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Sale time.
It seems to come round quicker every year, doesn’t it? Unless you’re a seasoned professional, navigating through the frenzy of post-Christmas sales across the high street and internet can be a whirlwind of physical and mental strain. We kind of throw all inhibitions to the wind for the sake of a price drop, and, suddenly revisiting your grunge phase from circa 1998 seems like a good idea.
“Sales are a great opportunity to inject newness into your wardrobe”, is what Anita Barr, Group Fashion Buying Director at Harvey Nichols, told us last year before we nose-dived into the bargain rails. Of course, for 50%, 70% or even a hefty 80% off, we’ll put up with the burden of a painful blister or two and a makeup stained-collar. But long term, we don’t really gain much in way of return from buying cheap bits on-the-fly and without any real consideration. This year will be different. Why? Because we’re fortified with the right knowledge to stop us flying off the rails for the sake of fast fashion. Don’t be one of those frenzied fools this year and instead take note of the IMAGE sales shopping rules.
Last week we gave you our informed forecast about what you can expect your wardrobe to look like during the first half of 2018. Knowing what to look for is half the battle in creating a brand-new wardrobe.
Truth be told, a lot of outdated stock tends to appear on the sale rails. But, now that you know the type of trends that will reappear in 2018, you can be wise about choosing last year’s kimono over a camo jacket. To recap, here are five of the biggest key trends we identified:
Fashion Director at the Brown Thomas Group Shelly Corkery also recommends keeping an eye out for labels that rarely participate in seasonal sales. “Keep an eye out for a timeless handbag from Bottega Veneta: it would be a fantastic coup. Also, anything you can get your hands on from the hottest handbag brands of the moment – Chloe and Saint Laurent – but get in early, as these pieces will be extremely limited and snapped up quickly”.
Nothing is ever a bargain if it’s going to hang in the back of your wardrobe for the foreseeable future. According to research carried out by YouGov Polling, the people of Ireland and the UK could be hoarding more than 17 million pieces of unwanted clothing and, placed end to end, these items would stretch from Ireland’s west coast to Los Angeles. Take time to consider whether or not you’d actually wear a see-through metallic crop-top if it were full-price.
Online shopping is more popular than ever, with one-in-four Irish people shopping online weekly according to Price Waterhouse Cooper’s Total Retail report. With its rising popularity though comes a greater risk of breach of security and stolen data. To combat this, banks provide their users with an additional payment method called ‘Secure Codes’. Just be careful to remember your password or your order will be blocked from going through and you can wave bye-bye to that designer coat you’ve been lusting after.
Between all the sequins and sales, we have a tendency to abandon our personal style at Christmas time. We’re conditioned to dress like someone else; someone who loves sequins and embellishment and all things glittery and gold. But what if your style is minimalist or utilitarian? The answer is to remain true to your own style and think about how your sale pieces can adapt to your current wardrobe while taking into account your social calendar, too. Do you have any big parties coming up? A wedding or black-tie gala? Sales are a great opportunity to pick up a special black tie dress with big savings.