Want to know the secret tip to shopping smarter for clothes you’ll love?
Thousands of women have shared with me that knowing their Energy Type and learning how to dress their truth has completely changed their shopping experience for the better.
What do your shopping habits say about who you are? When you understand your tendencies, you can more consciously manage to create shopping success rather than shopping sabotage!
Here are the 4 different Types of shoppers with tips to shop smarter for each one:
Type 1 Shopping Habits: The Fun Shopper
Type 1 energy is naturally buoyant with a random, light quality to its movement. You love new experiences and new possibilities—which shopping can offer a lot of. But sometimes there are so many possibilities that it can feel overwhelming and create a heavy, foggy feeling. And you can’t make your best decisions when you feel this way!
Trust your gut. You have the ability to shop very quickly, moving through a store or website, and seeing what catches your eye. You think well on your feet, so use that to your advantage.
Because you make decisions with a bright, quick awareness, you may purchase things that look fun and exciting at the moment only to become dull and boring after you get them home.
Tips for the Type 1 shopper:
- It’s a good idea to know your budget and what you’re looking for before you start to buy. When shopping in stores, it can be a lot more fun for you to go with a friend or family member to create a social experience, but be aware of giving too much value to another’s feedback and not trusting your own beauty sixth sense.
- It’s also best to leave the kids at home when you’re clothes shopping; they will just get frustrated with your “Just one more item to try on” positive attitude, and your “Let’s just go in here real quick” when you’re headed to the car!
Type 2 Shopping Habits – The Details Shopper
Type 2 energy is fluid with a connected, flowing quality to its movement. You are a natural when it comes to details and taking time to see how you feel about what you want to purchase.
As a Type 2, you’ll take the time to read the labels, look at the washing instructions, read online reviews, and ask for opinions. When you purchase an item, you’ll leave the tags on while still deciding if you want to keep it. The final purchase does not occur in your mind until you cut off the tags, throw away any packing material from online purchases, and wear the item—then you truly own it.
Because you’re so good at naturally gathering the details, you need to make a sound purchase, you also get very overwhelmed with too much detail: reading too many reviews, going to too many stores, or trying on too many outfits.
Tips for the Type 2 shopper:
- Take note of what stores, vendors, and brands you prefer so you can revisit them. Notice the fabrics and fit you feel comfortable in.
- You like to shop by yourself and take your time. If you’re rushed into making a purchase, you’ll feel uncomfortable that you’re not making the best decisions—which is probably true!
Type 3 Shopping Habits – The “Get it Done” Shopper
Type 3 energy is naturally swift with a determined, push-forward quality to it. Shopping is a necessity that you might prefer to avoid, or as a “get in and get out as fast as you can” experience. Something to check off your to-do list. Swift and determined is definitely a movement you express in your shopping experience.
You can think well on your feet, and you tend to move through stores swiftly, eyeing like a hawk what you are attracted to. Getting a good deal is almost more important than loving the item! This is something to watch for, as you might end up with a closet full of clothes that are sub-par on you, but you’ll think they’re awesome because they cost you so little. Be willing to pay a little more for something that is fantastic on you. You’ll get your money’s worth over time.
You’re okay shopping with others if you can set the pace. If they slow you down, you won’t make your best shopping decisions.
Online shopping can be a challenge if you skip over too many details. Since it’s not your nature to spend time reading a lot of reviews or read the fine print, you may end up with something that does not fit, is not quite the right color, or shrinks the first time you wash it!
Tips for the Type 3 shopper:
- If you are going to shop online, take some time to review enough details to make your best decisions—because you won’t want to take the time (or money!) to send it back!
- You don’t like taking time trying on clothes and will find ways to avoid this. The only challenge with this is that it’s even worse to get the item home, try it on and have to return it. So, take the time to try it on—fast!
Type 4 Shopping Habits – The Exact Shopper
Type 4 energy is naturally bold with a precise, focused quality to it. As a Type 4 woman, you either like or do not like shopping, which is common for a Type 4 to be on one side or the other about most things in your world.
