Fall Back, Spring Ahead

I know that for most of you, spring 2011 is the furthest thing from your mind, but in the fashion world, they are already past it. Personally, I am all about clothing my stunning wife in flannels and earth tones, but I digress. Let's chat about the spring season and for what you should be keeping your well-trained eyes peeled. This upcoming "season of new life" is all pops of color in bright refreshing tones. Everything from neon lipsticks to magenta suede heels stormed the catwalk in New York, Paris, and Milan. What does this really mean for me, you may ask?

As forward thinking as fashion tends to be, it is at the same time very cyclical. Many of the themes shown each year are not necessarily new ideas, but instead a take on how to put them all together. With this in mind, if you are privy to fashion movements early enough, it is possible to buy hot, new season pieces at off-season prices. While you may not get the new 150mm peep-toe pumps by YSL, you may be able to find a gorgeous pair from last season. I often am shopping off-season for my clothing and even managed to pick up my distressed denim jacket for this fall for the low low price of $20 from a Zara end-of-season clearance sale in July. July tends to be when many retailers are liquidating spring inventory to lower their carrying costs, thus giving them more open-to-buy for the next year.

Now that you know one of the secrets to the industry, how can we apply this to things for the next season? I want to focus on only one aspect and that would be the heel. Gleaning from above, we can surmise that your fabulous footwear should make a statement. Personally, I am always a fan of the peep-toe pump, but there are many fabulous sandals to bring some pizazz to your ensemble. Below are a few picks of mine from the Steve Madden line. His heels are amazingly stylish and due to the line being more of a mass market retailer, they are likely to have frequent sales and markdowns. Don't let this fool you though, his heels are great quality and my wife, working in the fashion magazine industry, gets as many compliments on her Steve Madden heels as she would a pair of her Louboutins. In fact, her co-workers are often surprised to find out where she makes her finds.

Final Verdict: By shopping early you can make your co-workers jealous with envy. While they are bemoaning the high prices of the pieces they want, you can chuckle at the fact that you got them for 50% off.