FashBlog.com

Anyone who has spent a decent amount of time shopping knows that, according to conventional wisdom, you should never buy anything in season or pay full retail price. In other words, don't buy a swimming suit at the beginning of summer when they are in high demand and are not on sale. That sounds like common sense, but it can be difficult to pull off at times. For example, retailers are blurring the line between seasons more and more. It's not unusual to find swimwear already on the racks in March, even in places that still have snow on the ground. Right now, I can already find long-sleeved shirts, hooded sweatshirts, and sweaters in the malls even though the temperatures are still pushing into the 90s every day. I don't know about you, but I can't even think about buying sweaters now, much less get myself to try one on!

One major problem that I have with off-season buying is the fact that I rarely get around to actually wearing something that I bought a year or so ago. Going back to the bathing suit example, right now would be a perfect time to buy one for next summer. They are on clearance at most stores, and I've seen prices marked up to 70% off. Sounds like a great deal, right? Maybe so. But what if I gain a bit of weight over the winter? Or more optimistically, what if I lose weight over the winter? Then my $30 bikini bargain turns into a complete waste.

On that same note, unless you are buying timeless pieces such as Oxford shirts or a classic-cut black pantsuit, who's to say that today's hot fashions will still be in style next season? Flare-legged jeans and pants have been in for a few years now, but that doesn't mean they could suddenly disappear. Then what would you be able to do with your closet full of never-worn flares that you bought at deep discounts last season?

These perils extend to baby and toddler clothes shopping as well. My mother is constantly buying things for my son, who is two. She is a firm believer in the discount shopping credo, so she always buys him things that are several sizes too big, rationalizing her purchases by saying that he can "grow into" them. She was even buying my son 3T clothes when he was still a newborn! So now my problem becomes twofold. First, I have to worry about storing these oversized clothes until they can actually be used. This means I have to pack them away in sealed, airtight bags so that the humidity doesn't go to work on discoloring the clothes. Then, I also have to remember that I have all of these items in the first place! Since these things aren't kept in plain sight and since they were bought a year or more ago, I tend to forget that my son already has, for example, a fall jacket that can fit him. So I might go out and buy another one by mistake.

There's no question that buying clothes out of season and at a discount can save you big bucks. But there is a downside to keep in mind. So before you go out and stock up for next summer, think about the points I made!