SOS Top Tips: Online shopping

PJ’s – check, slippers –  check, coffee – check, credit card – check.  Say what?  or does that sound familiar.  Who likes a bit of online shopping? Because that is how you do it.

If you do already shop online, then you’ll likely be familiar with some of my hot tips, but if you are an online shopping virgin, I’ve put together some top tips for you to follow to ensure your a happy little camper at Camp Sisterhood of the online kind.  Too long there? Moving on.

I know a lot of women, my clients and friends included, who have never, say they would never, dip their toe into online shopping.

The most common replies to why not are “what if I get the wrong size”, “I like to touch the fabric”, “I need to see it on me”.  They are all valid reasons.  But they don’t need to be the reason you never do it, so let’s break your online shopping cherry Sisters. One of the most gratifying feelings is the knock knock of the courier, delivering your parcel, the morning after you make a purchase.  So to make it easy for you timid onliners, I’ve provided you a guide to the shops that do online really really well, make it a great experience, offer a little more than you might think they would and deliver it quick.

Where to shop 

My favourite go to places within New Zealand are Superette (their sales are epic and they pop lovely little things in the packages – I was devastated recently when my camo print umbrella that I got with a pair of shoes, went bye bye’s on a night out.  Paper Plane Store in Tauranga wrap things beautifully and they offer a sassy little range of The Beach People Roundie Towels.  Father Rabbit  for beautifully curated gifts and my favourite Rains raincoats.  Trelise Cooper and her COOP range – a funky, bright, bold shop that offers fabulous sales too – there’s one on now, right now with 40% off. Thank me later. Other New Zealand online shops that are handy for a quick shop for basics or capsule wardrobe fillers are Ezibuy & Glassons and their deliveries are quick. (update Feb 2017) – Two other fabulous online shops based in NZ are ShineOn and TwoDaughters (which is 100% kiwi-made)

When hunting, I mean shopping a little further afield, I choose The Iconic and ASOS.  I swear by them.  A recent discovery is Bohemian Traders, which I am about to agressively stalk for their Striped Midi dress – once good old styleitdontbuyit stops at the end of the month.   But back to the The Iconic and ASOS. Imagine if you will, needing a kaftan, togs, shorts, cullottes that are out of season here or the bomber jacket of the moment or a pair of Adidas Originals and you want something that no one else will likely have.  Then Iconic and ASOS are your friends.  But there in lies the trick – never shop on either site with mindless abandon – you’ll get sucked into a vortex of satorial misadventure and end up broke. Yes it’s a rabbit hole of awesome, but without a plan (I’m a powershopping queen), online shopping on these two sites could be endless and expensive.

How to shop

As I mentioned above and in my powershopping blog, you have to work with a plan.  Be focussed and maintain an air of calm, particularly when you find that amazing jacket, that looks like nothing you have seen before but only has one size left, and it ain’t yours.  This is one of the hardest things about online shopping, accepting it’s lost to you, cause there ain’t no shop assistant lurking around the corner to find you the right size “out the back”. Having said that, you might get lucky as some sites have concierge services and click to chat offerings, where you can ‘talk’ to someone at the click of your keyboard and they might search the ether for your size.  TIP: if you login to certain sites, they may offer a wish list page for you to store your items you’ve given a heart emoji too.  This is a great way for me to wait patiently for my chosen item to come back in in my size (or not).

The fine print – shipping costs and returns policy

Most of these sites offer small to no shipping costs, especially if you spend over a certain amount.  But if this is a barrier to you, then shop around sites first, decide what suits you for your look and then see what their shipping costs are.  Equally, make sure you check on their returns policy.  ASOS offer returns and they will repay you the cost of shipping.  I’ve sent two pairs of shoes back before at a cost to me of $60 postage, but they refunded it with a couple of weeks.  Tip – before you rip open the bag that your items come in, think carefully, rip carefully, save the bag somewhat.  Then, if a return is imminent, you have a perfectly good bag to do it with. Trelise Cooper offer a full refund on any items you return to their online store (not in-store) and do this even on sale items.  Gotta love that, as it makes the purchases low risk. Next, read the labels, check the fabric type and care instructions. There’s nothing worse than finding your eagerly awaited item is hand wash only.

Use their styling advice 

Most sites above offer a “complete the look” or “shop the look” suggestions.  Use them. Often you can complete the outfit in seconds.  It will provide the details for everything worn in the shot, not just the item you clicked on.

Have fun

The wonderful thing about online shopping and by far the best thing for me, is the feeling of it fitting in with my timetable.  I like being able to do it in my PJ’s, particularly the sales, there’s no “elbows out” as you reach for the last one on the shelf. If you have a little more time, go deeper into the sites and look at items you normally wouldn’t, style them up in your head or use Polyvore to bring the look together.

