It can be the dream moment of the year: coolness at 70% discount, is there anything better? But it can also be a nightmare: hundreds of euros trashed in pieces that looked “exactly what we needed” on the sales racks but become disaster once at home, because they were bought in the rush of adrenaline of the discount. And don’t even get me started with the “I wasn’t convinced, but it was on sale!” line… Here a few tips for a conscious and satisfying sales shopping (that I learned in years of money spent with no logic in stuff I never wore again…) and a hint on the trends to shop NOW and wear for months ;-)
MY TOP 6 SALES GENERAL RULES
a.k.a. the only moment of the year in which I use rationality instead of the PIN code of my credit card – Here I tell you how
RULE 1
First rule seems stupid but, as always happens, obvious things are the first to be overlooked: consider the climate of the area you live in.
You want to wear those lovely things you scored at 50% or 70 % discount, not make them sit in the closet waiting for next year still in their bags with price tags attached: what’s the use of buying 300 euros of wool jumpers and scarves in March if you’re living in Italy and in two weeks it’ll be time to wear light blazers, crispy shirts and ballet flats?
Consider carefully the balance between your desires and the sales craze and the actual use you can make of those new things RIGHT NOW. Don’t think “Oh I’ll wear them next year” “I’ll wear this top in June” because by then you’ll be already tired of it.
RULE 2
This is the moment to buy that amazing piece you’ve been loving since September but you weren’t able to buy at full price: if you’ve been thinking about it for four months then there are good chances you’ll still love it next year too. I always go for important pieces like coats and/or good shoes (usually boots) or often something that I wouldn’t dare to buy at full price because of its bold shape or color.
Sometimes it can be also a piece of jewellery or a bag, the important is that when you finally get it you simply can’t stop to look at it night and day because you just love it too much. But don’t overdo: the long loved-item to finally get on sales is one, two maximum, especially because often these are statement or one of a kind pieces or accessories and it’s important to keep some of the budget to make bargains with the basics too. For me this season the magic, beloved piece was a military green parka from Benetton (even though I already have a parka :p). I eyed it in August, went back to check on it periodically until Christmas and made it mine as soon as it went on 30% discount: It’s real love.
RULE 3
Rationalize BEFORE you hit the stores: take an hour or two to visit blogs and websites, have a look at fashion magazines and make a mental list.
This usually makes you realize the trends you really like and the things you actually need, because your brain is thinking without the blindfold of the shopping adrenaline and the discount rush. You’ll still buy on impulse some really cheap T-shirt or accessory on the verve of the moment, that’s for sure, but what matters is that the key pieces will be bought with a logic and there will be good chances that you’ll wear them for a loooong time.
RULE 4
It’s the time to invest in basic, timeless pieces.
The top quality black simple coat, the good white shirt, the second skin jeans, the perfect cut blazer that we don’t know how but never goes out of fashion. This is the moment to buy them because you pay a fraction of their price and therefore you can choose higher quality items: high quality is the most important thing when you buy a basic piece because you want it to be the jolly in your wardrobe for many many years to come.
RULE 5
Focus on the trends that will stay, forget the trends that just ones month ago seemed huge but are already fading: even if you’re not a fashion victim some old trends can make you really feel out of place the year or season after (result: waste of money).
I mean, it’s totally OK if you’re wearing the “wrong” colour (I do it all the time myself :-p) but can you imagine how it would feel to go to a party in Miu Miu glitter booties in, let’s say, Winter 2013? Ewww (if you paid 600 euros for them I bet you want to wear them at least for two years in a row… right?)
I know this is difficult because you really need to take time to have a look at magazines and the like in order to have a little forecasting mindset. But since I have a talent for wasting my time on fashion magazines and frivolous stuff (LOL) and I already made a list of to buy/not to buy trends in my head, I’ll make you spare your time and I’ll share it with you ;-)
RULE 6
It might sound rough, but it’s true: better alone than in a bad company.
