As I mentioned this morning: Nordstrom’s Half-Yearly Sale is on. I’ve picked out a few favorites in a range of prices below… a few other things I noticed (just sort by “sale” if it doesn’t automatically come up):

• lots of jeans on sale: Citizens of Humanity, J Brand, Paige, Hudson . . .
• lots of good lingerie lines on sale: On Gossamer, Hanky Panky, Cosabella, Wacoal . . .
• lots of good shoes on sale: Stuart Weitzman, Delman, Donald J Pliner, Via Spiga . . .

(L-all)

Here’s a fun question: what items do you think are wise to purchase, even if you don’t have a specific event or occasion to wear them to — and which items are best left for specific “I am going to wear this to X event” purchases? Even though we don’t belong to a gym with a pool, and we have no vacations planned, I recently bought a non-returnable swimsuit on deep discount, so it’s been on my mind.

For my own $.02:  in general, I prefer to “let clothes find me.”  I actually hate shopping with an agenda — if I need a new pair of jeans, or a white blouse, or a basic LBD, I have to steel myself for a long and trying shopping excursion (where, at the end, I always seem to pay through the nose for something I only vaguely like).  Instead, I prefer to buy things that I actually like (perhaps helped along by the fact that they’re deeply discounted), and that I suspect I might have a use for — some day.  Even now, while I hate having to “commit” to my post-baby body (which is a size or two larger than my pre-baby body), I’ve made some purchases and had to argue with myself in my head.  Here’s how the conversation goes:

Kat1: “Oooh, a pretty dress in a flattering shape, with colors that I love, on sale for $50!”

Kat2: “You don’t need this — you’ll definitely fit back into your old clothes by the time you need to get dressed up!”

Kat1: “But what if I’m not?”

Kat2: “Well it’ll be a great goal then!”

Kat1: “Uh huh.  Let’s just buy it and if we’re lucky enough to be smaller by then, then oh well! I’d rather have something nice in the closet that fits my current size.”

So it’s a bit bittersweet to be able to say that I’ve worn almost everything that I bought “just in case,” already. (Apparently I’m one of the women who doesn’t lose weight while breastfeeding.  Yay.) But every time it’s been time to dress up, I’ve been so happy that I had something that I knew worked in my closet — I haven’t had to make a single panicked trip to the stores where I end up paying 3x as much for something I only vaguely like.

Looking back, a number of my friends have made a policy of purchasing great dresses they came across, even if they had nowhere to wear it. One friend bought her wedding dress that way, years before she even met her husband. Another friend would buy evening gowns at thrift stores, with the mandate that well, she had a dress, now she had to find an event worthy of the dress.  (And you know what? She always did find a place to wear it.)

So, readers, how do you shop?  Are you like me (you let clothes find you and purchase without regard to whether you have someplace to wear it), or do you have another system (such as shopping with only specific events in mind)?  Do you generally purchase “outfits” when you buy separates, or do you just buy what you like and hope it will work together?  Are there any pieces of clothing (or outfits) that you will not purchase unless you have a specific event in mind?

Happy President’s Day! Here are some of the best sales…

- Last Call by Neiman Marcus: Feb. 20 only: take an extra 60% off designer styles, 3 hours only!
- Ann Taylor: Take an extra 50% off sale styles and 40-50% off select styles with code ANNSPRING.
- LOFT: Huge sale, with prices up to 75% off the original price.
- Boden: 15% off plus free shipping and free returns.
- J.Crew: Take 20% off your order of $150+ with code FABFEB, online only.
- Nordstrom: Shoe clearance! Save up to 40%.
- Yoox: Up to an extra 70% off!!
- Bluefly: Presidents’ Day Sale, extra 40% off (now up to 80% off).
- Endless: Up to 50% off sitewide for Presidents’ Day.
- Lord & Taylor: Presidents’ Day Sale, 20% off regular and sale with promo code PRES.
- The Limited: 40% off your total purchase, including markdowns, with code SAVE 40.
- French Connection: Take 30% off sale with code FCPRES.
- Amazon: Up to $20 off Presidents’ Day Sale. Enter promo code PRESDA10 for $10 off $50, or PRESDA20 for $20 off $100.
- Bare Necessities: Presidents’ Day Sale: Save $20 on your $99 purchase + free shipping with code PRESIDENT20.
- Freshpair: Presidents’ Week Sale: Take up to 60% off.
- Tory Burch: Spend $250 get 20% off with code PRESDAY.
- Anne Klein: Up to 75% off all sale merchandise, ends 2.21.
- Banana Republic: 25% off already reduced styles, ends 2/20. Use code BRPRES25.
- Bloomindgale’s: Big Brown Bag sale, save 20-40% off through 2/20.
- Brooks Brothers: They’ve dressed 39 out of 44 presidents, and have a clearance sale of up to 60% off.
- ASOS: Sale, up to 70% off in The Outlet.
- Gap: Red White and Blue even, save up to 40% off select styles.
- Macy’s: Presidents’ Day Sale! Extra 15% off with code PRES.
- Old Navy: Get 15% off any amount or 20% off $100 or more with code ONSAVEBIG.
- Zappos.com – End of Season Clearance, free shipping on everything from shoes on sale to discount clothing!

