Have you heard of the Dillards New Years Day? If not you need to read this!
Ok so who doesn’t love a good deal?! I think my appreciation is on a slightly higher level due to years of waking up crazy early with my mom and sister the day after Christmas to stock up on ornaments from Hallmark. It was the thrill of the shop and those sweet and silly moments left me with so many amazing memories with my family.
The Dillards New Years sale has become the never version of our Hallmark Sale. We wake up early to stand in line with tons of other people anxious to snag some crazy deals. There are typically 3 types of shoppers
1-The die hard purse shoppers
2-The shoe shoppers
3-The shoppers who love a deal but don’t want to attempt shoes or purses
For one day only all of the markdowns in the store (excluding coats) are an additional 50% off. This means that the markdowns are up to 80% off (insane I know!). I’m a shop small/local gal as much as possible but this is the day I stock up on clothes for the kids, shoes and a few quality pieces for myself…and maybe a few just for fun purchases! I love a deal but there are certain things I believe in paying for the quality behind them so that they will last so this sale allows me to get quality pieces for an unbelievable deal which makes it win win.
The doors typically open at 9 so we arrive 1 hour before to wait in line. This year they opened up at 8 so we arrived at 7. My goal is always to be one of the first in line. This year it was raining, the terrible sideways rain, so we were the first ones willing to get out of our car to stand in it but that means we were the very first at the door (there are 2 main entrances and the other is the purse side which we avoid). It was a silly but such a sweet victory to share with my mom and sister.
If you want to fight the crazy crowd for purses you need to arrive 2 hours before the door open to have a fighting chance. Shoes are also tricky because of the process and the line. You are limited to 4 pairs of shoes to request sizes and if they don’t have your size you have to get in the long line to start the process over (if the shoes you are interested in aren’t already being held by someone else in line!). Your best bet is to pre shop the day before and find out which styles are available in your size. Shopping online for shoes is also a great option because you can avoid the lines and spend your time in the store looking for other deals. All sales are final so I always feel like I can buy shoes without trying on easier than clothes (crazy to some but if the shoe is cute I’ll make it work!)
This year was different and the setup was a bit easier to manage so all 3 of us were able to snag some incredible deals on shoes. Check these out! Both boots were $49 but originally priced $150 and $180. The leopard slides were only $20 (originally $69).
I’m always able to find the best deals on athletic wear for Brooks. Sometimes I am able to find adorable Christmas sweaters and pajamas but he is getting to the age where he now has an opinion about itchy sweaters so I didn’t even glance in that department. In previous years I have been able to score stride rites, converse and sperrys for 10-$15 a pari. This year I loaded up on Under Armor tees for $4 yea (que the happy dance!)
The other great finds included a distressed Free People denim jacket for $37 (originally $178), a Joules heart print dress for $10
Accessories is another fun area. You could get lost looking at all the deals on jewelry. Last year I was able to snag a red, heart print Kate Spade watch (still one of my favorites!). This year I had my eyes set on a pair of Draper James heart sunglasses and was able to grab them along with a less festive pair. Both were just $20 (originally $89). Then I couldn’t pass up the Kate Spade cute for just $6!
It was a morning full of so many deals but even more so it was moments of sweet memories with my sister and mom. We shared in the thrill of the find, talked each other into buying things we didn’t need and just got to be together…it was the perfect day. Only 350 days till we can do it again and if you are close to a Dillards you need to do it too!