Things to Know Before the SALE Shopping Galore

Is it the end of season sale again? Red tags and additional discounts are on the racks, “Up to 70% off” and “Buy two for the price of one” signs on display windows? Yes, I know all of these make you go giddy but you have to remember that you also have to be wise in buying sale items. Sale gives you all the right to become an impulse buyer and instead of getting a good deal, you are not maximizing your buying capacity. So here's some things you want to know before going into shopping spree:

Your first choice may not be the best choice.

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Give time to look around. If you found a nice white shirt in a store at 30% discount, do not settle easily. Just put it in mind and check another store or two. The more the basic the item is, the more stores you have to check. You might find a buy one take one for that white shirt or even a 70% off.





Double check items to be purchased.

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Wear and tear of these items for sale started the day they were placed in the “New Arrival” rack. At the end of the season, many buyers have set their hands on the same item and have actually tried them on. With that, check the seams of the clothing item, most especially under the arm, buttons and shoulder. These seams might be loose and would require additional cost in for repair. Do this most especially in stores that don’t have a return policy for sale items and for stores that all stocks are out in the display stand.


Set a limit.

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Just like playing stocks, you should have a cut loss and take profit policy in shopping, most especially when it’s the sale season. Make an initial list before going to the red-tag sale and set a budget as to how much you are willing to pay for each item. Do not bring all your cash or credit cards. Work within your budget.







Freebies are sometimes the devil.

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“Buy three pairs of suits and get a limited edition jacket for FREE!” You see this sign and you badly want that limited edition jacket. So you start to convince yourself that you need the suits so that you can have that jacket. You end up spending thousands of dollars for the freebie. You don’t cut yourself so that you can have the adhesive bandage. Yes, you have done this once in your life and do not let the freebies fool you again.





These retails stores hire marketing people to think of ways to entice people like you to go in their shops and make you grab something and line up in the cashier. Don’t make their lives easy. Think before opening your wallet. Even on sale season, SHOP WISELY!

Formal or Casual Accessory Style Guide : Watch your watch

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If there is a wear-only-one-accessory rule for men, a watch should be on top of your priority list. In the corporate setting, both men and women, watch is a necessary accessory. For decades now, it has gone past the functionality but more of aesthetics. Nowadays people have mobile phones and could always check on it for time but a watch just has to be present. It discreetly tell something about a person, how he/she matches the watch he/she wears to the outfit. In this materialistic world, sometimes you are judged by what you wear and a watch is a big indication of how much your disposable income is and relates it to your success and credibility. So in buying a watch you have to look into certain details.

1. Strap or Bracelet

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Straps comes in different materials such as leather, steel and rubber and in different colors or shades such as black or brown leather, silver stainless steel, gold or two tone, or wide selection of colored rubber straps. But if you are purchasing your first watch, a watch with a silver stainless steel bracelet is practical to have compared to leather strapped ones. It is long lasting and adaptable to wide range of attire. There are dressed silver watches that are simple and elegant enough to match a formal suit or a casual shirt and jeans look. If your budget permits, a leather strapped dress watch is advisable to give variety as it can also be worn for certain formal and casual occasions. Make sure you wear the strap correctly that it fits comfortably and doesn’t move loosely when you move your hand.

2. Face Size and Design

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Today, watches with big face are so trendy and sleek looking that even women also consider watches with masculine style on their wrist. Most especially for bigger men, do not go for a small faced watch as it makes you look bigger. Minimum size would be a 40mm and could go as high as 47mm depending on how it looks on you. The case of a watch varies but popular choice for formal wear is circular or rectangular. For a more durable kind, opt for a watch crystal that is made of Synthetic sapphire or mineral glass for its scratch proof quality. As for watches with chronograph face, it is widely used even in formal steel and leather strapped watches. It has now become accepted to be worn in formal and casual outfits.

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3. Analog or Digital

Only a sports watch is advised to come in digital. It is generally accepted that an analog watch fits a suit, a dress shirt or anything with collar and not a digital watch. A classic choice would be an analog watch for both formal and casual outfits. A built-in illumination on the watch hands is a plus.

