Shopping
Surviving the sales .
onsider this twisted
conundrum that has
puzzled scientific bods for decades: it's 1 1am on Boxing Day and by rights y0u should be cosily snuggled up in bed. nursing a colossal hangover. polishing off a selection box and guzzling flat lrn-Bru. Instead you're pOuring scorn on the God-given hangover day ratified by yOur employer and queuing outside a consumer's place of worship: the shop. And the reason for this collective bout of temporary insanity? Why it‘s that four letter word that we all love to hear . . . sa/e.
But fear not. all is not lost. Our cut-out-and-keep guide to surviving the sales will add method to your madness. warmth to your wardrobe and strategically stretch that exhausted plastic to only the most economical of limits — or yOur money back.
1) Know what yOu're looking for. tvloseying around the shops with not a care in the world is fine for lazy Sunday afternoons. but time is money. Make a list of the items you've had yOur beady eye on for a while and investigate their sales potential.
Steer clear of alluring merchandising gimmicks.
2) Limit yourself to clothes shops. Call me old fashioned. but sofas. kitchen utensils and garden furniture only become a bargain when you're over 40. you absolutely have to buy it or it's been miraculously reduced at the till. You've been warned.
3) Stick to reputable shops. Everyone knows
about the mammoth mark-up on clothes so the biggest savings are to be found in the most expensive shops. A skewiff logic but better labels last longer in terms of durability and fashion. Those queues outside Next are there for a reason — its 50°: across-the- board reduction is a sales saviour.
4) Know yOur limits. A bargain isn't a bargain if you're eating jam sarnies for the rest of January. Budget planning is an evil bore. but a necessary one noless.
5) Keep receipts and never. I
repeat never. remove tags until
STYLE FILE JADED
Jaded has Just been started up by two fellas who have a great deal of experience in the retail industry. but who prefer to remain anonym0us. They want to offer well designed street clothes to the fashion-conscious shopper. The shop itself has a cool street feel to it with rough painted walls and some excellent graffiti art by Real.
They carry some well-known labels such as Vexed Generation which brings a new twist to deSign and materialst. Taki 183. Unknown Pleasures and Kee Denim. Alongside these. they have also decided to introduce local designers who will supply one-off deSigns for the more daring dresser. The first to take up the challenge is Aluma who uses combinations like frills. leather and denim and mixes them with other texturescreating individuality.
Although Jaded is focusmg on clothing iust now. it has great expansion
.7;-
‘A 513’“?
you're walking out the door wearing said item. OK it may be an obvious one. but let's face it. sales purchases are destined to be relegated to the 'what was I thinking“ black hole of yOur wardrobe. Most shops have a mood—altering 28-day return policy. but exchanges or gift vouchers are often available from sympathetic sales advisors in the ensuing months. 6) Go home to yOur bed. You deserve it. And. as any hardened shopper will testify. the best reductions come at least two weeks into a sale — the new saVing will be a fraction of the original cost. Half price. pahi (Maureen Ellis)
possibilities in its space. one of which has already been taken up by De Spyker which will be adding the footwear element towards the end of December. (Jane Hamilton) I Jaded, 708 Fienfie/d Street, Glasgow, 0747 333 0073.
An exclusive collection of interior products and occessories.
concur: BUTTERFLY
December
114 THE LIST ‘3 Dec ZCC‘—3 Ja'“ 2CC2
Shoptalk
Spend, spend, spend. ..
I CONCRETE Butterfly is one of Edinburgh’s leading outlets for contemporary craft and design, and it’s just opened a new space within the shop, ‘Concrete Wardrobe’. As the name suggests, it’ll stock fashion, textiles, jewellery and accessories from a range of Scottish and international artists. There’ll be digitally printed handbags from Daniella Budd; German London- based jewellery designer Kelvin J. Birk whose cufflinks and rings feature an unusual ingredient - concrete; bags from Ting, who use stainless steel inserts in their products; and several Edinburgh designers who’ll be showcasing new work. 317-319 Cowgate, Edinburgh, 0131 558 7130, Tue-Fri noon-6pm, Sat & Sun noon-6pm. I GLASGOW snowboard and skateboard fashion designers Densestuffcouk have made some improvements to their website, including real photos of the clothing to accompany the illustrations. As well as new designs and special offers, there’s an intriguing new development which lets you customise your T- shirt — no excuses not to wear your heart on your sleeve. then. Plans are afoot to create a new
section which will showcase new designers. More info on www.densestuff.co.uk I MARKS &
Spencer is continuing to try and
win its way back into the nation’s hearts with its new collection in the Autograph designer range. Designers such as Betty Jackson, Sonja Nuttall, Juiien MacDonald and Anthony Symonds are contributing, with Symonds concentrating on military inspirations while MacDonald captures a younger market with bold denim items.
I YOU CAN GET SOFT drinks, a wide variety of savoury snacks and even contraceptives from vending machines . . . but clothes?
Now, Swedish designer Helena Rosen has come up with a new idea: self-assembly clothing. Her Anywhere collection includes T-shirts, bags and dresses which come flatpacked. then the wearer has to make a few deft tucks and pulls on cords to assemble. They're not meant to be long- wearing but for a quick change after work, they could be ideal. T-shirts look set to retail at aboutEiO.
New collections of clothing, woven and printed textiles, knitwear, bogs and iewellery
CONCRETE WARDROBE
opening times Tuesdoy — Fridoy l2 - opm Soturdoy & Sundoy l2 - 5pm 3l7-3l9 Cowgofe, Old Town, Edinburgh, EH1 lNA tel & locs Ol3l 558 7130