Pre-season vs. post-season sales - YouLookFab Forum

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Pre-season vs. post-season sales

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

I know this question has come up a few times in the past, but as I've been looking through the NAS catalog and getting ready for a pre-selection appointment with Laura, I've also been doing quite a bit of summer sales shopping. And it's dawned on me that I much prefer post-season sales to pre-season.

The main reason is that we have been getting our seasons in Chicago much later than the rest of the country, I think. It's not really about my dominant season, it's about timing. We didn't get spring until almost the end of May, but YLF had been full of talk about spring shoes and colors for at least two months before that. Summer just arrived about a week ago (in July!) and it will be here at least through mid-late September. But you guys are already onto fall!

I've tried it for a while, but the reality is I can't really get into buying clothes that I won't be wearing for two months; I need a little more "instant" gratification than that. Plus I am fickle so I can't be sure something I buy in July will be something I want to wear in October. I actually have one dress from NAS last year that still has the tags on it. Maybe this winter will be the charm, LOL!

Anyway, I am currently scooping all kinds of summery tops and skirts, for work and for my upcoming vacation, all on sales all over the place. I have to confess, it's a lot more gratifying because I can wear it within a couple of days. I'm starting to think I might be better off waiting and buying things when I can wear them instead of trying to plan ahead.

What about you? Which is your preference for shopping for a seasonal wardrobe?

Shopping

18 replies

Latest reply was from Kristen

medusa

Veteran

Kristen, this is interesting. I think I'm kind of the opposite to you: I don't really think that much about the current season when I'm shopping. I'm perfectly happy buying a winter coat in May and waiting to wear it.

Maybe it's partially because in Colorado our seasons don't come in order. It can (and does) snow basically any month. So winter (or spring or summer or fall) is always right around the corner!

chewyspaghetti

Veteran

I'm actually trying to do mostly the same as you, Kristen. Having bought a bunch of summer dresses really early in the season that didn't work out for summer has soured me a bit on pre-season shopping. I'm still hoping to pick up a jacket at NAS, but I think that I will be ok with fit and style still by the time that I can wear it.

Nonie

I agree with Kristen...being a Bay Area resident...we hardly get a horrid winter..so i actually just shop for Fall & Summer...and make those pieces work for winter & spring...and i love post season sales

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Medusa, I can understand that; my decision is based on the weather in my neck of the woods, too!

Khris, I got burned on a couple of pre-season purchases too (see comment about dress above). I still intend to check things out at NAS, and there are a couple of items I know I'll be getting no matter what (Oroblu fishnets, if they are on sale, and maybe some shoes and boots), but I will be waiting and watching until the later sales this year, I think.

Nonie, that sounds like a good plan!

Kate

Veteran

I think for me it entirely depends on the weather where I am - I love both the pre-sales and post-sales for the summer because the weather in Tucson is mostly summer weather. The post-sale for fall is nice because fall comes late (though I like the pre-sale stuff that is ok for hot weather), and the pre-sale for spring because it comes early. And winter doesn't really happen here When I lived in Seattle it was different, and when I lived in Ohio is was different. It's all about the location.

But I guess that shows that I like shopping for the current weather - when it won't be usable for several months I forget what I bought, and it seems pointless to buy clothes I can't use for another 9ish months.

Queen Mum

Veteran

Same here Kristen... summer has just barely arrived here and I can pretty much guarantee I won't be wearing jeans or boots until atleast the 2nd week in October. That is when my fall shopping will start. In fact, my birthday is mid October and that is when I usually start treating myself to fall clothes and still have a hard time being able to wear them because the weather will still be fairly warm.

I'm also an instant gratification gal... I like to be able to wear things within a couple weeks of buying them.

Desmo April

(website)

Veteran

I love pre-season sales for trying and planning. I rarely ever buy anything pre-season though unless it is one of my wardrobe staples. I use it to get a feel for what is coming and what works for me but I generally only part with the cash in later sales.

NK

I think I'm more of a post-season shopper as well. It takes me longer to adjust my eye to various new looks, probably in part because of where I live. (Not that everyone in AZ has no sense of fashion, but sometimes we seem a little behind everyone else!) It's also exhausting to even think about clothes shopping for autumn when it's 110 degrees outside, and will be in the 100's through most of October.

