The Mr. Porter Sale Starts

May 29, 2018

The Mr. Porter Sale Starts

There's one sale that menswear geeks geek out about more than any other, and that's the Mr. Porter semi-annual sale. The simple reason is because there isn't another sale that has such a massive and varied selection combined with deep discounts and a legendary return policy. It's like menswear Christmas, but it comes twice a year.

The Mr. Porter Sale is a game, of sorts. Due to some recent RRL purchases on my last post, I'm going to have to ~~sit this one out~~ say that I'm going to sit this one out and then make an obligated purchase later in the sale, but the basic strategy is this:

1) Beginning - At the initial "Up to 50% Off," buy things that you can't live without and that don't normally go on heavy discount. My personal favorites here would be outerwear I otherwise wouldn't be able/willing to afford. A good example would be this Schott rider I picked up many years back.

2) Middle - Typically two weeks later, the sale goes to "Up to 70% Off," which is usually the high point of the sale (and the most heavily hunted). This is the point in the sale that you usually maximize your value while also having the luxury of a decent inventory.

3) End - It used to be that the final tier would jump to 80% off, but in the recent years it's been reduced to an extra something percent off (20% perhaps, if I remember correctly) on a selection of the existing sale. To be honest, the end of the sale has become a bit of a letdown compared to what it once was.

RRL Ranch Shawl Intarsia cardigan

Special note - Shipping and returns are always free. The sale is literally no risk to the consumer, which is virtually unheard of in today's world. That means the most prudent thing during the Mr. Porter sale is the reverse of what I'd normally suggest. You should shoot first and ask questions later. If you don't know your size, take a guess or two and return what doesn't fit or work out the way you thought it might.

Extra special note - Monitor items that you're keeping an eye on, and be sure to trawl through the inventory more than once. As people make returns and new stock gets added, what's currently available at any one time fluctuates quickly and wildly. Alternatively, you can use Mr. Porter's wish list, which can notify you of changes as well.

One more thing - Most house brands are not that great. Mr. Porter's Kingsman line, however, is a collection of collaborations with some of the best brands in the world on exclusive items that tend to hit the nail on the head every time. Case in point, this Mr. Freedom jacket.

Kingsman x Mister Freedom

Years back during a past Mr. Porter sale I didn't buy the Kingsman x Mackintosh waxed jacket below (it was actually in the Kingsman movie), and it's haunted me to this day. It has somehow surfaced again in a single size, 5 sizes too big for me. It hurts.

More picks may come later (and not all outerwear, I promise), but in the meantime just check out the sale. You owe it to yourself. You've worked so hard. My obvious favorites are some of the Japanese designers like Kapital, Camoshita, Beams Plus, Monitaly (kinda Japanese) and Blue Blue Japan, or heritage brands like RRL and Private White V.C. But I'll usually discover some new brands I didn't know of as well, such as Jacques Marie Mage this time around, who I just found out produce some beautiful glasses I'm obsessing over that I can't afford - yet.

Maybe in a few weeks. The game is on.