Summer Sale-ing

Two words: summer sales. 

Yes it's that time of year again when all the shops display their finest garments and at tantalizingly good prices too in order to get you reaching for your purse and drawing out the dollar, even when you really know you shouldn't. And of course I know that it's meant to be summer, and its July, and the temperatures are hovering around the twenties, the BBQ's are out, vast amounts of ice cream are being consumed and we're all looking as tanned as we're probably going to get. And I know that it therefore seems rather strange to be on the hunt for clothes for autumn and winter when they are safely at arms length for now anyway. 

But, right now is actually the perfect time to be doing that, no matter how frustrating it maybe be to be trying on jumpers and coats when you're 100% in the summer mindset and the temperatures are thirty degrees outside, as I found the other week. And what with living in the UK, where summer seems to exit the building just as quickly as it arrived, the need to prepare sufficiently for autumn and winter is one need that you unfortunately can't ignore, however it's a task that's all the more appealing when you realise what massive bargains you could be getting. 

This year the fashion Gods must have been shining down on me because the clothes I'm about to tell you about now would have cost me over £100 had I bought them all at full price, but a bit of nifty summer sales shopping and a whole lot of luck meant they only cost me twenty eight quid and I still can't believe it now.

Of course navigating those endless rails stuffed silly with clothes is a long and laborious process, and quite a few people I know don't even bother trying because of it, but I am one of those stupidly optimistic people that thinks that this time might be the time that I find something amazing and with an equally amazing price tag to match. And you can't deny that finding something like that is just the best feeling everrrrrrr, so much so that you have to brag about your suave and sophisticated bargain hunting skills to everyone you know. 

When looking in the sales, my advice would be to firstly have an idea of what garments you might need replenishing, eg. dresses for nights out, jumpers for those cold winter nights, a nice new pair of boots, a winter coat that actually keeps you warm, a new pair of trousers etc. and when in store target these rails first. Secondly be prepared to look at the sizes either side of your normal size because you then give yourself more options and chances of finding a bargain (woooooo). Thirdly giving into temptation is not a sin in this instance, because rather annoyingly, almost every purchase is justifiable when it's five to twenty pounds cheaper than it would've been pre-sale. Therefore if you see something you like in the sale, go try it on because if it fits and it looks good and it's cheap, then it's so worth it! And fourthly, don't stress, don't let yourself get overwhelmed, try everything on if possible and just have fun :)

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NUMBER ONE

ITEM: Cream crocheted jumper

WHERE FROM: H&M

BARGAIN: £15 to £5

SAVING: £10

I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE: It's lightweight therefore I can still wear it in summer, the knit is high quality and very comfortable, it's a neutral colour and thus goes with so many different colours and prints, it falls to the waist ie. not too long or short and a shirt underneath and coat on top means it can also been worn in colder weather.

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NUMBER TWO

ITEM: Light grey cropped jersey jumper

WHERE FROM: Pull & Bear

BARGAIN: £15 to £8

SAVING: £7

I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE: Again it's lightweight, the fabric is so comfortable, it can be worn day and night and is particularly good for summer, it's cropped which means it goes well with high-waisted shorts and trousers which suit my body shape, and I like the whole jersey feel to it and the neutral light grey colour, as it means I can wear it with lots of different things.

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NUMBER THREE

ITEM: Black jumper with silver metallic print

WHERE FROM: H&M

BARGAIN: £15 to £5

SAVING: £10

I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE: It's slightly longer in length and so looks really good with leggings, the neckline is slightly wider which I really like for some reason, the fabric is sooooooo comfortable and cosy like you never want to take it off, black goes with lots of other colours and prints and the silver metallic pattern is so intricate and gorgeous.

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NUMBER FOUR

ITEM: Black crop top with lace detailing

WHERE FROM: H&M

BARGAIN: £12 to £5

SAVING: £7

I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE: I needed more clothes for nights out and the design of this top means it can be worn with so many different things with the lace detail making it look more elegant, the fabric is stretchy and it covers my boobs well so I still feel classy (yay), again it can be worn with high waisted shorts, skirts and trousers which compliment my figure well and lastly it makes my shoulders look feminine instead of butch, which is normally a problem I have due to my broad shoulders!!!

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NUMBER FIVE

ITEM: Light blue 'angolia' knit jumper

WHERE FROM: Topshop

BARGAIN: £46 to £5

SAVING: £41 (I can't believe it either!!!!)

I BOUGHT IT BECAUSE: I couldn't not buy it, it's a size 16 whereas I'm normally a 12 so it actually makes for the perfect oversized jumper, the knit is such high quality and so comfy and beautiful, the colour is perfect and so versatile, the knit isn't too heavy or too light, and like I said, IT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING BARGAIN (the girl on the till said so too) SO I JUST HAD TO GET IT!!!

So yes, as you can see, it really is bargains galore out there in the shopping jungle, and it just goes to show that a little bit of time, effort, digging and money can go a very long way.