by Sarah Morrison

The span of a season can be likened to the sensory experience of sampling a piece of dark chocolate. Bittersweet. The season opens and we are awash with delight, enraptured by an initial overload of flavor that is sweet and light. As we continue on, bite after bite, that blooming sweetness soon fades into notes that are more balanced in nature—bitter, even. Still, the sweetness is there. And that lingering bittersweet aftertaste, signaling the end of a slightly better beginning and middle, encapsulates no better season than that of summer.

And what would summer be without its defining fashions? Perhaps that underlying sweetness of the season is best expressed, at least, for us prudent and discerning shoppers among us, in the incredible buys to be found as we near summer’s curtain call. When not wading in the ocean in our little-nothings, we turn our sartorial attention to still-insouciant pieces we can wear now and a bit later: flowy midi skirts and dresses, a linen short, or maybe a chic jumpsuit that’s statement worthy all on its own. Also top of mind is the abundance of deals that overcome our Instagram feeds and our every last scroll of the digital marketplace. As we watch those hot ticket items dwindle down in price, digit by digit, it’s surely hard not to bite the bullet. Which is why, with a little help from my friends at Google once again, I’ve scoured the web to bring you a healthy dose of these irresistible end-of-summer deals, all wrapped up in the below Labor Day-ready looks. Summer’s never tasted so sweet.