Do You Buy Fall Items Now Or Later?

From Top: Oscar de la Renta Mosaica Bootie, $995; Alberta Ferretti Embroidered Yarn Jacket, $2,895

Most stores have received their pre-fall or fall items already, despite the fact that we are all enjoying the warm summer heat this July. I used to find this timeline somewhat odd, as "spring/summer" items go on sale during the summer, rather than the fall, until I discovered that this timeline was set to appeal to the jet setting rich, who pre-ordered all of their fall clothes before the summer began. When they came back from Europe or whatever exotic locale they were visiting, their entire fall wardrobe would be ready to don when the leaves changed color. While this may still be true for some, for the majority of Americans who work during the summer, the likelihood of buying fall items now is a distant possibility. However, it is somewhat difficult to ignore the winter fur coats, the sumptuous suede boots, and the plush cashmere sweaters that fill the racks at our local department store. How many of us actually cave in and purchase something without the immediate opportunity to wear it? Personally, I find the whole situation akin to forcing a starving man to watch a cooking show--which is why the summer months are my equivalent of a fashion fast. I watch up close and from a distance, but I can not partake. The sale season was Mardi Gras; the summer months are Lent.