I noticed there were some huge sales going on at Anne Klein, so I thought I’d make my top picks. Some of these are final sale, but not most — if you mouse over them they’ll show the price, as well. I chose these pieces to give you a taste of the sale because a) they were cute, b) they’re all significantly marked down, and c) most have a lot of sizes left… but there’s a lot more inventory left in the “lucky sizes” arena. Happy hunting, ladies…

(L-5)

While looking for the Suit of the Week, I noticed there were a ton of great deals at The Limited, including up to 80% off final sale items! Tonight, from 5pm to midnight, they’re offering 50% off original ticket prices on new arrivals. My picks below are all from the “final sale” section, but there are some great deals if you know your size… each piece pictured below is under $50 and with a decent number of sizes left.

(L-all)

- Ann Taylor: Take an Extra 60% Off Sale Styles with Code SHOPANN

- LOFT: Get an extra 60% off sale with code SAVENOW

- Boden: Take 15% off (plus free shipping and free returns)

- Banana Republic:  30% off Full-Priced Styles + 35% Off already reduced styles with code BRONSALE

- Last Call by Neiman Marcus: Extra 50% off all cashmere, sweaters, wraps, scarves, hats, gloves, coats, and selected furs (and extra 30% off everything else)

- 6PM: Lots of nice Naturalizer heels on sale up to 60% off

- J.Crew: Take an Extra 30% off final sale items with code MUSTHAVE

- Brooks Brothers: Winter clearance save up to 50%

- Barneys New York: Final markdowns, up to 75% off regular prices on select designer clothing, shoes and accessories

- CUSP by Neiman Marcus: Last Cuts sale, save up to 65% off regular-priced apparel and accessories

- Lord & Taylor: Save an extra 20% off all over the store (up to 80% off)

- Saks Fifth Avenue – Consolidation Sale, “we’ve taken an additional 25% off for a total of up to 70% off designer selections”

- Thomas Pink – Further reductions up to 50% off

- The Limited: 40% off your total purchase — includes markdowns — with code SAVE40

- White House|Black Market: Final clearance sale, up to 60% off

- ASOS: Up to 70% off winter items

- Thomas Laine: 70% off chic costume jewelry and more

- Amazon: 50% off Lucky Brand Clothing (Deal of the Day)

- Bloomingdale’s: Save 30-50% (and enter to win a $2012 Bloomingdale’s gift card)

- Bare Necessities: Take an Extra 25% off Already-Reduced Clearance Styles

- Sierra Trading Post: New markdowns, an extra 20-50% off (plus over 1000+ items just in)

It seems more and more sales are ramping up…

Sephora has a rare 20% off sale going on: of the lots and lots of gift sets already marked down, take an extra 20% off. You can buy some for gifts for friends, sure, but you can also buy some for yourself. Personally I loaded up on eyeshadow sets to play with…

ASOS‘s reductions have hit 70% off…

Ann Taylor is offering 50% off your entire purchase (but exclusions apply)

Bloomingdale’s has increased their sale — now save up to 75% off original prices through Jan. 2.

CUSP (by Neiman Marcus) is offering an additional 25-33% off all sale merchandise, for savings of up to 60% off

Nordstrom is offering Winter Savings up to 50% off on women’s and kids’ styles (and the men’s Half-Yearly Sale is on)

Reiss is offering up to 60% off

Tory Burch is offering an extra 25% off all sale items

Something on your mind? Chat about it here.

Zappos has a number of good deals going, including up to 40% off a good selection of Stuart Weitzman, Kate Spade, Loeffler Randall, and… Missoni. These stunners are the perfect office shoes, if only because they’re totally impractical for wearing outside.  I like the classic shape, and the fact that they’re just a leetle bit wild — perfect for a casual day at the office. I’d order them now and wear them for a house party on New Year’s Eve, and then take them in to work to wear with pencil skirts, sheath dresses, and more. They were $525, but are now marked to $289.99. Missoni – SM10 VAR G 992 (Multi) – Footwear

The sales just keep getting better… in addition to the ones I rounded up yesterday, here are some other ones going on:

- Piperlime: 40% off at the Twice-Yearly Lime Tag sale
- Rent the Runway: Up to 90% off dresses (with delivery by NYE)
- ShopBop: Amazing sales, including Alexander Wang, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch, Diane von Furstenberg, and more
- J.Crew: An extra 20% off the final sale with code MUSTSHOP
- LOFT: 40% off + free shipping with code SHOP40
- Madewell: 40% off sale + free shipping on orders over $100
- Smart Bargains – 75% off at the Year End Clearance Sale
- Amazon: Great year-end deals
- 6pm.com – up to 70% off
- ASOS: Up to 50% off

Some great sales are starting already…

- Lord & Taylor — tons of shoes and bags, including Cole Haan, for under $200…

- Saks Fifth Avenue – designer brands up to 70% off

- Bloomingdale’s – After Xmas clearance sale is on, up

- Boden – 50% off (and lots of silk blouses included in the sale)

- The Limited – up to 70% off (Red Hot Sale)

- Macy’s - After Xmas & Clearance Sale

- Endess – Year End Savings, up to 50% savings select items across the site

- Net-a-Porter – New arrivals up to 70% off

- Neiman Marcus – Save up to 60% off regular prices, take an extra 25-33% off already reduced prices, and take 50% off “holiday glories”

- The Outnet – Up to 75% off

- Naturalizer – Take an extra 20% off sale items plus free shipping

- Reiss – Up to 50% off Merry Christmas

- Sierra Trading Post – Extra 25% off select items

- Target – Save $10 on your $50 Order with code TGTGFT2U (today only)