For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with clothes. I remember going shopping with my family, friends and even by myself from a teenager, and the sheer thrill of new garments has never worn off. Every time I enter a store, my hands naturally go for the fabrics. Different textures and colours are enticing me in, calling me to take a closer look.

Personally, I think I am a very picky shopper, though most people who know me will say I buy the whole store. But that’s just not true. When I shop, I am usually looking for a specific item in mind which I am determined to find at the best quality as well as price.

Price is one of the most important factors when going shopping. We all set out with a budget in our minds as to what we can and can’t afford, so this sort of acts as a compass to what shops we browse through. One of my favourite stores is Karen Millen. Their colours, designs and top grade fabrics make the clothes so desirable and I now have quite the KM collection. However, I always tend to wait for a sale or find an outlet or sample sale where the items are usually 50%-75% off. The quality of the garments don’t change over time so I am happy to wait until I find what I am looking for at a nicer price!

One of my favourite online retailers is PrettyLittleThing. The clothes from here are very different in terms of quality as well as price, but they create designs and patterns that just draw me in, so I am happy to relinquish my standards for a piece that I feel just calls to me every once in a while.

So, we’ve talked about price, designs and quality- and these essentially are the main reasons why we get our wallets out in exchange for the goods. So what is the most important to me when shopping? I would have to say the budget. If I find exactly what I’m looking for but it costs twice as much as what I am willing to spend, I am more than happy to sit back and wait for the sale or find a similar item elsewhere.

My passion and love for what’s in my wardrobe is how it all started you could say, and the reason behind why I started up a fashion and lifestyle blog. Recently I virtually met CCO Tom Lovelace of Hawthorn International, a leading clothes manufacturer, to talk about the different factors that determine if clothing is quality. Tom tells me “there are two main factors- fabric and construction. When it comes to fabric, there are different grades of cotton- that’s the reason why you can purchase a 100% cotton tee shirt from anywhere between £5 to £100. The £5 tee shirt is essentially made from the same material as the £100 one, but the quality and grade of the more expensive fabric will be higher. Next, is the construction- as far as stitching goes, handmade is always best. This is because the operative actually putting the item together can quality check their work as they go along and ensure there are no defects.”

What factors are most important to you when searching through the clothes racks or scrolling through reams of pages online? Do you head straight for the sale or filter by price- lowest first?? Keep the conversation going by commenting below or reaching out on Twitter. Thanks to Hawthorn International for collaborating on this article.

Saharasplash x

Thanks for reading! Now it’s time to see what we got up to on our first family getaway with Alice!