What to Wear for a Day of Serious Shopping

When you are planning on going to a sample sale, or several stores at once, what should you wear?
It seems like a silly question because you are just going to be taking it off, but what you wear can help or hurt your shopping experience.

Let's start from the inside and work outwards:

Undergarments
If you are shopping with friends or a stylist or at a sample sale that might have public dressing rooms, wear underwear that you don't mind being seen in.
This could be a camisole and full coverage underwear or boy shorts, or hey, go for a thong if you have butt confidence. Whatever undies you choose, make sure they are seamless and match your skin tone. Peach, light pink, tan. brown, and black are all acceptable choices.

Undies with lace, seams, patterns, etc or are white or bright colored are not ok. You don't want to see them under your clothes.

$7.99 Maidenform boyshorts

Wear a bra that fits you well and isn't old and worn out and saggy. You want to see how the garment will fall when you are well-supported.
If you don't have good bras or underwear, start your shopping trip with these and then you can wear them for the remainder of your dressing room trials.

Top
I think it is a good idea to wear a separate top and bottom rather than a dress when shopping for a few reasons:
1. You can take one off but not the other so if you want to try on a shirt, you don't have to be pantsless.
2. You get to see how the pieces integrate with your existing wardrobe--what better way to tell if the new skirt will go with your shirt or be a weird hip height than to wear the shirt?

So what should you wear on top?
I think a plain, solid camisole or thin layering tee shirt is a great choice, and then you can put either a sweater, cardigan, blazer, or blouse over it depending on the weather.
Wearing a solid cami allows you not to be all the way naked when you are trying on new things, and also works well for when you are trying on a wrap dress or low V shirt  or something sheer that you will need to wear a layer under for modesty. You won't have to picture what it will look like because you will already be able to see.

$14.95 Gap Pure Body Cami

Bottom
You can wear a skirt, shorts, or pants on the bottom.
I don't recommend wearing anything tight or hard to get into since you will be taking them off and putting them on a lot, and you don't want to get prematurely frustrated or popped out because you don't want to take something off again. An elastic waist skirt would be ideal so you could just drop it and put on whatever else. Also nothing poly or PU/Vinyl/leather. Those will get sweaty.
Solid, neutral colors are good. Red, navy, camel, gray, etc.

$42 Lucy Love Solid Sadie skirt with elastic waist

Shoes
Wear neutral, solid color shoes that you can walk in all day and that look good with pants or skirts. I have some pairs of ballet flats that are good for this but other people need more cushioning. You want a slip-on so you don't have to lace and unlace every time you put on new pants.
Most importantly, wear shoes that are of a heel height that you often wear. Don't wear flats if you always wear heels to the office and vice verse.
Mary Janes or slide-on wedge are great options.

$40 Crocs Alice Work Mary Jane

Keep accessories minimal; you don't want a shirt to snag on your earrings as you pull it over your head, and you want to see the clothes and the necklines without necklaces getting in the way.
Pull your hair back so it doesn't get all crazy and so you can see more of your face and make sure the colors of the clothes work with your skin tone.

That's it! Let's go shopping.