How does this affect me, a Salvation Army shopper with holes in most of his shirts :)

i dunno. i dropped by the mall yesterday & it seemed like most of the smaller chains were all having "special sales" - a few of the stores seemed to have everything 40-50% off.

so, not too late to save some money, i guess.

Or the recently unemployed aren't quite feeling the pinch yet. Especially if the job market doesn't improve and unemployment benefits start running out. I'd think beyond a good suit that clothing would be one of the first things on the budget chopping block.

@mac-phisto: Heck, I had a hard time finding a store that wasn't having a random sale last week. Express, GAP, AE, Macy's, and a few more actually had reasonable prices for the first time in a while!

@GuinevereRucker: You might need to learn how to mend.

@henrygates: Bonus to living in hawaii: for 90% of jobs, wearing a suit is over dressed. Slacks and an aloha shirt FTW. A suit is for court, and major client meetings...and even then its not required.

Its a sad day in the retail world when stuff is 40-50% off and is still too expensive to buy. WTF?

We are forgetting that clothing prices are inflated so drastically that they can afford to mark them to 50% as soon as the clothes hit the rack. Most jeans are hitting $40-60 regular price at places like Sears. It has to come down to 50% to make people even look at buying the item.

@GuinevereRucker: Right. What Laura said. Or you could stop buying shirts with holes in them. Don't act like all they have are damaged goods.

@MooseOfReason: who said he bought shirts with holes in them?

I have always gone straight to clearance racks. I NEVER buy anything full price. That's the way I've been since I started working when I was 16.

Part of it is being aware of what certain brands retail for. At Kohls or Sears, you can find one brand on clearance for 5.00 but will pay 14.97 at Nordstrom Rack.

I always think to myself - "is it (insert price here) cute?"

If you wouldn't buy it at $10 and it's $7 and you want it, do you really need it?

I pretty much refuse anything under 70% off. Why pay more now when I can pay less next month?

@xtc46 - thinksmarter on twitter: A Wearable Towel, a lei and a welcoming smile is all that's needed?
Gimme to Hawaii!

@mac-phisto: Memorial day sales? I know the one at the Home Depot I work at went on until today.

@Stephanie Haller:

The problem with that they'll just raise the "regular" prices more.

God, sometimes buying clothes makes me feel ill.

@MissPiss:

Mostly because it's so heinously overpriced to begin with. I doubt I *ever* buy anything for the list price on the tags.

@Outrun1986:

This. It's all a big retail scam: The "list price" has nothing to do with reality and is intended to make you think you're getting a deal with the advertised discounts.

@Stephanie Haller:

Stephanie, I agree with everything you said. Know the brands you like and that fit you well, be aware of different stores' pricing on said brands, and shop the sales, not to mention my favorites: TJMaxx and Marshall's, which routinely beat even "outlet" pricing on name-brand and designer goods.

Clothes shopping is such a nightmare experience, anyway. I avoid doing it because it's just SO draining, and makes me tired and ill. I'm a woman, too.

I'm dressed in head-to-toe Walmart anyway.

By the way:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MEEE!!!! :)

@gStein: You're right. Although I really don't buy clothes at all. When there are enough holes, my wife or mother-in-law feels sorry for me and buys me new pants or something :)

@ElizabethD: Yup, you have to train yourself to ask yourself, is this item really worth X.XX (which is whatever price they are charging). I always take my items to the self scanner or have them price checked by a clerk if there is no scanner to see exactly what an item costs.

I try to buy most of my stuff at yard sales or second hand but that isn't always possible for some things, you will have to fill in with clothing from retail at some point.