And Cyber Monday, too..
I bet you’d be surprised to learn that, originally, Black Friday had absolutely nothing to do with shopping! It referred to the change of color in retailers’ ledgers. It was first used in…wait for it…1869!! That year saw a financial crisis when the US’s gold standard tanked. Most stores were “in the red” and didn’t see a change in that status until the day after Thanksgiving when people purchased things on sale. At that point, the store ledgers were “in the black,” and shopkeepers could heave a sigh of relief.
A little more…
The first Black Friday occurred in the 1950s in Philadelphia ahead of an Army/Navy game of all things! Apparently, suburban shoppers headed to the city to stock up on goodies ahead of the game which happened on the Saturday after Thanksgiving! You can read more here.
And, more…
I have a long history with Black Friday shopping. In fact, every year, I get a little weepy in those early morning hours. My memories are bittersweet as most memories are. You can read more about those memories here. And, it’s a pretty good post if I do say so myself!
The sales…
I realize you are probably reading this on Thursday, and Black Friday is in the rearview mirror, right? Although it seems like Black Friday lasted all month. Do you think we will eventually call it Black November? And, Cyber Monday has become Cyber Week for many retailers. I think many businesses are struggling on some level and are willing to prolong promotions in order to get those sales.
Did I shop…
My daughter and I were out this past Friday quite a bit later than any other year. We both remarked on the absence of fun clothing. Perhaps, the shoppers in the fun tees, sweatshirts, sweatpants, and even pajamas were already home and napping! The sales were not inspiring, either. I did pick up a few things, but I’m not mentioning because someone could be reading!!! But, yes, I did buy a few things. Surprise! Surprise! I bought a couple pairs of shoes for myself. But, I’ve already decided to return one pair because they just don’t fit my look. I thought they might, but, at home, I convinced myself they really weren’t me!
What about online…
I admit to doing a lot of online shopping. I have a funny/not funny story. When I was still teaching, I frequently had packages delivered to school. I did that for a couple of reasons. The first one was, of course, porch pirates. They weren’t as prevalent then as they are now, but they were still lurking. The other was Nigel! He wasn’t a fan of my shopping (not that he is now either). When I retired, one person talked about that in his speech. Nigel was a little upset with me about it.
Another…
Here’s another funny story! One year, Talbots had a special on cashmere. I ordered several different colors, but I didn’t receive a confirmation email. I figured my orders had not gone through. Each sweater was its own order because the promotion was limited to one item. But, with my card level, I received free shipping so I just kept ordering them. Because colors are so different on monitors, I had ordered several different colors with no intention of keeping them all. Well, after not receiving the confirmation emails, I reordered them! Would you believe I had 19 packages delivered to my house on a single day? My mail lady just laughed and brought me up box after box! I still have the sweaters I kept! But, I had to do a lot of apologizing to the ladies at my local Talbots store that year!
This year…
Garnet Hill had a huge sale over the weekend. They were running 40% off cashmere items. But, their shipping is outrageous (or, is it?)! So, I didn’t order anything. But, on Monday, they added in free shipping! So, late Tuesday night, I was going through the sweaters to see what was available. The sweater I really wanted was sold out. But, I just kept going until I found a different style in my size. The savings were substantial, especially with free shipping. I had everything set to go. All I had to do was press the “Place Order” button. Then, I remembered Alison Gary’s post (Wardrobe Oxygen). She wrote something that keeps resonating with me. “If you didn’t need it at full price, you don’t need it at 40% off.” Those are powerful words. I realized I was going to spend a considerable amount of money on a cashmere sweater a) I didn’t need, b) I didn’t really know if I liked, and c) I would have to spend several dollars to return. I closed the tab on that sweater and haven’t looked back.