You can have the fashion sense of Taylor Tomasi but it’s proven: there’s no easier way to make fashion mistakes than shopping with the wrong company.
I usually go on my own, since I’m strict and I kinda know what I want but I’m still “soft” and very prone to listen to other judgments, being them good or not. I also love with my mom, when I can: the most honest and tasteful person I know.
And if you really wanna go shopping with your best friend that you adore but that deviates you from the good path of the fashion that is best for you (being it because she has totally different tastes, or because she’s scared to be honest in telling you what suits you and what doesn’t) do like this: find a couple of hours to shop on your own and buy all the “important” pieces and finish your budget almost completely. Then go with her for a shopping afternoon in good company: your budget is almost over, so you can’t make too much damage, but you can still enjoy some quality time with your beloved friend ;-)
THE TRENDS TO BUY NOW and wear for at least one year (if not forever)
THE PARKA 
The military green parka has been a huge trend since 2009, but this year it really exploded popping everywhere on the runways and street style pics. No wonder why: it’s modern, edgy, you can wear it with everything and you make it sporty, elegant, preppy or cool depending on your outfit. A true jolly. The best of the season in my opinion is from Benetton, I made it mine with joy a couple of weeks ago and you can find it in sale in Benetton stores worldwide.
FLORALS 
They’re simply EVERYWHERE but Zara (where I bought the shirt here above) and H&M (where I scored the skirt in the same print of the suit in the collage) are probably the good-to-go places in the high street for the best flower power bargains. In Spring flowers will be even more ubiquitous so buy now that the prices are nice and wear for… the next 6 months ;-)
BROGUES 
There has been many IT shoes this winter but none was seen everywhere and in every situation like the classic brogue. From Susie Bubble’s eclectic outfit mixes to the elegant fashion editors in the streets of Paris: these classics have been seen everywhere. They’re cool and the perfect shoe to make an elegant outfit more contemporary. The best of the season? Those with little studs. I die over the Church’s ones but also Topshop had a great pair that of course was sold out before I could say “I want them!”. Now I’m eyeing the Marc by Marc Jacobs but for lower budgets I’d totally choose the ASOS patent leather brogue: I find that color quite not obvious but at the same time very wearable.
THE BIG FALL-WINTER TRENDS TO FORGET
Python and snakeskin
It was everywhere but it’s already forgotten. I know you’ve been coveting those Lanvin boots for a season and now that they’re 70% off… Leave them there
70′s
Ever since the late 90s fashion has been elaborating the decades of the 20th century in a cyclic way. This winter it was all about the ’70s. Forget them: Spring 2012 runways say that we have already moved back to the mid-century looks à la Grease. Just wait and see.
Earthy tones in soft shapes
Pre-fall runways are anticipating what we’ll wear next winter, and there’s a huge come back for grey and colder hues: that brick reddish brown and the mustard colors we loved this winter passed and went. Keep full red, green and yellow. Invest in pastels. If you want to buy brown, go for structured shapes. Discard everything that reminds those 70s furniture colors that were so huge on Winter 2011-12 runways (and at Zara…). At least until the next cycle in which 70s will be back again ;-)
And to finish: What I bought, will buy and would buy.
What I bought
- The beloved parka at Benetton
- A pair of flat leather black boots in Florence (in the pic the perfect ones from Jill Sander, unluckily the calf is narrower than it seems and was too tight for me)
- Floral prints: Skirt at H&M (from the Trend line), shirt at Zara and dress at Benetton
What I will buy
- A nice pair of gloves at COS, probably
- The Karen Walker number one sunglasses
- A pair of brogues
What would I buy
- A nice statement necklace like the ones of Shourouk
- A silk sheer shirt (love Equipment ones)
So that’s all from me, but now it’s your turn: do you have some more tips for choosing the right items on sale that I might like? What did you buy for sales and what would you still like to buy?
Kisses
Al
I already did my sales shopping and went all on intuition. Like it was debated on one of your older posts, confidance looks best so one of my first purchases was a pair of bordeaux velvet pants and a bit of pampering with BBcream :)
Oh I’d like to see those pants, I love bordeaux!
