Life in Colour

With Black Friday and the sales season coming up, I want to talk about something that might feel a little controversial: shopping the sales rack.

This isn't about saying you should never buy anything on sale, and it certainly isn't about judging anyone's budget. There's a difference between buying something you already want when it goes on sale and heading straight to the sales rack to see what bargains you can find.

In this episode, I'm talking about the psychology behind our shopping habits, why we sometimes buy clothes we don't actually want, and how shopping for a bargain can leave us with a wardrobe full of things we never wear.

We'll chat about:

Why shopping the sales rack can become an impulse habit

How the beliefs we grew up with can influence the way we shop

The hidden cost of buying clothes just because they're cheap

Why I would rather you buy one or two things you love than five things you don't wear

How to shop with more intention and make better decisions for your wardrobe

Why it's okay to try things on and leave without buying anything

The simple question I want you to ask yourself before your next purchase

The question to remember: If you wouldn't buy it at full price, why are you buying it just because it's on sale?

Want help building a wardrobe you love?

My Style Reset is a five-week, one-to-one programme where we work together on your colours, personal style, wardrobe and the mindset behind your shopping decisions.

I have three spots available before the end of 2026.

Click here for more information on joining The Style Reset

Mentioned in this episode

Nine Ways to Plan Your Spring & Summer Wardrobe – link here

The 4 Jean Cuts That Actually Suit You in Your 40s+ – link here

Style Goal Setting for 2026 – link here

Thanks so much for listening to Life in Colour. If this episode has made you think differently about your shopping habits, I'd love you to share it with a friend who might find it helpful, too.

Ashley x

Jeans are in every woman’s wardrobe, but there are so many cuts out there that it can get really overwhelming. In this episode I simplify it so you can go shopping knowing exactly what to try on. I cover the one thing that affects how jeans fit more than the cut itself, four cuts that work in your 40s, and the washes and fit tips to look for before you buy.

Want to see what I’m describing? I’ve put it all in an article on Substack, with pictures: [link]

Working with me

Private Style & Colour Session with Ashley: an hour together where we go through your colours, your body shape and your style, and you leave knowing what to buy and what to leave on the rack. Book here: Book a Private Styling Session

Virtual Colour Analysis: not sure what your colours are yet? Find your palette from home: Book A Colour Analysis

Any questions, DM me on Instagram, I’m there. https://www.instagram.com/lovingcolour__/?hl=en


About Ashley:
Hi, I’m Ashley, the founder of Loving Colour. I’m wearing more colour in my 40s than ever, and I couldn’t love it more. When I’m not working, you’ll find me travelling with the kids, teaching myself piano and sewing, or walking on the beach, my favourite way to unwind. I’m a personal colour analyst and stylist in Sydney, helping women find the colours that suit them and build a wardrobe they love getting dressed from. Find me at lovingcolour.au.

Spring/summer is here & if you’re standing in front of your wardrobe wondering where to even start, this one’s for you. I’m sharing 9 ways to plan your spring/summer wardrobe and I promise it’s less overwhelming than it sounds.

We talk about what to do before you buy a single thing, how to set goals that actually stick, and the one goal I think every one of us needs a little more of :) I cover where to start with a wardrobe audit and why you need a joy goal.

Press play, grab a notebook, and by the end you’ll know exactly where to begin. Want to go deeper? If this episode hit home, I’d love to plan your spring& summer wardrobe with you in a private 1:1 session. Book here: [click link] Any questions, DM me on Instagram, I’m there.

About Ashley:
Hi, I’m Ashley, the founder of Loving Colour. I’m wearing more colour in my 40s than ever, and I couldn’t love it more. When I’m not working, you’ll find me travelling with the kids, teaching myself piano and sewing, or walking on the beach, my favourite way to unwind. I’m a personal colour analyst and stylist in Sydney, helping women find the colours that suit them and build a wardrobe they love getting dressed from. Find me at lovingcolour.au.

This week I'm walking you through the colours that are about to land in stores for spring and summer here in the Southern Hemisphere: straight from the Pantone London Fashion Week Trend Palette and the Pantone New York report. I go colour by colour and tell you which colour season each one belongs to, which sister palettes can borrow it, and how to actually wear it because seeing a swatch on a screen is never quite the same as having it explained to you.

You'll hear me talk through burnished lilac, tea berry, pale banana, mandarin orange, amaranth, tickled pink, amethyst orchid, caramel, Dutch canal blue and shale green from the London report, plus acacia, marina, musk melon, alexandrite teal, lava falls, dusty rose, t-rose and burnt sienna from New York — along with the seasonless neutrals from both.

If you're in the Northern Hemisphere, you've probably already seen these colours land in stores so this episode is really for those of us in Australia and New Zealand who are just starting to see them come through.

Links to the Pantone reports are below so you can see the colours as I talk about them. Pantone London Fashion Week Trend Report & Pantone New York Trend Report.

A note on shopping overseas I mention this in the episode and I'll say it again here — if you're in the Southern Hemisphere and feeling like you're seeing the same things over and over in store, try shopping overseas online. Smaller population, smaller range in our shops. I've just done this myself for a set I found on Instagram. And if you're in the Northern Hemisphere heading into your off-season, you can do the same in reverse.

How to work with me

If listening to this made you wonder where your own colours actually sit here's where to start.

Virtual Colour Analysis: $150 a full colour analysis done virtually, so you know exactly which of these seasonal colours are yours to wear.

The Colour Collective: $32.95/month My monthly membership, for ongoing support, outfit ideas, and "What's In Store" content like this episode — but personalised to your palette every month.

The Style Reset: $997 My 1:1 premium programme, for anyone ready to properly rebuild their wardrobe around their colours and their life.

The easiest way to reach me about any of these is a DM on Instagram. I read every one myself. Instagram: @lovingcolour__ Website: lovingcolour.au If you enjoyed this episode, a review would mean the world and it helps other women find the podcast.

This week's episode is inspired by something doing the rounds on Instagram, the "worth the money" trend, but from my perspective as a personal colour stylist.

I'm not talking about must-have basics or trend pieces. I'm talking about the five things I genuinely think are worth investing in if you want your wardrobe to actually work for you, not against you.

In this episode I cover:

Why a properly fitted bra is the real foundation of every outfit (and how often this gets overlooked)

The difference between trend neutrals and your neutrals — and why wearing the wrong ones could be working against you

Why tailoring matters more than price, and how a $20 op-shop find altered properly will always beat an ill-fitting $200 piece

The case for one genuinely good coat, blazer or jacket in one of your best colours, not a safe neutral

Why knowing your colours (not guessing them) changes everything else on this list

I also share what my own everyday neutrals look like as a Light Summer, versus my daughter's as a Deep Autumn, to show just how different "the basics" can look depending on your colouring.

If this episode has you wondering what your own colours actually are, you can find out through a Virtual Colour Analysis with me — done online, at your own pace, no guesswork involved.

👉 lovingcolour.au/colour-analysis

If you enjoyed this episode, I'd love it if you'd subscribe or leave a review — it genuinely helps more women find the show.

Ashley 💕