Archives for January 2013

By Mary Lou Andre

An easy way to give yourself an end-of-winter wardrobe lift while cost-effectively building your wardrobe for seasons to come is to take advantage of end-of-winter clearance sales.





Here are 5 winter wardrobe staples to look for now:








1. Cashmere Sweaters & Scarves.Called the Cadillac of all wools, cashmere is more expensive than lambs wool and merino wool with good reason — it lasts longer when cared for properly, can be worn into spring better than heavier wools and is luxurious to wear because it does not itch the way some other wool fabrics do. A few classic cashmere sweaters and scarves can last a lifetime, especially when you partner with a reputable cleaner like Anton’s to clean and store them for you at the end of the season in a secure and dust-free environment. For more information about Anton’s Closet, their free clothing storage program, follow this link.
2. Winter Coats. Merchants are motivated to sell off their coat collections right now to make room for spring collections that are arriving daily. They also don’t want to get stuck storing these bulky items through the summer months. Make their store real estate problem work for you by visiting your coat closet and getting focused on what you’d like to replace or update in your coat collection. You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to get what you need when you arrive at the store with a fresh focus. Best part — you won’t feel guilty buying the coat that felt like a splurge at the beginning of the season now that it is up to 70% off!
3. A-lined Leather Skirts. When properly coordinated, leather can add a significant amount of style to a wardrobe. While it is tempting to stock up on leather goods that are on sale, we advise people from investing in pieces that might go out of style quickly. The one leather item that we take note of when we see them on sale are A-lined leather skirts. The length — which lands at or just below the knee — sets it apart from shorter and long cuts that go in and out of style more quickly.
4. Bright Colored Leather Gloves.Black and brown gloves tend to sell out quickly and because you where them the most, it makes sense to buy them when you need them, even if they are full price. Gloves in fun colors like red, fuchsia, turquoise and yellow can add great fun to a wardrobe and become true fashion finds when purchased on sale. When you are buying gloves, particularly late in the season when pickings are slim, err on the side of a bit tight rather than a bit large, as these items always stretch with wear.
5. Simple, Neutral Tops. We tend to stock up on tops for our clients at the beginning of a season in the “in” colors that are being shown that year. They tend to sell out quickly and you want to get the most mileage out of them in their best season. If you can find simple knit tops in basic colors (i.e. black, cream, beige or red) during end-of-winter clearance sales, grab them, especially in lightweight wools and season-less silks. Picking up colors such as lilac, apple green and sky blue this time of year can help you get ready to lighten up all of your dark suits for spring.
Last Word The items you won’t have much luck finding during clearance sales include winter boots, hats and ski jackets. By mid to late February these pieces are well picked-over so you’re probably better off holding these purchases until the following year.