• Home
  • Welcome!
  • How to Work With Us
  • Contact
  • Mission Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • The Compass Girls

Champagne Living

Live the Good Life!

  • Aging
  • Health/Wellness
  • Fashion/Beauty
  • Home
    • Snowbirds
  • Travel
    • Cruise
    • USA
      • Florida
      • Las Vegas
      • New York
    • Mexico
    • Europe
    • LGBTQ Travel
  • Food/Drink
    • Drink
    • Dine In
    • Dine Out
    • South Florida
  • Celebrations
  • Cars/Bikes/RVs
  • The Buzz
    • Men’s Corner
  • Magazine & Gift Guides
You are here: Home / Style / It may be winter, but you should be thinking summer!

Style

It may be winter, but you should be thinking summer!

Boston Proper swimsuit

It was a snowy Saturday morning, but my mind was in the balmy days of summer as I pawed my way though the sales racks at my favorite shopping haunts. It actually made my bargain-hunting excursion incredibly easy by doing the exact opposite of every other woman there elbowing each other out for the 50- to 75-percent off deals most stores are offering now.

Unlike everyone else, I skipped over anything dark, wooly, nubby, down-filled, or, in other words, anything that screamed “In season!” Instead, I lasered in on the very few whites, pastels, and sleeveless items that popped up here and there because, in my head, I’m thinking summer.

That’s right. For years, I’ve saved hundreds on my wardrobe by flip-flopping my shopping habits. When it’s winter, I shop spring and summer. When it’s summer, I shop fall and winter. And the payoff is the tons of money saved, and the upgrade in goods. Yes, a lot of designer stuff at 75-percent off is actually affordable—especially if it’s already been marked down.

That’s my other trick: It has to be a markdown from a markdown to entice me to buy. Then I’ve really scored a savings that works with my budget. So here are some tricks I’ve picked up along the way that I’ll share with you while there’s still time to cop some deals.

Go for classic, not trendy. Black, beige, and white never go out of style. In my last haul, I picked up a white, goes-with-everything-in-my-summer-wardrobe jacket, a sleeveless black scoop neck dress (which looks fantastic with the white jacket), and a pair of the cutest black-and-tan wedge sandals. Wedge? See my next tip.

Do your homework. Before I shop out of season, I check the fashion seers’ sites like harpersbazaar.com, glamour.com, and elle.com. That’s hardly work—it’s fun to see all the stuff that strutted down the runways that we’ll be seeing in the stores come spring. Their fashion forecasters tell me the hot colors and motifs we’ll see at every price point (like flowers for spring 2012), and even the shoes du jour. OK, so that’s how I knew wedges were still in, plus I picked up a pair of red jeans (yes, red!), because bright neon colors are hot, hot, hot for spring/summer 2012. You’ll see.

Get in on sales alerts. I get e-mail alerts from every e-tailer I’ve ever shopped with. So I never miss an opportunity to shop out of season. It’s easy to sign up for alerts, but you can also do this one-stop sales alert move: sign up at retailmenot.com, which lets you check off your favorite stores, the items you’re most interested in, and they’ll automatically send you alerts—as little or as often as you like—when your faves go on sale.

Check out these other sites. I regularly check my favorite department store websites, but I only hit the sales section to see what’s been drastically reduced. TIP Save yourself time—and disappointment—and only look at the stuff left in your size. I also regularly scout out6pm.com, which has deep discounts on the coolest stuff—which is often from a season or two before and the reason for such great deals

This post was generously shared by Sue Perry of Consumer Reports ShopSmart magazine.


6 Comments

About Zipporah Sandler

Zipporah Sandler AKA Zippy is a lifestyle and travel specialist who after living everywhere from Providence to Paris found herself suddenly residing in South Florida (something she swore she’d never do).

Whether it be San Pellegrino water or Louis Roderer Cristal, Zippy suggests that you keep your life sparkling and your glass full.

« My new motto – make it, take it easy
A more natural sleep »

Comments

  1. April Decheine says

    February 25, 2012 at 7:39 am

    Great idea flip flopping the seasons!

  2. Courtney says

    February 25, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    I’m dreading swimsuits.. I wonder if they make cute ones for preggos?!

  3. HilLesha says

    February 25, 2012 at 7:04 pm

    I’m definitely thinking of warmer weather!

  4. Anne - Mommy Has to Work says

    February 25, 2012 at 9:30 pm

    I try to do this with the kids clothes.

  5. Kenda says

    February 25, 2012 at 10:22 pm

    Argh… do I have to think about a bathing suit already? I love that the classic styles are coming back….let’s hope my previously thin hips do as well!

  6. Lolo says

    February 26, 2012 at 12:53 am

    I love that Boston Proper suite. Now all I need is that body!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

This week on The Compass Girls Show

The Compass Girls Magazine – Summer 22

Are you hungry yet?

Cars Bars & Pars – a men’s lifestyle blog

Copyright © 2023 · Champagne Living Media LLC (2007)

Copyright © 2023 · Divine Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in