As a store shopper, you are a loner, and that includes no help from the sales team on the store floor. You do not want your focus to be interrupted.
You go shopping knowing what you want, and you can see with your broad vision whether or not the store will meet your expectations.
Tips for the Type 4 shopper:
- If you are an online shopper, you will have a tendency to read the 1 and 2-star reviews first as you want to be aware of the criticisms people have. You’ll give more weight to the lower reviews than the higher reviews, as you see the world with a perfecting eye, and you feel they are the most honest reviews.
- Give value to the high reviews as well, and meet somewhere in the middle. It’s actually a good idea to throw away the worst and best reviews to gain a more balanced opinion of what you’re considering purchasing.
What are YOUR shopping tendencies? Have any of them been sabotaging your shopping experiences? What tips are you ready to incorporate to create shopping success?
Knowing your Energy Type and Dressing Your Truth will make shopping easier for you. And to help you make it even easier, I invite you to shop at the only store on the planet that has all the merchandise separated by Type! We love supporting you in finding great items for your wardrobe and using your money wisely to create great looks that you love.
PS: Remember, even if your shopping tendencies don’t match up exactly with your Type, it doesn’t necessarily mean you aren’t that Type. I encourage women not to base their assessment on an isolated tendency. Follow my assessment tools in the Energy Profiling course to accurately determine your Type!
I love shopping and I spend too much money for clothes, shoes, handbags… I prefer a good qualitiy and a perfekt fit. My T4 S1 is a expensive combination.
I love and hate shopping because I have the very same issue. I always have a keen eye for the one thing that fits and feels amazing, and then it is never in my budget :D.
Hmm, what type leaves shopping for an outfit until the day before it’s needed in order to force themselves to make a decision? Because, that’s me, lol. Unless I fall completely in love with something (which is rare), if there’s not a time limit on me to make a decision I will just keep on looking. I’ll get confused with too many options, overwhelmed and tired and then I give up. Even with a time limit, if I find something that will work, I’ll still have the store hold it for an hour while I run around checking all the other stores just in case there’s something better, I need to see all the options available.
To me that sounds like what a Type 1 would do.
That’s funny, I’ve been noticing more and more things lately that are making me consider T1. Especially that I can see all the types in my face and I’ve been trying to type myself for 3 years. People have always described me with the typical T2 comments and a little T4. T1 was always the one I thought was least like me. However, when I answered the questions from the “What to do if you can’t figure out your type” post recently, I found out that part of me didn’t want to know my type because I didn’t want to limit my options and also that I’d actually have to move forward with something. I definitely have a pattern of being overwhelmed and stuck because of indecision that goes well beyond just my shopping habits. Thanks for the feedback Carol! 🙂
Type 1! Go ahead and move forward.
Thanks Carol, I will!
Hmm.. I don’t know where I fit with these. I do like to shop alone or with one other person, usually my Mom or one of my daughters. When I’m with one of them, shopping is usually combined with lunch. I like to look through the store and run my fingers over the clothes. How they feel to my fingers is soo important. I look for my colors too. I usually have an item or two in mind. It’s somewhat open-ended, such as, “a t-shirt with a light background, maybe a floral”. And I will be looking for something that could be that. Often those items will be similar to ones I’ve seen in the videos here! I sometimes end up with a completely different item, but only if it’s perfect for me. I try on clothes always! If I think it’s a yes, I’ll often try it on a second or third time. I only get it if I’m sure I love it. I do read labels to make sure it’s washable. I used to insist on 100% cotton, but I don’t do that anymore. I just rely on the feel. Once it’s home, I don’t keep the labels on though. I feel pretty committed to the item at that point. I guess that does fit with type two mostly.
I am totally type 2 where shopping is concerned. The only way my secondary type 1 comes into play is the fact that I used to like to bring my mom for company. She always rushed me though and I always ended up having to eventually come back to return what I bought while out with her. She stays at home now (lol).
