Black Friday Sale Guide

Sales sales everywhere…. its overwhelming right?

I often get asked if I have a strategy for sale shopping. Here is my advice:

• ONLY buy what you LOVE. I know it sounds slightly obvious but don’t buy something because it is on sale, buy it because you’ve wanted it for a while and are going to wear it a lot. Whenever I stretch and buy something that could work, I typically regret it. Ask yourself, Do you love the item, or love the price? You should love both.
• Don’t go down a rabbit hole of clicking on everything in sight. Think about your closet and what’s missing from it and be targeted in your search. Could you really use a pair of boots to wear to work? Do you wear your black blazer to death? If so, maybe you should get a textured one? Are your commuting shoes beat up? Sales are a great time to replace them. I’m incredibly Type A so like to make a little list and try to stay close to it.
  • For example: For me right now, I really need maternity pants, stretchy dresses, and longer sweaters.
• Remember – You can return! I obviously don’t want to encourage loading up on your credit with the intention of returning but (unless you are buying final sale – which I try to avoid) your purchases are not set in stone.
• Maybe this is weird, but sometimes I get anxiety that something I love is going to sell out and feel pressure to “pull the trigger” ASAP. Keep in mind, if you loose something you love – you will most definitely find something else you love shortly after. Don’t ever feel time anxiety to make a purchase!!
• Find retailers with loyalty programs & easy return policies
• You’re never going to hit every sale. And if you too – you’ll wind up spending too much money! 🙂 Pick a few to browse through and don’t worry about all the ones you’re missing.
• Don’t wait for Black Friday! More and more retailers are pushing their sales up a few days so there’s no more need to rush and get all your shopping done in one day!

So what sales should you be focused on?

I’m going to keep updating this guide throughout the week/ weekend, but below are my favorites right now!

SHOPBOP

Shopbop is great for their variety, new loyalty program (yay) and very easy returns. If you’re going anywhere warm in December (I’m going to Hawaii – woohoo,) this is a great sale to find some new resort pieces. Here are some pieces in my shopping cart. I’m also including some pregnancy “unfriendly” pieces that I wish I could buy:

IN MY CART: For pieces to wear to work, I’ve been eyeing a pair of dark red work shoes for a while and I love that these pumps have an almond toe and a chunky heel. Everyday work dresses are hard to come by. I’ve liked this A.L.C. navy dress for a while but did not want to pay full price for it. Iro blazers look good with almost any work outfit. I literally love all of them. Shopbop has so many options of discounted ones! Last work item I’ll shout out are these work trousers. They are one of the best pairs I have tried on and have a really comfortable fit.

Speaking of dresses, if you are considering wearing something new for New Year’s you might as well buy it now discounted. I think this dress is perfect for New Year’s (it’s just not so perfect for my bump!) This is another great option for.

I bought this duster sweater  last week and it is the perfect color and length!

For my upcoming trip to Hawaii, I’m thinking of buying this (pregnancy friendly) Zimmermann dress. Zimmermann is one of those companies that is so expensive so I always wait for it to go on sale before buying. I love this particular dress because it is tropical enough to wear on a vacation but can also work in the spring and fall with a denim jacket and a pair of sneakers (or even low neutral colored boots!) One more dress for Hawaii I’m eyeing is this one shoulder floral dress. I really like the high slit up the front and the stretchy material that can easily be dressed up or down.

Code: MORE17

FARFETCH

up to 50% off plus an extra 10% off

Code: X1017

ZAPPOS

The Stuart Weitzman boots that keep selling out on sale are in stock at Zappos! There isn’t such great stock so if you want them, I’d try to get them soon, but they have 1 -2  left in every size (Medium and Narrow)!

IN MY CART: In the gray Alljack (knee high boot) I go down half a size and in the hiking boot I’d recommend going down a full size. The 5050 boot in suede is 30% off FYI.

SAKS

I went the Saks this past weekend to the store on 5th Avenue (which, by the way, has the most beautiful beauty department this time of year.) Everything I bought was 40% off, and I love shopping at Saks. They are flexible with their return policies and have a really good selection.

