sale shopping success

As mentioned here, I plan on indulging in a little retail therapy this Memorial Day weekend. I am off to the outlet malls and now is typically a good time to hit them when the stores are offering additional sales, on top of the already low prices. Here are my tips for outlet mall success!

Really think about an item before you jump quickly to purchase. I typically ask myself “what three ways can I wear this piece?” If I can’t think of three ways, I generally don’t purchase. Sometimes an extremely low price can be tempting to take an item home, but if you don’t wear it or use it, you wasted your money.

Classic silhouettes in classic colors. A little black dress, a camel winter coat, nude pumps. These items I generally don’t have to spend much time thinking, if they are classic enough to wear for a few seasons and the price is right, I typically buy.

I know this weekend is going to be a hot one, however it won’t stop me from looking at winter items on sale. My favorite leather jacket came from a Saks off Fifth outlet, purchased in July! The regular price was $500, I only paid $90, in these instances it pays to shop off-season. {side note: to be prepared for upcoming seasons I always take a look at the most recent fashion weeks, to get inspired for upcoming trends and styles}.

You can’t typically order from an outlet and some items are discontinued, some are out of season and some a bit irregular. Which means you may NEVER find it again. If you find yourself seriously contemplating a purchase, keep in mind if you leave it at the store, it probably won’t be there when you go back. Check the stores return policy, sometimes its worth it to make the purchase and sleep on it, if not you will be kicking yourself when it’s not there the next day {I speak from experience}.