I prefer online shopping. I don’t like dealing with pushy sales people, crowds, or all the traffic on the way to the shops. If I am going out to a mall or shopping plaza, I will make sure I have a list of exactly what I am looking for. I do not buy shoes, jeans, or swimwear online. If I want one of those items, I will go to a store, alone. When I am with other people, I feel rushed and feel like I cannot take the time to peruse the aisles like I need to. If I am shopping with other people (which is very rare), I don’t mind waiting on them to peruse or try on clothing, but I hate to keep people waiting on me. When I go into a store, I always check the sales/clearance racks and aisles first. If I really like something that is full price, I will wait until I have a coupon or reward to use. If I absolutely love the item and I have no rewards to use, I will purchase the item full price. However, the item has to be absolutely perfect. I don’t mind spending extra money on quality pieces that I know I will use for years to come. Oh, I will try on everything I am interested in because 1. I hate the hassle of returning things; and 2. I do not like to own clothing that I dislike. I clean my closet out every 6 months. With all of that said, I’m not sure my shopping style is indicative of any one Type. It seems to be a combination of a few.
You’re experience is very well thought out and thorough which would be the approach of a Type 4.
I also clean my closet out every 6 months. I do not like to own clothing that I dislike – it makes me nervous 😉 As a stylist, I also clean up my clients’ wardrobes. I’am a Type 4.
I feel like you have been watching me shop, type 2 to a T. 🙂 I enjoy reading the various styles together. My profession requires I work with all types, to relate to them and have them relate to me. I can do this better when I see their energy pattern.
LOL! Total t3 shopper here! No question. In fact my husband does most of the shopping and alternates to each child to go with him.
This is hilarious! The type 2 described me to a T. I left the type 2 group on FB because I can’t deal with too many details and move very swiftly so I thought perhaps I was a T3. I recognize that the reason I move swiftly to get preliminary things done is so that my day will flow more smoothly and be calm. I didn’t even join the Type 3 group because well…. I needed more details first. LOL This confirmed to me that I just need to move forward with what I now know. T2/S3 Thank you!
Yay!!
I’m type 1 and man do I get overwhelmed shopping at a store. Don’t know where to start, don’t know what to look for and I can spend an hour looking for stuff and my type 3/4 or 4/3 husband can come behind me and grab clothes off the rack he knows that look good on me. I ask, “Where did you find those?” Mostly he picks clothes with lots of 3 and 4 colors and shapes. He goes in grabs what he wants and out the door.
Online I keep stuff in my cart for days and weeks before I decide I will buy it. One to make sure I have enough money and another will I really use it. Other times I will just buy it because I want it. Is this a type 1 shopping tendency?
Type 3 here. I am always asked by sales people if I am “on a mission”. I want to say “Why would I be in a store if I wasn’t ?” but I know that some people LOVE to browse. The only time I browse is when I’m on vacation and I’m in between activities (and I always have lots of those!) I will only shop with someone else when THEY need to buy something and they know I will help them find the item with the precision of a hit woman, then get the heck out!
Haha!! We could shop together and get along just fine!!
This really helps confirm for me that I am a Type 2! I identified with every aspect of that description except for waiting to take off the price tags. I do have a decision process that I have to go through in order to feel good about making a purchase. When I have gathered enough details about a product, my secondary 4 steps in and helps me make a final decision. Once I have finally purchased something, I almost always love it, so I take off the tags as soon as I get it home.
Yes, I shop like a 4. I hate shopping, and if I really need something I need to go alone because I don’t like to bore my friends – since I know what I want and can see immediately if a store doesn’t have it. And I won’t buy it if it’s not exactly right. And I’m a secondary 2, so it had better be comfortable too!
Type 2/4 here and a perfect fit! Another thing I notice is that I tend to have a lot of “repeats”. Does this fit with that type? For instance, I bought this top online (where I do most of my shopping and ALWAYS read the reviews, bad first with my secondary 4 LOL). Got this top and LOVE everything about it. From its soft fabric, the soft balance of color and print, the fit, washes beautifully, the price ($15!), and even the little “swing” to the fabric when wearing it. So, I have another one coming just like it but in grey! I tend to do that A LOT. If I find something I love that meets all my qualifications, I’d rather just get another similar one than try to find something else that may not “work” as well as reinvent the wheel so to speak 🙂 https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/333ff5569b6869b028c03f969376a7499fd171910fdb512c8328d62b3c73e3a8.jpg
My Mom sometimes likes to do the repeat thing and I’m pretty sure she’s a T4. If a top fits really well she’ll often buy it in more than one color. Actually, she’s suggested that I do that before when we’re shopping but I don’t like having 2 items that similar.
