Mindfulness, Purpose, Value: in Life + in Sale Season
Mindfulness. Purpose. Value. These are words that I feel are important as we ring in a new year. Being mindful keeps us thoughtful about the goals we have set out for ourselves. Having a destination is critical to success. Knowing our purpose offers us fulfillment. And ultimately, we all want valuable experiences in our lives.
These same three words are also very helpful when you think about your style and wardrobe. You want to be thoughtful about adding pieces that have purpose at a great value. Simple…right? Not necessarily or I wouldn’t have a career as a stylist. I spend my time identifying how to cover this on an individual basis with clients because they fall into ruts, traps…or just feel overwhelmed with choices. Now let’s throw in sale season…
So how do you tackle one of the biggest sale seasons while keeping your resolutions of being mindful, purposeful, and adding value?
First and foremost, consider this an opportunity. Unless you have satisfied every part of your wardrobe and nothing needs to be updated or replaced, January sales offer you the BEST time to be thoughtful, purposeful, and add value to your closet.
Right now TSALT is at 30 percent off of all fall and winter selections, 40 percent off of outerwear, and 50 percent off of Onsies (last pieces of a style). There are regular rotations of inventory being introduced so if you have something particular you are looking for, please ask the sales associates. The “TSALT TSALE TSEASON” offers a wide variety of incredible deals that promises to fit every budget. To be added to the email list for access to the mark down schedule and events, click here.
In the meantime, as you head out into sale season, here are a few things to keep in mind in order to make the best decisions.
- Go in with a plan.
Without a plan, you will come away with a great deal, but maybe not the most thoughtful way of adding value to your wardrobe. Everyone will have a different plan for their wardrobe so don’t let someone else interfere with your initiatives. Getting caught up with the energy behind great discounts can be easy. I’ve seen my share of crazy sale behavior…it’s like watching lemmings flying off a cliff: you don’t know exactly why they are doing this. The only answer is that it’s in their nature. Knowing what you are looking for before you set foot into a sale helps you stay focused and keeps your feet firmly planted on the ground.
Two things to consider: your lifestyle and your repeat offenders.
Knowing your lifestyle is crucial to knowing how to shop a sale too. If you are a mother of young children, I would suggest taking advantage of the David Lerner leggings. If you are a professional who gets dressed for work five days a week, try a pair of the Avenue Montaigne pants, skirts, or the shift dress. These are workhorses in your wardrobe. If you’re retired and travel is a focus of your life now, I would steer you toward some of the versatile basics that can multitask.
Repeat offenders are the things you tend to over buy. White shirts? Anything black? Chambray shirts? Stripes? My advice is to utilize sale as a way to push outside of your comfort zone and build off of what you have already covered. Resist your muscle memory of how you usually shop. Adding more similarity to an overloaded closet full of denim only dilutes what you’ve already invested in (unless it’s a style you haven’t covered…see #2). Why not push yourself into finding a great top, sweater, or jacket to wear with all the denim you already own? Is your wardrobe filled with solids? You could benefit from finding a great print! Prints are valuable under solid jackets or coats because they immediately add interest. Keeping your focus on something different is a great PLAN for shopping a sale.
- Think of cost per wear.
Outerwear is a perfect place for getting value and purpose. Coats are highly visible as they are what we wear over all of our other items. Investing in a good looking coat has always been perceived as smart shopping — so finding one on sale is smart sale shopping. Look at your coats and see what is missing or needs replacing. TSALT has some of the best outerwear pieces around right now and the range is impressive. Short, long, colorful, textural, and a variety of price points.
If you have wanted to try a new style of denim or identified a wash that is missing, a sale is a great time to take advantage of quality denim at a discounted price. Truth be told, I chose the brands for TSALT. Frame, M.i.h, and Beija Flor all have a reason for being represented. All have been thoughtful choices that added immediate value and purpose to my denim wardrobe.
Frame is very on trend now with comfort, style, and name recognition. M.i.h is my new favorite. I’ve purchased three styles for myself — one of which is the burgundy legging style which I’ve worn more than any other this year. If you have not had an opportunity to try M.i.h, I would advise utilizing this as an opportunity to invite the “denim girl’s” denim into your closet. This U.K. brand takes their craft very seriously and once you try them on, you’ll understand what all the fuss is about. The last one is Beija Flor, which offers styles for everyone up to a size 14-16. Distressed? Gray? Wide leg? Cropped? Review what you have against what you are missing and shop sale denim at TSALT.
- Cover your basics.
Do you have all core pieces covered in your wardrobe? For every client, core is something different. It has a lot to do with your lifestyle. If you are more comfortable in pants than dresses, then consider a tuxedo instead of an LBD. Tuxedos offer great versatility and finding one on sale is even better! TSALT happens to have two great choices now on sale, one from Laveer and another from David Lerner.
Other basics to consider: a white shirt; great fitting denim, or a style you haven’t covered in your wardrobe yet; leggings; and, tanks for underpinnings
- Take advantage of splurge worthy.
Sale is an ideal time to add something that would normally be outside of your budget. These are the pieces that are eye candy because of the quality and texture. Because of the construction, they usually cost a pretty penny. Leather pants, leather coat, a fur or feather jacket, cashmere sweaters…all of these items retain their value in your wardrobe over the years. Making a thoughtful purchase on a great leather jacket or pair of pants during sale gets high marks from this stylist! Using the question, “Would I purchase it if it weren’t on sale?” is the key. Another great question is, “Does it bring me joy?” When the answer is yes, don’t question any further and buy that piece. Simple as that!
Happy New Year!