Preserve and Don't Ignore : How to take care of your wardrobe

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In order to lengthen the useful life of your clothes and accessories, you should know how to clean and store them. Knowing how to take care of your wardrobe is just as important as knowing how to wear them. Here are some tips on how you can preserve the life of your clothing pieces:

1. For tops such as tees, dress shirts and polo shirts, hang them properly using hangers if you plan to use them again. If it is a structured piece, use a padded hanger so that the ends of the hanger don’t unevenly stretch or leave a mark on the material. If you choose to put them in a hamper for laundry, brush the inside of the collar and the cuffs for long sleeves first to remove yellowish marks or stains from sweat and dirt before it sets on to your clothes and become permanent stains.

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2. If you accidentally stained your shirt with pasta sauce or red wine, use cold water or ice to remove it before it sets. Do not rub too much for it not to spread.

3. If you can wash your clothes without putting it in the dryer, the better. Dryers forcibly stretch and wear out your clothes. It also deteriorates the color quality of your clothes faster than natural drying process.

4. Suits, jackets, tux and coats only deserve dry cleaning. Do not attempt to wash them yourself using a washing machine or by hand. You will damage the form and will never be able to wear them again. Also, brush your jackets and trousers right after every use to get rid of dirt and food crumbs that might damage your expensive suit.

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5. Leather shoes should be worn at least once a week. Storing it and not using it for a long time might cause the material to crack and break. Polish your shoes on a regular basis to preserve its texture, shine and moisture content. Store your shoes in a shoe rack where there is ventilation to remove unwanted smell.

6. For your watches, buy a watch box/organizer. Don’t just put it in your drawer together with your keys, pens and Swiss knife as it may scratch the face or damage the metal part and band of your watch. For leather bands, after using it for years, it is inevitable for it to have unpleasant odor as the material reacts to your sweat. Try using soap and water if you can still save it. Too much soap might ruin the leather so if after cleaning and the strap still stinks; you have to replace it altogether. For sports and dive watches, wash it with warm water after swimming in the beach.

7. For your belts, store them by hanging it in a hook-type hanger as it rests on vertical position without any fold. Do not roll it up and store in a box or hang it up in a hanger folding it into two. Belt, especially leather ones, will easily deform and create fold marks.

With proper care, surely you will save money by not having to replace your clothes and accessories as often and well maintained clothes always looks better and fresh.

5W’s and 1H in Buying Suits

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In the financial equation, your suits fall into your assets. It doesn't matter whether you purchased it using equity or debt. What matters is that you make the most out of the money you spend for that investment piece. Here’s a shotgun 5W’s and H in buying suits:

WHEN

Need a suit in three months’ time for your best buddy’s wedding? Or a formal outfit for your company’s foundation day event scheduled in three weeks’ time? It is important that you consider time and when you need the suit. If you have at least two months, you may opt for a bespoke suit. Otherwise, buy from a department store a pre-made one and have it tailored based on your measurement.

WHY

Why are you buying a suit? If your answer is for special occasions like weddings and company events and would wear it maximum of once a month, choosing a dark shade of grey or a solid black is never a gamble. If you plan to use it as work wardrobe or uniform, a classic navy single button suit that is not too pricey is a good choice.

WHO

Who should you trust in buying a suit? Beware of sales persons who throws away compliments to their products in store to be able to seal a deal. Do your own research. Ask colleagues and read reviews of brands you're interested in.

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WHERE

Where to look for a suit? Start at the nearest department store. Be suit-fitting ready and wear a dress shirt and shoes. Try fitting different designs and colors and fit the two piece suit – jacket and pants. Find a whole length mirror and assess how it looks on you. Bring a friend to help you decide.

WHAT

What should you consider in buying a suit? It should fit you! You should effortlessly be able to close the jacket buttons. Just the right fit that it comfortably hugs your body. Space in between your chest and the buttons should not be more than 2 inches. The jacket’s shoulder pads should not overhang your frame. Test this by leaning against a wall sideways. You’ll know that it’s the right fit if your shoulders hit the wall first before the shoulder pads. For the length, especially the arms length, the “cupped fingers” technique is widely used. Then again, newer styles of jackets feature shorter sleeves that cover about an inch of your shirtsleeve cuff.

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HOW

How will you alter-to-fit? Only a bespoke suit is perfect, otherwise, you really have to bring it a tailor for alteration. Normally the pants, jacket sleeve length and sides are the only sections that can be altered. If the shoulder is the problem or if there is more than an inch on each side of the jacket or pants (waist) need to be fixed, you are in a mess.