It’s easy to go mad at this time of year. The weather’s going to be wet and chilly for months, you’re just over the Christmas gift, food and party fest and in the mood for something new and shiny. And the whole world is on sale.
So before you splash out consider my six rules for buying fashion in the sales.
1. Don’t buy tat. You won’t love it - it may cost next to nothing at a discount but you’ll probably wear it once then throw it out. Tat loses its value incredible fast.
2. Don’t buy ‘high fashion’. It’s almost certainly going to be out of date by the time you’ve blinked and then as all the new season’s styles come out you’ll look at it in distain.
3. Don’t buy anything that’s not your proper size. Yes you may lose that 10lbs this year but you haven’t yet, and you may not, and then your money is wasted. Full price, half price or less, only ever buy for the size you are now.
4. Buy items that you can wear season after season. Some items are made to last you over the years, such as a great pair of boots, evening pumps, a gorgeous bag, an evening dress. These are the real bargains. Modern classics never date.
5. Only buy for your own personal style. You know what that is. Don’t buy away from this. You are extremely unlikely to change in that respect. So if you’re never going to wear a pair of over the knee boots with a short leather skirt don’t go there, no matter how reasonable they seem and how great they looked on the model in the pic. If they’re not you, they’re not you and never will be.
6. You’re online, you’ve found something special, you’ve about to hit ‘buy now’. Stop for a second. Is this an impulse buy you won’t use that much, or something you’re in love with. This rule is the same in or out of the sales. It’s too easy to regret - although you can always send it back, of course….
The great thing about buying in the January sales (if you can still call them that) is that you’re buying for the season we’re going to be in for a good few months. So that half price parka is wearable now and on, and then next season. These are investment pieces you’ll wear over and over again.
You won’t find me trawling the rails in the stores in the sales - I always think the stores look so incredibly messy and unattractive, and the likelihood of finding that one garment in the right size is extremely small. Online the clothes and accessories look exactly as they did when they were full price and you can immediately see if what you like the look of is available in your size. What could be better than that?……..
