Everybody loves shopping for clothes, don't they? Hmmm, maybe not everybody...

For those that don't enjoy having tired feet, being harassed by keen and persistent shop assistants, or having to ask the ever-present (and now comical) question 'Does my bum look big in this?', please read on.

Since shopping for clothes is such a personal matter, the experience should be kept similarly personal. You shouldn't have to be worried about what sycophantic shop assistants and flattering friends have to say about the way you look, but instead, should be directing attention to the way the clothes affect the way you feel.

Another thing that seems to prevent people from enjoying clothes shopping and which can 'depersonalise' the experience, is the constant pursuit of trendiness. Not everyone has the same favourite colours, tones or textures, so why should everyone have to wear the same colours, tones and textures, just because faceless fashionistas say so?

Intuition can play a big part in deciding what to buy. By not thinking about the latest trends or the opinions of others, you are able to let your mind decide, pressure free, what you think is the best choice of clothing in terms of what you know suits your body, and the colours and textures that relax, revitalise and excite you personally. This is the brain's 'fashion reflex'.

A good method of using that intuition to make shopping painless is the 'five-minute hunt'.

The Five-minute Hunt Method

• When in a shop, spend just five minutes looking around and picking up items of clothing that immediately catch your eye. The five-minute limit minimises the time allowed to think about trends or outside opinions, and forces the brain to use its 'fashion reflex'. Five minutes also means that shop assistants will not have time to 'help.'

• After the five minutes are up, take all the clothes that caught your eye to the dressing room to try on. The trick is to buy only the clothes that you feel instantly at home in. That state is more than just feeling comfortable or dressing for functionality, but a more personal and intuitive sensation.

It is important to feel instantly at home in clothes; it is a most satisfying feeling which helps to curb any overt self-awareness and may even increase self-confidence.

This method is more suited to those of a size much catered for by the clothes retailers, ie (British) sizes 10-16 or their equivalents. For those shoppers who feel that they do not fit the average sizes, either because they are too large or too small, too short or too tall, this method will work in shops that cater for your particular sizes. Alternatively, add on a few minutes' extra allowance for time spent searching for items in your size.

So, use your fashion reflex and go on a five-minute hunt: your wardrobe will thank you for it.