Reader Question: Where’s the Sale?

First of all, I appreciate a good neg when I see one. Well played sir.

As for where to find a steal? How about the clothes I recommend…about two weeks after I recommend them?

I’m always on the lookout for a good price too, so trust me, I get it. But what’s the point in me suggesting a discounted dress shirt you love, only to find out when you click the link to go buy it, that the only size left is an 18/38? That doesn’t do you much good (unless you have an 18″ neck, in which case..you seem like a strapping young man, could you come over and help put in my air conditioner unit this summer?). You get annoyed with me for getting your hopes up about finding a great deal, and I don’t do anyone much good.

Most of the time, the clothes you want are clothes you don’t absolutely need, at least not yet. I get excited when a clothing catalog arrives in the mail touting the next season’s all-new offerings, but I don’t usually buy anything right away. Just like when stores start putting shorts in their windows…in March.

Another way to look at it of course, is to say that your time is valuable and by being pointed in the right direction with a certain article of clothing – even a full-priced one – you’ve saved money by not having to go out and shop for it yourself. When I’ve worked with personal shoppers, that’s the approach I took, and the notion gave me comfort when I would otherwise have felt sick paying retail.