Summerween is exactly what it sounds like. It's a mash up of summer and Halloween, and it means celebrating a little bit of spooky season while it's still warm outside. Think a movie on a sheet hung over the garage door, string lights and paper ghosts over a patio table, a watermelon carved like a jack o' lantern, and a costume that doesn't need a coat over top of it. It's Halloween with the windows open.
Here's why it works so well. October gets crowded. There's the school parade, the office party, the neighborhood trick or treating, and by the time you get to any of it you're already tired. Summerween has none of that pressure. You're doing it because it's fun, not because the calendar told you to.
The easiest version is a driveway movie night. Pull a few chairs out, hang a sheet, pick something gently spooky that the little ones can handle, and let everyone stay up later than they should. A trunk or treat works beautifully too. Neighbors decorate their trunks, the kids do a loop, and the whole thing is finished before dark.
Now, the outfit. This is where most people overspend. A seasonal costume shop will happily sell you a polyester dress you'll wear for four hours, for about what a nice dinner out costs. There's a better way, and it's the one people who really love this stuff have always used.
Shop resale. A slip dress, a black blazer with strong shoulders, a beaded cardigan, a pair of dramatic boots, and suddenly you have a costume that's actually clothing. You'll wear that blazer again in November. You will never wear the polyester again.
At Clothes Mentor our prices run about 70% off retail, and designer is priced individually. New arrivals hit the floor every single day, because we buy from our community every day we're open. That means the stock is always turning, and it also means every piece is one of a kind. When something sells, that's it.
Which brings up the other half of this. If you're clearing out closets before the season shifts anyway, bring those pieces to us. We buy gently used, freshly laundered, current style clothing, and we pay cash on the spot. No consignment. No waiting to find out whether something sold. No meeting a stranger in a parking lot. You walk in with a bag and you walk out with money. And if you'd rather shop than cash out, take 20% more in store credit.
That's the part people miss about resale. It isn't only where you buy the costume. It's also how you pay for it.