'If I was your stylist, I'd never let you buy these 6 things.'

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We've all been there. Standing in a change room, staring at a mirror, wondering why the "effortless" piece that's meant to "work on everyone" looks so wrong on you.

Is it the lighting? The cut? The mirror? Or, as we're often taught to believe, your body and your fault?

According to personal stylist Hayley Cooper, it's not your body. It's the clothes. And it's time we stopped buying them.

From trend-driven purchases we feel pressured to love, to pieces we buy for a lifestyle we don't actually live, Hayley broke down the six types of items many of us keep buying out of habit, expectation or insecurity.

Sitting down with Nothing To Wear podcast host Tamara Holland, she explained why letting these pieces go can completely change how you feel getting dressed… while also saving you a lot of money.

1. 'Just because' items.

As we should all know by now, no two bodies are the same. So why do we keep buying clothes just because we've heard they're "meant" to suit our body shape or colouring?

These are the pieces that look good in theory, but not in real life.

"Often it's these items that "should" work for your body, and then the reality is you get to the shops, try on the A-Line skirt, for example, and to your surprise, it doesn't fit, then you're questioning if you have some body issue that means things don't fit you, but they fit everyone else," Hayley explained.

The same goes for fabric choice and colour placement, which are features that can dramatically affect how an item sits on your body, regardless of what a guide says.

"Simply following a guide and feeling disappointed when the items don't work is more common than you might think, and it's OK that it happens," she reassured.

The easy fix is having less rigid rules, being more experimental, and, if possible, guidance from a stylist who understands you, not just generic formulas.

2. Trend-based fashion items.

Put your hands up if you've been personally victimised by TikTok fashion (ahem, @me). Suddenly, you own a collection of Adidas Sambas, Salomon sneakers, baggy jeans, and maybe even splurged on an "It" bag.

But more often than not, Hayley says these are the items we wear to feel "fashionable" or "cool", and not because they genuinely resonate with us.

"You'll likely find these items don't reflect your personality, your lifestyle or your ideal personal style."

While she does say trends aren't inherently bad and "can help you evolve your style to feel more current", the key is being selective.

"I don't care about fashion or clothes," Hayley said. "I care about how you feel within yourself, what your energy is like, how you move throughout your day and how your clothing complements that."

Remember, trends should serve you, not the other way around.

WATCH: Hayley explains how to break free from the trend algorithm, post continues below.

3. Outfits chosen for other people's expectations.

Hayley truly believes in dressing for how you want to feel in certain situations. Not how you think you're supposed to look.

Too often, women dress with other people in mind. Work expectations. Social expectations. Fear of comments.

Although clothing should feel comfortable and liberating, there's no denying judgement plays a role in how we get dressed.

"Oftentimes, people feel self-conscious about wearing something that they really want to wear, then they second-guess themselves and revert to something that feels like it's what they "should" be wearing or feels safe, but it's not what they actually want," Hayley said.

It's the offhand remarks ("Oh, you're dressed up, what's the occasion?") or comments about body and weight that are unkind and completely unnecessary.

"It's just not a nice thing for anyone and is a real fear that people have that can stop them from wearing what they want to."

Bottom line: the opinion that matters most is how you feel in the outfit.

4. Items that fill lifestyle gaps you don't actually have.

These are the pieces we're told we need, even when they don't align with how we live right now.

"For example, a postpartum mum in those first few months probably doesn't need a great pair of jeans just yet; she needs some comfortable non-denim pants that she feels awesome in," Hayley explained.

"Allow your wardrobe to evolve with your season of life, and honestly, that alone can make it 100 times more wearable."

Just be sure to buy for the life you actually live (not the one you think you should be living).

5. Items that make you feel like your body needs to change.

This one's simple, but worth repeating: your clothes should make you feel good.

If an item only "works" once you lose weight, tone up or change your body in some way, it's not serving you. Clothing should meet you where you are — not the other way around.

6. Items that no longer feel like you.

From school years, to early career hustle, to motherhood and beyond, your life, body and style will change. And your wardrobe is meant to change with you.

So no, you can't expect a top you loved five years ago to automatically feel right today. And that doesn't mean anything has gone wrong.

"Those sorts of items are often already in our wardrobe, but we also gravitate towards them when shopping because they are familiar, we know they traditionally 'work', and they feel easy for us to shop for."

"I see this a lot with my mum clients and have experienced this myself a few times, but mainly in the last four years since having two kids, and having my own lifestyle and body changes to navigate — having my own personal style evolve," says Hayley.

Letting go of clothes that belong to a past version of you is growth, not failure!

For more fashion tips, listen to the Nothing To Wear podcast or watch Nothing To Wear on YouTube.

Feature image: Instagram @haleycooperstylist.