I’m pretty bad about it. I even have jewlery that is the same, but in different colors LOL.
I do that too – buy the same thing in a different color, even the same color if I really like it! Then if (ahem.. when) one get stained too badly I have a fresh one. Honestly, I SHOULD wear an apron… And, I am 2/4 also.
I am Type 4. My shopping tendencies are true to type! I absolutely despise being talked to in any way by a salesperson, and if it’s obvious they are on commission (i.e. pushy, trying to pressure me to buy things, or constantly suggesting I *also* try on additional items etc), I will actually leave the store. I buy 99% of my clothing online though. You’ll almost never see me in a mall or shopping in person. In regard to fit issues, I can sew and do my own alterations to make everything fit perfectly to me, so I’m not as worried about an item online not fitting me exactly! That’s why tailors exist, after all! My Type 3 husband is definitely in and out. At least I’ve finally convinced him to try things on first! We definitely wasted a lot of time having to return ill-fitting items. He used to rip the tags off before even trying on at home too (he’d get home, rip off tags, and shove it in a drawer), and I’d have to find clever ways of reattaching the tags so we could exchange them! Now he realizes that sometimes slowing down can save a lot of FUTURE time. But it took some convincing. And stats. And maybe a few color-coded charts.
I just started thinking i am a type 1/4 after thinking i was a 3. I am so type 1! This confirms it! However, i have a closet full of type 3, with some 2 and 4. I went shopping today for type 1 clothes and i love the light bright colors! Slowly but surely i am figuring myself out! Thank you Carol! Xox susie
I am so true to my type two here, and just to add, when I see a messy sale rail, I walk on by. I cannot be sorting through it to find the perfect bargain. This could be a bit of my secondary one coming out! 🙂 If shopping isn’t fun don’t bother sort of mind set…
I am a T4 shopper. Prefer solitude. On a mission. In and out. Keep tags on for a long time before committing to an item. As a child I was tortured by mom and sis who are shopaholics. I did get that blurry, fuzzy feeling Carol mentioned below. I do research what I want online very thoroughly and even as a child, before technology…I scoured the Christmas cataolog and read every description of all the items I wanted to make the best decisions. I enjoy shopping but in my terms.
I love to shop for other people. my dh, my ds, his sweet gf…my bestie!! but not for me. it is a chore/task/unpleasant. I always second guess (no longer on my colors though, so that has helped) I will pick up and put back and leave store with nothing unless I have a NEED (like flat shoes to wear to an outdoor wedding…those took me 3 trips to DSW and I finally got a pair that I LOVE…I wear them all the time, but it was so frustrating, too many options!)
I am a newish Type 1and had a really bad experience shopping lately. I was looking at this really cute shirt, seeing what size it was and getting ready to go try it on when a sales lady came up to me and asked if I was shopping for my daughter. I felt really embarrassed, like I shouldn’t be shopping for cute clothes or something. I just told her, “yes,” put the item back on the rack, and left the store ASAP. My daughter and husband (both Type 4) were upset with me because I didn’t stand up for myself. What should I do if this happens again?
Be honest and say “thanks for asking, I am shopping for myself. I will let you know if I need any help!” The fact that you felt ashamed is a sign there is some old shame residue from your childhood that you can clear with this video: https://my.liveyourtruth.com/dyt/type-1-i-dont-like-my-type/ .
When the old shame energy presents, it is as if we are that small child again, which prompted your decisions. When you clear this old energy, you can stay in your adult self and speak what is true for you!
Thank you so much!! I’m going to go watch the video right now! :o)
back in the 80’s, I was in my 20’s, a beautiful older woman with silver hair, and dressed in vibrant colors, came into my place of business. I complimented her vibrant look. I was dressed in drab, too insecure to want to be noticed. She told me that I needed to not be afraid to wear colors. Fast forward to 2017, i finally feel i have permission to dress in vibrant colors, in the bold type 4 that I am.
