I love vacations. It is a chance to kick back and unwind, soak up some sun, and forget about work for a few short days. For me, the anticipation is almost as much fun as actually being there. Sorting out clothes, deciding what to take and what not to take, and thinking ahead to all the fun things I intend on doing while I am away. I also love to shop for new items to take on my vacation. Unfortunately, this is where the difficulties usually begin, for as much as I enjoy shopping at places like axparis.com, too much choice is not necessarily a good thing. Summer shopping can be very difficult at times, making sure you have a reliable courier should be one of the most important things to do. Ask absolutely couriers are one of the best out there. In days gone by, the majority of women had very few garments in their closet. Clothing was too expensive to buy in large quantities, so it was usually a case of make-do-and-mend. If you wanted the latest fashions, you have two choices: save up for a new dress or buy some fabric and make your own.
These days, retailers buy in stock from overseas. Factories in countries like China have much lower overheads, so they can afford to manufacture garments for a fraction of the price it would cost to make the same garment here. The quality is lower, but since fashion never stays in the same place for long, lower quality at a cheap price suits modern consumers. After all, not many of us can afford to buy couture fashion from top designers.
Too Much Choice is Bad
Unfortunately, all the choice on offer when we go shopping makes life very difficult. It is not difficult to pick a few outfits for a summer vacation if there is not a lot on offer, but it can be extraordinarily difficult when you are faced with hundreds of items in a range of different colours. So what should you do?
Get Organised
Before you go shopping, online or in your local stores, think carefully about what you might need. Shopping is a lot easier if you know what you want and where you might find it. Otherwise, it is all too easy to waste a ton of time browsing through virtual rails of garments that don’t fit the occasion. The more time you waste, the less likely you are to end up with anything you actually like, particularly when you shop online and have to return items.
Make a List
Look through your closet and decide if anything you already own will do the job. There is no point wasting money on items you don’t need. Next, think about what you will be doing on your vacation and shop accordingly. For a beach vacation, swimwear and cover-ups are vital, but for a city break, you are going to need a wider selection of garments to cater for evenings out and days spent sightseeing.
Vacation shopping is fun, but only if you have a clear idea of what you need. Check out Instagram and Pinterest for visual clues on what’s hot, and what’s not.
written by Caroline Lake, photo by Style Limelight
