It Pays to Reverse Tradition

This past fall (Oct 2012) while checking out the new fall fashions, I saw this very chic suede jacket at Stein Mart.  The MSRP was $420, and Stein Mart’s “Everyday Discount Price” was $249.99.  I don’t know about you, but $200 is my shopping budget for the entire fall season!

Anyway, I took a picture of the suede jacket and put it on my fashion board.  According to my color ring, I already have several items this jacket would compliment very well. But based on the price, I’ll just have to wait for my savvy shopping months (Jan, Feb, and Mar).

I must warn you, waiting several months before swiping your closet account card to buy an item takes a lot of patience and discipline-- two traits a lot of women don’t have when it comes to buying clothes, shoes, purses, jewelry, etc.   Plus, there is so much pressure from the fashion pundits to buy NOW.   They will give you several reasons why you should shop in season, and most times we don’t need any convincing.  We talk ourselves into buying now because: 

v  I have to buy it now before they sell out.

v  I’ll be the first to have it.

v  It’s one of Oprah’s favorites.

v  It’s the last one in my size.

v  It’s On Sale.

v  It’s Hot!  Seen it in every magazine.

v  It’s something that I really really need.

 

When practicing reverse tradition, the risks are great, but the rewards are even greater.  But I am a confirmed believer that waiting does pays. Here’s my story:

 

It’s January—a good time to buy fall fashions and the jacket is still there and marked down to $166.94.  Nope, not A Savvy Buyer’s price, I’ll check back next month.  It’s February—a great time to buy fall fashions and the jacket is still there marked at $124.95.  Nope, I’ll wait another month.  Now it’s March, the best time to buy fall fashions, but I’m not willing to pay $61.95, and again I leave without the jacket.

It’s April and I have my extra 25% off “All Red Dot Clearance” coupon so I visit Stein Mart and quickly browse the racks for fall items, purposely ignoring all of the fresh new spring fashions.  And what do you know, there is one suede jacket on the rack and it’s marked down to $14.95.  With my coupon, I paid a whopping $11.21 for a $420 suede jacket.

Remember, Fashion Buyers place orders several months in advance.  While I can’t wear the jacket for several months, the price keeps me content until the weather cools.

Reverse Tradition

In the fashion world, designers-brands (or their agents) typically present a collection of samples to Fashion Buyers in accordance with the prêt-`a-porter calendar; or in plain English:  January-February for fall-winter collection and July-September for a spring-summer collection.  And now with the popularity of pre-collections, samples are also presented to Fashion Buyers in May for intermediate collections between winter and spring, and December for collections that bridge summer and fall.

I explained the above for those analytical readers who like technical logistics.  For those who prefer visuals, below is a simple chart to show when collections are typically delivered to retailers—which is what consumers care about.  This calendar is important because it helps A Savvy Buyer determine when to shop for the best deals.    This calendar is in red because if you do the majority of your fashion buying when items first hit the stores, it could put your fashion your budget in the red.  This is not the time to buy, despite what the fashion pundits sell tell you. 

The shopping calendar is in green because A Savvy Buyer will find his/her most savvy buys during these months.  Despite what others say, this is the time to buy.

To be continued…

Be sure to check out next week’s post.  I’ll show you examples and proof that reversing your buying traditions will make you A Savvy Buyer.