Yeah! We are happy to hear this!
In California, I find that Type 2 colors are somewhat hard to find and limited in variety. I prefer shopping online, in the privacy of my own home because I can make selections without the distraction of “wrong” colors and styles. Shopping on line gives me time to think before making a purchase and a couple of days after the purchase to make sure I’m happy. Since finding DYT, mistakes and returns are rare except occasionally for fit.
I’m definitely a mix of my 3/1. I’m speedy and decisive, I dislike browsing or shopping with people who take forever trying tons of things on and/or have a hard time deciding what they want *cough*my mom*cough*… but I do try on some things where the fit really matters (or spend time reading the reviews if shopping online). My S1 definitely comes out in my tendency to make impulse purchases when something fun really catches my eye that’s not on my list, like a scarf or cute earrings.
I used to think I was a 2/1 but it turns out I”m a 1/2 so I erased my bottom answer. I still totally shop like a type 2 though. I prefer to go alone because I hate to be rushed and I hate to have other people’s opinions forced on me. I go to a lot of stores too and try on a LOT of items before finding things I like so other people don’t want to wait around for that. Whenever I go with others I end up buying stuff quickly because I feel rushed and then end up later taking it all back. Fortunately I keep all the tags on my clothes and my receipts conveniently stored in my cookie jar so I can return with no issues. It’s easier just to shop alone.
What type likes having a salesperson help her shop? Some of my most beloved items were because I had a wonderful salesperson find them for me, or suggest accessories to the items I had chosen. I prefer to shop alone but in stores that carry a lot of my type (rather than huge department stores), and then to have a friendly sales person help me. I find it frustrating when there is no one around, or if they are around they are useless.
If it were a helpful salesperson that was not trying to suggest colors and styles for a shopper, any Type could find that helpful. When you DYT sales people aren’t that helpful as they don’t know the system.
Oh, okay got it, thanks! I can now see that maybe I’ve been very lucky to shop where the sales ladies have been my same type, or they are observant enough to see the kind of clothing I’m drawn to and suggestion appropriate accessories.
The type 4 shopping fits me to a T, though I am not sure my secondary. I prefer to go alone because I feel distracted with friends. If it is socials shopping I just try to enjoy the experience but rarely buy things. I tend to avoid the salespeople unless I’m buying electronics. If I’m talking to someone in an electronics department and it’s clear to me they don’t understand what I want or have any valuable information to add, I shake them off as fast as possible. I have a strong urge to take a pause if I am not sure about the item. I’ll try it on, or look at the item, then walk away to think or read some more specs about the item. Sometimes I’ll take a coffee break or have lunch to decompress before making an important purchase, and usually read reviews and websites during my little break before going back to the store. Recently, it took me 4 trips to Best Buy before I bought a computer and I only bought it once I met a sales rep that was extremely knowledgeable and had great answers for my questions. I guess I respected them as an authority. It terms of clothes, sometimes I don’t even have the item over my head before I know it’s just going to be wrong! I quickly go through a stack of clothes because I use the privacy of the fitting room to check out fabric texture, how sturdy the seams are, and if the cut lays just right on me. I prefer to shop online and add things to my cart and step away from the site to consider my purchases before buying.
4/1 here- I definitely read the bad reviews first, I didn’t know this was a T4 quality but it makes a lot of sense. When I shop online I try to beware of scams and make sure my information is secure so I don’t get duped. My secondary 1 comes out a lot when I shop in a store and see things I like, sometimes trying on half the store. Budgeting is needed for this T4/1.
T1…look at lots and lots, put a jillion things on my arm or in the cart, then go through my pile to see what I really want and can afford! At least that,s what I did when I was , er…some years younger and have the time and energy to do so! Do I still want to go “window shopping”? Of course! But my body won’t let me anymore, among other factors of being my age! Now I usually peruse the online stores when I am in a looking mood.
T3/4 and yes, yes.