MY TOP TIPS FOR SALE SHOPPING

The summer sales are with us HURRAH!
And with that comes a heck load of pressure to bag the best bits and to save some money in the process.

I remember when I was younger, the sales were the highlight of my shopping calendar, I'd save up all my pocket money or when I was a little older my monthly wages, ready for the ultimate shopping spree. My birthday always fell slap bang in the middle of the sales too, so meant spending my birthday cash on the high street also. I was a sales shopping addict.

Yet, as I've gotten older, my shopping spree's have become few and far between; I've grown frustrated with shopping on the high-street in general, often opting for online shopping instead, but then again haven't we all?!
However, with that in mind, sometimes you just can't beat hitting the shops IRL.
From time to time it's nice to hit the shops old school style, one-on-one or for a girlie spree to see what all the sales fuss is about, plus, it saves so much time not having to deal with the dreaded returns of online shopping.

When it comes to sale shopping, I really don't think you can beat the summer sales, for the best, most colourful and on-the-money pieces.... A down sight better than the mid-season's or January sales that is for sure.

So with that, I like to think of myself as quite the seasoned sale shopper and have in-turn learnt a few tips and tricks that have definitely helped me when shopping the often chaotic and over cluttered sales of our much loved British high-street, all of which I'm going to share in this post today. 

Okay so as many people will say, you've gotta start by evaluating your own wardrobe. Delve into the midst of your wardrobe and work out what it is you're missing. Whilst also thinking about what it is you wear the most often, and the pieces that you deffo do not need another version of. Sometimes this is useful, especially if you write it down and have a list to refer to on sale shopping day. However, unless I'm after something totally specific for an extremely definitive event, occasion or brief, I tend to veer a little from this list as there are too many clothes and too many colours to be restricted to that of a list... Who's with me?

Many people will tell you to not bother with trend led items but I say screw that, if you love it then you should go for it despite it being trend based. Thats what sales are all about. They're for having fun, for getting that trend for less and for enjoying it, if only for that season. Whilst it's important to not waste your money, something I'll come on to a little later in this post, if you see the off the shoulder, lemon printed top with très cute pom pom trim that you've lusted after all season, for 40% off... Just buy it.

Now you've assessed your wardrobe and your in your fave shop, It's time for the good ole scan and grab. 
A technique that has been well and truly tried and tested and has served me well on my voyage to sale success. 
We all know those colours, prints and often shapes and silhouettes that we like the most, so take it slow, don't throw yourself straight into sale chaos.
 
Slowly peruse the rails looking for those colours and prints that you love, the items you've lusted after for months or the colours you know will be rocking next season through the research you've put in prior to hitting the shops. 
When you see a colour or print you like, grab it, don't look back, just keep moving on until you've scanned and grabbed from all the rails... You can edit later.
This technique allows you to quickly and oh so effectively shop the sales without getting bogged down amongst the rubbish, and we all know that there is a lot of rubbish during sale season.

This brings me onto my next point, research, research, research. 
If you're anything like me, you'll be totally clued up on your trends for next season so this may not be necessary for you.
However, if you aren't I would highly suggest flicking through Elle or Vogue magazine or hopping online to find out what will be hot for the following season. 
Despite it being the summer sales, you'll be able to pick up some awesome basics, layering pieces and even key prints and shapes for the season ahead, for a fraction of the price of course. 
I often head to a sale knowing the exact things I'm looking to invest in for next season, that way it makes my shopping experience all the more effective and all the more timely to boot.

When it comes to sale shopping IRL, there are a few things you can do to make the whole process that little bit smoother. The biggie for me is what you choose to wear to shop. Go for comfortable clothing that is easy to take off once you hit the changing rooms. Slip on shoes (who's got time for laces?) cross body bags, so you're hands are free for the rummaging and something you can easily whip over your head in the fitting rooms, such as a light-weight dress... Genius eh?

Next up we have look ahead.
Similarly to looking ahead to the following seasons trends, think about what events and occasions you have coming up in the next few months and shop for that. Not only will you find the perfect get-up at a sale price, but the chances of the other guests being as savvy as you and rocking up in the same outfit are extremely slim indeed. 
Wedding's for next summer are the perfect example of this, get organised and plan ahead, chances are your style won't change that much over the next year so why not save a few pennies in the process?

An important one to remember, and without sounding like your mother, don't buy for the sake of it.
We've all been there and bought something simply because it was an utter bargain and you just "can't leave it"... Well guess what, you totally can. 
I can vouch that every single piece I've bought purely for the price of it, has never had the airtime it deserves. It sits there, all sad, tags on,  lonely in my wardrobe.
Impulse buying for the sake of it never ends well so definitely have a think about it before going for it. Grab a coffee, pop next door and think it through, chances are you won't remember it and the space in your wardrobe, along with your bank balance and guilt will thank you for it later.

And finally shop around. 
There are SO many websites with multiple brands on site such as ASOS, Zalando, Next, Selfridges, Net-A-Porter etc so ensure you've checked them all before making the purchase.
In my more recent years of sale shopping, I've used the summer sales to shop more luxury items so I always make sure that I've scoured all of the online designer department stores to establish who has the best price around.
Checking these websites along with being signed up to mailing lists means I'm ahead of the game with sale previews, further discounts and new sale additions.

So there we have it, my top tips for sale shopping this season and for any season come to think of it.
These techniques have been tried and tested for many years now and have never let me down to this date.

I've listed some of my most wanted sale items from my favourite stores throughout this post so do check them out, I'd love to know what you think? And please do let me know if you already practice some of these sale shopping procedures or if you have some of your own? I'd bloody love to try them out myself.

x M

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOPHIE TRAYNOR