By Arwa Lodhi
It’s that time of year again: prices on just about everything are slashed lower and lower as January plods on. But is your hard-earned cash really being well spent?
Here are our top tips for ensuring your sales spending spree is efficient, effective, and above all, eco-friendly.
How to Shop the Sales
1. Buy less, but buy better
This is possibly the ‘golden rule‘ of eco-shopping. It’s far better to splurge on something like a Vivienne Westwood Anglomania piece that defies seasonal fashion than to spend the same amount on three trendy pieces that will look tired in a few months. You can find Anglomania classics for as low as £99 here.
2. Respect your size
Thinking you’ll lose weight to get into those bargain priced Stella McCartney trousers is just wishful thinking. They’ll end up hiding away at the back of your closet forever, and you know it.
3. Don’t be fooled by some ‘bargains’
Yes, that supercool silver Rhino ring may have been reduced by 75%, but do you really need a supercool Rhino ring? Really?
4. Shop like a stylist
Just because something is in a high street shop like H&M doesn’t mean it can’t be perfectly combined with high end staples in your wardrobe.
5. ALWAYS ask yourself: “Where will I wear this?
And: When will I wear it? What do I have that will match it?” before buying. Make sure it’s something you will actually use–not something you hope you will wear. Sure, we all wish we were going for cocktails in Monte Carlo every weekend, but the reality is that if you buy that frilly silk Valentino jacket, you may actually not wear it until next New Year’s Eve.
6. Don’t buy it if it needs something more
Cute jumpsuit, but needs a new belt? Nice dress, but no shoes to match? If you have to actually go out and buy other pieces or accessories to wear something with, you may want to forget about it–this is hardly a ‘bargain’ anymore!
7. Don’t feel the pressure
If you’re unsure about a piece and your friend insists it ‘looks great’, trust your instincts and ditch it anyway. Buying should be about loving an item; don’t waste your money on something you merely like, but don’t love!
8. Don’t lose your integrity
Sure, it may be Balmain, it may be half price, but there’s still the fur of some poor, dead animal on it–keep your eco-ethos alive, even when tempted by a great bargain.
9. Think about the future
Trainers about to die? Pick up some new ones in the sales. Know your cousin will be married in June? Get her a wedding gift now. Can’t live without Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Peel? Now’s the time to stock up on beauty products you know you’ll use throughout the year.
10. Consider how much you would pay if you had to rent your purchase
For example, would you pay a £1.50 rental fee to wear your winter coat every day? If the answer’s yes, then it’s well worth spending over £150, as you’ll probably use it 100 days of the year, at least. As for those £400 silver snake print heels….well, you do the math!
Top rule: have fun! Don’t forget that half the fun of shopping is seeing what’s out there, noticing how stylists put shop windows and mannequins together, and borrowing some inspiration. All for free!
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I’ve been thinking more about when to spend and when to stop myself from making a purchase for something I won’t need–in fact it’s my blog post for this evening! I definitely agree that you have to think ahead of time to determine when you’ll wear an item and what you can pair it with in your wardrobe. If you can put it with multiple outfits and you know you’ll wear it all the time, it’s worth the price tag. As I’m building a more sustainable wardrobe and conscious about what I buy, it’s been helpful to not buy things I’ll stash in my closet and throw away later.
Hey there, I couldn’t find a twitter account on your website, do you have one?
Indeed! It’s @eluxemagazine 😉