12 Fitting Room Mistakes We Feel Sorry About Afterward

Shopping may not always bring us pleasure. Especially when we find out that the items that looked so good in the fitting room have turned out to be not so good-looking after a second try-on at home. So we have to return them to the store.

At Bright Side, we’ve been in a similar situation many times, and we hope that these tips will help you avoid it in the future.

Choose the right underwear before shopping.

When shopping, it’s important to wear underwear that matches the items you want to buy.

For example, if you plan to try on a V-neck bodycon dress and do it wearing a sports bra and panties, you won’t get the correct idea of how the dress will actually look on you.

Plan in advance which lingerie will go well with the item you want to buy. Or put on the lingerie set you wear most often.

Move in the clothes you’re trying on.

When we are in a fitting room, we tend to forget why clothes have been invented. And the chair there is not just for your bag. Try sitting down and seeing how the outfit looks from different angles and how you feel moving in it. This will help you make a final decision.

Therefore, be sure to sit down, raise your legs, twist, and move. These movements can also tell you whether a skirt or shorts are too short for you.

Look in the mirror in your regular clothes before the fitting.

Take a look at yourself in the mirror in your regular clothes before you undress. It’s important to understand whether the mirror and lighting change your regular look — make you slimmer or vice versa. This way, you’ll have some means of comparison when you try on items in the store.

Don’t evaluate your outfit if you’re barefoot or in socks.

The reason for this tip is the same as for the tip regarding your choice of underwear. You should try on clothes in the fitting room the way that you are going to wear them out.

Many of us tend to think, “Oh, it looks weird now because of my socks but when I go back home and put on high heels, this will definitely look great.”

However, in reality, the item probably won’t look like you want it to. Grab a pair of heels from the store and try them on with your outfit to get a more accurate picture.

Take a few different sizes of the same outfit into the fitting room.

We all know our own size but sizes tend to differ from brand to brand. It’s always useful to try on the same item one size bigger and one size smaller to compare the fit.

For example, if your standard size is 27 and it fits tight on you, maybe you’ll feel more comfortable in size 28. So, to make sure your choice is right, take a few items of different sizes when you go to try them on.

During shopping, wear something you can easily get in and out.

When shopping, wear something you can easily take off and put on again in the process of multiple fittings.

Opt for a skirt instead of pants, a pullover instead of a blouse with buttons or a zipper, and ballet flats instead of sneakers.

Look at yourself in a few mirrors from different angles.

Always use the multi-panel mirror in the fitting room to check out how you look from the back and the side.

If the fitting room doesn’t have this kind of mirror, step outside and use the large mirror there. Don’t be shy because it’s the only way to look at your outfit from different angles, and not just straight on.

Remember that you can always alter clothing.

It’s really hard to find a dress or pants that fit you perfectly, especially for petite people. So, pay attention to the details that will require alterations.

To find out whether the item looks good after it has the right measurements, bring some pins with you and use them to make the item look the way you want.

Keep your jewelry to a minimum when shopping.

First, a necklace and large earrings always get in the way when you try on tops, sweaters, or dresses. Second, your jewelry may not match the style of the item you’re trying on, so it may confuse you.

So, when going shopping, try to do without jewelry at all. Or on the contrary, if you plan to buy a dress for an important event, take the jewelry along to make the outfit complete in the fitting room.

Look at yourself in a mirror under different lighting.

The lighting in fitting rooms can swing both ways, it can be terribly unflattering or deceptively flattering. To get a more realistic view of how exactly you look, step outside into the store where the lighting is different.

Life hack: the softer lighting is better at showing how you will look under daylight compared to fluorescent lighting.

Take a selfie in the outfit you’re trying on, or ask someone to take a photo of you.

A picture is worth a thousand words and this is especially true when it comes to clothing. Your eyes may deceive you, while photos don’t lie and can give you a better understanding of how a dress or pants sit on you in reality, or whether the color suits your complexion.

This tip is especially useful if you’re buying an outfit for an event where you’ll be photographed (a birthday party, vacation, etc.). Then you really want to know what it looks like through a lens. Take a few photos from different angles to make sure the outfit is right for you.

Keep the number of items you take to the fitting room to a minimum.

It’s pretty tiring to do shopping on weekends or holidays. The reason why is that the customers, as well as the sales assistants, get impatient because of long lines.

This pressure can affect you, and you could bring the wrong items home. And then you’ll have to come back to the store to return them. So, it’s best to take fewer items to the fitting room, to try them on without haste, and assess them with all possible diligence.

Do you have your own life hacks for how to try on clothing in the fitting room? Tell us in the comments below.

Got some cool photos or stories and want to be featured on Bright Side? Send them all right HERE and right now. Meanwhile, we’re waiting!