Where did you get them?
Kiss!
Urban Outfitters
what an amazing and helpful post! and not only for sales shopping but shopping in general! for the first time in my life i’ve started to write a list of things i’d loved to have – no matter the price. now – whenever i see something (be it a supersales item or just anything) i go to my list first and check if this item would be a worthy purchase, because if i’d buy it, another thing from my wishlist would have to stay on my wishlist, of course. so: buying or saving? and even though i might never be able to buy that chanel boy bag from my wishlist – it’s already saved me from buying crap that i don’t need.
p.s. the karen walker sunglasses and jil sander boots will go straight to my list!
awesome post, Al. xoxoxo
I’ve always considered you the most rational shopper I know and I’ve always envied you a lot for this!!
I would like to be that strict with my lists, but in the end there’s always some leakage of money somewhere and I’m not always able to follow them 100% even though I must admit that I’m better at that recently.
Buy those boots, you woman with thin calves: a friend of mine bought them and I saw them live. They’re perfection!
And they’re 50% off on Jil Sander website!
kisses!
Lovely post, grat tips :) I only bought one thing at the last sales: a big warm oversize beige circle-necked knit jumper from Zara <3 It is absolutely lovely on skinny jeans or on a short black dress *_*
I.WANT.TO.SEE.IT
XD
bacini
Al questo post e’ geniale!!!
E condivido tutto!
Di solito per il saldi invernali (che sono i migliori) punto sempre a capi “eterni”: cappotti, trench, belle giacche, stivali, capi in cachemire.
E di solito vado da Marni, da Brunello Cucinelli o nel negozio di Perugia che vende i miei adorati Belgi, insomma in quei posti dove per comprare a prezzo pieno dovrei accendere un mutuo!
Poi faccio anche una puntatina da Zara o da H&M ma dovrei imparare ad evitarlo perche’ presa dalla frenesia del “costa poco” finisco sempre per comprare cose inutili!
Quest’anno sono un po’ ripiegata su me stessa e un po’ svogliata e ho fatto un giretto solo il 6 gennaio (prendendomi una gonna di seta stupenda che penso potro’ portare almeno fino a maggio e poi da settembre in poi per tutto il prossimo autunno).
Ma ora parliamo del parka: quella foto di Taylor Tomasi e’ una delle mie preferite di sempre! Quando ho noleggiato la Chanel a dicembre mi sono guardata tutti i suoi outfit per prendere ispirazione… ovviamente e’ stato inutile visto che NON ho parka e giacche di pelle :-(
E mi sto mangiando i gomiti perche’ quest’estate a NY da J. Crew avevo provato un parka che era un amore e ovviamente l’ho lasciato li’… sigh :-(((
Baci cara :-***
ahaha grazie!!
Ma lo sai che quest’anno ho comprato pochissimo anche io? Colpa delle mille spese che ho avuto ultimamente sigh :(
E meno male che qua ancora la crisi non si sente gran che, senno’ addio!
Quella foto di Taylor me la guardo e riguardo da tipo un anno e tutte le volte mi innamoro come se fosse la prima volta XD Che donna!
Bacione
Che palle, ho cercato il parka perfetto per tre anni (le prove qui: http://antou-san.livejournal.com/12163.html ) senza trovarlo, e ora che ho già speso 100 euro per un giaccone verde militare bello ma non parka, più piumino, lo vedo ovunque e soprattutto addosso alle mie amiche! SOB :( Purtroppo quest’anno niente saldi per me, sono più squattrinata che mai da quando mi son laureata!
Si’ ricordo che anche te avevi la fissa col parka, comunque il tuo giaccone è molto bello l’ho visto nelle foto di Parigi! :***
Great post! Where did you buy the Karen Walker sunglasses?
Did you find a webshop with no so high delivery costs within Europe?
Thx!
