We’ve all been there. You’re walking down the street, past one of your favourite stores. Decals on the windows are declaring an unmissable sale, with deals you’d be truly crazy to forego, so you cross the threshold. Next thing you know, you’re walking out of the store, arms laden with bags, so taken you were with the bargains that you tapped that card without a second thought, and now are left wondering whether you actually needed, or even wanted, any of it.

Perhaps that scenario is a little extreme, but we’d be lying to ourselves if we said we’d never experienced a bout of buyer’s remorse. It’s a common affliction to experience amid sale season, but armed with the right tools (read: the questions to ask yourself as you contemplate another white linen mini dress in the changeroom), you’ll never be caught out again. As the QVB’s November sale season approaches, we’re serious about helping you shop for the things you actually need, the things you know you’ll wear and love for years to come, so here, we chat to Annie Doig, InStyle Australia’s fashion editor, for her tips on making the most of mid-season sales. Read on, and shop well.

If it wasn’t on sale, would you buy it?

“When you’re shopping during sale time, it’s important to ask yourself whether you love the item enough to pay full price for it, or, are you just taken by the discount?” says Doig. The allure of a discount is hard to ignore, but if your answer is yes, it’s probably because you really do want it.

Ask yourself: do I already own something like this?

“This can be a tricky one,” says Doig. “Sometimes, it's good to have multiples of a similar item in your wardrobe, if it’s something you wear often and can style many different ways,” she notes, “but at the same time, if you already own a similar piece that you only wear about once a month, you don’t need another one.”

Does it work with your existing wardrobe?

“Too often, we fall in love with a piece, imagining all the ways and places we could wear it, only to realise it requires a new pair of pants, shoes and some accessories to match with it,” Doig says. If you can’t take it home and wear it immediately, rethink it.

How do you see yourself wearing it?

Dramatic floor-grazing skirts and sky-high stilettos are beautiful, but how often do you have a need for these kinds of pieces? “Of course, everyone needs a few special pieces in their wardrobe,” says Doig, “Ones that spark joy and make you feel excited to get dressed, but the key word to remember is ‘few’.”

When in doubt, think about it.

“If you’re undecided, sending changeroom photos to friends for their opinions, you’re probably not sold on it,” Doig says. Buyer’s remorse tends to occur most frequently when things are bought on impulse, so if you’re having second thoughts, put it back on the rack, go home and sleep on it. “If you’re still thinking about it in a few days’ time, go back and try it on again.”

IMAGE: courtesy of HBO Max via IMDB