The summer closeout sales are here, and many a plussie is racing to their favorite stores to grab what goodies they can. While I love those stores and I do recognize the value of a great bargain, I am not one of those shoppers that makes a purchase because something is on sale. In fact, I very rarely shop during a sale.
The reasons for this are based on my own philosophy of value, and my need to have a wardrobe borne of careful investment. You see, as a Clean House fan, I’ve hopped aboard the uncluttering movement. That means I go against the advice I’ve seen many a long-term fashion maven give about “keep everything, because it will come back in style someday.” I’ve decided that that’s just silly — I keep items until I’ve a)stained them beyond recognition and no amount of applique’ can save them b)their poor construction quality forces them to fall apart or c)they go out of style and I realize I haven’t worn it for a year. If they fall under c) I will donate them to a thrift store, or sometimes give it to someone I know who will tear the item apart and use the fabric in some other endeavor. The same policy goes for shoes. If something no longer fits me, I don’t deceive myself by saving it as a motivator for “weight loss.” Clothing that doesn’t fit is a motivator for binging, and nothing else – best to get it out of my sight and wear clothing that fits. My exercise clothing continues to fit just fine, and that’s not so much motivator as excuse-remover.
Generally, I save x amount of money for shopping twice a year – fall, and spring. I plan for ahead based on the amount of money I have saved as to what I will buy, without sales as a motivator. First, I think sales force rushes decisions, and can cause me to choose clothing that isn’t really right for me just because of the price. Second, it’s hit-or-miss; a sale increases the chances of clothing in my size being gone, since as a size 28, that size tends to go first and fastest. I do check for sales before I make a purchase; if I can get an extra 20% off of what I planned to buy anyway, great, but otherwise, that’s OK, I’m not out anything I hadn’t expected to spend.
This also leads into my anti-clutter movement. For every piece I buy, I also consider what part of my wardrobe it will replace. One item in, one item out. It keeps my closet reasonably organized, and with the freedom from clutter, I literally have more space to plan out my look and how it will work on me. This is part of why I shop for quality instead of bargains – I need my stuff to last. Shopping is a long process for me, and one where every piece of clothing I own has to fit into my entire life. With that much consciousness for appearance and lifestyle, I really can’t go changing looks season by season. To me, it’s much more effective – and affordable – to pay full price for a few good items, rather than to stuff my closet with low cost items that often just won’t fit into my life or my look.
