Free Clark's Big Book of Bargains by Clark Howard

people, you spend more on clothes than I do, I have some wonderful strategies that can help you cut how much you pay.
    A great way to save is to buy at the right time of the season. Retailers are always out ahead of the weather. They put spring clothes out during winter, fall clothes during summer, and winter clothes during fall. If you buy ahead of the season, as the retailers want you to, you’re going to pay too much. But if all you do is wait until the actual season to buy, you’ll save a tremendous amount of money, as retailers mark down the merchandise in order to move it. Retailers refer to spring clothes that are still for sale during spring as past-season goods. For them, the season is already over. This technique works no matter how much you normally spend.
    Where you buy your clothes can help you save as well. The clothing market has shifted away from the traditional department stores to specialty retailers, because people want both fashion and low prices. That trend has helped fuel the rise of Kohl’s and Target, two stores that have found the right blend of fashion and price that consumers want.
    Target, for example, sells very stylish clothes, including a brand called Mossimo which used to be sold only by high-end retailers. Sonja Kashuk, a well-known makeup artist, has her own line of cosmetics at Target; women rave that her products are as good as those sold at expensive makeup counters in department stores.
    But even with discounters such as Target and Kohl’s, you can save a substantial amount of money if you follow the calendar.
    When my wife and I first met, saving money on clothes just wasn’t a concern to her. But she picked up a few things from me, and now the student has become the master. She is absolutely fantastic. She has a wonderful eye for fashion and she’s very patient. She’ll even buy true past-season clothes, stuff that goes all the way to the bargain rack. Summer may be over, but she’ll buy the good stuff that’s left on the rack knowing she can wear it next summer. She doesn’t try to buy a whole wardrobe, because the selection at that point is limited, but if she sees something that will fit into her wardrobe, she buys it. It’s been a fascinating transformation.
    You can get some great deals if you are willing to buy something you may not wear until next year. A leather jacket you buy at the end of winter could be half off its original price—maybe more—and you’ll wear it year after year. Pick up next year’s swimsuits and shorts at the end of summer. Are shorts going to go out of style?
    One problem a lot of people have with clothes is they buy something and then never wear it. I have some shirts I bought and then never wore, even though buying them seemed like a good decision at the time. Buying clothes is both a practical and an emotional decision, and you’re going to make mistakes. There’s really no good solution to it.
    Men often are reluctant clothing buyers, especially when it comes to suits. We’re worried how we’re going to look in a suit. People wonder whether it’s okay to go to one of the discount clothing stores such as Men’s Wearhouse, K&G, or S&K. I have purchased suits from discounters and have been absolutely thrilled with the quality. I routinely pay $100 to $130 and the suits look great. I’ve never bought one that I’ve been embarrassed to wear. I’ve also purchased used suits and been happy with them, and the best deals for men on used clothing are the dressy clothes. A lot of guys will buy a suit and then gain weight, so they’ll get rid of the suit. A used suit will cost very little. I bought one for just $1, and the most I’ve paid is $25. I wore a suit for a TV commercial that I had bought for $2.75 at a Goodwill store in Dayton, Ohio. The savings are tremendous. And many of these suits have never been worn.
    I was giving a speech to a military trade association, and when I arrived and opened my suitcase, I realized that my suit