beauty addict

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An insider's guide for getting the best of what’s in store.

Never Pay Retail
Learn how to spot sales, track down deals, and spruce up your wardrobe for a steal.
By Claire Sulmers

You know the scenario: You visit your favorite boutique and spot a dress—well, maybe a few dresses—that you know belong in your closet. If you had an inexhaustible clothing allowance or a trust fund, you’d buy them all in one fell swoop. But let’s get real: You’re on a budget and, like most people, can’t afford a Lindsay Lohan–style spree. Wouldn’t it be great if you get almost everything you want but at a huge discount? We thought so too. That’s why we turned to the experts for their tips on spotting sales, tracking down deals, and getting the discounts you need to look chic without maxing out your credit card.

Know the Cycles
You’ve probably noticed that, at certain times, malls and boutiques have nothing but sales signs in their windows. Price-slashing may seem random, but there’s a method to the madness. According to Daniel Butler, vice president of Retail Operations for the National Retail Federation (NRF), there are a few key months every year when sales multiply. Summer apparel, like flirty dresses, swimsuits, and colorful skirts, start lining the shelves in March when it’s still a bit chilly. Though it’s tempting to buy everything you see the moment it arrives in stores, “June and July are the sales months for summer clothes, with July being the clearance month,” says Butler. So if you can make it through May showing off your newly svelte bod in last year’s digs, you can stock up on almost all the polo shirts, flip-flops, and Capris your heart desires later on. When it comes to fall clothing, the same rule applies: The new styles hit the racks in August but aren’t discounted until late October and November. According to the NRF, “Thanksgiving week is a great week to hit the stores. Many of the after-Thanksgiving sales are set prior to the holiday so you can shop early, save, and beat the crowds.”

If you’re looking for deeply discounted winterwear (sweaters, wool pants, and warm coats), wait for the period right after the holidays. “Winter merchandise goes on sale in late December and early January, and by the end of January, it’s on clearance,” Butler explains. Sure, you’ll have to do a little digging, but nothing beats getting a bargain on otherwise expensive items like cashmere sweaters. And if you don’t have time to wear them this year, just imagine how happy you’ll be next winter when you don’t have to fork over a couple hundred for new snow boots. Come February, spring merchandise starts flooding the stores, but again, if you’re looking for discounts, wait a few months—but not too long. According to the NRF, “Spring fashions begin the markdown cycle in April. [This is] an important time if you wear a size that is hard to fit or not as common. Make your purchases while the sizes are still available.” In other words, if you’re a zero (or double zero), be sure to shop in April before your size is going, going, gone.

Hit the Pavement
If you just can’t wait to capitalize on sales, there are more instantly gratifying ways to find deals on the looks you love. In-season designer fashions abound at discount stores like Loehmann’s, Century 21, Marshalls, and T.J. Maxx, which are specifically designed to offer customers clothing at less than their retail price. According to Mr. Cheap of the Mr. Cheap’s book series, such discount retailers “sell surpluses, returns, discontinued items, and irregular or flawed goods.” These stores also offer current seasonal fashions for 20 to 35 percent below retail, overruns and irregular merchandise with microscopic flaws for 40 to 60 percent less, and out-of-date items from 60 to 70 percent off. At all of these spots, fresh merchandise usually appears on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, meaning that it’s not only a good time to beat the weekend crowd; you’ll also get first dibs on the newest items.

Though you may think all of these stores are the same, different discounters sell different types of clothing. According to Mr. Cheap, “Loehmann’s has a strong reputation for having designer—and even couture—goods hidden amongst the fray. Century 21 has a larger selection of couture, such as Marc Jacobs, Missoni, Paul Smith, Prada, Ralph Lauren, Juicy Couture, La Perla, and Calvin Klein. Marshalls is a close second to Loehmann’s in carrying a decent selection of quality goods, but Marshalls generally has a broader selection of shoes and menswear. While T.J. Maxx tends to focus on younger, faster, and cheaper items, one can increasingly find upscale lines and designer labels there, and they generally have a better selection of accessories and fine jewelry.”

Outlet stores also offer good deals if you have a keen eye and time to spend shopping. According to Mr. Cheap, they carry “goods made specifically for the outlet stores, catalog merchandise, past-season goods, and irregulars.” The selection may not be as vast as that of a discount store, but outlet goods are usually more deeply discounted (from 50 to 80 percent off retail). Plus, the service is generally quite good. “Many offer full-service sales assistance and reasonable return policies, as well as higher-quality goods than before,” says Mr. Cheap. For the newest merchandise, be sure to visit outlet stores during the first week of every month.

Go Cybershopping
No time to hit the pavement? Or maybe malls, traffic, and crowds aren’t your thing? Don’t despair—you can also strike clothing gold on the Web, logging on in your pajamas and visiting as many stores as you like without having to park your car once. “When I’m reading a magazine and see an item I like, I can go online and buy it right then instead of having to write it down and drive to the mall,” says Michael Miller, author of Bargain Hunter’s Secret to Online Shopping. Plus, there’s the advantage of knowing exactly what’s in stock: “It’s so frustrating if you get to the mall and your item isn’t there or is hard to find.” To be alerted of sales that may not be available in stores before the masses, sign up for your favorite retailers’ e-mail lists. To ensure that your work or personal account doesn't get flooded, sign up for a free account so your coupons can go there (along with the spam that sometimes accompanies them). In addition, consult websites like Shopping.com to compare Internet prices on specific items.

Bargains can also be found on auction sites like eBay, which allow you to bid on seasonal and vintage items for less than retail price. “The biggest challenge on eBay is finding something, so you want to get good at searching for things,” says Miller. Make sure you know the proper name of the item you’re looking for, then launch into your search. If you're looking to score the best steals, don't underestimate the potential value of someone’s mistakes. “Ideally, you want to find things that nobody else is bidding on,” Miller explains. Instead of “Diane Von Furstenberg,” the seller may list the item as “Diane Van Furstenburg,” so try a few alternate spellings. In these cases, though, be sure to check the seller’s feedback and get her to ensure in writing that the item is authentic. If it is, “you may be able to get it cheaper because nobody else found it,” Miller says.

As with brick-and-mortar stores, timing is critical on eBay, and according to Miller, the auction site’s slowest months are June and August. If you have a few lazy summer days, log on to see if you can snag that vintage Gucci clutch you’ve been lusting after. Also, look for auctions that end at times when nobody else will be online (like 4 A.M. in the morning or in the middle of the day, when most people are at work or in school). Equally important, Miller says, is to keep in mind that “a lot of bidding on eBay goes on in the last few minutes of the auction, so hold off as long as possible. If you bid in the last few seconds, chances are, nobody else can respond, and you’ll automatically win.” One final word of caution: Be sure to read the item description carefully (that means every word) and familiarize yourself with the seller’s return policy in case you have a change of heart later.

Photo credit: Galina Barskaya

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