A bargain…
One of my best friends throughout grade school and high school had a very wise mom. She said, “A bargain is not a bargain if you can’t afford it.” That has stuck with me all these years. At this point in my life, I can afford a nice cashmere sweater. But, the question becomes do I need it. The answer is a resounding no. I don’t really need anything. So, the question becomes why am I actually buying it. I discovered, just the other night, buying something just because it’s an amazing bargain is just plain silly! I know, I know, I’m a little slow on the uptake! Many of you have known that for years!
The Lewk!
Ok, I cheated…just a little bit. These are the same photos from this post! But, I did wear the exact same boots and earrings so I thought I’d use the same photos! The boots are my beloved Born boots which have appeared many, many times on the blog. The earrings are from Lagos…the caviar line. It’s amazing to me to see how much these have gone up in price in just a year! But, then again, everything has, right? My dress is the Bellevue Cottage Midi Dress from April Cornell (hurry and shop…the Black Friday sale was still on as of the time I’m writing this).
Wrap it up, Marsha!
If you aren’t into shopping of any kind, that’s ok! I love to shop. I love almost everything about it. I love the moseying around the aisles, touching this fabric, looking inside that purse. And, I love a good bargain! Sometimes, that’s more fun than the actual purchase…knowing you got the best deal! But, the best Black Friday Sale is the sale that meets your need! If nothing does that, then it isn’t the best sale for you! So, can we talk? Are you a bargain shopper and only buy when you score an amazing deal? Or, are you like me and often succumb to the allure of catching a deal for something you really don’t want or need? Please leave a comment or two, and we can talk! I promise to reply as soon as possible!
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Thank you!
Thank you so very much for reading today’s post. I hope you enjoyed it. I also very much appreciate those of you who comment, email and/or subscribe. It’s what keeps me going! If you’d like to follow me on Instagram, you can find me here.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, My Bijou LIfe, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, The Grey Brunette, and Away from the Blue. I also link up with This Blonde’s Shopping Bag, Doused in Pink, Being a Wordsmith, and I do deClaire and Mummabstylish. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I’m a co-host on the Weekend Traffic Jam (here). I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month. I also host Final Friday Print Mixing on the last Friday of the month as well as 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
Oh I am a shopper for sure; I love scouring for bargains but will definitely convince myself to splurge and buy something full priced if I like it enough. I always blame my grandmother; she was a marathon all day shopper and we grew up going out with her a few times a year and we’d both open and close the store (usually with a few very large bags of clothes each!).
Oh, your grandmother sounds like a fun person! My grandmother and my mom were not shoppers at all! In fact, when my mom passed, we could have packed all of her clothing in one small suitcase. She just didn’t care about such things. But, she loved to travel!
I rarely buy something at full price unless it’s something I know will sell out before a sale or it’s from April Cornell!
Thanks, Joanne, for coming by!
I’m a sale and bargain shopper, but I’ve gotten better. Mostly at not buying something I already have. Even if it is a different color. But if I do want something, I will wait until it goes on sale. Or thrift it. But we all know I don’t need anything, haha.
Love the dress Marsha with those boots.
XOXO
Jodie
http://www.jtouchofstyle.com
Thanks, Jodie! I just love this dress! I probably have spent hundreds on things I really didn’t need or even particularly want just because it was a bargain! I do try the buy one/get rid of one theory, but sometimes it’s hard! I’ve pared my closet down quite a bit over the years, and most everything in it is something I love!
I want this dress! It has pockets! Love a dress with pockets. Looks so pretty on you. And those boots go perfect with the whole look. Still loving your purple hair.
Meagan, you should totally get it! It has a little print in the background that you really don’t notice unless you look closely at it. It combines the smocking y’all love in the South with the ease of the adjustable belt! And, the pockets are nice and deep! I love my purple hair, but it’s now a bit more like cotton candy hues! I’m actually surprised it’s still colorful at all!
Thanks for coming by, Meagan!