WHAT I BOUGHT: You may have seen me raving about these stretch suede pants on my Instastories but I am obsessed with these I got. They are a deep gray color and are perfect for the fall and winter. I already wore them to work and will also be wearing them on the weekends. They look just as good with heels as they do with sneakers and are 40% off (yay.)

Sweater dresses are fab during the winter. They are so functional and comfortable. I think this sweater dress was is cool and had a bit of extra style to it – I’m thinking of wearing it to my Thanksgiving dinner! It’s also 40% off, which helps!

While walking the floors of Saks, I was inspired to take a little risk and found this trendy dark pink knit midi skirt  that looks great with high black boots and a chunky sweater.

THEORY

Theory is great for stocking up on nicer work basics. They have been and always will be one of my favorite work wear and transitional brands. They’re having a Friends and Family on their site for up to 30% off that is worth checking out. You can find many of the items at the larger retailers, but they have the best selection and sizing on their website.

Code: THANKS

INTERMIX

A handful of times a year, Intermix has a “spend more save more” event. The event is finally live!!

Right now, they also have a pretty decent final sale extra discount section. The discounts on the sale items are amazing, but you have to be careful because they can’t be returned. If I ever buy from this section, I typically buy what I’ve already seen or tried on or from a brand that I am positive on fit.

You also have to be a little careful with Intermix because their return policy is 14 days, no exceptions. They do have some amazing stuff, though, so definitely worth checking out.

IN MY CART:

This crop blazer with velvet trim. It fits a little long in the sleeves just as an FYI! I tried it on in person and it’s gorgeous. I also think this cape-like coat is stunning! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that it is included in the Spend More Save More. Intermix is the best for funkier items. I’ve wanted glitter shoes for a while but have struggled to find the right ones! These kitten heel glitter boots are perfect because they have a more casual feel. And last think I’ll shout out… THIS DRESS. I just love it. The pattern and texture is so cool and the shape is something I have never seen before.

Its also a great time to invest in a jacket. This one is perfect for both in and out of the office and the navy/ black combo is my favorite. It’s the type of piece I promise you’ll live in.

ELF

50% off the entire ELF site for orders over $30 (launching 11/22)! I’ve actually been meaning to try their makeup (my sister has raved about them and the price point is great. I like that you can “shop the look.” They even have a look for us working women attending office parties 🙂

Makeup also always makes a great gift whether it is for a close friend or for a Secret Santa.

IN MY CART: I’m going to get the tinted lip oil – it looks great for everyday in the office or over a colored lipstick to wear out at night.

Code: CELEBRATE

ANN TAYLOR

Ann Taylor is having 50% off everything (launching 11/22.) I’ve found some great pieces from Ann Taylor this season and am excited to buy a few things from their holiday collection.

IN MY CART: sheer dot blouseThis is GORGEOUS and with the discount is under $50. I love it to the office with a blazer on top, out for dinner, or to a holiday party.

Also obsessed with these velvet joggers, which I am 100% ordering. They are great for my growing belly 🙂  They also definitely still work for everyone else, too!

If you’ve always wanted a leopard jacket but haven’t wanted to spend a lot on it (which I totally understand because they are so trendy) I found you the best one! This leopard jacket has a really cute small hood and has that cool furry texture! I saw it in person and thought the quality actually looked a lot better in person than it looks in the photo!

These cute socks are a fun gift idea, too!

Code: THANKFUL

VERONICA BEARD

Veronica Beard is notorious for limiting the amount of items that go on sale. For example, they are excluded from the Shopbop sale. However, they always post great sales on their website! So, if you are a huge fan of the brand (like I am…) it is definitely worth checking out! They also have a good return policy, in case you were wondering (unless the item says final sale.)

I posted this marigold skirt a few weeks ago. It’s a great shape and (I know… I sound like a broken record) is good for both in and out of the office.

