Black Friday (& Cyber Monday) is just around the corner but some of our favourite brands have started to cash in early for you to secure your festive shopping list before the December rush.
While sale season is where us treasure hunters thrive, I wanted to welcome our new readers and share how to separate the trash from the treasure because a cheap price tag does not a bargain make!
If you’re going to follow any rules this sale season, be sure to follow the below 4 tips to ensure you do take home a true bargain.
1. The Three C’s
– Cost per wear
Divide the price of an item by the amount of times you think you’ll wear it and you’ll get your cost per wear. If it’s low then hooray! You’re on track for a bargain.
– Compatibility
A good bargain integrates into your existing wardrobe with ease – no additional purchases necessary. The rule I like to follow is if I can style the item into at least two outfits from my existing wardrobe then that’s another big fat tick.
– Compromise
And by compromise, I mean DON’T! We are all guilty of those impulse ‘not quite right’ purchases that we swear we’ll alter / lose weight for / wear one day…only to have them still sit with tags on in a pile of shame. If it doesn’t fit then no, it’s not coming home with me.
2. TIMELESS over TRENDS
Trends are exactly that, filter out trending items because by the time they’re on sale more often than not they are not on trend anymore. Making a wishlist gives you a chance to stop yourself from impulse buying and allows you to hone in on item’s you’ve already had your eye on.
When shopping in store, look through the changing room racks, you’ll often find your size that wasn’t already on the floor.
Look for timeless pieces! When you find an item that is a classic style, durable and on sale, you’ve hit the bargain trifecta! Which for me is often worth more than gold.
Look for breathable materials such as cotton, linen and silks in neutral hues. Think white, black, tan, navy as well as grey and lets not forget khaki or a stripe print.
Spend on classic pieces such as structured blazers, your go-to flattering dress shape and a great pair of jeans.
“a cheap price tag does not a bargain make”
4. don’t pigeon hole
Now more than ever high street brands and department stores are constantly experimenting and evolving to bring you better for less, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised by what they have to offer.
It’s possible to drop by somewhere like Target for a cocktail dress and then Kmart for a clutch to style it with. A pair of my most asked about jeans is from Supre and I once picked up a pair of geo print cigarette pants from Coles for $8!
So keep your eyes peeled – bargains are everywhere once you start looking.
5. stay in the loop
Flash sales and discounts codes are flying around everywhere so it pays (or in this case, saves) to subscribe to store emails and follow along on social media.
Just before you hit ‘buy’, plug the store name and type ‘promo code’ into trusty old mate Google to double check whether there’s another, better discount code available.
There are great browser plugins like Honey and cash back programs like Shopback that help save a few dollars!
If you’re shopping in-store keep an eye on the layout of the store – large retailers tend to group products by category (i.e all shirts together) rather than in collections closer to sale time (Zara and Target do this all the time!)
Happy hunting!
Love, T xoxo
