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The Weekend Read * It’s Sale Season: How to Shop Smart, Not Just Cheap

December 05, 2025

The Weekend Read * It’s Sale Season: How to Shop Smart, Not Just Cheap

Judi Prue | Read in about 11 minutes

Hello

There’s something about the word sale that flips a switch in the our brains. Our pupils dilate, our heart beats faster and suddenly we’re mentally starring in our own supermarket-sweep-meets-Vogue fantasy. We tell ourselves we’re saving money while simultaneously spending more than we planned. It’s financial gymnastics at its finest.

So, before we walk into the next wave of seasonal sales; pre Christmas, post Christmas or New Year 'everything-must-go sales', let’s pause. Are we actually getting a bargain? Or are we being gently and not-so-gently nudged into buying things we don’t really need, won’t truly wear and will end up donating to charity or selling on Vinted with the tags still attached?

This Weekend Read is for anyone who shops, including men and is your friendly, grounded, House of Colour approved guide to shopping smarter when the sales season hits. Consider it your permission slip to step back, breathe and only buy what genuinely supports your style, your colours and your life now.

Why Sales Feel Irresistible

Before we talk about sales shopping tips, it helps to understand why sales tug at our emotions so effectively. Do you ever feel any of the following triggers when the sales start?

The Fear of Missing Out Effect

Those red tags whisper, if you don’t buy it now, someone else will and you’ll pay full price later. Retailers know FOMO works wonders with us but in reality, 9 times out of 10, that must-have item will pop up online, again often cheaper.

The 'I’m a Clever Shopper' High

We humans love feeling clever, competent and triumphant. Getting something at 40% off can feel like winning a prize even when we didn’t want the item at full price.

The Scarcity Illusion

This is one of the oldest tricks in the book; 'only 2 left in your size!', 'last chance to buy!'. This can sometimes be true, but often it's just manipulation by the retailers.

The Not-Quite-Right Trap

You’ve been watching that coat for months even though you know deep down that it's not quite right for your colour or style. But now that it’s 25% off, you feel justified in buying it because it feels like a bargain. It feels like the universe is rewarding your patience, even if the colour drains your face or the fit isn’t right.

Understanding these triggers doesn’t stop them from working but it puts you back in the driving seat.

The Weekend Read * It’s Sale Season: How to Shop Smart, Not Just Cheap

The Big Sales Pitfalls

During sale time, we are bombarded with sales talk and marketing ploys all designed to try to get us to spend money, mainly on products retailers need to shift to make way for the next seasons offerings. Here, we have highlighted some of the main pitfalls to watch out for.

Pitfall 1: Buying Because It’s Cheap Not Because It’s Right:

We’ve all done it, you see a marketing sign saying 'was £120, now £29' and we say it would be rude not to. But cheap mistakes cost money, space and environmental impact. If it's cheap, ask yourself why?

Pitfall 2: The Back-up Item Trap

Sale season convinces us we need spares; extra jeans, a backup jacket a second pair of shoes in another colour, just in case. But backups are only useful when the original item is utterly perfect. If your everyday jeans already make you feel amazing, buying a spare makes sense. If they’re only okay don’t replicate mediocrity at a discount.

Pitfall 3: The Styling Daydream

In the changing room we imagine this new piece transforming our lives. You hear yourself say, 'I’ll wear this dress to brunch and on my holiday next year' or for those dinners I’ve not yet booked. If you’re creating fictitious scenarios to justify a purchase, walk away from the till. Real clothes earn their keep in your real life, not your hypothetical one.

Pitfall 4: The It’ll Fit When.... Scenario

If you catch yourself thinking that an item will fit when you lose ten pounds, when your less bloated or when you find the right underwear, then stop. Your clothes should fit you now, not a far-off date in the future.

Pitfall 5: The Colour Compromise

You spot a piece in a colour that makes you glow but your size is sold out. Your second-best colour is available and your third and also a beige that washes you out, but is half price. If you think, 'maybe I could make it work', you could, but you'll never truly love it.

How To Avoid The Pitfalls:

Before tapping 'add to basket,' ask yourself:

Would I buy this at full price?

Does this fit my style personality?

Is this in my best colours?

Do I have outfits it works with right now?

If the answer is anything less than a confident yes, step back.

The Golden Rules of Sale Shopping - Part 1

If you wouldn’t buy it at full price, you probably don’t need it on sale.

That rule alone will your wardrobe and your bank account from wasting money.

What should you do? Here are 12 practical, tried-and-tested tips and tricks to help you navigate the sales like a seasoned professional.

1 Create a Wardrobe Gaps List

Before the sales hit, do a quick wardrobe audit and ask yourself:

What do I keep reaching for that I don’t have?
What’s worn out and needs a direct replacement?
What’s missing to pull existing outfits together?
What would genuinely improve the versatility of my wardrobe?

Then write a list and put it in your phone for easy reference while browsing. Sales should be about filling genuine gaps. not adding clutter.

