Ask Mary Lou

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For August, 2004:

Q: I always save one of my summer shopping trips for August to take advantage of the summer clearance sales. Any summer sales strategies you can suggest?

A: : End-of-summer sales are a great place to stock up on basics such as sandals, shorts and colorful tees in classic styles that will let you enjoy a few more days of warm weather late in the season while giving you a head start on building next year’s summer wardrobe. If you are planning a fall or winter vacation to a warm climate, keep an eye out for summer-weight wardrobe staples on the clearance rack that are also easy to pack.

Here are the items I look for at the end of the summer and why:

City Sandals. These dark, heavy-soled sandals can carry you through early fall. Those you couldn’t justify purchasing at the beginning of the season because of their high cost are often significantly marked down at the end of summer to make way for boots and heavier shoes on store shelves. Two Augusts ago, I bought a pair of chocolate brown Cole Hahn “city sandals” at a significant savings. I have already re-soled them twice. Consider replacing more flimsy sandals that can wear out from lots of beach and picnic terrain and are not quite as easy to repair as more sturdy styles. You can often find flip flops and the like on sale this time of year as well.
Dark Shades of Linen & Tencel. Although it’s best to put lighter shades of these fabrics away after Labor Day, colors such as black, chocolate brown and hunter green are fine to wear through September. If your summer-to-fall transitional wardrobe is in need of some attention, this is the time of year to expand it with darker yet lightweight fashions.
Silk Twin Sets. These can be costly when they are not on sale. I wear the short sleeved and sleeveless parts of many of my twin sets year round as a layering piece. These shorter sleeve length sets are first stocked at stores in early spring and, because they are so popular, they seldom get marked down with any regularity. I scour the sales racks for them this time of year, and I am thrilled when I find one significantly discounted whether for myself or for a client.
Sundresses. As with bathing suits, search end-of-season sales for pretty sundresses to match your favorite footwear. If you can find a dark linen sundress that you like, they can be worn in the early weeks of fall. Many of our older clients who don’t like to bare their arms, often wear dark-colored, sleeveless sundresses with tee shirts underneath in September and October when it’s still warm but layering makes more sense.

Word of caution: I always avoid buying trendy printed items at the end-of-summer sales. There is usually one signature print introduced at the beginning of each warm-weather season such as butterflies, polka dots or retro prints that dominate store shelves. These prints typically don’t repeat the following year so I pass over them, no matter how cheap they are on the sale rack.