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The Psychology of Shoe Shopping |
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If Our Footwear Could Talk... (Reprinted from Today's Chicago Woman Magazine, September 2007) Meet Jackie Walker, the self-proclaimed Doctor of Closetology. Jackie firmly believes that every morning when you go into your closet to dress yourself, you're not looking for a new outfit, but rather, for a dose of self-esteem. Recently, Jackie moved to Chicago, and is making it her mission to show Windy City women how to find confidence in their closets! As a little girl I was entranced by the thought of Cinderella placing her demure foot into that glass slipper insuring that Prince Charming would be hers. My love affair with shoes started with that tale! Shoes have always been the finishing touch to a polished look and now more than ever the choices are astounding.
For years our pairs for corporate wear were the simple and functional “PUMP!” We could select heel height and color but those were our only available styles. Casual shoes were “sneakers or keds” along with a few kinds of sandals. The high fashion array was sometimes “Too Too” and we were never quite sure what was appropriate.
Over the past five years there has been a focus on the shoe industry. Some of my have made shoe shopping an emotional hobby and talk about their shoes as if they're their best friends. And why wouldn't they? Sitting in a shoe salon the other day one of my clients commented that she was never intimidated by trying on shoes. When she has to "size up" in her clothing she gets depressed and feels as if she's gained weight... But when she sizes up in her shoe purchases it never bothers her. "It's just fun to try on shoes" she shared! There's a definite psychology behind this "shoe business," so let's take a new view at some of the ways we can add that all important punch piece to our image. The first thing you must do is to figure out your fashion persona (see sidebar), then you can tackle common shoe woes. |
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Discover Your Fashion Persona |
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 | Reprinted from WLS Lifestyles Magazine – Winter 2005 by Jackie Walker Dr. of Closetology
As I travel the nation and work with women in their closets, I see so many items with tickets hanging on them, never worn. Many times they say, “This is just not me!” Closets are rooms of emotion and to each woman these clothing items are stories. To a man a tie is a tie and to women a skirt, blouse, sweater, etc. has an emotional tie to a life’s experience. My book I Don’t Have A thing To Wear, The Psychology of Your Closet defines all of the various personas but there are mainly five that represent all women. I will define these, and see if you can identify yourself.
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Fact Every woman has internal fashion persona. It is who she was as a little girl and who she is today!Fact Women may try to stray from this persona but will always return as she lives inside her clothing and needs her comfort zone. Fact All women are a mix of different personas. They usually have percentages of at least two to three of these descriptions. Fact You may get bored and try to drastically change but you will always go back to the true you! Fact Gifts are usually purchased through the giver’s persona. The recipient usually never likes the item and feels guilty that they didn’t, or uncomfortable when they wear something that is not them! Tip! When purchasing something for someone else see the gift through their eyes and fashion persona! Jackie was giving a Fashion Persona presentation, and afterward a gentleman walked up and asked Jackie if she could identify his fashion persona. “You are a classic dramatic,” Jackie said. “Even when you are casually dressed you have a flair.” He thought for a minute and said, “My girlfriend is a natural.” I thought for a minute and said, “May I be personal? I know that she never feels dressed enough for you. She is always worried that she measures up to you and probably you have never purchased a gift for her that she has liked.” “You are right! What should I do?” “See her through HER eyes and encourage her to be who she really is in her natural persona. He e-mailed Jackie a few weeks later to say that he had finally bought her a present that she loved! Fact Never try to change. Never try to be someone else. Enhance your real persona. The Discussion! Analyze the items in your closet with tickets hanging on them that you are not wearing. Did you buy them for the wrong emotional reasons? Analyze the items in your closet that you love and wear the most frequently. Why do you enjoy them? Is it comfort? Is it confidence? Analyze your accessories and ask the same questions. Tip! Take the quiz in my book in Chapter 4. To learn all the ins and outs, go to www.optiondressing.com and visit the book and CD sidebar. Jackie will lead you to discovering your true fashion persona, and you will always be confident and comfortable inside and out. Watch for the next issue with Jackie’s Traveling with Your Suitcase as a Closet article. You will learn about “Suitcase Security.” Who are you?  | The Classic!The classic woman desires a hard-edged jacket with a lapel. She wears trousers 90% of the time and maybe a short slim skirt to the knee. Her shoe is a pump, loafer and simple style. The earring is a stud, hoop or ball. She selects a handbag with compartments that is functional. Patterns are plaids, stripes or dots. She is a classic!
|  | The Romantic!The romantic woman loves lace. She prefers pastels, floral prints and long flowing skirts. Her jewelry may be a drop earring or just one strand of pearls. She loves bows, and if she sees them on anything, she just has to have them. She is romantic!
|  | The Natural! The natural hates to shop. She leaves the house without makeup or jewelry and is more interested in what she is doing that what she is wearing. She has athletics in her past, present and will in her future. She wants to look good, so she develops a clothing system that works and follows the plan. She is a natural!
|  | The Dramatic! More is more is her motto! She adores animal prints, feathers and sequins. She wears rings on unexpected fingers and thinks bright colors are her thing. She reads every fashion magazine and shopping is her breath. She believes that she knows better than anyone else and is always trying to change her friends and loved ones by adding more and more to their outfits. She is dramatic!
|  | The Mood Dresser Miss mood wakes every day and has every persona in her closet. The problem is she cannot put herself together. She tries on everything and finally puts something on and leaves the house. She spends the rest of the day asking everyone she sees “ Do I look al right in this?” She is mood dresser!
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 | Jackie Walker is the co-author of I Don’t Have A Thing To Wear, The Psychology Of Your Closet. She is Fox 13’s fashion contributing editor in the Tampa Bay Area and travels nationally as a well-respected motivational and informational speaker. Jackie is available for private consultations, group presentations an keynote addresses by e-mailing her at
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or by phone at 813.230.2153 |
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