A few weeks ago, I found a coat I’d been looking for all winter. Knee-length wool, black, classic silhouette — exactly what I’ve been looking for. I wanted something to wear on wooded walks that wouldn’t get punctures like a puffer coat would. I found it on a resale site in mid-March, marked down because, who’s buying a wool coat at the end of winter?
Me, apparently. And I’m thrilled about it.
A friend mentioned she loves buying clothes out of season too, but it’s tricky. I’m sure we’ve all experienced buying something we love in March and would never wear by the time October comes around again.
If you’re looking to take advantage of buying new clothes out of season without regretting it in 6 months, here are some tips.
Know exactly what you’re looking for.
End-of-season sales are not the time for mindless browsing. If you don’t immediately know what you’ll wear it with, when you’ll wear it, or why you’re buying it – don’t buy it.
I knew I wanted a coat that was: black, wool, knee-length or longer, classic silhouette, good condition, acceptable price. So when my coat showed up, I recognized it. That’s what you’re going for.
Impulse buying clothes is hard enough to get right when you can wear them immediately. When they’re going to sit in your closet for nine months before you get a chance to test them out? So much harder.
Stay well within your style comfort zone.
Out-of-season buying doesn’t leave room for immediate experimentation. Normally you’d have weeks to figure out how a new piece works, what it goes with, how you actually feel wearing it. That process doesn’t happen if the piece only gets a few wears before being packed up for the season.
For example, my new coat getting its 4th outing today, and this might be its last for this season.
So buy what you already know works for you — your proven silhouettes, your reliable colors, the styles you know fit your body and your life.
Save the adventurous purchases for when you can actually live in them for a while.
Remember that it’s probably final sale.
This one’s pretty simple. If it doesn’t work out, you’re not returning it, and you probably won’t get much reselling it out of season either. Factor that into your decision before you buy, not after.
We can always salvage a mispurchase that you can’t return or resell, but it’s more difficult and almost never recoups the full cost. Save yourself the headache.
Analyze before you click purchase.
In part because it’s probably final sale, analyze the purchase closely.
Things that are still around at the end of the season often have a reason. Maybe it didn’t sell because the color’s slightly off, the proportions are a little odd, or it photographs better than it fits. Study the listing. Study the description.
Ask yourself: does this actually fit my style? Do I just like it in theory? Will I still want to wear this in ten months?
Default to not buying.
This is the most important one. End-of-season FOMO feels real, and it’s also a lie. There will be more clothes.
Clothes get made every single year, and next season there will be something else that’s right for you, and possibly something even better.
If you’re not sure about a purchase, default to not buying it. You don’t have to buy something for it to be a success.
Buying new clothes out of season can be a great way to find gems. You can find great quality, real savings, a piece you’ll wear for years. But only when it’s genuinely the right piece for you. Otherwise it’s just a great way to waste money and closet space.