Ballin' On a Budget: On-Season vs. Off-Season Sale Shopping

Last week, during one of my rare excursions to the mall, I ventured into Gap, lured in by their advertisements of a Semi-Annual Sale that boasted 60% or more off of their regular prices. Although Gap, with its timeless and minimalist designs, is one of my favorite haunts, I generally cannot justify spending upwards of $70 on a pair of their (extraordinarily well-fitting) jeans. And when Gap items generally do go on sale, it's usually just 15-20% off, which means that I'm still paying $60 for a pair of pants. It's madness, y'all.

Enter off-season shopping and the Semi-Annual Sale. During semi-annual sales, stores like Gap and Victoria's Secret are trying to move out last season's inventory in order to make room for their new fall or spring collections. Because the fashion world is such a fast-paced, cut-throat environment (haven't you seen The Devil Wears Prada?), items worn in the last fashion season (usually about 6 months ago) are immediately horrifically tacky and unsuitable to be seen on store shelves. Not really, but you get my point.

The end result is that fall/winter clothes are deeply discounted during the summer, and vice versa for spring/summer clothes in the winter.

At this point in my life, I do still slightly follow trends, picking the best and most applicable ones for my personal style, but I generally go for simple, high-quality pieces that I can heavily accessorize over the course of several seasons. Of course, we all fall victim to the too-cute-to-pass-up cheetah print miniskirt from Forever 21 (present party included), but before I purchase a piece of clothing, I generally ask myself, "If I looked back at myself wearing this outfit 20 years from now, would I think that I suffered a total psychiatric break?" I typically purchase my "questionable" trendy items (like palazzo pants and crop tops) from fast-fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21, but I buy my long-term staple pieces from classic retailers like J. Crew and Gap (only on sale, of course).

I paid a total of $25.64 for the items I got at Gap, which was marked down from the original total of $164.93 for a savings of 86% (the items were already on winter clearance, and they were marked down another 40%). The pieces that I purchased (two long sweaters and a pair of high waisted skinny jeans) will still be fashionable this winter, and even if they're not, who can turn down a $4 sweater from Gap?



This can be contrasted with seasonal sale shopping, which I did at Zara. Stores also tend to have end-of-season sales at the end of summer/winter to move out all of their current season merchandise. The discounts at these sales are a little less impressive, but you generally have a wider selection of sizes and styles than you would at an off-season sale.  At Zara, I paid a total of $80 (I'm cringing) for the pieces that I got, marked down from the original price of $160. So it was a discount of 50%, which is okay. As a plus, the items I got from Zara are on-trend and can take me into the fall with the addition of tights and a jacket.



Summary:
Off-Season sales generally yield discounts of 70% or more, but in limited sizes and styles.
On-Season sale items hover around 30-50% off, but offer a greater variety and can be worn immediately. 
Higher end stores are a great place to buy long-term staple items.
Fast fashion stores like H&M and Forever 21 are basically made for impulse buying and cheap trendy purchases.

Got any smart shopping tips? Leave a comment below!