I am learning that fashion Substack is a very dangerous place for my wallet. My inbox is full of links to many beautiful things and it takes a little extra effort to power through temptation. Although I do appreciate the much slower pace of content digestion that comes with reading vs the endless scroll of videos and images served by an algorithm. There is also more control, since we can easily choose what to read or not to read.
As a creator and a conscious consumer, I am always at odds with how talking about style can also encourage unnecessary consumption. I try to focus on sharing my perspective and approach rather than simply telling you what to buy. When I link things, know that it was thoughtfully considered and I encourage you to also thoughtfully consider how it fits into your wardrobe or home. Maybe I can also try formatting these posts to keep links towards the bottom, so you can easily navigate between ideas/thoughts and shoppable products.
Style is so much more than just shopping and if we do enjoy shopping, there is a way to do it more thoughtfully. Sale season or not my goal is always to continue building a wardrobe I love with pieces I will wear over and over again. I’ve gotten to a great place and feel so satisfied that I rarely crave retail therapy these days. That said, I am also a bargain hunter and when I do have a thirst for newness or I’ve discovered some holes in my closet, then I typically wait until December-January or June-July. This is when most retailers mark down past season items and it’s a great opportunity to make some smart purchases.
The downside of shopping sales is that it can be very wasteful if we end up buying things we don’t really need or never end up using. A discount easily justifies spending. Suddenly we do need the same pants in another color. Girl math, right? After years of feeling guilty and unsatisfied by sale impulse purchases, I developed a little strategy to keep myself in check.
MY STRATEGY FOR SHOPPING SALE SEASON (AND BEYOND)
I feel like this is super helpful during sale season but I also go through the same thought process before I add anything to my closet, whether I’m shopping online or in person.
I create a wishlist so I don’t go off the rails. So simple but so impactful. You can utilize the wishlist features at favorite retailers (mine are Ssense and Net-A-Porter) or keep them all in one place—like Pinterest or a digital wardrobe. In the Indyx app we have a wishlist function where you can upload items you’re eyeing and include links to them. When sale season rolls around, I check to see if anything on my wishlist has been marked down rather than jumping directly into a sea of 10,000 sale items where I may be tempted to buy many other things.
Prioritize purchases. I like to categorize wishlist items into 3 types of purchases:
Financial purchases have the opportunity to increase in value over time or at least allow you to recoup your costs when resold. I’ve scored a handful of Céline items on sale during Phoebe’s time, and most of them have either held their value or dramatically increased. Same thing with some Row and Bottega pieces.
Emotional purchases are those that are sentimental or driven by our deepest desires.
And practical purchases are those that you know you will use the most.
If an item checks all three boxes, I make that a top purchase priority. If it doesn’t, then I decide the hierarchy. For me a mix of practical and financial comes first, followed by emotional (I am highly driven by emotions, so I intentionally deprioritize this to offset my tendency to impulse shop).
When I find something I like on sale, I check if it’s available in the secondhand marketplace first. TheRealReal, Vestiaire, Dora Maar, Resee and FashionPhile are some of my favorite spots. Aside from typically deeper discounts, shopping pre-loved is a great way to shift into the practice of more conscious consumption. And the same goes with shopping small boutiques. If an item is available at a local specialty shop, opt to support them. Here in the Bay Area, I love to check out Le Point and McMullen. They do such a great job with curating their offerings.
Always shop in the context of your wardrobe. I avoid buying an item if it’s too similar to something I already have. I also like to see how a potential new piece will fit in with the rest of the items in my closet. Again, it’s easy to do this on Indyx because you can style looks before deciding to purchase.
Set a budget and then let your wishlist sit for a bit. Delayed gratification is the name of the game. There's a reason why I’m sharing this post almost a month into sale season. The discounts get deeper as the weeks go by. I like to take extra time to consider everything before adding to cart. At the end of sale season, if I’m not obsessively thinking about certain items still left in my wishlist, then maybe my closet doesn’t need it at all.
Here’s where I insert a little PSA warning. Shoppable links ahead!
WHAT I BOUGHT
Not a crazy roundup. Just a few things I’ve been eyeing for a while from both budget-friendly brands and luxury labels.
Left to right from top:
A sculptural Issey Miyake mini dress that can also be worn as a top layered over trousers and skirts. So much styling potential here. The fabric is a luxe technical polyester, a fave of mine for daily wear and so great for travel!
A botanical print blazer and pant set that can go from city to beach. You know I love my suiting and this is the ultimate short-sleeved summer interpretation. We’re headed to a tropical destination in a few weeks and I’m very excited to style it together and separately with so many other pieces in my closet. Because of the monochromatic treatment, the print is more of a textural element rather than a bold statement. I don’t have a lot of summer-specific things and this will be a nice way to instantly inject vacation vibes to my looks.
Fun and budget-friendly kitten heel sandals that can work in casual or dressy situations! So comfortable and the leather is soft and buttery. Has a modern square toe and interesting strap details. The ties come in handy when styling with trousers since you can wrap them around the hem and create a different look.
In a jewelry kick lately and got the sapphire tennis necklace, Toi et Moi ring, and Dome ring, all kindly gifted by Aurate, a new-to-me brand I started working with recently. Love their designs and the quality! They’re having a huge sale right now with prices 30-50% off. After the sale, you can always use my code THERESE30 for a little treat.
Currently very into leather necklace pouches and this Toteme one is a fresh and versatile option. It can be worn around the neck, held like a wristlet or carried on the shoulder. These make great styling tools since it can be an interesting “third” layer for simple summer looks, like in this shirtdress number I wore in Portland. Something about hot weather always makes me want to step out with a lot less stuff and this is a practical way to carry smaller essentials hands-free.
I am very active and spend a lot of time in workout clothes. I look for modern and versatile pieces that can be worn beyond the studio and effortlessly fit in with the rest of my everyday staples. That way I still maintain my style even if I’m sweating through a Lagree class. I don’t have a flared jumpsuit yet and this would be great under an oversized sweater in the fall or with a button-down shirt as a jacket and my jelly shoes in the summer. Also a huge fan of vests since they are great for layering year-round here in SF. It was time to replace my old trusty Uniqlo version that I’ve had for almost a decade and this one by Nike is a fresh update with its relaxed boxy shape.
I stepped into Zara recently when my teen wanted to get some fun summer dresses and I left with this pair of red heels (black still available here, and a similar one here), something I don’t have yet. Also found this nylon skirt, which I’m finding has been a great alternative to sweatpants after a gym session. I have a similar one from Tibi in black and it’s become my most used bottom as of late.
This Tibi top is like a million tops in one. The off-shoulder part is a separate piece and can be styled so many ways.
Last but not least, I can’t believe I scored these Row mesh sock flats on sale via Farfetch. They have this 15% off promo if you order via their app. I’ve been waiting for these to pop up on TheRealReal but they move so quick and usually not in my size.
SALE PICKS STILL IN MY WISHLIST
If any of these are still available by the end of the month, I may just pull the trigger.
Happy weekend and happy hunting!
Xx, T
I *really* appreciated your approach to this newsletter! I find any fashion content can lean too far into shopping and sale season can be panic inducing (for me). Thanks for the good reminders of the power of a wishlist and playing in our own wardrobe. I love uploading pieces into my wardrobe app (I use Whering) and building outfits with my real life closet!
Ahh thank you so much! And I feel you on the panic inducing part of sale shopping. For me I think it’s more of FOMO (on a good deal). So glad to hear you’re a fan of wardrobe apps! It truly is life changing.