10 things I learned about shopping, the hard way

Every fashionista regardless of age, financial status or place of residence has made her fair share of mistakes and shed her share of tears in trying to achieve the perfect wardrobe. A lot of these mistakes were avoidable, some of them are not hopeless but all of them have made said fashionista feel foolish.
After vowing to never commit said fashion mistake ever again, the aforementioned fashionista makes a mental note about said mistake that after a while evolves into a rule of thumb when consuming fashion.

"Really?! Another bag?" (artwork by yours truly)

My list of these shopping rules of thumb has evolved through my years of fashion consumption, and has only now come to it's semi-finalized state, so here are 10 things I learned about shopping, the hard way:

1.  Always ask about the return policy- Sounds pretty basic, right? Just so you know, some stores only give back store credit, some will not refund cash. Take that into account, especially when shopping in different countries, where you are not familiar with laws regarding that kind of thing or in small stores that are not part of a chain.
2.  Always read care label before purchase- Some clothes can only be hand washed, some can only be dry cleaned.  Basically when you purchase a piece of clothing you also commit to its upkeep. Assuming you only buy items you love and want to wear for a long time, you should know how to take care of them to get the most wear out of your clothes.
3.  Never say never-  Be open to try new things, be it shopping in flea markets or trying new trends, this is what fashion is all about.
4. Be very careful with designer capsule collections for high street brands- Sure this dress looks great, trendy, bears the name of the designer and moreover- comes at a reasonable price. But if you do choose to buy it be ready to become a walking billboard- people will know where you got it, when and how much it cost. I'm not saying not to buy something if you truly love it, but just know that wearing something as trendy and easy to recognize will feel strange half a year after you bought it.
5. Use your internal Polyvore- Whenever you see something you want to get imagine what it will look like with clothes that you already own. This should help you make conscious decisions when shopping. 
6.  Love your mom's closet- because the best things in life are free ;)
7. One in, one out- As I, and most of the people I know, do not own endless walk-in closets, I think it's a good rule to have. It also forces me to constantly edit my wardrobe, in my never ending quest to have a well curated closet. 
8.  Research- I like researching prices and styles of things I'm looking to get on eBay, Google product search and Asos even if I don't end up buying anything online. It gives a broader view of your possibilities, as the internet really is the worlds biggest mall.
9.  Buy what looks good on you- don't get hung up on the size of an item. Sometimes I intentionally buy shirts one size up just so they would have a loose fit just the way I like them. Relaxed looking pants are much more flattering than pants that make your legs look and feel like sausages. What I'm trying to say is look at item individually and don't get hooked on only one size.
10. Skin, hair, body > clothes- invest in yourself, not just your clothes. The way you look, if you are well rested, have good skin and shiny hair, makes a more lasting impression than the clothes you wear. A perfect body, and I don't mean a skinny body, will make every outfit look 10 times more impressive and the perfect skin is the best make up. So be kind to yourself, get plenty of sleep and drink a lot of water. Your body will love you back.