Chapter 15 Being a Smart Shopper Making the Right Purchase

Prepare Ahead Gives you shopping confidence and reduces errors Fashion conscious means being aware of, and wanting, new fashionable items, usually for self-expression and peer approval Money conscious refers to staying aware of how much each item costs and of individual monetary resources Just as important as doing the actual purchasing Evaluate past purchases in terms of price, care required, and wearing qualities

Prepare Ahead Make a list Gather Information Evaluate Advertising Consumer aids offer information put out by fiber producers, pattern companies, fabric stores, and trade group associations Estimate the costs of the needs on your shopping list by studying catalogs and advertisements Information about the latest apparel trends can be gathered by reading fashion magazines and newspapers Evaluate Advertising Purpose of advertising is to sell and to inform

Choosing Where to Shop Price versus quality and services Store policies are rules of a retail establishment, often for the safety and protection of shoppers Wise consumers make the decision to buy when the find the best planned item at the best price Location and store hours Near your home or place of employment Additional shopping hours Types of merchandise The purchase of expensive items should be spaced out, so those purchases are not made all at once It is wise to put more money into items you will wear constantly then in items you will only wear once or twice Advertising or loyalty Some people prefer to always patronize the same stores because of loyalty

Deciding When to Shop For a wide choice of styles, colors, and sizes, shop early in the season “Top of the Season” shopping usually has higher prices For lower prices, shop late in the season Many stores are almost empty from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Stores are busiest on weekends and near holidays Shop for shoes after you have been walking a while or in the afternoon Allows for a good fit over normal foot expansion

The Actual Shopping The best way to do serious shopping is to do it alone or with a knowledgeable relative or close friend Don’t give in to impulse buying Making purchases that are sudden and not carefully thought out Exhibit sales resistance Have self-control to avoid making unplanned purchases while shopping Demonstrate good shopping manners and don’t shoplift Shoplifting is the stealing of merchandise from a store

Hangtags, Labels, and Packaging Hangtags are detachable “signs,” often hung from buttons, buttonholes, zippers, belt loops, or underarm seams Provide promotional information Labels are small pieces of ribbon/cloth permanently attached to a garment Provides information, most of which is required by law The fiber content Country of origin Care information The manufacturer or distributor Registered number indicates the identification of a “responsible party” Packaging is the covering wrapper or container in which some merchandise is placed

Government Legislation Flammable Fabrics Act Requires flammability or burning, standards for fabrics and clothing Especially concerned with children’s sleepwear. Fur Products Labeling Act Requires that clothes with animal fur have labels that lists the animal(s) that produced the fur Must tell if the fur has been bleached, dyed or otherwise treated Must tell the country of origin for imported furs Permanent Care Labeling Rule Requires manufacturers to attach clear and complete permanent care labels to garments Labels must give clear and complete instructions for care and maintenance of the items Textile Fiber Products Identification Act Requires labels to tell what fibers are in textile products Wool Products Labeling Act Labels must specify the percentage of each type of wool in the fabric

Consumer Rights and Government Responsibilities Standards are criteria set by authorities, such as those at testing labs or government agencies, who judge products Most government consumer laws are enforced by the Federal Trade Commission Consumers, as a group, have “voting powers” with their money and purchase choices

Comparison Shopping Comparing the qualities and prices of the same or similar items in different shops before buying Evaluate apparel purchases in terms of: Good design and construction Durability of fabric and ease of care Suitability to you and your lifestyle $16.99 $24.99 $19.99

Judging Value and Quality Quality refers to the level of performance of a product Has a lot to do with long-term performance of appearance, fit, and wear Buying the best quality you can afford is a good investment Overall quality High quality garments have the best construction, materials, and design Emphasize cut, line, and fabric Have an extra button of each size sewn inconspicuously inside the garment Medium quality garments have reliably good construction, materials, and design Usually quite durable Low quality garments have only fair standards of construction, materials, and design Value is the degree of worth or measure of benefit of something In clothing, the best value is the highest quality of materials, construction, and fashion for the lowest price Better quality clothes are usually more expensive but may be better value buys

Specific Points of Quality Being cut on the proper grain enables garments to hang well without twisting Plaids, stripes, and other fabric patterns match at the most obvious seams and edges Interfacings are extra layers inside garments to support certain parts or styles Quality checks The fabric The cut Stitching The hem Reinforcements Zipper Fasteners Buttonholes Collars Lapels Waistbands Pockets Lining Trimmings and decorations

Evaluate Proper Fit Determine your size category Apparel sizes are, in general, categories by figure types of silhouette and proportions Know and use your measurements Double ticketing is garment sizing that combines two or more specific sizes into general categories, such as small, medium, and large A shirt sleeve measurement is from the back center base of the neck, across the shoulder, and down around the bent elbow to the wristbone If your top and bottom are different sizes, it is probably best to wear separates most of the time Try on garments The garment industry uses uniform sizing but because each manufacturer uses different body proportions and amounts of ease, their garments fit differently Wearing ease is the room you need to move comfortably

Trademarks & Labels Trademark is a product’s own brand name, often represented by a logo, that identifies it as belonging to a particular seller or manufacturer Private label Brands that can be sold for less because stores buy them in quantity Not advertised nationally Designer label Gives status to the wearer Adds to the retail price of an item Usually a mark of quality

Evaluate Bargains Shopping at sales Types of sales Bargains are favorable purchases that provide a high value of merchandise in exchange for a relatively small amount of money Evaluate sale merchandise in terms of whether it fills a genuine need for you Types of sales General sales are often held throughout stores during holiday times Clearance and inventory sales clear out old stock to make room for new merchandise New items are sometimes put on sale to encourage customers to become acquainted with them Some stores have mail or newspaper coupons that are only valid on certain days or at certain items

How to Pay Buying is the exchange of money or credit for goods or services Cash purchases occur when you pay the full amount of the purchase with money, which also includes checks and debit cards Overdrawn means that an account has checks written against it for more money than it contains Layaway purchases allow stores to put items away for a certain length of time while the buyer makes periodic payments No finance charges but usually a nominal fee to complete a layaway purchase Credit purchases are a promise to pay for goods or services at a later date Credit rating is an evaluation of someone’s financial standing based on past records of debt repayment, financial standing, etc. Credit limit is the maximum financial amount a person may have outstanding on a charge or other credit account Installment plan is a credit arrangement by which a down payment is made toward a specific large purchase, and a contract specifies the periodic payments and finance charges