I wouldn’t consider myself a veteran of many things, but thanks to my mom I’m an Anniversary Sale OG. I’ve been shopping this sale every year since I was in 6th grade. My mom has taught me many things over the years – one of them is that getting things on sale before they’re in season doesn’t happen almost anywhere else and so taking every chance to snag fall favorites for cheaper is one of the best ways to say slowly say hello to autumn.

I admittedly haven’t spent near as much time as I usually do and with the upcoming move am actually trying to reduce my closet not fill it for a bit, but I can’t resist a few key items that are imperative to check out every season. Here’s how I look at the sale and after years of practice the strategy that I’ve found works the best:

1. Shop the top brands first

It’s usually pretty easy to figure these out – name brands that never go on sale, items that are usually flying off of the shelves in October and November, and maybe a piece that you had your eye on last year but couldn’t pull the trigger on. My favorite brands to keep an eye out for are Rag & Bone (these booties are marked down $166 and these tan booties are almost 40% off), Stuart Weitzman, Vince, Burberry, Equipment, and Tory Burch. You won’t be able to score deals on these brands until maybe Black Friday or end of the season. P.S. Barbour is in the mix this year! These jackets almost never go on sale, FYI!

2. Snag your sizes in shoes before they sell out

Even if you’re on the fence, if you are able to I highly recommend ordering all of the shoes or boots that you are contemplating knowing that you will return the ones you don’t end up liking as much in person or need to try on. There’s a moment of panic that sets in when you realize the shoes you’ve had in your cart for a week sell out and aren’t available in any stores. Don’t kick yourself later! They only carry so many of each shoe in each size, so snap them up quickly. TIP: If they’re showing sold out online call your local store to see if they can locate any and ship them to you!

3. Stock up on fall staples: outerwear, cashmere & boots

Last year I snagged a cashmere turtleneck and a pair of cognac over the knee boots (that they’re selling an identical version of this year!) that I wore all season and will still be this next year. I love this cashmere sweater and if you haven’t taken the plunge before, you should do it! It lasted me longer than any other sweater I purchased last year. This mixed media coat is amazing and there are a ton of great fall boots in the mix.

4. Beauty bag must haves

A lot of times I forget that there are incredible beauty and home deals, too. My favorites are this Diptyque candle set, a perfect palette from Laura Mercier, this little Luna face cleanser that I posted about before (it’s amazing!) and this Anastasia brow set. There’s also Living Proof product on sale that I reviewed last fall!

5. On trend finds

At the end of the day if you don’t snag a Topshop dress for $15 cheaper, your life will most likely keep going and you’ll just skip Starbucks a few times and not even miss a beat. These pieces are usually the last things that I pick up depending on how I’m feeling budget wise and also because they don’t usually sell out right away. It’s also a great chance to try out a new trend that maybe you’ve been hesitant to splurge on like lace up flats or over the knee boots in a new color. I’m thinking I need to try gray this year!

 Happy shopping and stay tuned for more roundups of my favorite pieces as the sale opens up to the public!

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