BY: S.L. STRACHAN PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARA ESSEX

A time of year when buying linens won’t cost a fortune.

Why are certain months the best for sales? There is sure to be some marketing guru from years ago who decided upon the strategy—but whoever it was surely started a trend. Now, according to the FrugalShopper.com, in June one might find pianos and TVs on sale, while October is a good month to buy a car. But the one month that sticks in most people’s minds is January, when it’s time for a white sale.

It was 1878 when John Wanamaker, owner of the Philadelphia department store Wanamaker’s, decreed January to be the time for a white sale. Back then, linens were made in only one color—white—and it is believed he created the sale to keep linen makers in business during a slow time of year. The white sale has evolved to include household items, not necessarily white, or to indicate a sale in which anything is steeply discounted to increase sales during a short period of time.

So while you may not have a décor geared to white, you can still buy fresh linens and towels at a discount—and thank John Wanamaker, while you’re at it.

A White Wash:
Abyss white washcloth, Sferra Grande Hotel sheets, from Bellanoche; Adriana Rossi white ceramic bowl and plate, from UDwell. All sit on an Oly “Sophie” chair in black leather, from Juliet Home Furnishings.