Okay, I know what you all are thinking. ITS TOO SOON, IT’S NOT FALL. Don’t do this to us Steffy! But, when I polled you all on instagram 75% of you actually said you felt that it isn’t too soon to begin to shop for Fall clothes, and here’s why…
They’re already in stores! It’s crazy, especially since it doesn’t actually get chillier when September hits, but style doesn’t always mimic the seasons exactly, and because I love fashion I sometimes do sweat a bit for style! From working in retail, and then running this blog for 9 years, I’ve learned a thing or two about when to shop, where to shop, what to buy and what to hold off on, to the point that I feel compelled to share my knowledge with all of you in hopes to make your next season a little bit more stylish (AND AFFORDABLE!!)
Tip 1: If you have the time or means to, sell as much of your summer wardrobe right now as you can! If you follow my DEPOP, you’ll notice that i have been in major purge mode. There’s a few reasons why I am doing this – the first being that shopping for Fall when new arrivals hit the stores can be pricey. Fall clothes are expensive, and in order to buy the best pieces before they sell out, I sometimes have no choice but to buy them full price. Fall clothes are, to be honest, the ONLY pieces that I splurge on throughout the year, and spend a lot on. I try to shop sales, or at more affordable stores in the summer, and by winter I am so stocked up from the Fall and there’s so many sales, I don’t find myself spending as much. I also find that when I hold onto styles I love from the Summer, by the next year they may not be in style anymore. There’s certain pieces I will hold onto forever, like my favorite denim mom shorts, or t-shirts that won’t go out of style, but anything remotely trendy, I sell and re-invest the money for the Fall. By the time Fall pieces hit stores, I have a savings stash and feel less guilty shopping with it!
Tip 2: Check for New Arrivals early, and buy your favorites, because things sell out! I always feel ridiculous buying sweaters in August, but truthfully, most of my favorite Fall buys are things I buy right when they’re posted online, because if I wait, they sell out. This holds SO true with Halloween sweaters especially. If you want to grab the best Halloween gear from sites like Modcloth or ASOS, you need to be on top of your game. I’ve seen Modcloth sweaters sell out in a day. I just snagged this one, and I know for sure that by the time apple picking is actually a thing, it will be long gone. If fashion isn’t you’re thing, it may seem crazy to stalk new arrivals to pick up things before they sell out, but if it is your thing and you feel defeated every year, or like you can’t find your favorites, it’s most likely because you’re waiting until the last minute to shop VS planning ahead.
Some of my favorite spots to check aside from Modcloth and ASOS for Fall pieces are Boden, Madewell, Topshop, Stories and Sezane.
Tip 3: Don’t order your jeans online! I’ve learned this one the hard way, but in my opinion all anybody really needs is about 2-3 GREAT jeans for the Fall/Winter. I own a good black pair, and then two washes of denim and I generally just re-wear those over and over. I find that if I don’t try on jeans in the store, I tend to stock up on mediocre pairs that just sit in my closet, because I never entirely loved them. I think it’s fun to take a day devoted to jeans, and try on a ton to find the style of the season that suits you.
Tip 4: Things you really WANT but can also live without, you should wait until November to buy! The day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday yields pretty much everything you wanted for all of Fall at a 40% off price tag. The main problem with this, is most of the pieces I mentioned in tip 2 have sold out by this point, and a lot of what’s left are more basic pieces. But, sometimes the basics are harder to justify spending money on, so this is the time that I’ll buy coats, rain boots, solid sweaters and TONS of holiday gifts! It does pay to wait on some pieces that will still be around, just at a lower price!
Tip 5: IF YOU WANT MATCHING HOLIDAY PJ’S, BUY THEM IN OCTOBER/NOVEMBER: I write this in all caps, because I’ve fallen victim to missing out on holiday PJ’s from Target because I waited too long to shop! I always pick mine up from Target, and I try to keep tabs on their site, so I know right when they were listed. I promise you, these sell out super quickly, so keep an eye on it during Fall if it’s a priority for you and your family! Another adorable spot for great matching PJ’s is Old Navy, so I’d check here as well!
In the spirit of shopping early, here’s some of my favorite that I’ve picked up already!!
