The art of ‘student sale shopping’

It’s now the beginning of November. Autumn is showing its first signs of leaving. Days are getting depressingly shorter. You now don’t find yourself getting smashed in the kneecaps by children and their wheelie shoes, because half herm is finished they’re back at school. And for the high street, ‘further reductions’ signs are plastered across every retailers window. Now, for most stores (not Eisenegger), this means a temporary period – 2-3 weeks max. And for most guys this doesn’t really hold that much relevance. “It’s just another sale, this time with even worse clothes than the last”.

Wrong. If your looking to go against the grain, buck the trend so to speak, then the further reductions can be excellent. The way I see it is that the average Joe can’t see past the latest trend. He’ll only buy what’s in that season. If it’s a little different people tend to look past it. However, that shouldn’t stop you. Don’t adhere to the norm, express your individualism, as there is a hell of a lot of great clothes that can be found within the further reduction sales! Here’s a few advantages to help push you through the door.

1.  It lacks the hustle and bustle of the post summer sales, leaving you with more time and space to truly look through everything you desire.

2.  The staff aren’t under Taiwanese working conditions anymore, so they actually wont mind helping you out and looking for more sizes.

3.  You wont have to witness exposed sweaty bum cracks due to others browsing through clothes on the floor. They are all on rails now. Great.

4.  It’s CHEAPER! (’further’ reductions!)

You may have more time, space and energy when shopping in the further reduction sales, but there are still times that you come home and realise you’ve purchased Peter Andres wardrobe. So to keep you from doing so, here’s a list of essentials rules to remember.

1. Weed Your Wardrobe

Before you even step out the door, actually before you even go to bed the night before, weed your wardrobe. Sift through your clothes. Check what you use and what you don’t. By doing so you can find out what works for you and want doesn’t, hopefully aiding you on your future decisions on what not to buy again. It will also provide a glimpse of what you do need in your wardrobe, helping your eye to scan for the essentials rather than the extras or perks.

Dress for the occasion.

By dressing lightly you leave yourself open to try on more things and most importantly have the clothes that compliment the items you’ll be trying on. This not only saves time in the changing room but also makes your purchasing decisions easier. Use a white t-shirt, white shirt and a jacket, it keeps you warm and is easy to take on and off when changing. The t-shirt compliments casual clothing, whereas shirts go well with more formal choices and accessories such as ties. Jeans are always a good choice as they allow you to wear both formal and casual tops, thus saving time.

Check The Sales Policy

Ok, now we’re getting somewhere. We’re out of the house, off the tube and stepping into our favorite store. Before you even walk towards the sale section find a sales advisor. It’s important for you to find out the stores policy on returning goods. Now as much as I’d like people to listen to my advice, there are some people that wont bother try it on in store, due to various reasons. This is why I urge you to find out the returns policy. Many stores policies differ in regard to their sale merchandise, so double check.

By finding out first, it will allow you to figure out how much time you want to spend in the store and how long you want to spend deciding on a garment. If you’re unsure and there’s no returns policy, your better off leaving it out.

Hold on to it / Put it on hold

We’re into the main course now. We’re fully indulged, hands scrabbling through the heaps on the tables, sifting through the rails, walking away from that man who seems to follow and pick up everything you put down. STOP! That’s exactly what not to do. That guy who’s following you WILL be there when you go shopping. Please believe me. Even if it doesn’t fit him he’ll hold on to it tightly like a young Ruben Studdard did once with his lunch box. My advice to avoid this mishap; hold on to it. If you find yourself accumulating too much then grab a bag. Most retailers now have them, especially this time of the season. If you can’t find any just ask any assistant to put your items on hold while you browse. Then make up your mind once you’ve thoroughly searched the entire store.

Try It On

5th and final tip. You’ve done all the hard work of weeding your wardrobe, dressing for the occasion and even finding out the sales policy, now lets not do what I did in sports day in front of many females and trip at the final hurdle. Although it may initially seem tedious, trying the garment on is an essential, if not thee most essential part of sale shopping. Not only can you make your decision there and then, consequently saving you money on irrelevant trips back, but it can start you on a spree that will see you pick up clothes that match and compliment your new wardrobe.

Well now you’ve been informed, I’m expecting to find myself involved in mini western style showdowns for that particular jumper or top. Let the games begin…..5th and final tip. You’ve done all the hard work of weeding your wardrobe, dressing for the occasion and even finding out the sales policy, now lets not do what I did in sports day in front of many females and trip at the final hurdle. Although it may initially seem tedious, trying the garment on is an essential, if not thee most essential part of sale shopping. Not only can you make your decision there and then, consequently saving you money on irrelevant trips back, but it can start you on a spree that will see you pick up clothes that match and compliment your new wardrobe.

Well now you’ve been informed, I’m expecting to find myself involved in mini western style showdowns for that particular jumper or top. Let the games begin lads…..

Author: Aaron Christian

Aaron is a Men’s Personal Style Consultant and you can find out more at Individualism.co.uk

Tags: bargains, deals, Fashion, sales, save, shopping, student finance

Category: Fashion, Featured