MissusSmartyPants Personal Profile Style Article Volume 11 Week 30 July 28, 2016 Remember: only the last 4 weeks remain posted! Hot Savings, Cool Style Everything summer is now on SALE! If you are a savvy shopper now, you can make out with some really awesome bargains. Choose the right pieces so you can wear them all the way into the fall! July is when stores must clear out all things summer related to make room for the new bulkier fall clothes. Stores know that the fall is their best retail season, so they are eager to get the summer merchandise cleared out--so take advantage of these super-slashed prices! Stock up on bargains. However, it s important to know exactly HOW to make the most of the summer sales. If you don t have a basic wardrobe plan or list of your needs, you will end up buying on impulse because everything seems like such a bargain. Know what you need before you go to the stores and get caught up in the sales frenzy.
Keep these savvy-shopping strategies in mind...before shopping the summer sales: Shop with a plan. Make a list of what you really need! What basic pieces does your wardrobe still lack? Continually not having enough basic jackets, classic pants, or simple dresses and skirts can mean you are limiting your style creativity and mix and match possibilities! STOCK UP ON BASICS: These are the items that help you make more practical outfits not another bright orange blouse! Shopping with a plan...means keeping your Seasonal Colors in mind. Build your wardrobe around one or two main colors (like gray and navy, black and brown, or khaki and stone). This will help you decide what to buy and what not to buy it s that simple. Define a bargain. A bargain is only a true bargain if it has value to you. A bargain must equal value (not necessarily the price paid). So, if an item is something you would purchase at full price, if it is something you need, then it is a bargain at a discounted price because it holds VALUE to you! Pause before you buy. Just like putting down your fork when you are getting full...take a moment and pause. You might make the decision to not buy an item because you don t really need it.
Pause when you find yourself getting caught up in a saving money craze... Before going to the check-out counter ask yourself: Do I love it, am I really going to have it altered, and can I think of three ways I can wear it? Read the fine print. Sometimes you want to try it on at home to decide if it is really a good bargain. But beware! Know the store s sale policy before you buy it. What is the refund policy? At some stores, ALL MARK-DOWN SALES ARE FINAL! Time it right. The best time to shop is Wednesday mornings (Thursdays are second best). There are more parking spaces, organized sale racks, fewer shoppers and more sales help. Right now is the best time for summer markdowns for the entire family. Stock up on summer basics for the entire family! Most kids want to wear new shorts and tees back-to-school not sweaters!
Fill up your tank. Eat and drink before heading out the door. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes, plus allow yourself at least a few hours of uninterrupted time to shop. (I always pack a protein bar and some mixed nuts in my handbag...just in case I start getting a little hungry...i can always buy a drink at the mall.) Shop often. Browse your favorite stores and become familiar with them-- but don t buy anything just yet. By knowing what s in the stores ahead of time, you will learn to spot a real bargain at your favorite stores when you see it! Patience will pay-off. I remember my former retailer days. I was at the mall everyday. This meant I saw a variety of sale strategies in play. I knew for example, one particular store that always had merchandise marked 25% off. This same store would then marked down this merchandise to 40% off, then a week later put it back to the regular special price of 25% off. In other words, 25% off was their regular price, but it was on sale when the price was 40% off. TIP***Get on the email list of your favorite stores before going to their sales. This way, you will be in-the-know of all the specials online and at the stores. Spend on quality shoes and handbags. These main accessories can really make an inexpensive outfit look designer.
Don t buy expensive trendy items. Trendy items become dated very quickly; so they aren t worth spending a lot of money on them. For example, don t buy an expensive leather jacket in this season s purple color with fringed sleeves, because it will be outdated next year! Instead, buy inexpensive trendy items that make you look on-trend now. After the season, you don t mind giving them away. Yes, I too loved the 80 s! Ultra-trendy expensive items are a waste of money! Outlets aren t always a bargain. Not only are outlet centers not necessarily cheaper they are often full of last season s merchandise! Be careful and know what s on-trend before you shop at an outlet center. There are exceptions to this rule like Nordstrom s Rack they carry current merchandise at discounted prices! Last spring I visited Las Vegas. This outlet center (below) was tempting, but I knew better and avoided it!
