When Do Clothes Go on Sale? The Complete Retail Sale Calendar
A month-by-month guide to when your favorite brands discount inventory. Stop paying full price — here's exactly when to buy.
One of the most searched questions in fashion: "when do clothes go on sale?" The answer isn't random — it follows a predictable retail calendar. Once you know the pattern, you'll never pay full price again.
The Short Answer
Clothes go on sale when brands need to clear inventory to make room for the next season. This creates two major sale windows each year, plus several smaller events:
Major windows:
- January–February: Fall/winter clearance (biggest discounts of the year)
- June–July: Spring/summer clearance
Secondary events:
- May: Memorial Day sales
- September: Labor Day sales + early fall markdowns
- November: Black Friday / Cyber Monday
Year-round: Brands like J.Crew, Nordstrom, and Madewell maintain permanent sale sections that rotate weekly.
The Monthly Breakdown
Deals happening now
January
The biggest sale month in retail. Holiday returns flood back, and brands slash prices on fall/winter inventory. Expect 50–70% off.
Best buys: Coats, sweaters, boots, tailored pieces. Todd Snyder winter clearance is legendary. Theory cashmere drops to its lowest prices.
February
Continued winter clearance, often with extra-percentage-off events on already-reduced items. Valentines brings minor gift-oriented sales.
Best buys: Anything you missed in January, plus early spring transitional pieces starting to appear.
March–April
Winter is fully cleared. Spring inventory arrives at full price but starts seeing first markdowns by late April.
Best buys: End-of-winter steals (70%+ off), early spring jackets and lightweight layers.
May
Memorial Day weekend is the first major sale event of the warm season. Both spring and early summer get discounted.
Best buys: Spring blazers, denim, dresses, casual shoes. Brooks Brothers and Bonobos run significant Memorial Day events.
June–July
The second major clearance window. Spring/summer inventory needs to move before fall arrivals.
Best buys: Everything warm-weather: dresses, sandals, shorts, swim, linen. FRAME and Citizens of Humanity discount spring denim lines.
August
Deep-cut territory. Summer remnants at maximum discount. Smart shoppers buy basics in bulk.
Best buys: Stock up on tees, tanks, shorts, and sandals for next year. Everlane and Alex Mill basics at 50%+ off.
September
Labor Day sales bridge summer and fall. Early fall arrivals get their first (modest) discounts.
Best buys: Summer items at rock-bottom prices, transitional jackets, and early fall knits.
October
Quiet month for sales. Fall inventory is fresh and full-price. Patient shoppers wait.
Best buys: Not much — hold off unless you need something specific.
November
Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Some brands offer their only site-wide discounts of the year during this window.
Best buys: Full-price items you've been eyeing all year. Brands like COS, Vince, and A.L.C. that rarely discount offer 20–30% off.
December
Holiday shopping drives some sales, but the real deals come after Christmas (December 26+).
Best buys: Post-Christmas markdowns on fall/winter inventory. The January clearance starts here.
How Plucked Fits In
Instead of tracking 20+ brand calendars, Plucked monitors final sale sections across 169+ brands daily. When a brand drops prices, those deals show up automatically — sorted by discount, filterable by size.
The Best Deals page is the fastest way to see what's on sale right now across every brand we track.
Bookmark it. Check weekly. Your wallet will thank you.