Dillard'sDiscounts, sales and what to buy

Dillard's is a chain of about 270 department stores in 30 states, strongest in the South and Midwest (Texas, Florida, Arizona and others). You can find good quality clothing, shoes, accessories and cosmetics here: women's and men's clothing, bags, and brands like Antonio Melani (its own label), Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Boss, Michael Kors, Kate Spade, UGG, Nike. If there's a Dillard's nearby, keep it on your list for the clearance.

There is a huge amount of fragrance here, and the cosmetics range from Estée Lauder, Lancôme, Clinique and Kiehl's to Chanel, Dior and Tom Ford. MAC is sold too, and you can book a makeup appointment at the MAC counter. There are periodic extra promotions on cosmetics, and Lancôme and Estée Lauder have gift boxes - more on those below.

Dillard's has no new Louis Vuitton or Gucci. Some stores have sections run by third-party resellers with pre-owned luxury bags, and about twenty stores have a The Coterie Shop area with dresses by American designers. Most department stores have no premium sections.

My absolute favorite thing at Dillard's is children's clothing. There's probably nowhere else with that quality and such beautiful designs. Especially if you need things for newborns: the baby clothes and goods there are simply top class. Very good quality, affordable prices, and everything is so sweet and pretty. This is about the regular Dillard's, not the clearance centers.

There are few permanent coupons here. The main thing is clearance: marked-down items hang on racks, and the rack sign shows a percentage. If the rack says 50%, take 50% off the original price on the tag. The discount rings up automatically at checkout. A few times a year, in summer and winter, there are Clearance Events with markdowns of 30-65%. Final discounts in the stores themselves reach 65% - that's the practical maximum.

Shoes sometimes get an additional clearance: the last pairs, heavily marked down. The famous January 1 sale with an extra 50% off clearance hasn't existed since 2022. The deepest discounts are at the Dillard's Clearance Center, where everything is marked down at least 65% (more in its section).

• Late December - early January: winter clearance
• Around Memorial Day and July 4: summer clearance
• Around Labor Day (early September): clearance before the fall collection