I sometimes get asked why I don’t write more often about sales, alerting readers to the latest and greatest steals both in this column and on my website (www.stylegirlfriend.com). A recent commenter said, “These posts are great and all, and I enjoy finding out about new places to get clothes…but everything is at full retail cost. In my opinion (and probably many other guys’), paying full price for clothes is a waste of money.”
He’s right that the clothes I write about – from colored khakis to tailored peacoats – are generally found at full price when I write about them both there and here in my weekly column. The commenter closed his critique by asking, “If we’re going to find a steal where do we go?”
Now, look, I get it. I’m always on the lookout for a good price myself. I’m pretty sure it’s in a woman’s DNA to sniff out sales and cling to clearance racks. However, with sales comes scarcity. What’s the point in suggesting a discounted dress shirt that you fall in love with, only to find out the last size left in stock is an 18/38? That doesn’t do you much good, unless you have an 18 neck (in which case, I bet you’re pretty strong! Would you mind helping me put in my air conditioner unit this weekend?). The reader gets annoyed with me for getting his hopes up about finding a great deal, and I don’t do anyone much good.
Luckily, you won’t always need the clothes when you first read about them here. By the time you’re ready to buy, there’s a good chance you’ll be shopping the sales.
That’s because fashion moves fast. I get excited when a catalog arrives in the mail touting the brand’s all-new offerings for the new season, but I almost never buy anything from it. That’s because they’re always ahead of the curve – and the weather. Just like when stores start showing shorts in their windows … in March.
Another way to look at it, of course, is to say that your time is valuable and by getting pointed in the right direction with a certain article of clothing – even a full-priced one – you’ve saved money by not having to go out and shop for it yourself. That’s the attitude I’ve taken when working with personal shoppers in the past, and the notion gave me comfort when I would otherwise have felt sick paying retail.
Whether you see the price as a steal now or buy it as one later is up to you. You can find trends you like here and go digging for discounts later. Or you can pony up the cash and appreciate the time you’re getting back. I’m just here to give you the style lowdown. You get to do with it – and shop with it – as you see fit.
