You may think planning and shopping for your Fall/Winter wardrobe in June, the beginning of Summer, is too much but I’m here to tell you … it’s NOT!
Particularly if you are on a budget this is exactly when you want to shop for your upcoming season wardrobe. Maybe you’re not on a snug budget but you have a big purchase this year (ex: designer handbag) and you’re spending less on clothing pieces to make room for your big investment item, this is your time to shine.
I promise you, you can get every piece on your wish list with effective planning.
If this sounds like you let me help you build your best wardrobe yet while staying within your budget, whatever your budget may be.
Click HERE or the image below for my 12 step guide to achieving your best wardrobe … while keeping your coins in tact.
WHY SHOP SO EARLY?
January and July are the biggest sale months for every single store, brand, etc. These are the two months stores are clearing out that seasons items that didn’t sell through to make room for the next season. July is bigger than January imo because Fall/Winter/Holiday is when brands make the majority of their money so that want holiday/fall merchandise on the floor. F/W merch takes up more space than Summer so they need more floor space too.
You may be thinking how does Summer clearance play a role in my Fall/Winter wardrobe?
That’s the “secret” I’m going to share with you. In January and July during semi-annual style sales not only are stores clearing out current merchandise but they are also clearing out stock rooms and warehouses.
This means Winter items from last season that didn’t sell or was returned going into Spring are brought back onto the floor and at the lowest prices you’ll find them. The longer an item has been in a store, the lower the price. They are desperate to sell it at this point.
Some of my best purchases have been made off season shopping.
No, really WHY am I planning my F/W wardrobe in June?
By planning your wardrobe, style and pieces to buy in June you’re able to strategically shop the sales. You won’t make aimless purchases because it was a good price then end up never wearing it because it doesn’t fit into your actual wardrobe.
You’ll have your upcoming season wish list planned and written down and will know when you go into stores (online or in person) what pieces you need and are or are not worth a purchase.
With COVID 19 things are a little different this year, that’s also why this post was written in June instead of July.
Stores had to close in March while they still had Winter inventory. They had to hold inventory for 2-3 months. Stores are sitting on so much inventory that they are desperate to sell through to do their best to make the most out of this F/W and holiday.
I went into Nordstrom Rack last week and almost half of the store is on clearance. This season will be the most aggressive sale season to shop in recent years.
Now is when you want to shop those storewide sales to get your F/W wardrobe together.
NORDSTROM ANNIVERSARY SALE
Last years NSale is what made me create the strategy I now use each season to ensure I achieve my “goal” wardrobe. Last year I wanted to finally buy myself a Louis Vuitton handbag and actually shop shop the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, in order to do so I had to have a plan
After creating my vision board for the upcoming seasons style. I listed all of the pieces I needed to make it come to life.
First, I shopped the end of season sales late June/early July.
Then, what I didn’t find in the end of seasons sales I shopped the NSale sticking to my wish list of course. There wasn’t much Nordstrom had besides the Spanx leather leggings because I found so much off season shopping
Let’s get into the good stuff, some of my favorite Sale Shopping scores!
Because we’re talking about F/W shopping during June/July I thought it would be best to get you in that mind frame by sharing my F/W scores.
I bought these in January for this S/S but will carry them into F/W as they are good for year around wear. Levi’s are typically $98 but I scored these classic Wedgie Fit jeans for $33. The lowest price I’ve seen thus far.
I bought these in January for this S/S but will carry them into F/W as they are good for year around wear. Levi’s are typically $98 but I scored these classic Ribcage Fit jeans for $33. The lowest price I’ve seen thus far.
I saw this Sweater dress in 2018 and absolutly loved it, I wanted to purchase but it was $90 and at the time I was building my base wardrobe. $90 was too much to spend on a sweater dress I wasn’t going to be able to fully maximize.
Last June 2019, while in Nordstrom Rack I found this sweater dress in not only my size but in the color I wanted too. It was only $20.
I love a denim coverall and really wanted a slouchy one. Insert this TopShop gem I found at Nordstrom last Summer marked down 60%. I did have it altered to be more slim fitting in the waist.
WHO ELSE HAS BOUGHT A NEW TOP BECAUSE YOU “LOVED IT SO MUCH” THEN MONTHS LATER IT STILL HASN’T BEEN WORN?
We’ve all been there! There has been a time in our life we’ve walked in our closet looking for something to wear only to be reminded of the items we purchased but still haven’t worn, tags still attached and all.
When we make impulse purchases we end up with a closet of one offs that we only have one other item to wear with it, if even that.
