I love a sale as much as the next fashion girlie, but I also know they can be the easiest time to make expensive mistakes.
Suddenly everything feels like a bargain. There’s a huge sense of urgency. Pieces you’ve never looked twice at somehow become irresistible because they are 40% off, and before you know it you’ve spent £300 on clothes you weren’t even looking for.
We’ve all been there.
Over the years, I’ve learnt that the best sale purchases aren’t the ones with the biggest discount. They’re the ones that would have earned a place in your wardrobe anyway.
Here’s how I shop the sales without ending up with a wardrobe full of regrets.
1. My Basic Rules
I let it sit in my basket. Unless it’s something that’s already been on my wishlist, I try to leave it for at least a day. It’s amazing how many things lose their appeal once the initial excitement wears off. I recently had a few Zara pieces sitting in my basket that eventually sold out… and honestly, I haven’t thought about them since.
If there’s something I know I want, I prepare in advance. Some brands, like Massimo Dutti, let you save your basket before the sale starts. If I’ve been waiting months for a particular piece, I’ll have everything ready to go rather than panic-scrolling once the discounts go live.
I’m okay with missing out. This one took practice. Sometimes the piece sells out while I’m still deciding. Annoying? Yes. The end of the world? Not really. If I wasn’t sure enough to buy it, it probably wasn’t the right purchase for me.
The sales aren’t a competition to see how many bargains you can find. They’re simply an opportunity to buy the things you already wanted, just at a better price.
2. Start with Your Wishlist (and Your Wardrobe)
One of the biggest mistakes we all make during the sales is letting the discounts decide what we need.
Instead, let’s look at our wardrobes!
What have I been wearing on repeat? What keeps feeling like it’s missing? Is there something I’ve been thinking about for months that has finally been reduced?
I also go back to a framework I shared with my paid subscribers last year, which has become my mental shopping list every time I buy something.
I like to think of every purchase as falling into one of four categories:
The Everyday Hero – the pieces that do the heavy lifting. Great trousers, a quality knit, a shirt you’ll wear three times a week.
The Seasonal Shift – the piece that makes your existing wardrobe feel current. Maybe it’s a jacket, a new silhouette or a pair of shoes.
The Statement Piece – the colourful bag, the printed skirt, the earrings that make even jeans and a T-shirt feel like an outfit.
The Fixer – possibly my favourite category. These are the quiet heroes that make everything else work: the perfect belt, a better bra, the right pair of loafers or the lightweight knit you throw over your shoulders all summer.
Whenever I’m shopping, I like to know which category I’m buying for, and I encourage you to do the same. It makes shopping in the sales—and really, any kind of shopping—feel much more intentional.
Knowing what role a piece will play in your wardrobe makes every purchase easier. Instead of asking, “Is this a good deal?”, you start asking, “Is this what my wardrobe actually needs?”
3. Buy Better, Not Just Cheaper
Sales shouldn’t be about buying more. They are about buying better.
This is when I look for the quality pieces that I might have hesitated over at full price: a beautiful linen shirt, a well-cut blazer, a great handbag or a piece of jewellery I’ll wear for years.
It’s also the perfect time to think ahead. While everyone is understandably shopping for summer dresses, I often find myself looking at cashmere, coats and knitwear that I’ll be grateful to have come September. Some of the best purchases in my wardrobe have been bought completely out of season. I recently bought this leather jacket that I'd been eyeing up last season, and I’m completely obsessed! It’s actually making me look forward to winter… which is saying something.
4. Keep Your Non-Negotiables Close
The sales aren’t the moment to lower your standards. If anything, they are the moment to hold onto them even more tightly.
I always recommend my clients to have a list of non-negotiables that every purchase has to pass, whether it’s full price or 60% off.
For me, they are things like fabric, fit, comfort, quality, versatility and whether I can already picture the piece fitting into my wardrobe.
If a dress is made from a fabric I know I won’t enjoy wearing, the discount doesn’t change that. If I can’t think of how I’d wear something beyond the excitement of finding a bargain, I leave it behind.
The sales are full of reasons to compromise. Wrong size. Almost the right colour. A fabric you normally wouldn’t choose. A piece that’s “good enough.”
Those are exactly the moments to go back to your non-negotiables.
Having a clear idea of what matters to you makes shopping so much easier.
☀️ A Little Summer Sale
Since we are talking about shopping the sales, I thought I’d join in too.
For the next week, new paid members will receive 20% off their first month, plus access to:
✨ The Style System
✨ Style Tools
✨ The complete paid archive
✨ 20% off selected styling services
If you’ve been thinking about joining, I’d love to have you inside the club.
5. My Summer Sales Picks
I've spent far too many hours scrolling through the sales over the past few days, so you don't have to. These are the pieces I'd genuinely buy for myself, recommend to my clients, or happily add to my own wishlist. You can see the full edit here.
Everyday Heroes
The pieces that quietly do the heavy lifting.
This &Daughter 100% wool cardi is one of those pieces every wardrobe can benefit from, but also the colour makes it fresh and right on trend.
A really good pair of light linen trousers is always an Everyday Hero in my wardrobe. They're effortlessly versatile and somehow make every outfit feel a little more polished. I love this pair from Massimo Dutti, they're exactly the kind of piece I'd happily wear on repeat all summer long.
