'Before You Shop'

There is something about purchasing a pair of Louis Vuitton shoes for $160 from an original retail price of $1,000 that would leave most shoppers dizzy from an adrenaline rush.

Bargain-hunting is a universal concept. But sales of this extreme can only be found in America.

The two young women standing outside the Barney’s Co-op Warehouse Sale on Seventeenth Street showed me their purchases: Gold satin Louis Vuitton shoes and a pair of pale blue Chanel boots among, but not including apparel.

Like soldiers returning from a winning battle, the two women were triumphant and proud. Their voices rang from the news that their spoils each cost $200 or less.

My girlfriend later confirmed the women’s testimony.

“It’s AMAZING,” she wrote to me in a text message yesterday. “It’s so cute and I love it. Ahhh, you have to go before it ends!”

Now with the warehouse sale to add as another swipe to my credit card this weekend (Labor Day sales and new Fall arrivals here I come!), I realized that I need to have a plan of attack. Soldiers don’t go to war without armor, right?

With so many trends this season (leather jackets, fur accents,lace tops, brogue shoes, etc.) and must-haves (trench coat, sheer blouses, LBD, over-the-knee boot), the only way to sort Diane Von Furstenberg from Alexander McQueen is to prioritize.

I make a plan. Best way to do this is by taking a look in that closet before shopping.

- Set aside the staples to your wardrobe you do plan to wear – ie. the leather boots, the wool coat, the cashmere sweater.

- Do the pieces fit? Does anything need to be dry cleaned, tailored, or resoled? Write down a note to do so if the answer is ‘yes.’

- What’s missing? Write down the essentials first (can’t do without a pair of trousers for work) and your wish list items. I have both a look book and an ongoing list that I add to with images or or written notes.

- Do a little research. Not everyone spends their working day forecasting trends, merchandising and reading the latest fashion newsletters and magazines. Shop quickly around and jot down prices and places where you might be able to find what you’re looking for. It helps!

Oh, and one last thing. Set your alarm early. The best shopping is done before the crowds!

-S. Gonzalez