The sale is dead, long live the sale. Thanks to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, it seems post–Christmas sales no longer hold the sense of anticipation they once did with many shoppers choosing to eschew them altogether.
When it comes to fashion many are turning to buying secondhand – where lower prices come with the added benefit of reduced impact on the environment.
“There are signs of an emerging fatigue about frenzied mass consumerism and its impact on the planet,” says Nina Marston, the beauty and fashion analyst at Euromonitor International.
This is backed up by research from the retail analyst Edited, whose “Black Friday and Cyber Monday postmortem” report stated that “growing environmental concerns paired with more frequent promotional strategies has resulted in discounting fatigue from consumers, leading to retailers that opt out of running sales”.
There will, of course, still be plenty of sales in the run-up to the new year and beyond – and while impulse buys and clothes bought to be worn once are now decidedly unchic, investment purchases at a reduced price still hold appeal.
Here are five pieces which will help you make a stylish, and eco-friendly, start to the new year and beyond.
Bralets
The sale might be dead but the bralet most certainly isn’t. Bralets were worn under summer jackets on SS20 catwalks, including Anna Sui, and loosely layered over strappy tops at Vera Wang, making it one of the most versatile items you can pick up in the sales. Asos and Topshop have numerous longline styles designed to be worn as standalone pieces, but for those who’ve been eyeing up Savage x Fenty since September, bralets worn as underwear one day, outerwear the next, are value for money.
Metallic dresses
Shiny dresses in gold, silver and primary colours are a Christmas party staple – and now, you guessed it, they’re heading straight for the sale rails. Good news, however: a quick glance at spring/summer collections from Balenciaga, Halpern, Versace and others suggests that, this year, the metallic look is here to stay. On the high street, Zara has opted for a host of metallic mini, midi and ankle-grazing gowns.
Big bags
Microbags, though big on Instagram and the red carpet, were always daft, being unable to accommodate more than a lip balm. In any case, this season big bags are set for a comeback. Of course, being entirely more practical, big bags never really went away – look out for supersized crochet carriers, as seen at Off White, or giant bucket bags like those at Marni.
Something blue
Recently announced as Pantone’s colour of the year, classic blue is set to be big next season. When shopping the sales, avoid last summer’s prairie pastels and instead opt for the kind of heavy, solid hues seen on suits at Balmain and jackets at Fila, & Other Stories has everything from dresses to jumpers in the shade.
Coords
Hacking the high street doesn’t get simpler than coords (coordinates), especially when many stores sell – and discount – different items with the same pattern, print, or material. Labels including Palm Angels, Dries Van Noten and Sacai all opted for coords on the catwalk, with the matchy-matchy look crossing both mens and womenswear (ideal if you shop for a shared wardrobe). River Island and Nobody’s Child are your best bets for matching sets in the sales and, of course, you can always mix it up to get more bang for your buck.
