I have this uncanny knack for turning self-proclaimed shopping haters into shopping fanatics. Typically in under 4 hours. How? Brainwashing. OK, well, no. Not really. Simply by taking away their frustration, uncertainty and confusion.

You see, most of the women that hate shopping and come to me for help, typically do so because they have no clue what they’re doing. And I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. They literally say to me, “I have no clue what I’m doing.”

They don’t know what to buy, what looks good on them, what suits their shape, or how to put things together. So they end up walking into stores and either buy the same old things, or get so overwhelmed and confused, they walk out, leaving empty handed. Fun right? I’d hate shopping too. But it doesn’t have to be that way. There can actually be joy in shopping.

So what’s the answer? Knowledge. It’s as simple as that. There are 3 things that if you know, will turn the seemingly confusing, laborious and frustrating act of shopping into a pleasurable, satisfying and (dare I say it), purely blissful one. (OK. Won’t push my luck.) Once you get a handle on these 3 things, you might actually start looking forward to shopping and may even find yourself looking better than ever before.

1. GET CLEAR ON YOUR STYLE

Getting clear on your style helps you get clear on what to buy when you shop. You know which pieces to gravitate towards and which to avoid – eliminating overwhelm and confusion.

If you’d like to get clear on your style, here’s an exercise I give my new clients when they come to me for help determining their personal style: Pull together images of outfits or elements of outfits that you love or would love to wear. (Pinterest is a great place to do this.) Then, look at the similarities between the images and try describing them. Are they feminine, bohemian, conservative, edgy (etc)? Those similarities and descriptive words are your style. Or at least the style you aspire to have.

2. LEARN HOW TO DRESS FOR YOUR BODY SHAPE

When you know how to dress for your particular body shape, you know which cuts, styles and lengths look best on you. Therefore, when shopping, you know which pieces to hone in on and which to bypass altogether. Gone is the frustration of trying on endless heaps of clothing trying to figure out which ones will look good on.

If you’d like to learn how to dress for your body shape, there are a ton of online body shape calculators that can help you determine your shape. Try at least two or three to compare your results. Then research which cuts and styles of clothing are best suited to your shape to know what to look for when you shop.

3. KNOW HOW TO PUT AN OUTFIT TOGETHER

Knowing how to put an outfit together makes shopping sooooo much easier and more enjoyable. Even if you’re confident with your style and know how to dress for your shape, if you don’t know how to put an outfit together, you’ll still experience the confusion and frustration of not knowing what to pair with what or how to combine different pieces together. So when you’re shopping for a coordinating item, you’ll still be at a loss.

Learning how to put an outfit together just takes a bit of practice. And 5 simple steps. Luckily I’ve already laid them out in a previous post. Click here to read more.

One last thing to remember to keep from getting overwhelmed, frustrated or confused when shopping, is this: the whole store isn’t for you. Not only is every store not for every single person, but when you do find a store who’s clothing suits you and your preferences, not every single item will be meant for you, your style or your shape. Don’t feel like each piece needs to fit and work out. Focus only on the ones that do, and your shopping experience will be that much better more blissful. (Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.)