Style Tips for Sale Season

Over the last week I’ve been stopping into shops during my spare moments searching for the brightest and best of next season’s fashions to feature on March’s style page. Unfortunately I haven’t been having much luck. Very few stores have their spring styles out. Instead, they are all having huge sales. As I dug through sale items looking for new inventory, it hit me: Armed with the right knowledge, a gal could stock up on plenty of the looks for spring during sale season.

The following are a few of the items to keep your eye out for when you’re hitting the January sales.

• Wide belts. With looser silhouettes like romantic, flowing blouses and baby doll dresses continuing into spring you’ll want to have some chunky belts to cinch your waist.
  
• Bright colors. Go for primary shades like blues, reds and yellows. Style-wise, pick up basic tees and tanks that you can bedazzle with a trip to Michaels.
• Jackets. Look for Baroque detailing like luxurious fabrics, rouching, high necks and elaborate buttons and cropped styles.
  
• Anything with sparkle or shine. Metallics are going to be just as fashionable this spring as they were during fall/winter. Think accessories you can pair with feminine dresses or pieces with a futuristic styling. Anything mod or ‘60s-inspired will remain chic.
• Dresses/Skirts. Especially comfortable and wrinkle-resistant jersey and cotton pieces. Also, anything fancy you can dress down for work with flats and a jacket.
• Chunky shoes. Yes they’ll be in again, only bigger and better.
  

Now that you’ve got the tools, here are a few of the sales I spied around town. At A.R. Bevans more of the store is marked down than not. The discounts start at 40 percent off and move upward to 75 percent off. Some of my picks included party dresses that could work year round, grey-toned denim and pants that would look just as good with a tunic-style tee as they would with a sweater, and plenty of Nannette Lepore.

Coplon’s has clothes, shoes and purses marked at half off. I drooled over two Dolce & Gabbana jackets, both of which were about $900 off. Also at River Road, Harold’s had markdowns up to 75 percent off. My favorites there were studded suede round-toe pumps for $49.99. Across the street, Chico’s had racks of separates marked at half off or 30 percent off.
D.M. Williams is also doing an inventory overhaul. Most of their skirts, shirts and shoes are 30 percent off. If you’re stocking up for next year, go for metallic puffy coats and soft leather jackets.

In Shockoe Slip, IF has European designer garments marked at 30, 40 and 50 percent off. I had my eye on a fushia velour jacket with the perfect Marie Antoinette styling for spring.

At Stony Point, Saks Fifth Avenue had Diane Von Furstenberg and Laundry by Shelli Segal dresses for 40 percent off, plus Juicy Couture sweat suits for 25 percent off.

Over at Betsey Johnson the normal sale rack in the back was accompanied by plenty of shoes on sale and a second clothing sale rack that included a great floral jacket. I also loved sparkly flats and wedges with Lucite heels: Very appropriate for warmer weather.

Most of the Lucky boutique was also marked at half off and a wide range of thick leather belts were 75 percent off. Almost all of United Colors of Benetton was 50 percent off. They had plenty of seasonless suit separates and luxurious trenches at deep discounts.

Among a host of sales at Short Pump, at South Moon Under I picked up three dresses, all of which work now with long-sleeved shirts underneath and will also work alone this spring, and two bracelets for less than $200. The selection of sale shoes, including cute flats, was amazing. I also dropped in Bebe and grabbed a great cocktail dress that will work this summer or for New Year’s Eve next year, a basic tank and two chunky bracelets, which are another spring trend.

Happy shopping!

Megan Marconyak
Style Editor