Be thrifty. This is one of my favorite ways to save money on clothing! Consignment and thrift stores are real treasure hunts. Which means you might not always find a treasure every time you go. Have your list of what you need tucked into your handbag... But, keep your eyes open for usual one-of-a-kind items worthy! Don t be cheap. We all love a good bargain (myself included). But, don t buy something just because it s cheap it often ends up as clutter in your closet, your home, or someone else s (like your daughter who you gave it to). Ask yourself: Do I love it, do I need it, am I willing to have the alteration it needs done, and can I wear it at least 3 different ways? Be sure your bargains are things you really need!
Read labels. Take your readers (eye glasses) with you and read the labels of how to care for the fabric of the garment. This helps you decide if you are really willing to invest in frequent dry cleaning in order to buy this bargain. You might put back that bargain if it requires dry cleaning I know I have! TIP***Read labels so that you properly care for, and prolong the life of your basics you own right now. Clothes that last longer give you better CPW (cost per wear) and in the long run, this saves you money. You also save time by not repurchasing the same item over and over. Learn to sew. Knowing how to sew has been one of my best budgetsaving tricks! If I can alter something to fit me or simply hem an item up (usually down for me) I can save lots of money. Take a basic sewing class if needed or look on YouTube. Learn the basics of sewing saves you lots of money! **ADVANCED SHOPPING STRATEGY** Shop out-of-season. If you follow fashion week (which is 12-6 months ahead of season style reports of runway shows) you will always have an eye for the latest upcoming trends way ahead of schedule. You can also shop out of season if you stick to buying only basics. Here s how to save by shopping out of season... Shop for spring/summer clothes in the fall Buy fall/winter clothes when spring begins
Use the above shopping strategy for the whole family, like with winter coats. However, this might mean guesstimating on the sizes if your kids are still growing! EXTEND YOUR WARDROBE (INTO THE FALL) BY BUYING THESE ITEMS NOW AT THE JULY SALES: 1. Look for a dressy-dress you could wear on New Year s Eve! Yes, buy it now! There are plenty of fancy dresses on sale (it s post wedding season)! OR Talbots Doupioni Sheath (petites, misses, womens) Talbots Pleated Dress-2 colors (petite, misses, womens) 2. Casual summer dresses can easily be worn in fall! Simply add a denim jacket, tights & boots and you re all set! +
Talbots Daisy Fit and Flare Dress Talbots Classic Denim Jacket 3. Buy at the sales another swimsuit. Look for one you can wear on a winter cruise. Or a second suit so you can rotate them. Or an extra sports swimsuit for laps in the pool. All swimsuits are at deep discounts now! OR Talbots Square Neck Miraclesuit Asbury Miraclesuit 4. Buy strappy sandals that work now with your current wardrobe (when you dress up) and later with your SALE holiday dress (above #1). Talbots Trulli Ankle-Strap Sandals
5. Buy lace camisoles and tanks to wear now and later under your winter sweaters and blazers. This Talbots tank (below) will cover bra straps and doesn t come as low like some do. Stock up on this ultimate layering piece now! Talbots Woven-Inset Scoopneck Tank-5 colors (petites, misses, womens) 6. Cropped pants, capris, city shorts in dark fabrics. They look fabulous now & will work with boots come fall. Talbots The Perfect Crop-All sizes
7. Muted metallic accessories that you can wear now and way into fall and winter. Geo-Embossed Bracelet Enamel Stretch Bracelet 8. Short-sleeved and ¾ sleeved jackets. These shorter-sleeved jackets will give you a cool vibe with longer sleeves peeking out come fall! On sale! Gray jacket only $34.00! OR Caslon One Button Knit Blazer (petite, misses) Mural "Curve" Shawl Collar 3/4 Sleeve Blazer
8 Things to buy now on sale: 1. A dressy dress 2. Casual summer dresses 3. Swimwear 4. Strappy sandals 5. Camis, tanks, layering basics 6. Cropped pants, capris 7. Trendy jewelry 8. Short sleeved and 3/4 sleeve jackets Remember, you are worth full price but a good bargain that extends your wardrobe into fall season is even better! Love, Leslie MSP Copyright 2006-16 LagTag LLC All rights reserved. This message may not be forwarded or reproduced in any format without the express written consent of MissusSmartyPants.com. Violators will be unsubscribed