I know that shopping is more fun with friends!  It is for me too, but choose your shopping friends carefully.  I can't tell you how many times I have seen a customer not get something that she really liked and looked good in because her "friend" told her not to buy it.  Worst of all, I have often suspected that the reason behind the friend's advice was more about her than what was really good for the friend she was advising.  Here's the thing – clothing is extremely personal.  It is an expression of who we are as people – our personalities, our jobs, our lifestyles.  What you need is often times not what your friend needs.  What styles and colors that look good on you may not be the same styles and colors your friend likes.  What you are willing to spend on clothing may be more or less than what your friend is willing to spend. 

I know it's scary to trust a sales person's opinion; there is always a fear that he or she will tell you it looks good just to make the sale.  I'm sure there are those who do that.  However, if you find a great store with a great sales person that will give you an honest opinion, in many ways they are better able to be objective than a friend might be.  This is because they have no pre-conceived opinion of you.  They will likely suggest things that might get you outside of your box because they aren't automatically rejecting things based upon what you usually wear.  If they are worth their salt as a sales person, they will realize that it is far more important to help you pick fabulous things and have you come back than to make a one time sale. 

If you find you just can't put your faith in a stranger, then take my advice and choose your shopping partner wisely.  Will they be able to tell you what looks good on you and leave their personal tastes out of it?  Will they not judge you if you spend more or less than they do on clothing?  Is their motivation truely to be a help to you or do they enjoy feeling like "the expert?"  When you listen to them, do you get compliments from others on how you look?  These are just some of the questions you might consider asking yourself before you go on your next shopping date with your friends.  Happy shopping!