Marsha, I love this cute look on you! Those boots are perfect with that dress! I really enjoyed your shopping stories. I, too, have pulled those delivery shenanigans to hide my shopping habits from my husband! I am glad to know that I am not alone on that! Haha. And your Talbots sweater story was super funny. That quote from Wardrobe Oxygen really hit me, too. I have definitely slowed down my shopping and my impulse purchasing in the past few years. Of course, I will always enjoy adding a beautiful knew kimono to my collection, but like you, I definitely don’t NEED anything new. And probably never will again. I have enough clothing to last my lifetime!
Shelbee
Thanks so much, Shelbee! I really do wish I’d bought doubles of these boots because Born doesn’t have anything remotely like them at the moment! It’s funny because Rena had a post a few months ago with the same boots. She’s recently thrifted them, I think!
Oh, my husband was just a skosh irritated with me about having packages delivered to school and the others knowing about it! But, it gave all of them a giggle! I had just as many packages delivered home! I have really slowed down on shopping, too. But, I will always enjoy it! And, now that I’ve discovered what kinds of kimonos work for me, I’m sure I’ll be buying more of them!
Thanks for sharing the background on Black Friday. I usually do all my shopping online now because it’s so much easier. There have been sales everywhere so I have felt no need to share with my followers. Love this pretty dress and that Talbots story is hilarious!
https://www.kathrineeldridge.com
Thanks, Kathrine! I really like this dress, too! It has pockets even! I was really surprised about Black Friday. I honestly thought it got started in the 70s or 80s!
I’m so glad my mail lady back then had a good sense of humor because I really did fill up several of those plastic boxes they use for mail! But, doggone it, I wanted my sweaters! I have to think I wasn’t the only person who did that…or was I?
Another amazing outfit, Marsha! I love it! Your boots are amazing. Sales are definitely psychological. There is some truth that if you don’t need at full price, you don’t need at 40% off. But I may want it at 40% off, but not at full price. LOL! I try to stick to a budget and have been trying to fill gaps in my wardrobe.
Michelle
https://funkyfashionstyle.com
Thanks, Michelle! I love these boots! They are just the right color and broken in perfectly! I do agree about the sales…I may not want it at full price, either…but throw in the 40% off and I might! I don’t like to pay full price for anything unless it’s something really unique, and I know it won’t last.
That dress is lovely on you and I really like the boots with it!
It’s good you had a fun time shopping the sales for black Friday. I didn’t spend anything in the sales this year. I have already finished Christmas shopping and I’m feeling pretty wardrobe content at the moment so nothing was tempting me. My hubby is a big fan of “but you’d save 100% if you didn’t buy it” and I think it’s rubbing off on me more and more, haha! I think having my wardrobe room stuffed with all the presents for friends and family makes me feel I have enough – can’t promise I won’t shop up big in the boxing day and January sales when all those presents are handed out and I feel I can finally enjoy my wardrobe again, haha! Those are our big sales here in Australia and I almost always get something, haha!
Hope you’re having a lovely weekend!
Thanks, Mica! I tried it with black boots, too, but I like the brown ones best! My youngest son and I went to the Nutcracker ballet Sunday. I can’t believe how long those dancers can remain on their toes! And, the music is wonderful, of course!
I do love shopping good sales. Black Fridays are more fun just people watching…at least, for me! I don’t think Boxing Day has become much of a shopping thing here…yet! I can remember getting money for Christmas and just waiting for the after Christmas sales to start. I think they start earlier and earlier every year!
I do hope you have a wonderful week!!
I love that outfit!!!! Are we doing 10 on the 10th this month?
Thanks, Kirstin! Yes, I am posting it in the morning! But, I’ll give you a heads up! It’s ten questions about gift giving.
I had no idea about the history behind Black Friday. That is fascinating! Thanks for sharing that bit of history! Love your pretty dress!
IKR!!! I was really surprised. I knew the bit about ledgers being in the red, but I had no idea it was so long ago!
Thanks, Laura, for coming by!