I love being able to have the thrill of hunting online as much as I love getting together with clients and friends to shop in the retail stores.  But then, I just love shopping and clothes full stop, so its a no brainer.  Have I turned any of you, will you give it a go now?  If I have, then share your finds and any great sites I haven’t mentioned with the Sisterhood.

Love your work Sisters,

EJ x Mother of the Sisterhood.

If you would like to book a styling session, or want to chat about any style related queries, then drop me an email emma@sisterhoodofstyle.com and I’d love to chat. 

Be your own firecracker

I’m sitting here with a glass of wine, following another glass of wine with a dear friend. This post is a bit more personal that I have posted before, but it’s something I feel strongly about and a reason why I started Sisterhood of Style – which is to be a champion of a sister’s self confidence.  We bumped into each other on our way home from work and being a Thursday, I threw going home out the window and agreed to a glass of wine.  Just the one.  But one was all we needed, cause sisters, she has a gift and that gift is in talking the right sort of talk and I just became mesmerised by our chat.  By “being a Thursday & throwing going home out the window” I mean that I didn’t have to be the first one home to our boys, to be the dinner giver, the soccer-mom or the to bed-putter.  In other words it’s all about the FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM!

So we mosied up to a favourite old haunt and sat by a glowing fire and strangely for me ordered a Pinot Noir.  I don’t know enough about wine to know if it was a good one, but I loved it, it warmed me, felt just right in the winter chill and it set the tone for a good old natter.

We discussed a lot at length and some things in snippets. But what struck me as I set off for home, after maximising our short time together, was the chat we had on negative self-talk stuck with me the most. So I thought I would share some more with you.

Negative self talk comes in many shapes and sizes;  I’m not good enough, I’m too fat, I’m too thin, I’m not tall enough, I look fat in that, I look shite, I look, feel, think, do all sorts of wrong, I’m not good enough at that, what do I know?  Shall I go on?  You may have delivered one of those striking blows to yourself just this morning as your got dressed, brushed your hair, dried your body or walked into work.

Well ENOUGH.

Let’s press pause.  Cause this is where the chat with my girlfriend got all epic and shit. She told me that when we hear ourselves say something negative, instead of telling yourself off (again), simply acknowledge the moment and then tell yourself ‘noted’.  That’s it, let it be there and sit with you for a bit, but move on, don’t dwell over it and don’t believe in the thought, cause that’s all it was, a thought.

So sisters, sing from the top of your lungs that freaking Frozen song to end all songs “Let it go, let it go”.  It’s not a new theory, I know that, but it’s one that keeps coming up in my Facebook feed, in Instagram posts, in books I read and in conversations I have.  So it’s a “thing” and should be acknowledged.

And I have no intention of enabling that negative self talk along in any of you beautiful sisters. In fact I hope part of what I do can help silence or muffle that little biarch!  I have been working with the most amazing women, in workshops and through coming into their homes editing their wardrobes or taking them shopping.  Each one has made themselves so vulnerable to me and I feel a powerful sense of responsibility to help that vulnerability and nudge it through to confidence.

What I’m getting at is this.  I love my styling biz, it’s a deep passion,  I love sharing how to wear things and try new options daily on Instagram and Facebook.  But equally, I’m comfortable and happy in my Uggs and soft pants.

    (Photo taken on the same day – day to night)

Because, while a great outfit is what gives me a confidence boost and gives me an armour to face the world, I’m not afraid to dress down and not give myself grief for doing it.

But it’s not just clothes is it? We sisters can give ourselves crap about anything and everything and I hope that in reading this, you might be much kinder to yourself after and just say ‘noted’ when the thought appears and then,  move on.

Be your own cheerleader, a firecracker of awesome and believe the hype – you’re gorgeous & awesome.

What do you think about that sisters?

EJ x

The mother of Sisterhood of Style.

 

What are you waiting for? – JFDI

Before you ask, no, I didn’t spell Jedi wrong in the title.  It’s an an acronym, a shortening of a phrase.  I don’t usually like them, as it implies that you should already know, that you aren’t on the in.  But I have a good reason – it’s not approps to write it out in the title cause it has a sweary word in it.

Ok now you’re intrigued – alright, I hear you, here it is, in case you didn’t know,  JFDI means JUST FUCKING DO IT.  There, it’s out, sorry mum.

Ok, so what do I want you to just flipping do?  Wear it.  Wear all of it.

What the heck am I talking about?  Well, for me, it all started after I had my kiddletts.  I hung around a lot dressed in what is now known as “active wear” but ten years ago, it was just called trackies and a tshirt with your runners.  I looked a bit bland and a whole lot non-descript and nothing like me.  Not who I wanted to portray to the world or who I felt I was on the inside.

