…doing this a dozen times, you’ll become more confident in your fashion choices and have to use this tactic only the odd time.

3. DON’T say no to the first garment you try on

When a new style arrives in the store it can be so foreign that even though it looks fabulous on you, it feels strange. We recently had one client who we suggested try the new walking short and she was very dubious. The first pair she tried on looked great, but was still unsure, so she tried on several more pairs in different fabrics and cuts until she got comfortable with the look. In the end she bought the first pair she tried on and 2 others. She was thrilled with the elegant look of walking shorts. So lesson here, try on many of the same style to get comfy and pick ones that suits you best.

4. DO check out what other women are pulling off

If you’ve tried on a certain new style and you are not sure if it is age appropriate, take a day and people watch what other fashionable gals are doing with the look. If you think chunky platform shoes will look too young, see if other stylish 40-somethings have them and what they are wearing with them to make them look so great. It’s all about the total look, so check out the small details. What style of clothes is she wearing with the shoes, how has she done her hair,what other accessories is she wearing? Also, notice the quality of the shoes she has on. All these details can shape how this trend will look on you.

5. DO be prepared to make mistakes

When you’ve fallen off the style track (or you feel you’ve never been on it), it’s going to take a while to get back on board. Be prepared to get it wrong sometimes and forgive yourself. So,you thought it looked great. You gave it a chance, and a month later hated it. This will happen. Don’t beat yourself up. Developing your own personal style is a process.

6. DON’T buy clothes you are not in love with

In the end, the best way to determine whether a new style is right for you is to be in love with it. A client of ours tried on a pair of gorgeous lower rise jeans in a stunning green shade that made her eyes pop. The color and style were perfect, but she just didn’t feel good in them not matter how many times she tried them on. So we suggested she pass. The reason: If you don’t feel confident in what you are wearing you will never look fabulous. Never! That’s the bottom line and the perfect way to politely tell to a pushy salesperson to get her off your back.