I still have to buy them, they’re in my “will buy” list! :D
Actually I was intended to buy them on Shopbop but I noticed that the tortoise ones have been recently sold-out :( so I guess I’ll take my pair when I go to Paris in March.
I saw that Karenwalker.com sells them with free shipping internationally, but they cost more than normal (210 euros)
The only solution I guess is to take them on eyegoodies.com : price+shipping considered in euros, not dollars, is 165 euros.
A shop in Brussels used to sell them, it’s villageverve.com a very nice shop (also online)
I know the owner so I asked her if it was possible to order them again but she says that Karen Walker changed the distributor in Europe and she can’t get in touch with them ever since (incredible!)
But I’ll let you know if I find them somewhere else, I’ll try to remember to mail you!
kiss
Al,
concordo su tutta la linea , sopratutto sull’acquisto di capi basic e facendo una lista dei desideri… Io sono una che approfitta dei saldi anche per comprare un pò di intimo nuovo :-)
Quest’anno ho acquistato un abito di lana color champaghe che stavo mirando da un pò (anche se ai saldi l’ho trovato una taglia più grande e non son certa sia stata un’ottima idea prenderlo comunque…vabbè adesso lo posso mettere ;-) ), un completino intimo da intimissimi, un foulard leopardato da Zara e un paio di leggings in lurex sempre da intimissimi (a proposito, hai dato un’occhiata al nuovo sito con vendita online?).
Credo che mi fermerò qui con gli acquisti anche se l’idea che ci dai del parka non è proprio niente male….. ti farò sapere se alla fine lo prenderò!
Bacissimi da noi :-)
Ester
Mamma mia, mi hai appena ricordato che non compro intimo da una vita!! Lo trascuro troppo, la prossima volta che vengo in Italia bisogna che faccia un’incursione da Intimissimi (ma che bello che hanno lo store on-line!! Grazie mille per la dritta, per adesso sembra che non spediscano in Belgio ma spero aggiungano presto altri paesi!)
Dove hai preso l’abito color champagne? Adoro i vestitini di lana!! (alla fine hai fatto bene a prendere una taglia sopra, almeno lo porti fino alla fine dell’inverno ;) )
Fammi sapere se trovi un parka che ti piace, io ieri ho guardato l’armadio e ho realizzato di avere un’ossessione: il parka militare di Benetton, un altro parka verde ma un verde più chiaro preso all’inizio della stagione, una giacca leggera militare di comptoir des cotonniers, un parka verde militare leggero di Uniqlo… senza contare i pantaloni e la gonna verde militare! Ahahah se fossi un supereroe potrei chiamarmi la Donna Mimetica!
Bacione (a tutti e due :*)
L’abitino l’hopreso in un negozio vicino alla palestra, non è di nessuna marca particolare ma mi serviva una cosa pratica ;-)
Ma a Gent c’è Uniqlo???? Che figataaaaaa!!!!
Lunedí vado a farmi un giro da Benetton cosí mi guardo il tuo parka… Poi ti dico!!!
Bacio e buon sabato sera
You’re so right in what you’re saying, and not only for sales shopping!!! Still I don’t think I always follow these rules, have to admit that I do the “wear it next year” sometimes, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t! This year I’m in a zero shopping mood, exams time is coming closer and for the first time in years I don’t feel like thinking about what to buy as procrastination. So far I’ve ordered a bit of basic basic h&m stuff and one shirt from Zara for 7 €, will pick it up tomorrow. Since my birthday is coming up, I might give it another try, we’ll see, maybe at cos! :)
Happy new year to you, too!
Kisses!
great tips, thanks for sharing!
Travel in Style
Your list is great!
Parka check, gloves check..
I love the statment necklace you’ve choosen, it’s great!
Saw some amazing black pumps at Bocage, Gent..
But their still expansive.. I’m waiting for a further discount ;)
xxx
Ooo, lovely post! Seriously cool the way you’ve broken down the categories.
I’ve got a parka that I got about a year ago and it’s still one of my favorite coats. Also love the Celine florals! xx
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