The sales are one of my favourite times of year, as you can really pick up a bargain.
Over my years in fashion I’ve worked out a proper method for finding the best petite pieces at the best possible prices, and I want to share all of it with you here. Think of this as your complete guide, one to save and come back to every single sale season
Before we dive in, let’s understand why items end up in the sale?
There are lots of reasons why items end up in a sale, and it really does help to know. Pieces get reduced for all sorts of practical reasons: perhaps a brand has overstock, something hasn’t sold as quickly as hoped, they might have had a lot of returns, or the season is simply ending and space and cash is needed for new stock. Some brands also use it simply to drive traffic to their site, where you might end up buying something full price too.
It’s also why you rarely find an evergreen bestseller in the sale. Those forever pieces that sell all year round, think a Boden white cotton shirt or Sweaty Betty black leggings, hold their value, so brands have no need to discount them.
So the sale isn’t just full of unwanted items, it’s full of lovely pieces just waiting to be snapped up, and once you know how to shop it, it becomes so much more fun.
So here are my five top tips for shopping the sales as a petite woman.
Tip 1: Start with the filter
The very first thing I do when I head to a sale section is use the filter to just see petite items. There’s nothing more disappointing than finding a great piece only to realise it doesn’t come in petite. Then I sort by lowest price / biggest discounts first.
It sounds simple, but shopping this way changes everything. I’m only ever looking at pieces that are already cut for a shorter frame, and I can see the biggest reductions right at the top. No scrolling past things that were never going to work, no accidentally falling for something at full price. Just the best petite bargains, straight away.
Tip 2: Shop the higher-end brands first
The sale is a great opportunity to pick up items you wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford, so I always head to the top high street brands and designers first, as they sell out quickly. You’ll also save more on a higher priced item discounted by a smaller amount than on a cheaper one discounted by 50%. Having said that, they often have the biggest discounts too, as they tend to have more wiggle room in the mark up. So it really is where your money goes furthest
These are my top petite brands to head to first:
- Boden, for gorgeous prints and quality that lasts
- Coast, for occasionwear
- Phase Eight, for smart pieces and workwear
- Karen Millen, for polished, tailored investment pieces
- Reiss, for elevated everyday staples
- Hobbs, for timeless classics you’ll wear for years
Tip 3: Buy ahead for the season that’s coming next
This is where the real savings are, and it’s the tip I want you to remember most.
Sales are almost always clearing out the season that’s ending to make room for the one coming in, which means the smartest thing you can do is shop ahead. In the summer sales, that’s when coats, boots, knitwear and even Christmas jumpers are at their absolute cheapest, so it’s the perfect time to sort your winter wardrobe. And in the winter sales, it flips the other way, with dresses, lighter pieces and holiday clothes reduced right down, ready for spring and summer.
I know it feels a little strange buying a coat in July or a summer dress in January, but this is exactly when I stock up. A good petite coat is like gold dust, so grabbing one while it’s reduced and tucking it away until you need it is honestly one of the smartest things you can do. Future you will be so grateful.
And it’s not just clothes. The sales are brilliant for getting ahead on gifts too
Brands like H&M are wonderful for accessories, and Oliver Bonas is perfect for those lovely little extras that make thoughtful presents, candles, jewellery, homeware, that kind of thing. I always pick up a few bits while they’re reduced and pop them away for birthdays and Christmas. By the time they roll around, I’m already halfway through my list without the panic.
Tip 4: Snap up investment pieces
The sales are the perfect time to invest in the pieces you’ll keep and wear for years. I’m talking about the quality staples that never really date, the ones I’d always rather buy well and buy once.
Think leather shoes and boots, a good quality handbag, and occasionwear. These are the pieces that work hard in your wardrobe season after season, so they’re well worth prioritising while they’re reduced.
It’s also worth thinking ahead to what might be coming up over the next year. Any weddings, parties or events on the horizon? Petite occasion dresses can be so tricky to find, so grabbing something beautiful now saves all the last minute panic later.
Buying this way means you’re not spending on impulse. You’re choosing pieces you’ll genuinely wear and love for a long time to come.
Tip 5: Always check the returns policy
This one is so important for us as petite women. Fit can be far less predictable when you’re shopping for a shorter frame, so being able to send or take something back if it isn’t quite right matters enormously.
Before you buy, always check the returns policy, and especially so in the sale. A lot of brands treat sale items differently, with shorter return windows, or occasionally marking them as final sale with no returns at all. It’s also worth knowing whether returns are free or whether you’ll pay to send things back, and how long you’ve actually got to decide.
A bargain is only ever a bargain if you can return it when it doesn’t work out. So take a moment to check the details before you add to basket, and you’ll shop the sales with so much more confidence.
Bonus tip: Sign up to your favourite brands’ newsletters
The best bargains go fast, and as petite women we know our sizes are often the first to sell out. So one of the simplest things you can do is sign up to the newsletters of the brands you love. You’ll be first to know the moment a sale starts, sometimes even with early access before it opens to everyone, which means you get first pick while the range is still full.
Happy bargain hunting!
Want to save even more time and get my handpicked sale picks? Join The Short Girls’ Club to access my curated Sale Top Picks edit today.
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