Seasonal Shopping
Why would I want a bikini in February?
That’s the question I found myself asking when I went shopping last week, and found that, in the coldest month of the year, the shops were stuffed with swimwear and sunglasses. It’s very similar to the question I asked myself in August last year, when I went out to buy some clothes for my summer holiday, and found nothing but coats and woolly jumpers. I know the fashion calendar’s always been a bit out of kilter with the rest of the world, but I’m sure that over the past few years, it’s got worse. The Autumn collections used to hit the shops around the beginning of September, when it was often too hot to wear them, but at least you knew the new season was just round the corner. But coats in July? That’s just bonkers.
Why do they do it? I know all the high fashion magazines say you should shop early to get the best things, but who wants to spend a couple of hundred pounds on a coat, and then stash it in the wardrobe for months? By the time you get to wear it, you’re already bored with it. And then there’s the problem of shopping for say, a sudden invitation to a garden party or wedding in August, when your chances of finding a pretty summer dress and some strappy sandals are round about the same as winning the lottery or marrying George Clooney. Not to mention trying to buy work clothes that look vaguely right for the season you’re living in, rather than the one three months away.
I keep reading in the papers that fashion retailers are having a tough time, so guys, here’s a little hint: if you put clothes in the shops somewhere around the time when we might feasibly be able to wear them, we’d be a little more inclined to buy them.
What do you think? Do you like shopping early for the new season, or do shops full of out of season clothes annoy you too? Post a comment and share your view.