10 Step Guide to Shopping the January Sales
Jigsaw Trinity Street Cambridge
Christmas has been and gone, new year resolutions made and the decorations neatly packed back in their boxes.
So.. What’s to look forward to? Until the fresh treats of Spring 2020 hit the shop floors, we have the January Sales to feast on. However tackling unkempt rails with depleted sizes and manoeuvring retailers’ clever marketing tricks can be a daunting task.
Do you find yourself buying things randomly, simply because they claim to be 50% off?
But how do you shop the sales? What pieces should you look for? What should you avoid? And how do you find those bargain gems?
Follow my ten step guide to shopping the sales and bag yourself great pieces that you’ll actually wear- a lot!
Before
1. Edit your wardrobe. It is a great time of year to do a clear out, not only does it allow you to see and therefore wear what you actually have but it clears space and your mind too. Get rid of clothes that don’t fit and those you haven’t worn in the last year. At least take them out of your wardrobe. If you don’t have time, flick through and remind yourself what you have and what you really need.
2. Make a plan of the shops you are going to visit and prioritise them. Put your favourite shop first! Add stores/brands that you don’t normally shop full price (too expensive) but love the style and/or fit of. You are more likely to find good things if you shop your 3 favourite brands or stores intensely than aimlessly flick and wander through 20.
Top Tip: To find those individual gem pieces, wait until towards the end of sale (timing dependant on retailer) to shop those brands that you usually find too expensive and shop them on-line by size and largest percentage discount.
3. Make a list of all the things you wanted or nearly purchased during the autumn/winter season but didn’t, because they were either too expensive or you couldn’t really justify.
Top Tip: Shop both on-line and in-store, during the sales. Availability and the lines of stock varies considerably as retailers transfer both poor selling stock from other regions and past seasons between their selling channels.
During
4. Search for all the pieces on your preparation lists (things you need and those you wished you bought) Look out for second colour ways or the same shape in a different print of pieces you already have and enjoy wearing. Anything that isn’t on your list, consider carefully by asking yourself the following questions:
Do you want to wear this now? ( if it is an everyday coat/jacket or footwear item- it should go with your current outfit and look good)
Will you have an occasion/reason to wear it soon?
Can you quickly think of at least 3 things, you already own, that you can wear it with?
Does it fit?
Top Tip: If you are unsure - wait! If it is still available in the second or final wave of discounts - It was meant to be!
5. Consider unusual colours, prints, embroidered or sequinned pieces that you might normally walk past. These are usually the most heavily discounted items and will gain many a compliment. However, make sure that the colour or print, although atypical is within your family of colours and will sit back with your wardrobe. A stunning, heavily discounted cashmere coat, that fits your curves beautifully in the wrong colour for you, is a waste of money.
Top Tip: Wearing colours that suit your skin tone, eye and hair colour will dramatically improve your appearance.
6. Is your ideal size sold out? Don’t purchase the size down if it is too tight, short or small. If and when you do diet down to that size, go on a celebratory shop trip and buy a fabulous new capsule wardrobe. Only purchase items that are too big, if you are going for an oversized look, plan to cinch them in or know you will take them to a tailor to have them altered. Does the cost of having them altered merit the purchase?
Top Tip: The best bargains are ‘out-of-season’ or old season pieces. Retailers put these out towards the end of their sales, once they have cleared through the current season sale stock. These will appear as one offs. Shop by your size to find them.
7. The sales are a great opportunity to get those ‘investment items’. For example, a winter coat, a handbag, a leather jacket or any leather or natural fibre item for that matter. Think: cashmere jumpers and silk blouses. Purchase in neutral colours (remember metallics are neutrals), in classic shapes and fuss free.
The result: Great buys that go with everything and stand the test of time.
Top Tip: Be aware of engineered sale stock. Some retailers manufacture items or buy in items purely for the sale period. If you genuinely like the pieces and they tick your boxes, then it will still be a good buy but don’t buy something just because it’s half price and you’ve been hypnotised into spending mode.
8. Ivory tops, white trainers and neutral shoes are great sale buys because you can wear with everything and will get lots of wear from them, (regardless if you already have lots of them). Remember natural animal (leopard & snake) is a neutral.
Top Tip: Brand’s basic items in standard colours, don’t tend to go into the sale. However during January, they often do offers on these core lines to trade through any excess stock to make room for new spring updates. Therefore if you have vouchers to spend or don’t see anything in the sale that you like, it is a good time to stock up on basics, rather than feeling forced to purchase a sale item that you don’t really need or want.
After
9. Keep all the tags on. If you purchased on-line check you are happy with the quality and finish. Try everything on (again if you tried on in-store) and do a mini styling session by putting together with pieces from your wardrobe, including shoes and accessories. If it’s not right, that “thing” will bother you when you wear it and probably stop you wearing it again.
Top Tip: Take a photo of yourself in the mirror wearing the outfit. Looking back at the photo will highlight any ‘wrongs’
10. Return anything you haven’t worn within a week of purchase, unless it is an out of season item. If it is a swimsuit or pair of shorts for example, wear them around the house for an hour or so (tags still on) with the co-ordinating pieces that you plan to wear them with.
Top Tip: Check the returns policy on sale items. Many reduce the number of days and some don’t accept returns at all.
Enjoy the January sales; it should be a fun, liberating and renewing experience. If you lack confidence, struggle with messy shop environments or simply loathe shopping but still like a bargain, hire a personal stylist to shop with you or better still; to deliver a co-ordinated, capsule wardrobe full of savings and bargains to your door.