When we make impulse purchases we end up with a closet full of clothes yet still have NOTHING to wear. WHY are we like this?!
In 2013, after losing 20lbs, purging 90% of my closet and only having a clothing budget of $150 a month I was in desperate need of a high functioning wardrobe. That is when, why and how I created my #1 shopping rule, The Rule of 5.
I knew in order to still buy quality pieces I loved I was going to have to get creative (and disciplined) and that’s exactly what I did. Every single purchase I made for the following year was well thought out and 100% intentional. I had no room for impulse purchases, the function of my wardrobe couldn’t afford it.
Who likes throwing their money away? … Pretty much no one!
We all deserve to hit our financial goals (and best wardrobes) and a great starting point is to become more intentional with what we spend our money on.
I want you to be great in everything you do so I wrote a 24 page book to fully share The Rule of 5 with you. There’s even worksheets for you to brainstorm your goal wardrobe!
Just click the image below for your FREE Rule of 5 guide to get started on your best wardrobe yet!
In my recent Build Your Dream Wardrobe on a Budget Guide I talk about two things.
Take Inventory of your Wardrobe
Sell items no longer in use to make money to buy new items
When combined you have a full fledge closet purge and in my opinion that is the best way to start a new season.
To give you an additional tool to help you Build your Dream Wardrobe I’m sharing my 5 steps to purging your closet
After purging 85% of not only my wardrobe but all of my belongings over the past 7 years I’m what I now consider a purging expert. One thing I’ve learned by doing is that the act of purging is therapeutic, it will lift weight off your shoulders, clear your mind and give you a stronger sense of self.
We tend to get so attached to physical objects for literally no reason at all other than we liked it at one point and we spent money on it. By holding onto objects that serve no purpose or bring no joy to us we are weighed down mentally and spiritually. I know it sounds ridiculous but purge once a month and see the difference it makes in your life.
One of the most common questions I get is, “Do you miss/regret anything you’ve purged?THE ANSWER IS NO! I HAVE NEVER REGRET ANY ITEM I’VE PURGED, EVER! TBH, I don’t remember 99% of the things I’ve purged. I mean, I remember my old sectional couch and dining set I’ve sold/purged but it’s furniture so of course I remember it however, I in no way miss or regret it. If you aren’t using the item in question now it’s because it doesn’t serve a purpose, does not bring you joy and you more than likely are not thinking of that item. Do you miss trash when you throw it out? … it’s the same thing.
If you’re new to purging I recommend purging once a quarter or monthly. Every time you purge you’ll find you get rid of more pieces. For example, I have a collection of v-neck tees and basic tanks I keep “just in case” for layering and because at one point in my life I wore basic white v-neck everyday. Every single time I purge I get rid of one or more items from that section of my wardrobe. Bear in mind, I haven’t added to this section in years nor do I actually wear any of these tops but I have some kind of connection to them and like to keep basic staples on hand which is why I don’t toss them all. Point is, with each purge this section gets smaller and smaller and is becoming more curated and impactful to my wardrobe.
STEP ONE: Pull everything out of your closet
This step is self explanatory. Pull everything out of your closet. We pull everything out because when you see piles and piles on your bed/floor etc you’ll have a dose of reality hit you. By clearing out your closet you’re also starting your closet with a blank slate. What you put back in is your edited wardrobe.
STEP TWO: Determine what you’re keeping and what you’re purging
The most asked question I got was, “how do you know what to purge?” there are 5 reasons you should purge an item
If you haven’t worn it in a year, toss it! If you haven’t worn something in a year it doesn’t fit into your lifestyle or you simply don’t like it as much as you think you do. Your subsconcious is very telling
If it doesn’t fit, goodbye!! Whether you’ve had a weight gain or loss, it’s time to move on and stop holding onto items that are no longer usable to you.
If it’s stained, ripped, damaged, etc. If an item is damaged beyond repair there is absolutely no reason to hold onto it. LET IT GO!
If you don’t absolutely LOVE it!! It has to bring you lots of joy! Life is too short to have anything in our lives that don’t make us happy!
If you do not feel Ah-Mazing when you put it on, it’s gotta go! This combines fit and joy. Every item in your closet should fit you like a glove, you should feel your best self in everything that you own. There are wayyyy too many options out there to settle for “good enough” and that goes for every aspect of our lives.
