I used to cringe at the very idea of schlepping to a retail store on the day after Thanksgiving – and fighting with crowds – to get a “deal.” As you may know, fighting isn’t really my thing!
But the deals are real and, if you shop Black Friday, you’ll find it’s the one time of year that almost anything you could possibly want is on sale.
So is it worth it?
YES!
It is especially worth it these days, because you can shop for almost everything you want online. This means you don’t actually have to go to battle with all the other bargain shoppers to find the items on your holiday gift giving list. AND, I suggest you also use this special day to shop for yourself.
Before you shop Black Friday is the perfect time to reflect on your wardrobe!
- What do you wear most often? Are these items worn out? Could you use more accessories to create more looks and extend the life of your favorite things?
- What don’t you wear? Maybe you should give these items away — OR, maybe if you had different accessories or clothing items to pair them with, you would actually make use of these pieces?
- Would new shoes add depth to your wardrobe?
- Or might additional jackets, earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, belts, or scarves expand your options?
- Do you have holiday parties to prepare for? Maybe that’s what you want to bargain shop for this Black Friday?
I am not a proponent of “sport shopping.” Nor do I advise clients to buy stuff just because it’s on sale. But if showing up at your best, feeling confident and polished, is important to you, then Black Friday is one of the best possible days to take advantage of the sales. Not just because you are a thoughtful gift giver — but because you are a frugal shopper for yourself as well!
It doesn’t even have to be clothes. Maybe it’s time to have matching hangers in your closet so you love how uniform everything feels when you go there. I always tell my clients to create a closet they love. Make it a place that inspires them to find an outfit of the day that leaves them happy and content. It could be a way to better organize their clothes, jewelry or accessories. 
All these things will be on sale!
Finding the Black Friday Shopping Deals
If you want a good resource on where the deals are, I could recommend the following sites:
- https://blackfriday.gottadeal.com/
- https://www.dealnews.com/
- https://slickdeals.net/
- https://www.woot.com/
I took a look at BlackFriday.com, searching specifically for fashion brands, and I found some nice deals! These brands in particular caught my eye: 
- Nordstrom
- Kate Spade
- Anthropology
- Calvin Klein
- Michael Kors
- Lucky Brand
- Macys
- Saks Fifth Avenue OFF 5TH
- White House Black Market
- Vince Camuto
- Saks Fifth Avenue
Where’d Black Friday Shopping Come From, Anyway?
Black Friday, as a shopping event, can trace its roots to the 1980s. Retailers sought to kick off the holiday shopping season the second Thanksgiving was over because most of them operated at a deficit for 11 months of the year. The term “black,” in this context, referred to the time of year when most retailers could finally get out of the “red,” and into the “black” — as Americans flocked to the stores for year-end holiday shopping.
(There were earlier references to Black Friday that had nothing to do with shopping, but referred instead to financial missdealings that caused the Panic of 1869 and a disruption in the gold market. But that reference has faded into the background of history.)
Since 1952, when the day after Thanksgiving became officially known as the start of the holiday shopping season, when we hear the term “Black Friday” we reach for our credit cards!
In 2015, Amazon, introduced “Black Friday in July.” This broke a long tradition of retailers holding off on splashy sales events until after Thanksgiving. But naturally, within a couple of years other retailers jumped on board. After all, retailers are always looking for ways to get us shopping, no? Today, random Black Friday “events” pop up here and there — but the real Black Friday has kept its exalted place at the end of November.
In 2020, following a years-long trend of more and more retail shopping shifting online, the Coronavirus pandemic accelerated the trend and almost 21.5% increase in online sales over 2019. The shift may now be nearly complete, as the pandemic has created an environment in which almost anything can now be purchased from the comfort of your home.
So, does all this mean you should spend more money on clothes? No! You will never hear me say that! I’m all for sustainability, and a real advocate of the capsule wardrobe because it keeps clothes out of the landfills. I’m also an advocate for thrift. (You do not have to spend a lot of money to be stylish!)
On the contrary, I’m saying that Black Friday shopping is a great time for the frugal shopper to get her (or his!) game on and get the best possible deals.
Cyber Monday – A Business Owner’s Bounty?
Cyber Monday was obviously started to get people shopping online — and help online-only retailers the same way Black Friday boosts sales at brick-and-mortar stores. The sales figures for Cyber Monday have grown exponentially since its inception in 2005, as the culture as a whole has migrated online — sometimes it feels like I now spend my life online!
Most of my clients are business owners. Cyber Monday sales are an excellent opportunity to find deals on business and computer equipment and supplies — shipped right to your door.
So, if you shop Cyber Monday for exceptional deals the same way you approach Black Friday, you could be doing your budget a big favor.
Small Business Saturday – Where Most of Us Get to Shine
American Express started Small Business Saturday in 2010 and it, too, has quickly become an American “tradition.” The holiday is essentially a branding exercise, to remind Americans how big a part of the economy are our small, mid-size, and independent businesses of all sizes — and to encourage them (yes, by slashing prices and offering special deals!) to shop from these companies.
And, of course, if you are one of these small companies — this is your day!
It’s a day you can talk about your company’s brand, and mission, and define yourself for a new audience with a brilliant SBS offer. You can tell your story. And with a targeted marketing strategy, you can influence new people and maybe bring in some new business.
The concept is also tied in with the “Think Globally, Shop Locally” movement, and environmental sustainability. We are reminded of the unnecessary carbon footprint we leave behind when we order goods from far away (even if it appears “cheaper”) — when we could buy the same thing around the corner.
Black Friday Shopping in 2022
As always, let me know how it goes for you this year.
The Success thru Style credo is to only buy and wear clothing that suits you, according to the principles of art and design, and that you feel really great when you’re wearing. We believe this confidence-inspiring state can — and should — be an everyday experience, and not just once in a while. And here we teach the tools to achieve it, starting from the wardrobe you already have.
So, whether you take yourself to the mall to shop Black Friday, or claim your deals from the comfort of home, good luck! Clothing ourselves can be a wildly creative, deeply enriching experience, in which we get to reflect on our values and our intentions. It should not be fraught with anxiety and doubt.
Only 4% of women worldwide think of ourselves as being beautiful. At Success thru Style, we are on a mission to change that statistic!
