Ahhh, the pleasant aromatic fragrance of end of season sales. I regard these seasonal occurrences as the universe’s way of leveling the fashion playing field and giving regular folk like myself the opportunity to jump on a haute little end of season find at a ridiculously stupid deep discount. The rules of engagement for end of season shopping are quite simple:

1) The fashion acquisition must be a classic piece that will undoubtedly be fresh to death when the appropriate season rolls back around. This means, no matter how much I adore these Theory Harem pants on sale at Needless Markup (Translation: Neiman Marcus), my hard earned $100 is probably better spent on something to the effect of this L.A.M.B Oversized blazer which promises to be en vogue come fall 2010.

2) My second rule of end of season shopping has to do with “timing”. Generally, late Jan/early Feb is my cut off point for buying fall/winter clothes on sale. This gives me just enough time to enjoy the fruits of my fashion find before packing it away for Spring.

During a recent much needed mental health day/retail therapy session, I skillfully applied rules one and two to snag this little diddy from Bloomies. My final price was more than 60% off the original price tag of $695.

*Snaps*

Loeffler Randall Knit Combo Coat – This bad boy is white hot! The combination of wool cashmere short sleeves and built-in black merino knit ribbed sleeves give classic fever with a modern twist. (Apparently Taylor Momsen [Gossip Girl] is a fan) The slim, straight silhouette, with high funnel collar gives a long lean architectural feel that is uber modern and incredibly flattering. I see the coat pairing beautifully with dresses and slim pants.

Tell me all about your end of season fashion finds. Are you an end of season coat girl, boot bella, or sweater seeker? Leave a comment!