Editor's note: The winner of the most recent Flattering50 Giveaway is Lori. Lori won a Blu-ray of "Woman In Gold" and a $50 Visa Gift Certificate. Congratulations, Lori! The next Flattering50 Giveaway should be launching in early August 2015.
The semi-annual sales or summer clearance sales may be almost over, but there are still bargains to be found. I wasn't able to shop the sales till this past week and was pleased to find there are still a lot on sale in stores and online. Needless the sale, shopping at the end of the sales season has its advantages and disadvantages. The Disadvantage: You may not find a lot of things in your size. The Advantage: The clothing companies really want to unload their inventory and keep slashing prices. For example, this week, I bought a jean skirt and textured sweater at Gap for less than $20.
As a frugal shopper, I like to have a strategy when shopping the semi-annual or clearance sales. Without a plan, it's easy to be overwhelmed by the racks and racks of garments at reduced prices. While I may find a little something to wear right now (a midsummer pick-me-up), my real goal when shopping the summer sales is to get a head start on fall shopping. To shop for fall pieces now, I follow the 3 C's. That is I look for garments and accessories that are:
Chic
Color trendy
Classic
SHOPPING WITH A PURPOSE
Right now, you'll find sales at most of the major clothing brands and department stores. (For links to current sales, take a peek HERE.) While the sales may cool down after that, they'll be back again over Labor Day Weekend and Columbus Day Weekend. Here's what I look for when shopping...
Chic
To shop the summer sales for clothing and accessories I'll wear in the fall, I like to know what the fall trends are going to be--what will be chic or trending. Since the telephone book-size September issues of the fashion magazines aren't out in July, I look for fall preview articles on online and at the newsstand. Obviously, not all the trends are going to suit my taste and comfort level. Also, most of the trends are for cold weather clothing (ie, fur trim), which, obviously, aren't on sale or even available yet. However, I like to have a few summer-to-fall transition pieces in mind when I shop. For my recent shopping trip, my wish list included textured garments and dark floral prints. I found a texture sweater that I know will be a staple this fall.
Other fall 2015 trends:
- Nouveau Victorian (ie, high collars, lace blouses, ruffles)
- Separates with a mix of prints (ie, stripes and plaids)
- 70s Bohemian (leftover from last year)
- Unexpected color combinations
- Fur trim
- 21st Century Mod
- Tops and bottoms in the same color scheme
Color-trendy
For every season, there are a handful of hip colors. Beginning last spring, however, color--lots of color--has dominated the style consciousness. The same is predicted for this fall. Since turning 50, I have become color-challenged, relying heavily on neutral and muted hues. (I wrote a post about my desire to break away from a reliance on neutral.) For my recent shopping trip, I looked for pieces in fall's trendy colors. I didn't find a Marsala leather handbag, which tops my wish list. But I did pick up a marine blue pullover.
Colors trending this fall:
Marine blue * Marsala red * Brown * Taupe * Mustard * Cobalt * Navy * Crimson * Marsala *Powder Blue * Deep purple * Lavender * Bottle green * Forest green * Blush *
Classic
During sale season, this frugal shopper looks for a classic piece or two, since they don't go out of style. I'm not interested in a head-to-toe classic look; that's a bit too stuffy-looking for this over 50 gal. Instead, I like to mix classics with trendier pieces to create a little edge. For my recent shopping trip, my wish list included a new blue jean skirt. A jean skirt is a wardrobe staple from March till November on the weekends. I like to style a jean skirt with a textured sweater and/or leather jacket, and with little boots or sandals. I found a jean skirt at Shop Gap.com!
In any season, there are a few classic pieces that are also on trend. Classics that are trending this fall include: Aran sweaters, long sweaters, man-tailored shirts and suits.
And if you're shopping the sales, be sure to check out... Top July Sales: Big Savings on Women's Clothing
Happy Shopping!
