This is my eighth Cyber Monday covering the sales as a shopping editor, and the one thing that I’ve learned over the years is to never go into the sales blindly; always have a plan. I like to prepare for the shopping holiday like it’s the Olympics, and I spend the entire year gearing up, making sure my wish lists are carefully curated. Don’t worry if you haven’t bookmarked your favorite pieces yet. You can use my cheat sheet below to make sure you don’t end up having buyer’s remorse once your packages arrive in the mail.
Below, I’m sharing exactly how to navigate the Cyber Monday sales like a fashion editor.
Hit the Big Retailers
This will make your life easier as they’re one-stop shops for pretty much everything, from closet essentials to statement-making party dresses. Remember that wish list I mentioned earlier about prepping beforehand? If you haven’t already, create an account and start saving the pieces that speak to you. Even if they’re out of your budget, you never know when they might end up on sale. And do not, I repeat, do not remove them from your wish list—ever. Even if they sell out, restocks happen often, as well as returns. That’s how I once scored a major markdown on a Loewe dress; someone returned their purchase in my exact size during an end-of-the-season sale. Because it was on my wishlist, I received an email notification that it was back in stock and, yes, it was automatically discounted, too. Here are the best places to start building your wish list now along with the must-have finds already on sale.
Saks Fifth Avenue’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
Focus on Your Favorite Brands
Next, zero in on the must-have brands on your list, just to make sure you don’t miss any exclusive deals. Not to go all business school on you, but your favorite brands can offer steeper discounts because there are no wholesale markups baked into the price of products—a.k.a. there’s no middle man. That means you could find even better deals on their websites. Here are some of the not-to-miss sales happening directly on our favorite websites.
Anastasia Beverly Hills’s Cyber Monday Deals
Solawave’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
DeMellier’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
Madewell’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
Dôen’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
Mejuri’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
J.Crew’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
The Time for Splurges Is Now
Last but certainly not least, save all of your big-ticket items for this moment. Rare deals on furniture, home décor, and tech gadgets typically happen on Black Friday. If you have items that you were going to splurge on anyway, you might as well get them now while they’re on sale. For example, I’ve had the Samsung Frame TV on my mind for a long time, and it’s on super-sale this year. Plus, if you don’t already have a Dyson Supersonic dryer, you’re really missing out. It’s been my secret to getting salon-worthy blowouts at home, so this is the time to snag it while it’s on sale.
Amazon’s Best Cyber Monday Deals
Shop More Cyber Monday with ELLE Fashion
Alexis Bennett Parker is the Commerce Content Lead at ELLE.com. In this newly created role, she oversees all shopping-related stories online, from fashion-forward trend pieces to the most coveted beauty buys on the market right now. Alexis has worked in the publishing space for 11 years, and seven of those years have been dedicated to helping shoppers make informed purchases—no buyer’s remorse here! Before joining the team at ELLE.com, she worked in the editorial departments of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and InStyle, to name a few magazines. Not only has Alexis worked closely with several brands and tested hundreds of products over the course of her career, but she’s also won awards for her work as a shopping journalist. Namely, she was an honoree at the Pynk Magazine Gala in 2023, received the Condé Nast Commerce Content Award for Best Article by a New Hire in 2021, and was included on the Top 40 Under 40 Heir’s List in 2018.