STEP THREE: Divide purges items into 3 categories; sell, donate or recycle
SELL: You may want to try to sell everything that isn’t damaged first then donate what doesn’t sell. You will get the most money for high ticket items on Poshmark or Ebay vs a local resell shop. Any popular brand names, denim, shoes and handbags are usually higher ticket items to try to sell on online resellers. What doesn’t sell online you can take to resell shops. I recommend hitting up at least 3 different resell shops if you’re selling in person, all locations will buy something. If you want everything out of your life and are okay getting less money for your pieces you can skip online resell and go straight to local resells.
DONATE: I love to donate to local non profits, women’s shelters, etc. If I’m not in the mood or short on time to sell my purged items I go straight to donating. There were a few years I didn’t sell any of my purged items I just donated, I got more out of giving to others than money could give me.
RECYCLE: Our recycle items are pieces that are damaged, undergarments, etc. I don’t know where to donate to TBH, I know that when you donate what the donation center can’t use they send to recycle centers so I usually do that. As far as store related discounts for donation H&M will give you a 15% off coupon for a bag of items. Madewell will give you $20 off a new pair of denim if you bring in an old pair of denim (any denim, it doesn’t have to be their brand). The denim donated is recycled and used to create insulation for Habitat of Humanity homes.
STEP FOUR: Put all of your keeps back into your closet
Another self explanatory step. Only put what you’re keeping back into your closet. Your purge items should be out of your possession within 48 hours. You’re defeating the purpose of purging if you hold onto your “toss” items. Do yourself a favor and GET IT OUT of your life ASAP
STEP FIVE: Sell the pieces in your sell pile, donate items in your donate pile and recycle the rest.
As mentioned in Step 4 you want to “dispose” of every single purge item within 48 hours. If you’re selling on Poshmark or EBay you get 2 weeks to sell it. After 2 weeks take to local resell stores then donate what’s leftover.
DO YOU SAVE HUNDREDS OF OUTFIT IMAGES ON PINTEREST AND THINK “I WISH”?
IS YOUR CLOSET FULL OF CLOTHES THAT YOU’VE ONLY WORN ONCE, SOME EVEN HAVE TAGS STILL ON THEM?
DO YOU THINK YOU NEED THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS TO HAVE YOUR DREAM WARDROBE?
If you answered yes to any of those questions you have met your saving grace, That’s ME, in case you were wondering. I’m the Queen of Ballin’ on a Budget. Every single purchase I bring into my home is intentional and serves a purpose. I curate my dream wardrobe each season without over spending, and every single item in my wardrobe has been worn more times than I can count.
HUMBLE BEGGININGS
My ballin’ on a budget started at a very early age, growing up my Mom didn’t have a lot of money to take me shopping or buy me new clothes other than back to school (which was always a few weeks after school started) and a few new items for Summer. I learned VERY early on if I wanted my wardrobe to be fresh to death I was going to have to get creative.
Some of my most memorable shopping moments that turned into life lessons are still burnt in my memory like it was yesterday. These moments molded me into the woman (and amazing shopper) I am today.
AGE 9: While most kids my age feigned for a new toy, I wanted new clothes even if that meant I only got to look at them. One of my fondest childhood memories was going to the mall with my Mom and window shopping all the trendy clothing stores. I would make a wishlist and put outfits together in the store, I’d add the prices of the outfits up to determine how much money I needed to come back and buy it. It was rare I was ever able to buy something, but to curb my shopping appetite my Mom would take me to the $1 store for a surprise bag after all of our window shopping. It was literally a brown paper bag marked “boy” or “girl” filled with 5-6 items the store likely couldn’t sell all for the grand price of one whole dollar!
AGE 11: One holiday season my Mom took me to that same Mall to exchange some gifts for something(s) better suited. We were in a store that was having a huge store closing sale, everything was 20% – 70% off. On this day, in this store I learned percentages. I learned that 20% was the worst and anything 50% or more off was what I was looking for. I knew that the more I could score at 70% off the further my money would go. I can give you any percentage (especially when it relates to shopping) off the top of my head in less than 2 seconds. When you exclusively shop sales for 20 years you get really good at percentages.
AGE 17: During the Summers in High School I taught swimming lessons. The first Summer I was so excited to have my own money so I could go back to school shopping like I always imagined, no one would be able to tell me no or that we can’t afford it because I knew I could afford it myself. I knew I was going to be able to go back to school shopping before school even started and that I was going to be able to get new outfits because I worked for it, I saved for it and I knew percentages to shop the sales!
