Ask Angie: best time to shop for colder fall/winter clothing

Barbara Diane

I'd like to not look at shopping emails, or go into stores, until the stores are full of fall/winter clothing. I don't want to go too late, but I don't want to be looking for a pin in a haystack, or to get tempted by summer sales.
I'm looking for long thicker sweaters and toppers and similar items. When do you suggest I shop?

9 years ago

Shopping

5 replies

Latest reply was from Barbara Diane

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Barbara, the NAS is a great way to start the Fall Refresh - so late July.

Usually, August is a bad month to shop, but not this year! Online retailers (in-particular), are bringing their stock in earlier, so now is good too.

I am a FIRM believer in shopping at the beginning and in the middle of the season because the best merchandise is put into stores FIRST. Not last. Why wait to make the sale? So Sept & Oct are excellent months to shop. The start of Nov can be good - and from then on it's downhill till Feb. From the end of Nov through to the end of Jan is party wear, resort wear, and sale items. Slim pickings, broken sizes, lots of black and grey, no colour, but cheaper prices. It's a trade-off.

A lot will depend on how you like to shop. Personally, I am not an end of season shopper. Never have been. That's why the NAS is my favourite sale of the year. Brand new merchandise at reduced prices. I am bored with merchandise by the time it goes on sale. There are too many colours I don't like, and the small sizes are gone.

There are however, Fabbers who prefer to shop end of season because it's very important to them to get a bargain. You CAN be very lucky and successful when you shop the sales later in the season if you'e not bored with the product yet.

Hope that makes sense.

9 years ago

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Barbara Diane, if I may, I'd like to add another perspective. Not disagreeing with Angie at all -- just elaborating a bit based on my locale.

I used to be an end of season bargain shopper and it did not work for me. I still do occasionally find a lucky end of season sale to stock up on essentials or basics (like socks!!) but on the whole, since joining YLF, I FAR prefer to shop early in the season.

Having said that, living in an extreme climate area, I find that retailers tend to stagger their offerings a bit more than they might in the more temperate Pacific Northwest, and you won't necessarily find the best stuff for my climate in August or early September (apart from the NAS).

It all depends what you are shopping for.

For toppers -- yes. Start looking seriously at the end of August and into September/ early October.

For footwear? Begin looking in September.

For heavier or cashmere/ wool sweaters? Begin to look around the end of September and into October.

Ditto for winter coats. If you are lucky you might begin to find these items in mid-September in the big department stores, but the full range won't really show up until early October as a rule.

If you want holiday bling, shop in November.

If you want a sale on knitwear, wait until after Christmas and cross your fingers that you will find something to refresh your capsule.

9 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Angie and Suz, thanks so much for the detailed information. I really appreciate it. It seems like everything in my inbox is sale with hints of early fall, and I both don't want to miss what I need and don't want to buy summer clothing that I don't need. And I want a little break from shopping. So, looks like I can take at least a few weeks off. I'm still making decisions on some of my NAS purchases. I also analyzed my fall/winter wardrobe so unless something unexpected happens I know what to look for.

9 years ago

Roxanna

Veteran

Agree with Suz / is the same in Toronto too. Heavier knitwear and costs start appearing in October and November.

9 years ago

Barbara Diane

Veteran

Thanks Roxanna,
It doesn't get that cold here, but I didn't find what I was looking for at NAS. Not that I didn't spend $ :). I wanted warmer items-I thought a lot of it was summer or lighter weight fall.

9 years ago

Category