Is Shopping With Friends A Good Idea?

Fashion Kuel Category Expert: Jodie Filogomo

Many articles claim you should never go shopping with friends. I’ve heard the reasoning being either you end up buying things that aren’t “you” or it takes too much time.

Yet friend time is very important to all of us so keep reading to start thinking about the other side of the coin.

The Invitation

If your friend asks you to go shopping, say “YES!” Even if this isn’t your idea of the best time ever, it can still be a much needed social activity.

Heck, you don’t have to buy anything. Just go for the fun of it.

Maybe if it’s not your cup of tea, you can always suggest to limit the shopping to a certain amount of time, and then plan to have lunch or happy hour afterwards. That way there is a pre-planned time limit along with a great food reward at the end.

When you do commit to the shopping trip, there are a couple of rules you should abide by.

1-Stay close to your friend or tell them when you are going to venture farther off. Now is not the time to pull a disappearing act and be gone for hours.

2-If you ask your friend’s opinion about an item, take her word she is telling the truth. We all know that we are our worst critics. Luckily our friends see us in a better light, so take their compliments to heart.

3– Be honest when giving advice to your friend. Sure, we want to be positive, but it’s not helpful if something doesn’t look good on them. That’s how those negative articles about shopping with friends get leverage.

Therefore, if you don’t like the item on your friend, just say you’ve seen her look better in other things.

Insider tip: Give the reasons why you don’t like something. Sometimes we judge clothing by our own style preferences and don’t take into account how our friend may think differently.

4– If your friend suggests to try something on and you don’t like it, suck it up and try it on. It doesn’t hurt to put something on, even if you think it’s hideous. Then, ask why they thought of you when they saw it. It’s very possible your friend sees your fabulous qualities differently and you could benefit from her perspective.

Thinking Outside the Box

“You have the advantage of having another set of eyes at your disposal”

Shopping with friends can be the time to really push yourself out of your normal style. You have the advantage of having another set of eyes at your disposal besides it could cause some great laughter and stories.

Insider tip: If the fitting rooms are closed, you can counteract that with wearing leggings, a slim tank and long cardigan. Most pieces you could try on by pulling them over the tank or leggings.

This is the perfect time to explore more than just your usual department or sizing. You may find the perfect dress in the size up from what you normally fit into. And, even if it is a tad large, alterations could make it fit like a glove.

I’ve written about the simple alterations that you should know are possible when you try on clothing. If you want to try the alterations yourself, I even linked to the videos that I routinely use to do these alterations.

Knowing More About Alterations

“And some kid’s purses can add whimsey to any outfit”

Another great idea is to explore both the men’s department and the children’s section. Men’s large t-shirts can be a great option for sleeping shirts or even tunics. And some kid’s purses can add whimsey to any outfit.

I’ve also showcased 3 ways to tie up a “too big” t-shirt if you need any pointers.

Insider tip: Did you know that youth’s shoe size is only 1.5 sizes smaller than women’s sizing. Therefore if you wear a women’s size 7.5, you can fit into a youth size 6. Don’t forget to check out the boy’s sneakers for this same idea.

Online Fun

The idea of shopping with friends can be accomplished with online shopping also. I would suggest to go over to the friend’s house who has the fastest internet and find items for each other.

Insider tip: If you both order from the same company, you can even save on shipping costs. Or get that free shipping since you’ll be ordering more.

Then when the packages arrive, get back together and try them on. This enables you to find pieces in your closet to go with them right away. Even if you are at your friend’s place, you can find items in her closet that can give you ideas from your wardrobe.

Another option is ordering an online clothing box together. I’ve researched three different companies that provide this service. Of course you’ll want to meet up when the boxes are delivered so you can try everything on together.

See the post Comparing 3 Online Clothing Boxes

After reading this article, if shopping with your friend still isn’t something you want to do, think about having your friend style you from your very own closet. The three of us on my blog did this and it was very eye opening because all of us tend to get into habits of how to wear what we have.

See the posts where we each styled one another:

Friends Who Change Your Outfit by Raiding Your Closet

Different Fashion Styles Put Together By Friends

Hiring a Stylist as an Update for Your Closet

About the Author:

Jodie Filogomo is a retired cosmetic dentist who wishes shopping were an Olympic sport. She enjoys an online presence at Jodie’s Touch of Style and on Instagram at @Jtouchofstyle where she works to show “It’s never too late to look great.” Her Arizona journey incorporates her mother who is in her 80’s and good friend who is soon to be 70. In fact, many of the older posts include her stepmom when they were living in Denver.

After joining the Forever Fierce Revolution on Facebook, Jodie has learned how midlife is the best age to be. Our experiences and story is something that we can be proud of, and embracing birthdays start with us!