Finding a great pair of jeans is no easy task, but when you do, they become one of the hardest-working pieces in your wardrobe. Agolde consistently gets the fit right, and this pair has exactly the relaxed silhouette I love.
A really good in-between seasons jacket is one of the hardest-working pieces in a wardrobe, especially if you live somewhere like the UK. This Toteme jacket is timeless, beautifully cut and exactly the sort of investment piece I'd wear year after year. Throw it over jeans, to make tailoring a bit more casual or add contrast to a floral dress and you are good to go.
I love bags that don't require any thought. This A.Emery tote is beautifully simple, fits everything I need and goes with absolutely every outfit. Exactly what an everyday bag should do.
I'm trying very hard to convince myself I don't need another pair of sunglasses. Unfortunately, these Loewe cat-eye pair is making an excellent argument.
Metallic shoes are basically a neutral in my wardrobe. They add just enough interest to an outfit while still going with absolutely everything. I'd wear these with jeans, linen trousers, dresses... even on holiday with a swimsuit and an oversized shirt.
Not clothing, but possibly one of the most useful things I've added to my travel kit this year. Cadence kindly gifted me this set recently and I genuinely can't wait to use it on my next trip. They're perfect for decanting skincare, toiletries or even jewellery, and they click together so everything stays neat and organised. One of those things you don't realise you need until you have it.
Seasonal Shifts
The pieces that instantly make your wardrobe feel current.
This silk dress from Dôen is exactly the kind of piece I love investing in. It's versatile enough to wear with flat sandals during the day, but just as easy to dress up for dinner with a pair of heels and some statement jewellery. The kind of dress that works just as well at home as it does on holiday.
I always think shoes are one of the easiest ways to make your wardrobe feel more current. Whether it's the clean, minimal lines of these A.Emery sandals (or the similar Massimo Dutti pair for a more affordable option) or a colourful pair of ballet flats like these forest green Margaux ones, they have the power to completely change the feel of a simple outfit. Add them to jeans and a white shirt, a linen dress or pull-on trousers, and suddenly the whole outfit feels much more current.
Colourful beaded necklaces are becoming a bit of a running theme here on Substack. They're such an easy way to add personality without overthinking an outfit, and this pale blue one from Monica Vinader is exactly the sort of piece I'd wear all summer long.
Statement Pieces
Because getting dressed should still be fun.
Ever since I saw Ritika wearing this silk skirt from Dries Van Noten, I haven't been able to stop thinking about it. It's not the kind of skirt I would normally gravitate towards, which is exactly why I haven't bought it yet. But I absolutely love the colours and the print, and I can imagine it being one of those statement pieces that does all the work with nothing more than a white T-shirt or a simple knit.
This Massimo Dutti suede jacket is proof that a statement piece doesn't have to be difficult to wear. The colour does all the work, while the silhouette stays timeless. I'd happily throw it over denim, tailoring or a simple dress and let it be the focus of the outfit.
I firmly believe a great pair of sunglasses can make even the simplest outfit look expensive. These Loewe sunglasses are bold, sculptural and guaranteed to make even the simplest outfit feel cool. The kind of piece you build an outfit around.
I love pairing a graphic T-shirt with a floaty printed skirt or tailored trousers. It's one of my favourite ways to balance something feminine with a slightly more relaxed feel. I really like this one from Comme des Garçons.
The Fixers
The pieces you never realise you are missing until you own them.
A Barbour jacket has been on my wishlist for years, but I’ve always convinced myself it was something reserved for the British upper classes and people who own Labradors.
Then I remembered I spend half my life getting rained on in London. So it’s probably the perfect in-between jacket for the UK, and I can already picture it with floral dresses and chunky boots, very Alexa Chung on Glastonbury. I think this might finally be the year I stop romanticising it and actually buy one.
Every wardrobe needs a dress you don't have to think about. This Dôen one would be mine. It's comfortable, timeless and easy to style, which means I'd probably end up wearing it far more than something trendier.
If I could only recommend one shirt, it would probably be a white poplin one. It's one of those wardrobe pieces that solves so many outfit dilemmas, whether you're wearing it with tailoring, denim, linen trousers or over a swimsuit. Simple, but incredibly hard-working.
I’ve been meaning to buy a pair of trainers that can do it all: workouts, styling jobs where I’m on my feet all day, and everyday life without looking like I’ve just left the gym. I’ve heard really good things about Salomon, but I’ve never quite managed to justify the price. With the sales on, these have finally made it onto my shortlist.
I hope this gives you a little more confidence the next time you are scrolling through the sales. Remember, you don’t need to buy everything, you just need to find the pieces that genuinely earn a place in your wardrobe.
If you’d like someone to help you work out what your wardrobe is actually missing before you spend a pretty penny, that’s exactly what I do with my styling clients. You can find all my styling services here.
Happy shopping!
Love,
Noelia x
"Sales shouldn't be about buying more...buying better" -- THIS!!!
Oh, Noelia, you're always a day behind me! I went crazy with the J. Crew sale yesterday. Fortunately, there is a store near me, so returns are easy.