2 Shop Your Colours First Trends Second

The best sale buys are always items in your seasonal palette, your style personality and your best shapes. When you shop colour first, you eliminate 100% of temptation instantly and it's surprisingly liberating!

3 Use the Rule-of-Five Outfits

For every item you buy, you should be able to create at least five different outfits you could wear this month. Not hypothetical-weather outfits, not when you finally organise that capsule wardrobe, but real outfits, right now. If you can’t make five combinations in your head, then it’s a pass.

4 Focus on Upgrades, Not Add-Ons

Instead of thinking, what can I add to my wardrobe, try, what can I upgrade in my wardrobe. Sales are a brilliant time to replace:

Pilling knitwear
A jacket whose lining is tearing
Jeans that have lost elasticity or have ripped
A coat you’ve been tolerating but don’t love

Quality upgrades means money well spent and you'll have items in your wardrobe you know you will wear.

5 Quality Over Quantity Even on Sale

Remember the real bargains are:

100% wool coats
Cashmere you’ll wear for a decade
Leather boots from a brand known for craftsmanship
Premium denim
A perfectly tailored jacket or blazer

These are purchases that will earn their cost-per-wear, unlike the £10 tops you’ll wash twice and regret.

6 Beware the 70% Off Mirage

The bigger the discount the more cautious you should be. Brands often discount deeply because the fit is odd. the colour is unflattering on most people, the fabric is poor or it was a design gamble that didn’t pay off

A big discount is a warning sign, not an invitation.

The Golden Rules of Sale Shopping - Part 2

7 Prepare a Budget

Rather than seeing what happens decide your absolute maximum budget and stick to it. Check the number of items you want or need and garment types you’ll be looking for e.g., yes to coats yes but no to dresses.

A budget gives you guardrails so you don’t impulse buy your way into regret.

8 Do the Fit Test

Try on the item and genuinely check:

Does it fit beautifully at the shoulders, bust and waist?
Does it flatter your shape and vertical proportions?
Does the fabric feel quality, breathable and durable?
Do you feel like you in it?

If it only meets your standard of 'fine for the price', then it’s a definite no.

9 Step Away for 24 Hours

When you are shopping online or in-store, if you’re unsure then walk away. If you're still thinking about it tomorrow, it’s a maybe. If you’ve forgotten it existed, then you've saved yourself the return process.

10 Do Not Buy Just for the Trend

Trends are fleeting, but your colours and your personal style last for ever. If you want to dabble in a trend, then you need to buy it in your palette, buy it in a silhouette you know works for you and only buy one trend piece not three. Remember, trends and fad pieces work with our investment pieces to keep our look modern, but you don't need a whole wardrobe of them.

11 Try at Home With Your Wardrobe

Lighting changes everything. When we try clothes on in store, it is often in artificial light. So if you buy a new piece of clothing or footwear, try it on again at home with other pieces from your wardrobe. Make sure you try on any item with your current shoes, a jacket, trousers or a skirt and your everyday accessories. This tells you instantly whether it belongs in your life and your wardrobe or just looked good in-store.

12 The Deal-Breaker Question

Ask yourself, does this purchase support the future me I'm building? If it doesn’t, leave it behind. A good gauge to use is to ask yourself on a scale of

1-10 (10 being high), how does this piece make me feel? If it doesn't score a 9 or 10, it's not for you. You won't regularly reach for it from you wardrobe if it doesn't make you feel great when you put it on.

Your Sale Shopping Checklist

To help you navigate the sales with confidence, we have put together a quick pre-purchase checklist to screenshot and keep on your phone:

Is this in my colours?
Is it my style personality?
Does it fit beautifully right now?
Can I make 5 or more outfits with it?
Would I buy it at full price?
Does it fill a real wardrobe gap?
Is the fabric high quality?
Does it make me feel like me?
Will I still love it next season?

If you say yes to at least seven of these, you can proceed to the till knowing you will be buying something you'll really love and will wear. If not, admire it then let it go, as it will be one of those mistake buys. A gentle reminder, a sale is not a test of your self control. Your not failing if you buy something that isn't quite right, your also not winning by buying the cheapest item. Your succeeding when you buy only what aligns with your colours, authentic style and your lifestyle. Sales should work for you, not against you.

Final Thoughts: Shop Like the Curator of Your Wardrobe

Think of your wardrobe as a gallery and each item is an exhibit. Your job is to curate pieces that tell the story of who you are. Sales can absolutely support that when you shop with awareness, joy and clarity.

So when the red banners pop up and the emails flood in, take a deep breath, reach for your gap list and shop like the stylish, self-assured, savvy shopper you are. Your wardrobe and your bank account will thank you.

Next week in The Weekend Read we’re diving into what it means to age stylishly rather than congenitally, to adopt a mindset that says 'm still here, and I’m still me.' Because life’s stages don’t require us to fade out.

Best wishes,

Judi & Jenny xx

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