Although other purchases we make may be affected by trends and updated styles, there's nothing a consumer buys that changes as quickly as clothing and fashion accessories, which are ruled by seasons. Fashion designers and retailers constantly look forward to determine future trends, and retailers want to move fashion merchandise as rapidly as possible, so sales on clothing and fashion accessories happen all the time. However, there are some months that are better for making certain fashion purchases than others. Knowing the time of year that retailers close out seasonal merchandise can save savvy customers big bucks. Here's a month-by-month look at which garments and accessories go on sale when.
Discounting starts immediately after Christmas, and post-holiday January is a great time to shop for all things related to winter wear. The list includes winter coats, boots, mufflers, gloves, and sweaters. In addition to warm winter clothing and accessories, look for glitzy sequin tops and cute cocktail dresses. New Year's Eve dresses and sparkly tops will look just as good for the next holiday season, and they could be worn for Valentine's Day too.
In addition to deeper discounts on winter wear that didn't sell at January sales, expect sales on loungewear, sleepwear, and bras in February.
An eclectic variety of fashion goods usually goes on sale during the month of April. Look for markdowns on sneakers in April. April's also a month when you can sometimes find lower prices on fine jewelry. After the Easter holiday, check for sales on spring dresses because summer clothing will be replacing spring garments on retailers' racks and shelves. Retailers will also be moving to clear out all types of rain gear, so April's a good time to find a bargain on a raincoat, rain boots, or umbrella.
Back-to-school sales on all types of clothing and shoes happen in August as well as pre-season sales on fall garments, sometimes including designer clothing. Typically these sales will yield about a 25% discount off the top retail price of an item. Sales on summer clothing continue in August with even deeper discounts because stores are bringing in mountains of fall clothing and need to clear out summer merchandise. Discounts on summer clothing in August can range from 50% to 80%, but, of course, the selection will be far less than it was earlier in the summer.
1. January
Discounting starts immediately after Christmas, and post-holiday January is a great time to shop for all things related to winter wear. The list includes winter coats, boots, mufflers, gloves, and sweaters. In addition to warm winter clothing and accessories, look for glitzy sequin tops and cute cocktail dresses. New Year's Eve dresses and sparkly tops will look just as good for the next holiday season, and they could be worn for Valentine's Day too.
2. February
In addition to deeper discounts on winter wear that didn't sell at January sales, expect sales on loungewear, sleepwear, and bras in February.
3. March
With new spring merchandise coming in and winter wear pretty well picked over, March probably isn't the best month to find a bargain on fashion.4. April
An eclectic variety of fashion goods usually goes on sale during the month of April. Look for markdowns on sneakers in April. April's also a month when you can sometimes find lower prices on fine jewelry. After the Easter holiday, check for sales on spring dresses because summer clothing will be replacing spring garments on retailers' racks and shelves. Retailers will also be moving to clear out all types of rain gear, so April's a good time to find a bargain on a raincoat, rain boots, or umbrella.
5. May
Don't look for many markdowns before Mother's Day as it's a major gift-giving holiday, and although there will be plenty of enticing fashion gifts available for Mom, they will usually not be offered at sale prices. However, right after Mother's Day, all those boxed gift items, special cosmetic sets, lounge wear, jewelry, and clothing that was promoted for Mother's Day will go on sale.6. June
Although June's not a major sale month, you will find swimwear, shorts, and summer dresses starting to hit the sales' racks by the end of the month. Selection is not as good as it was at the very beginning of the season (you can usually find anything you want in swimwear in April), but it's also not as poor as it will be by the end of summer, so June may just be the perfect time to buy some summer clothes on sale. After all, summer doesn't officially start until June 21, so there will be plenty of wearing time left in the season.7. July
Summer sales heat up after the Fourth of July holiday, so begin to look for deeper discounts on all kinds of summer clothing. Also, July is usually a good month to find a deal on a handbag.8. August
Back-to-school sales on all types of clothing and shoes happen in August as well as pre-season sales on fall garments, sometimes including designer clothing. Typically these sales will yield about a 25% discount off the top retail price of an item. Sales on summer clothing continue in August with even deeper discounts because stores are bringing in mountains of fall clothing and need to clear out summer merchandise. Discounts on summer clothing in August can range from 50% to 80%, but, of course, the selection will be far less than it was earlier in the summer.