Why buy clothes when you have nowhere to go? We’re all living in the same few outfits at home, do you really need new clothes? Probably not today, but one day you will. With no one buying clothes the best clothing deals are now, and eventually you will need new clothes. Don’t say you don’t need something now and skip the deal only to need a new pair of snow boots a year from now and spend $50 more. The Census Bureau released consumer spending for March which showed a staggering 50.5% drop for clothing and accessory brands. With this unexpected drop in demand, there is a ton of inventory and a ton of deals!!
With Black Friday right around the corner, you’re likely to find a lot of great deals as retailers try to get rid of their excess inventory. You’re also likely to find great deals on second hand sites as people clear out their closets and resell final sale items that didn’t end up fitting.
Their Loss is Your Gain – Take Advantage of People Emptying Out Their Closets
With most people spending more time at home than usual many have taken the opportunity to organize their closets. They’re donating clothes and also selling them. This has led to a lot of great finds at thrift stores, Poshmark, The RealReal and local consignment stores already.
Now, 6-8 months later did you miss these deals? Definitely not! There was still a lot of uncertainty back in March. Now it’s clear the normal we return to may look very different. Some people may continue to work from home full time or even relocate. Not everyone is the same size they were back in March. Many are still clearing out their closets or still have stuff listed for sale from earlier, take advantage!! And, don’t forget to negotiate if you’re buying on sites like Poshmark for an even better deal.
Retailers Are Still Trying to Get Rid of Excess Inventory
While consumer spending has rebounded since March, demand in 2020 is still lower than brand expected. This has led to excess inventory. To get rid of this inventory and get much needed cash flow retailers have increased discounts on clothes and accessories.
Why is it likely we’ll see excess inventory continue in 2020? There are significant lead times in apparel, so most of 2020 was planned for back in 2019 when no one expected a global pandemic. Supply Chain Dive took a further look at a McKinsey and Company survey and notes that hybrid sellers on average have a 44 week lead time. This compares to vertically integrated companies which have an average lead time of 28 weeks.
While retailers typically have end of the season sales, the selection on sale is much better than usual. For example, Lululemon always has a “We Made Too Much” section on their website. Usually this includes merchandise that didn’t do well, or popular styles in not popular colors. But now? Browse the selection and you’ll see popular styles in popular colors. I got a black Swiftly Racerback for $39! The first Swiftly Racerbacks I bought back in 2014 and are still in great condition even though I’ve probably worn them at least 500 times by now. Seriously.
Lilly Pulitzer has two After Party Sales a year with insane discounts and added another sale this summer. The next APS likely in January will likely have a great selection.
The good deals at stores like Lululemon and Lilly Pulitzer are final sale. So, you’ll also find many new with tags deals on sites like Poshmark from people reselling these items because they didn’t fit.
What Clothes Should You Buy?
Getting a good deal on clothing isn’t a good deal if it sits in your closet and you never wear it. You may be able to resell it for the same or more later because the discounts are that steep right now but you shouldn’t plan on that. So, what clothing should you buy when you don’t know when you’ll be able to wear what you buy?
Buy Clothes and Shoes For Your Capsule Wardrobe
A capsule wardrobe is a mini wardrobe made up of versatile pieces you love to wear. Plan your capsule wardrobe based on your style. You can look for inspiration on Pinterest. WhoWhatWear shares how to get to a 37 piece capsule wardrobe.
Next, take inventory of your own closet and see what you’re missing. Keep a list of the items you’re missing and then look for sales and good deals on the items on secondhand sites. When you buy a piece, cross it off your list.
Buy Timeless Pieces
Clothes go in and out of style. If you see a piece of clothing that you like now but know you may not like later don’t buy it. If you don’t have anywhere to wear it while you like it, it may sit in your closet never worn. Instead, focus on the timeless pieces. This doesn’t mean just expensive pieces. It can mean something as simple as a basic tee or a pair of jeans.
Buy Shoes
If you’re not sure what clothing you’ll need in the future, but want to take advantage of the deals now look for deals on shoes. If you work out a lot, you know you’ll need new sneakers at some point. Whether you’ll be back in the office or not, you always need a good pair of black heels, nude heels and black flats. If you live in warm weather you’ll always need a basic pair of sandals and if you live in an area it snows you’ll always need a pair of snow boots. Why not get a good deal on them now?
Buy Work From Home Clothes
Working from home isn’t going to go away anytime soon. Even when things get back to “normal” many people may continue to work from home full time or a few days a week. You might as well be comfortable, especially now that you’re spending less on dry cleaning and commuting.
Buy Workout Clothes
Quality workout clothes make all the difference. They last longer (I still have Lululemon from 5 years ago that are a little faded but otherwise great condition)! I’ve also found that quality workout clothes have also motivated me to work out more and better. When I was wearing free t-shirts I would congratulate myself for just making it to the gym. After I invested in quality workout clothes I made myself take working out much more seriously to justify the purchase.
Where To Find the Best Clothing Deals
There are still a ton of deals out there now on clothing. On basic items, Target, Walmart and Amazon have Black Friday specials on everything including clothes. For luxury items even Saks and Nordstrom still have incredible deals to get their inventory sold and generate cash. It’s hard to find a retailer that isn’t advertising great deals right now.
The best deals you’ll usually find are for second hand items. Poshmark and TheRealReal are really easy to shop from home. You can search NWT (New with Tags) items on Poshmark to get all of the non returnable new gear people bought and it didn’t fit from sales at places like Lululemon and Lilly Pulitzer earlier this summer. While you can’t return items on Poshmark, you can return items on TheRealReal as long as they aren’t final sale. And, if you enjoy the thrill of finding a good deal stores like TJ Maxx are likely to have a better selection than normal as well as thrift stores!
What deals have you found on clothing this year?