The most wonderful time of the year to shop is here! I’ve been scoping out tons of items—be sure to check out the links below, as well as the SHOP page and recent stories. By now, we all know that Black Friday really means the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
Truth be told, I’m not doing a whole lot of purchasing quite yet. I am most definitely identifying what’s on sale and what I might like to buy but I usually wait for a bigger selection at 60 percent off or more to actually begin shopping. The exception is if I have a really big splurge item on my list such as a new handbag or something I have been waiting for months—or years (e.g. the Chloe boots below)—to go on sale. For the most part, though, this is the beginning of the hunt. See what I look for on five major sites after the jump.
THE NOIR FRIDAY GUIDE TO FIVE MAJOR SITES
1. Net-A-Porter. I usually look for a great coat, such as this Altuzarra one, statement jacket (like this Miu Miu puffer) and shoes. I buy both sneakers and super glam shoes such as these Dolce & Gabbana ones (a find from last year’s sale) on Net-A-Porter.
2. Barneys New York. Dresses. Sweaters. Shoes. Jeans. And perhaps a new handbag. Barney New York usually puts a bunch of handbags on sale when a bigger selection comes out (this should happen in a few days). The Chicago store also has fantastic finds right after Christmas such as this Altuzarra coat.
3. Saks Fifth Avenue. Clothes: sweaters, dresses, jeans. Lots of shoes. If you have been reading this site, you know I always hit the Saks Fifth Avenue store in Chicago the day after Christmas when everything is an extra 50 percent off between 8 a.m. and noon. I also pick things up along the way.
4. Neiman Marcus. Sweaters, dresses, jeans. Some shoes. I often compare Saks and Neiman’s to see who has the best price on an item. I often get really dreamy pieces right after Christmas in the actual store. Last year I bought this Dolce & Gabbana skirt. A few years back, I found this Prada coat.
5. SSENSE. I don’t shop this site all that much but I did get these Chloe boots last year. They have a crazy inventory of things you don’t usually find on sale. These items will usually only be 20 to 30 percent off but they are either sold out elsewhere or are unlikely to go on sale at all. For years I had seen other colors of the Chloe boots go on sale but never the black. I won’t buy clothes at SSENSE—I’ll save those items for places where I can easily return if something doesn’t fit.
