As someone who loves luxury fashion, you’d think that sale season was my favorite season, but you’d be wrong. This time of year often means steep (and constantly deepening) discounts on designer goods. This includes everything from shoes and accessories to clothes and, of course, ready-to-wear.
There are some seriously great deals to be had across nearly every major online luxury fashion destination, which is typically quite exciting for those of us who love designer goods. Personally, sale season, for me, has more often than not triggered what I’d like to call shopping woes.
While most of us would love to shop without giving it a second thought, it’s just not the reality for the vast majority of us, myself included. I’ve noticed that when sale season rolls around, I consistently find myself wanting to take advantage of the deals, but struggling to figure out what’s worth it and what’s not.
Shopper’s Guilt
Often, I’ve spent hours, and I mean HOURS, scrolling through pages and pages of things I certainly love (and want), filling up my cart to the brim before becoming so overwhelmed that I exit the webpage entirely and buy nothing. Either that or I’ve purchased something and then felt every fashion lover’s worst nightmare: buyer’s remorse.
I’ve only purchased a couple of handbags on sale, and thankfully I didn’t regret those, but I’ve since vowed not to shop the sale section, because I find it too easy to mistakenly buy something I don’t need or that’s out of my budget despite it being on sale.
Like most of us, I’ve tried to be more mindful of my consumption both for financial purposes and for environmental ones. While I used to feel like not participating in sale season was missing out, these days I’ve realized that I’d much rather budget for the full price bag of my dreams.
Sometimes We Shouldn’t Just “Buy the Bag”
It feels so much more rewarding to buy the real thing when the time is right instead of settling for a second-rate version and later missing out on what I really want because I overspent on a whim. Thus, I’ve vowed to stay out of sale season—for the most part.
Of course, there are exceptions to every rule. If something I’ve already been lusting after and had on my wishlist goes on sale, I’m more than happy to take advantage of seasonal sales (I bought my JW Anderson Bumper bag on super sale, and I have zero regrets), but only if it’s a well-thought-out purchase.
At the end of the day, sale season is a great chance to snag something you may not have been able to buy otherwise, but we all need a reminder every now and again to check in with our habits and patterns. One thing I’m certain of is that I will never regret shopping mindfully, even if it means the short-lived feeling of missing out.
I agree. Shopping mindfully is the way to go.
You save a lot, and no, you don’t need that new bag when you already have so many collecting dust in your closet.
I am returning two today that I didn’t shop last week ‘mindfully’.
I have stopped shopping altogether. That’s a bit of an exaggeration, of course. But I have downsized my closet by about 70%.
I feel that despite a sale they don’t have what I want and, like you, I’ll save up for what I really want. Also, with that said you look cute in everything! Like, model cute!
Thank you so much for the kind words!! 🙂
I’ve learned that shopping online can lead to some regrettable purchases, too, especially if it’s an item I never experienced in person (i.e. in a store). Many times, once I order the item and wait for it to arrive, I am less than thrilled when it gets here. In the past, I would often keep the item anyway, because it seemed too big a hassle to send it back, or because I wanted to justify the waiting for it to get here. Shortly after, though, I’d end up selling it at a significant loss just to be rid of it and recoup some of the money. Now, I ask myself “Would I buy this if I’d experienced it in the store?” If the answer is no, I ship it back.
I completely understand the justification, and then losing money down the line – worst feeling! The problem, too, with sale season is sometimes things are final sale, which now, for me, is a HARD no.
Thank you, Kaitlin – this article is a valuable reminder of mistakes I so easily make
This is a great article. I have always disliked sales and almost never shop them. That is not to say if I am going to buy something and it is discounted that I am not happy, I do love feeling like I got a great deal. The sales though always make me feel like it’s the stuff nobody wants, so that makes me not really want it either. The idea of buying something on sale and then getting it home and realizing it isn’t what I wanted, but bought because it seemed like a great deal, always makes me take pause. Buy less, buy what you love, and be happier. That is my motto.