Maya

Veteran

I prefer post-season sales too. I'm one of those people that wants to wear what I bought right away. I also find post-season sales to be more generously discounted since they are desperately trying to get rid of merchandise.

But, I also hate it when a new season begins and I'm in a panic feeling like I have nothing to wear. I'm in a 4 season climate so for me it's more important to stock up each season (though it is also expensive and time consuming).

If NAS were a summer sale I wouldn't be that excited for it, but since autumn and winter are my favorite fashion seasons, I'm a lot more pumped.

taylor

Veteran

I have a hard time with the ~Christmas in July~ thought too.

I did really well last NAS, and will be scoping this one too, but like you I am one who likes to buy and wear my items!!
Hard to coat shop in July, although I do it, I just much prefer to shop for the current season...but I know retailers don't purchase or present their merchandise that way.

I do however refuse to holiday shop until holiday season begins.:)

crwilson

Veteran

I'm definitely bad bad bad at buying things that I won't be able to wear for a few months. Right now, I want to buy clothes for summer because I want to be able to wear them. I am going to scope out a few fall items at the NAS, though. Or at least I'll try. Probably I'll end up buying summer dresses.

Refugee

Veteran

I can't really play for either team pre-season or post-season. I love them both. I live in the middle part of the US as well and definitely have 4 seasons. I try to by staple items post season and expanding/risk items preseason. Even though it's the height of summer, I have a jacket in my closet that I visit regularly that I ordered a few weeks ago. I can't wait for it to be cool enough to wear it. At the same time, I have things I just bought that are already on sale because the fall merchandise is coming in and am already wearing it. Yes, I'm fickle that way. Sorry I'm not of much help with this.

neva

Definitely a post season shopper. I circled two pages in the NAS catalog and both were coats lol. I'm in the southeast coastal region of the US and we do not get much coat weather so we do not get very much selection in store of this item. What is there is not within my budget for the quality that I am looking for. I'm not really a seasonal shopper but more so a climatic shopper lol. 3/4 of my shopping is done between March and August which is when the Spring and Summer clothing is prevalent in stores. My warm weather clothing gets ALOT of use; almost 10 months out of the year. Now shoes on the other hand, I am a preseason shopper. i was just looking on 6pm.com for boots and I know for a fact that I will not be able to wear them until late October lol.

Scarlet

Veteran

I love pre-season sales. There is a better selection and the lack of urgency due to the weather not fitting the clothes helps me to be more selective. In post-season sales it's easier to get sucked into making a compromise on size or buying an orphan because complementing pieces are no longer available.

Lisa

Veteran

I like pre-season sales better. Far too often I have purchased something post-season, and never worn it. The "save for next year" mindset doesn't work for me. I am also more careful with my pre-season sale shopping. For some reason, when it is pre-season shopping I stick to a list and wardrobe staple items. When I shop post-season I tend to buy trendy and/or impulse purchases that never get worn.

Anonymous

I'm probably more of a mid- and post-season shopper. I feel as though I spend all of one season accumulating the right pieces, particularly at the end, and then BAM! We're on to the next one and I have to play catch-up. What Maya wrote really resonated with me as to where I find myself.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

So interesting! I was going to blog about this actually :0)

I am the exact opposite, Kristen. I am all about the stuff that's hot off the fashion press at the start of a season. I am often bored at post season sale time and 99.9% of the time my size is gone.

Kristen

(website)

Veteran

Seeing the variety in everyone's responses is so fascinating! Of course, there isn't a right or wrong way to shop -- it looks like it depends on your location, your seasons, your size availability, and most of all, your personality. it makes absolute sense for someone as fashion-forward as Angie to want everything at the beginning of the season, but for someone who takes to trends much more slowly (like me) a post-season sale is the better option.

Of course, when I say "post-season" we are talking about the fashion season, not the real one. Because post-season sales are starting NOW for summer items, and it is only July. By no Farmer's Almanac anywhere is it the end of summer!