IN MY CART: this dress. I am SO excited to get I ordered it in black but am sort of regretting not ordering the burgundy! It seems like it will be so flirty and I absolutely love the feminine shape. I obviously am not buying pants right now, but these are one of the best pair of pants I own and they come in three colors. I highly recommend tying them out! Also, if you don’t own a bow blouse, this one is gorgeous. Vests are versatile and work for the fall, winter, and spring. This one is really well-made and tailored beautifully.

NORDSTROM

Nordstrom is one of the best retailers. They have great selection, amazing customer service and a great return policy. They are also usually very flexible with price matching if you find something you would like to buy for cheaper on another site. The Nordstrom site is overwhelming, though. I find it is not so user friendly to browse on (like Net-a-Porter and Shopbop) so like to know what I’m searching for in advance.

The Nordstom sale is going to hit in full force on Thursday so my best advice to you is to browse around for items you’ve wanted for a while, stock them in your cart and check back in Thursday morning to see what went on sale!

There are two things I did find already, though:

1. These amazing navy velvet boots. They look less harsh than the black version and will look great with so many looks. I feel like I’ll wear these every day.
2. This velvet blazer for $100!! It comes in 3 colors and has a cute slim fit. The colors aren’t too bright but are still stylish. (I guess I have a thing for velvet!)

Banana Republic

Everything is 50% off on Banana Republic!  Banana is one of my go-to for everyday basics for the office. I always find this time of year that sweaters from two years ago start to look worn and pilled, so the sale season is a great time to replace them. Banana has a good selection of everyday basics – and especially at 50% off – with very good prices.

IN MY CART: jacquard midi length skirt I really like this and am envisioning it with a pair of black knee high boots and a chunky sweater. This midi length sweater skirt is also a really cool look for the office (and pregnancy friendly!) Banana also has one of the best selections of work pants (at the right prices.) These legging pants are one of the best I’ve found.

Bloomingdale’s

Bloomingdale’s is another one of those retailers with such an easy return policy and price matching. Right now you can get $25 off every $100 you spend and there are additional items on serious discount.

IN MY CART: best sweatersThese are seriously the ever for the price and quality. They are exclusive to Bloomingdale’s and so nice. Especially with my growing belly, I’ll be stocking up on a few of these that run a little longer 🙂 They have so many options for real cashmere sweaters that are  ~$100! Seriously —- try these!! They also come in so many different colors and styles.

MATERNITY

I asked all of my followers and here are some shoutouts for maternity brands you should be shopping this Black Friday:

 Searaphine: I’ve had a tough time finding trendier maternity options and a good friend told me about this brand. I just ordered the maternity work trousers (they come in navy and black) and the leather pants (which she swears by!) The leather pants are also so well-priced. They start at $75 before the discount.

Code: BLACKF20 for 20% off!

AG jeans: The overwhelming majority of people who responded to my Instagram question mentioned AG jeans! It helps that these are discounted and I am so excited to try them! I also love the wash of these.

Topshop: Topshop maternity has a huge selection at great prices – I had no clue! Right now, I’m only focusing on pants because I can still get by in non-maternity stretchy dresses and flowy tops. The pant selection is AMAZING. I love these distressed jeans that are only $40! I also may order these $35 black jeans that I might be able to even wear to the office if I style them more professionally.

Belly Band: If you’re not quite ready for maternity pants yet, so many of my followers recommended this belly band! You can continue to wear your regular jeans (unzipped and open LOL) if you wrap the band over the front of the waistband. It’s only $28 and a great way to prolong buying real maternity pants!

Mama J: These barely look like maternity pants! They are so cool. They are on the pricier side so better to buy when discounted (like they are today. ) I love that they are a little wider at the ankle so actually look like jeans and not leggings.

Beyond Yoga: beyond yoga maternity leggingsWhether or not you’re trying to workout during your pregnancy, or just need comfy clothes to lounge around in – I’ve heard the are the best!

For non-maternity, maternity clothes, I bought a bunch of stretchy dresses, and stocked up on some of my favorite sweatpants! Some of the things I’ve recently bought (and am eyeing) are below!