I just got my February issue of People StyleWatch yesterday and thought the "How to Shop the Sales" article was a good one. It’s written by Kate Nobelius, who is the co-founder of Billion Dollar Babes, an organization that holds sample sales throughout the U.S. Here are her top 5 tips for shopping the sales (p. 34):
- Don Battle Gear. In other words, dress for an efficient shopping experience. Nobelius recommends wearing a wrap dress, leggings, tank top, and slip-on shoes. This enables you to get undressed without messing up your hair or having to deal with untying and retying shoe laces.
- Do Your Research. Flip through current magazines to get an idea of what’s hot and what’s not. As Nobelius explains, "Sometimes there’s a reason things are on sale. You don’t want to wind up with things that are totally out. You want to buy items that will carry you into the next season."
- Have a Plan and Stay Focused. Make a checklist before you go shopping and stick to it. You already do this at the grocery store, so carry the practice over to clothes shopping. Make sure you stick to shapes and colors that complement your skin tone and body – there’s no reason to get crazy just because something’s on sale.
- Buy a Size Up, Not Down. If you’re in-between two sizes, go with the larger one and have it tailored to fit you perfectly. This is something I’ve recommended in the past – here’s the post on how to find a good, inexpensive tailor.
- Don’t Dismiss Items with Small Flaws. Fixing a broken zipper or a missing button is easy. Ask for an additional discount, and you could save big.