I have a problem. I
LOVE expensive clothing. I mean - I
LOOOOOOOOOVE it. Burberry, Alice +
Olivia, Carolina Herrera, Dolce and Gabbana, Loro Piana, anything that is
sparkly with ornate beading and soft delicate material fills me with
happiness. I am also an out of work
actress who tour guides for a living.
This is not at all conducive to buying designer brands. So what is a girl to do? GO TO SAMPLE SALES!!!!!
Sample Sales are always happening in NYC. You can read about upcoming and current
sample sales on http://ny.racked.com. What are
sample sales you ask? They are sales
used by retailers to discard excess merchandise. Here’s the thing, designers don’t actually
like donating their clothing to places like homeless shelters because it isn’t
good for their brand image to have homeless people walking around in their
clothing. It’s a cruel truth. Often what
these designers will do is just send leftover products to an incinerator. They destroy the clothing. It breaks my heart to imagine all those
beautiful Burberry coats just being burned alive. Occasionally designers will
send the merchandise to outlets stores or department store discount branches
such as Saks off Fifth or Nordstrom’s Rack.
If you are in NYC, however, and want super discounts, you can make your
way to a “sample sale.” They can be
found at pop-up store locations throughout the city. Designers will put up left over merchandise
at extreme discounts for people to buy.
Occasionally they will also sell damaged goods to be sold “as is” at
even greater discounts.
I discovered the wonder of sample sales after I fell in love
with a $1000 Alice + Olivia outfit at Bloomingdales. Looking for ways to purchase this outfit
without spending a month’s salary, I fortuitously stumbled upon a five day long
Alice + Olivia sample sale happening in the city that week. I had no idea how sample sales worked. Boy was I in for a shock!
First of all, these pop-up stores are NOTHING like Saks
Fifth Avenue. They are essentially
warehouse spaces with racks and racks of barely organized products. They are somewhat organized by size. However, ravenous shoppers scouring the racks
quickly devoid the sale of any sense of order.
You are only allowed to bring ten items into the “dressing room” at a
time, and if you need another size, you’re out of luck. There is no friendly sales lady to help
you. You will have to leave the dressing
room, and wait in the dressing room line again.
These dressing room lines are unlike any lines you see in department
stores. The lines wrap around the store.
You can wait up to 20 minutes to get into the dressing room. When you finally do get into the “dressing
room” it’s a crowded communal area where approximately 20 people are basically
on top of each other trying on cloths and fighting for a peek in one of four
mirrors. You are so cramped together
you often get elbowed, poked, and prodded by other sample sale vultures. The
brave people working the sample sale constantly run into the dressing room area
and shout at you to hurry up, reminding you there is a long line outside. The environment could not be more stressful. For many, the stress is worth it. Why you ask?
Well, because you can buy a $500 dress for $129. A $1747 ball gown for $200. A $400 skirt for $40. The discounts are unbeatable.
I went to the Alice + Olivia winter sample sale yesterday. This was my second Alice +
Olivia sample sale so I knew what to expect.
I’m not necessarily the best at putting outfits together, and usually
depend on friendly department store workers to help me figure out which skirt
goes with which shirt. At sample sales
there is none of that. So I studied up
on Alice + Olivia outfits. Every sample sale you go to will be different, but
with Alice + Olivia they offer clothes from the current season, last season, and
the season before. I went on their
website and saw how they put outfit outfits together so when I got to the sale
I would know what to look for on the racks.
I also tried on several items from this season’s collections at Saks
Fifth Avenue, so I knew what size to look for.
I recommend anyone going to any sample sale do this. When you get to the sale, people will be
pushing you out of the way to find clothing on racks, and the better you know
what you are looking for the better you will fare. I also knew I had to myself zen in the
dressing rooms and to not let people yelling, pushing, or trying to steal
clothing off my rack bother me. At the
end of the day, I left with four new outfits, the total cost being less than
one regularly priced Alice + Olivia skirt.
It took three hours with all the waiting in the dressing area lines, but
I would say it was worth it.
So here’s the thing – people come to New York and constantly
ask me where they can find outlet malls or great shopping deal. They are often directed to Woodbury Commons in
NJ. Now it always strikes me as silly
that you would fly from Australia in NY to go to an outlet mall in NJ, but
people love a bargain. If you want the
best bargains, and a true unique New York experience, get thee to a sample
sale! You will see crazy New York
personalities (there was a woman who spent the entire three hours I was there
standing in front of one of the mirrors in a silver shiny coat and was still
there when I left!), you will get designer brands at unbeatable prices, and you
can’t get this experience any place other than NYC. For the savvy shopper, sample sales are the way
to go. However, if you want lovely
helpful sales ladies who offer you water and fashion advice while you shop to
pleasing elevator music in flattering lighting, just go to Saks.
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