You know me by now and you know therefore that I love a bargain… and I’m quite the pro at sniffing out a good deal, especially end-of-sale gems.
Friends often comment ‘you are so jammy!‘ or ‘you always find the good bargains!
Well it’s true, but that’s because I am a dedicated shopper. You all have far more important and interesting things to occupy your time; whereas I am alway window shopping (if not for myself, then for someone else, or the blog).
It’s at this time of year, when you are mostly bored of sale shopping and the clothes racks are filling up with exciting, new season trends, that there are amazing deals to be had. Now is the time to grab yourself a super-sized bargain as many stores are offering discounts of up to 70% . But you have to be savvy. If you invest a little time and thought, you can secure some great items at knock-down prices that will serve you for many seasons ahead.
I recently posted a round-up of my January sale bargains on Instagram. When I reflect back, I made some sensible purchases! I snapped up half-price UGG boots, a Barbour wax jacket (massively reduced in the sale at Fenwick), a classic white shirt, a leopard print coat (a new classic!) and a check blazer and green jumper which will still be on-trend this coming season. The only frivolous buy was the powder pink sock boots, but they were only £10 so I am allowing myself this indulgence!!
My sale shopping is pretty much complete (my bank balance can’t handle much more!!) but there are still so many bargains to be had! So I’ve generously done some scouting around for you to see what gems still remain in the last of the sale reductions.
Look out for the classics
You know you can’t go wrong with a good, white shirt. It is an absolute necessity in a capsule wardrobe. It will work for both day and night; professional or casual. I love this bow neck shirt from Mango, was £39.99 now £10.99
If you don’t already own a trench coat, then you will come Spring. They are the must-have coat of SS18, but also a classic that will never date. Invest in a good quality trench and you’ll be kept stylish and dry for many years to come. Trench coat – was £99.99 now £49.99 – Mango.
Yes the talk is all about colour for SS18 (see my recent post here) but you still need a trusty, neutral knit. It’s ideal to pair with the coloured piece you want to inject into your Spring wardrobe. A chunky, roll neck jumper like this one below, can replace a jacket when the weather warms up. It will look great teamed with midi skirt, wide-leg trousers or of course your favourite jeans. Grey sweater, was £29.99 now £9.99 – Mango
You can’t get more classic than these tuxedo trousers from Reiss, now £55, reduced from £135. They are a fab deal. If you already own a Tuxedo style jacket, these trousers will complete a timeless suit. Otherwise they will work with other blazers in your wardrobe. You could also wear them casual-style with a box-fresh pair of white trainers and a jumper or slogan tee.
These tan coloured cords from Warehouse, now £18 reduced from £46.00 would be a great wardrobe addition for Spring. The neutral colour teams well with both the new season pastels or rainbow brights (read about them here). Think Neopolitan ice-cream and wear with blush pink or mint green, or be bolder and wear with cobalt blue or tomato red.
If you don’t own a navy coat, then you need look no further than this double-breasted overcoat from H&M, reduced to £25.99 from £59.99. I don’t need to tell you, it’s a classic that you’ll be able to get out year after year. In fact, I think I’m off to order this one myself!!!
Top Shop is great for shoes and boots. Their famous Alfie boots are currently reduced (although not hugely.) But I think investing in a Western-style boot would be practical. This classic shape is ideal to wear with cropped jeans and trousers but will also look great with a floaty midi dress in early Spring. Leather ankle boot, reduced from £69 to £42 at Top Shop.
Think ahead to the new season
You’ll be able to find pieces in the sales that fit right in with the new season styles. Often, retailers are ahead of themselves and introduce trends before they really take off, so fashion-forward items end up in the sale racks. Also some trends are so popular that they extend to another season, meaning you can make some savvy purchases in preparation for the upcoming season.
This sweatshirt from Reiss, was £75, now £40 is a fab, on-trend colour and the short, boxy style and white piping detailselevates it from any old throw-on sweatshirt to a stylish, versatile piece.
The trend for stripes is here to stay and the blazer and jeans combo is the new dress-up, dress-down go-to outfit. So this blazer from Zara, reduced from £89.99 to £19.99 ticks many boxes and is a fab price. It’s one of those items that doesn’t necessarily jump out from the page, but I bet it would look awesome with jeans or with pleather skinnies and a spikey pair of boots or heels!
Along with stripes, spots will continue to be a key trend for SS18. So this gorgeous dress by V from Very, reduced to £19.50 from £49 is a great buy. If you have an upcoming party or special event, it will fit the bill nicely. I like it styled here with sock boots, but it will also look great with strappy heels once we are ready to bear toes again!
I could continue to offer you many, many more sale suggestions from around the web, but I must stop at some point!
Hopefully I’ve given you an insight into my sale shopping strategy and shared a few hints and tips, or just some inspiration to scour the clearance pages and not ignore the final reductions – it’s not all tat!!!
Additionally, I suggest stopping by H&M whenever possible as the sale racks are often re-filled and offer more variety than online. On the other hand, the clearance page on the Next website is a treasure trove of bargains – but you’ll need to devote some time to go through each page unless you know exactly what you are looking for! For brands, you should shop around. Often it’s the brand’s own website that offers the best reductions. For example, my UGG Biker Boots were more expensive at ASOS and Office than on the UGG website.
Please let me know if you have been tempted by any of the above. Or share your thoughts on the end-of-season sales. I love to hear from you!
Please note: there are affiliate links on this post – if you click through and purchase an item, I will earn a small commission.