Fast forward 10 years, and wouldn’t you know it, I have a nearly ten year old and I’m wearing some mighty bling on my neck, a bright red lippy and (intentionally styled) hair as wild as the gorse bush I sat on last week at a park.  But I digress.

I recently held a style workshop for a bunch of awesome sisters and one of my guests told me that she was keeping items locked off from everyday wear as she thought them too fancy.  I said, fancy schmancy, get them on and JFDI.  Well I didn’t say that, but I thought it and then we talked about how to style them up for everyday, take them from day to night and she left, hopefully back to her wardrobe to try the new ideas on for size.

So, I’m here to call out your inner goddess, yes I know that she’s in there, that one that dreams of lippy and a great outfit that you feel fab in.  You know it’s hidden in your wardrobe, I can almost sense it myself.  So go, go get her out, try her on and take her for a spin.

Please stop waiting for the fancy event, the black tie event, the wedding, the meeting, the dinner, the party, the girls lunch – JFDI and put it on now.  Even if your kids are at home sick, you are working from home or your work is quite corporate, JFDI.  You will know the right thing to wear at the appropriate time, but stop holding back your fun things for just fun things.  Get joy, spark the joy in you, from those items – all the time.  There’s a thought.

I don’t wait around anymore for that ‘fancy special event’ I tailor my looks according to what I am doing that day, but I don’t hold items back for special special anymore.  Anything goes, even the sequin pant on the school run – whose gonna stop me? Certainly not the fashion police and what’s the worse they can say to me ” you look overdressed” or “you look nice”?  Yes, well thanks, I do.

So Sisters, go try on that jacket, skirt, trouser, top, necklace or lippy that you have reserved in your head, get it on and JFDI.

Let me know how  your JFDI outfit goes.

mmmmmmmmmmmmmwah

EJ x

 

 

 

 

Power-Shopping Queens

Hello my sisters from other misters – (please imagine the guy who does the voiceovers in the movies, reading this to you) –  Welcome to the world of power-shopping.

I’m not going to lie, I am giving myself tremendous kudos here, but I’m a professional at it. I think I deserve some sort of certificate or degree, maybe I’ll just add it to my Insta profile “trained power-shopper”, that should do it.  Then the inevitable questions start – who trained you? What University did you get this degree from?  Well, the University of Life actually, that and a total lack of time.
“Power-shopper”; I like to think the term was coined in the 80’s by a shoulder padded jazzercised Jane Fonda type – knowing she had a black tie affair that night, but had a zillion things to do in between and some leg warmers to wear – but she did have a spare half hour at lunch, so she decided to blitz it at the mall on her lunch hour. Jane Fonda or maybe Melanie Griffiths in “Working Girl”.

So what is it? It’s an intensive, singular shopping experience, where you task yourself with the goal of finding particular items and you do not deviate from said action or roam the shops for other items, going majorly off-task. Your laser focus is key and attaining the item the prize.  I should mention here that the Urban dictionary term “power-shopping” as being for people who generally don’t like shopping and do it out of necessity. But I say phooey to that! Let’s celebrate the power-shopper, it’s rewards can be great.
So how do you do this thing then?  Power-shopping is best done alone, with a list in hand and some pre planning of which shops are based where so getting around the mall is easy.  Yes, I recommend a mall, so you are in close proximity to all necessary items.  Warning, do not got to a mall you’ve never been into. This takes the power out of the power-shopping. High-end boutiques are often too gorgeous, too sparkly, too damn pretty to not spend more time in, so they don’t often fit into a multi-shop power-shop.  But, if like me in the past, you have had your eye on a piece in say, Sass and Bide, then let your fingers do the walking, ring ahead to the store, have the item put aside, go in, try it on, buy it, leave.  Thats called the single shop, power-shop.  But I digress.
What might you be looking for?  It might be an item for that nights party, or a jacket for the lunch on the weekend away and it’s Friday morning and you leave at 2pm and there’s little time but you can’t forget about it; or there are items you need, have had on a list for a long time but life keeps getting in the way, which is why I thrive on the power-shop.

I’ve mentioned on my blog before that I’m a busy girl, kids,work, life to tackle. Plus I have boy branded kids and no matter me trying to not stereotype them and encouraging them to shop with me, their fathers’ gene pool is stronger here than mine and they refuse point blank.  So I don’t get a whole log of shopping time in.  The power-shop suits me perfectly.

Funnily enough, in June, I have challenged by Facebook followers @sisterhoodofstylenz to Don’t buy, just try and style what you’ve got, in celebration of #JunkfreeJune. So there won’t be much power-shopping in June for me.  But just wait until July!  That’s going to be epic!  🙂  Follow me on facebook and join in the fun.

Have you ever, do you ever power-shop?  Share your story of power-shopping in the comments below, I’d love to hear them.

Mmmmmwah xxx

EJ