Why You Keep Buying Clothes You Never Wear — And How Colour Can Stop It

Have you ever bought something you absolutely loved in the shop, only to get it home and hardly ever wear it?

Maybe the colour caught your eye. Perhaps it looked beautiful on the mannequin, or you saw someone else wearing something similar and thought, I love that!

But every time you put it on, something doesn't feel quite right.

So back into the wardrobe it goes.

If this sounds familiar, you're certainly not alone. One of the things I hear regularly from women who come to me for a Personal Colour Analysis in Perth is that they have plenty of clothes, but only seem to wear a small percentage of them.

And very often, colour is one of the reasons.

We naturally shop for colours we like

There is a big difference between a colour you love and a colour that loves you back.

We all have colours we're naturally attracted to. You might adore bright orange, pastel pink, black or beige. But loving a colour doesn't necessarily mean it's one of the most flattering colours against your skin.

This is particularly important with anything worn close to your face.

The right colour can make your complexion appear brighter, your eyes more noticeable and your overall appearance fresher.

The wrong colour can sometimes do the opposite.

And this is often why we put something on and think, I don't know what it is, but I just don't feel good in this.

Shop for yourself — not the mannequin

Retailers are very good at making clothes look appealing.

Beautiful lighting, carefully styled mannequins and gorgeous colour combinations are designed to make us want to buy.

But the colour that looks fabulous on the mannequin isn't necessarily going to be fabulous on you.

The same applies when you see a friend wearing a colour beautifully.

We can have completely different colouring, even if we're a similar age, size or hair colour.

That gorgeous mustard blouse your friend wears might make her look radiant, while a cooler blue could be absolutely beautiful on you.

Neither colour is better. They're simply better for different people.

The changing-room lighting doesn't always help

This is another reason shopping can be tricky.

Artificial lighting can change the way both colours and your skin appear.

A garment can look quite different once you get it home and see it in natural daylight.

Whenever possible, take the garment towards natural light and hold the colour underneath your face.

Don't just look at the garment.

Look at yourself.

Does your face appear fresh and bright?

Do you notice your eyes first?

Or do you notice the clothing before you notice yourself?

Ideally, the colour should complement you rather than overpower you.

Stop buying something just because it's on sale

We've probably all done this one.

A top is reduced from $120 to $49 and suddenly it becomes much more appealing!

But a bargain isn't really a bargain if it spends the next three years hanging in your wardrobe with the tag still attached.

Knowing your best colours can make it much easier to walk away.

Instead of thinking, But it's such a good price, you can ask yourself:

Is this actually one of my colours, and can I see myself wearing it regularly?

If the answer is no, leave it behind.

That's money you can put towards something you genuinely love and will wear again and again.

Have a plan before you go shopping

One of the easiest ways to make better purchases is to know what you're looking for before you walk into the shops.

Take a quick look through your wardrobe first.

What are you actually missing?

Perhaps you need a great everyday top to wear with several pairs of trousers. Maybe you're looking for a jacket, a dress for an occasion or a neutral basic that will work with several other pieces.

When you know both what you need and which colours you're looking for, shopping becomes much easier.

You're no longer walking through hundreds of garments wondering where to start.

You're narrowing the choices down before you even enter the fitting room.

Your best colours should work together

This is one of my favourite things about knowing your personal colours.

When you start buying within a flattering colour palette, your wardrobe gradually becomes easier to coordinate.

A top you buy today may work with trousers you already own. Your jacket may coordinate with several tops. Your scarf may bring two colours together.

You begin creating a wardrobe rather than simply collecting individual pieces of clothing — something I explain step by step in my guide to building a wardrobe that mixes and matches.

And that can mean more outfits from fewer clothes.

Take your colours shopping with you

After my colour consultations, I give my clients personal colour samples they can take with them when they're shopping.

I think this is incredibly important.

It's one thing to be told which colours suit you. It's another thing entirely to be standing in a shop six months later trying to remember whether the blue you're holding is the right blue!

Having your colour samples with you takes away much of that guesswork.

You don't have to find an absolutely identical match. Use your samples as a guide to help you recognise the colour families and tones that work beautifully with your colouring.

Be especially careful with colours close to your face

If you absolutely love a colour that isn't one of your best, you don't necessarily have to stop wearing it.

Simply move it away from your face.

Use your most flattering colours for tops, shirts, dresses, scarves and jackets — the pieces that sit closest to your complexion.

A less flattering favourite colour may still work perfectly well in trousers, a skirt, shoes, a handbag or an accessory.

Colour analysis isn't about giving you a list of colours you're allowed to wear.

It's about giving you the knowledge to make colour work for you.

Imagine shopping without all the guesswork

Imagine walking into a clothing store and being able to look around and quickly recognise the colours worth trying on.

You don't need to try twenty tops.

You don't need to wonder whether that beige is washing you out or whether there's a better shade of blue for you.

And you don't need to keep adding clothes to your wardrobe that never quite feel right.

That's one of the reasons I love Personal Colour Analysis.

It's not simply about discovering whether you're warm or cool, or being given a colour season.

It's about giving you practical information you can use every time you get dressed and every time you shop.

At Colours By Sue, I use more than 80 coloured drapes during your consultation to see how different colours actually respond against your individual colouring. If you're wondering what a session costs and what's included, I've explained it all in colour analysis Perth price.

You'll discover your most flattering colours, your makeup tones and colour combinations, and you'll leave with personal colour samples you can take shopping with you.

Because ultimately, I'd rather see you own fewer clothes that you love wearing than a wardrobe full of expensive mistakes.

If you've been wondering "What colours actually suit me?", a Personal Colour Analysis can make shopping — and getting dressed — so much easier. You can check current pricing or book your session whenever you're ready.

Colours By Sue Personal Colour Analysis in Currambine, Perth Studio and mobile consultations available across Perth.