I will never forget going to the mall all by myself (my favorite way to shop) with a few hundred dollars and walking into an of the moment trendy store. I walked straight to the sales rack ,picked out my favorite items, immediately did the math to figure out the cost after markdowns, then did some more math to figure out how much money I’d have left over if I bought it and finally how many more pieces I’d be able to purchase. See, I had a goal, I wanted to buy at least 10 new outfits head to toe because it was always a goal of mine to not repeat outfits or any piece of clothing the first two weeks of school, preferably three weeks.
I practiced what I learned at age 9 by window shopping all of the stores first, creating outfits in each store, then doing the math for each look to determine if the items I wanted were the best use of my money. Could I create multiple outfits? Will I be able to hit my 10 outfit minimum goal? Every purchase was thought out and intentional, even at the ripe age of 17 I wasn’t impulsive.
I don’t remember exactly how many outfits I bought but I know I hit my minimum goal, I also know this was my best back to school shopping memory.
2013: I purged 85% of my wardrobe due to life changes and loosing 20lbs. I had a minimal budget but needed something to wear. With only $200 to spend a month and the unwillingness to sacrifice quality I had to get creative, resourceful and knew each purchase had to be made with intention. This is when and how my best shopping rule was created. The Rule of 5 has shaped my life completely, after 7 years of practicing The Rule of 5 I no longer make impulse purchases, not even $10 sunglasses. Every single item brought into my life serves a purpose. Because The Rule of 5 has impacted my life so much in such a positive way I’ve put together a 16 page e-book. You will need it if you purchase Build Your Dream Wardrobe on a Budget as it’s 1 of the 12 steps. No worries, The Rule of 5 is all yours for free!
WHY AM I QUALIFIED TO HELP YOU BUILD YOUR DREAM WARDROBE ON A BUDGET?
If a lifetime of creating my dream wardrobe while on a budget isn’t enough experience and commitment to the process I have a strong professional background in Fashion both retail and corporate too. That experience helped me to learn the best times to shop, where to shop and exactly the ins and outs that happens behind the scenes giving me an upper hand when it comes to scoring the best deals.
I’ve worked for/with Nike, Macy’s, Juicy Couture, Kenneth Cole NY, Neiman Marcus, and Tommy Hilfiger to name a few. I did contract work on the corporate level and was able to work with numerous global brands during that time, I didn’t jump from brand to brand every few months as some people first assume.
ARE YOU READY TO STOP MAKING ONE HIT WONDER PURCHASES?
ARE YOU READY TO STOP SAYING “I WISH” WHEN YOU’RE SCROLLING PINTEREST AND INSTAGRAM, AND START SAYING, “I CAN DO THAT?”
BUILD YOUR DREAM WARDROBE ON A BUDGET is 30 pages sharing the 12 steps I take to achieve my best curated wardrobe. Each step has an Action, Action Tips and my personal examples to give you a visual how-to guide. To help you achieve your goals I’ve also included BONUS TIPS to help you make extra cash to go towards your wardrobe.
After 7 years of trial and error, making adjustments each season I have mastered How to Create a Dream Wardrobe while staying within budget and I’m sharing that with you to help you achieve your Dream Wardrobe too!
My 30 page E-Book will be delivered straight to your inbox within seconds, then you can get started STAT creating your Best Wardrobe!
If you’ve had an item for longer than 7 days and have NOT used it, it’s a safe bet it is returnable. This is because … when we have something new that we LOVE we can’t wait to use it. If you haven’t used/worn something within 7 days you either don’t need it or you don’t love it.
If you don’t have anywhere to wear an item. I hear a lot of, “if I go to…” “If” isn’t real life, boo boo. Stop throwing your money away on fantasy events you’ve made up with your imagination.
If it’s clothing and you can NOT Rule of 5 it, RETURN!
If you bring a new item into your home, place it in your closet, on a counter, never take it out your car trunk and you forget you even bought it. Take it back to the store RIGHT NOW!
Essentially, if you don’t immediately wear or use an item (I’m giving you 7 to 14 days) that means it doesn’t serve a purpose in your life. If an item doesn’t serve a purpose there is absolutely no reason to keep it. Your life is way too precious and special to have anything or anyone in it that doesn’t serve a purpose.
Look at it this way, objects and material items that don’t serve a purpose or bring us joy are clutter. Clutter disturbs and disrupts our peace, it clutters not only our physical life but our minds and spirit as well.
You wouldn’t keep a person in your life disrupting your peace, would you?
Why would you keep material objects in your life that clutter your spirit?
Trust me, the amount of material objects in our lives and homes makes a big difference in our mental state.
On the subject of clutter, if you feel you have too much I have a post and video sharing 5 Steps to Purge Your Closet to help you!
