Face it: living in America is expensive. Some days you have to decide if you would rather pay for a healthy salad or save that $12 to put towards your next Coach bag. But with the discovery of sample sales, online and in person, and off-price apparel stores, you can save 20-90% and still eat goat cheese on mescluns for lunch.
Sample sales basically sell anything that your little fashionista heart desires. Contrary to popular belief, these sales are not just for women’s clothing items—you can purchase anything from purses to dangles to heels to men’s clothing and bedding supplies! However, since the most popular sample sales are mobbed with hundreds of women scouting out the perfect find, you must come prepared.
Do’s and Don’ts
Do wear: a loose fitting summer dress or shorts and a flowing top. These pieaces are easy to layer over thicker clothes without showing through.
Don’t wear: Tight fitting clothes, apparel with tons of buttons, or outfits with more than two pieces. No one wants to see the imprints of too-tight clothes lines all over your body. Secondly, you are attempting to pull on as many different pieces as possible, and taking that extra 30 seconds to put on your unnecessary vest and button 18 snaps may cause you to miss out on the only BCBG dress in your size for $15.
Do wear: a tank top and respectable skivvies. It’s best to err on the side of caution with when it comes to your undergarments. Choose cute undies that still offer plenty of coverage, as you’ll be angling in and out of garments all day. You can even throw on a pair of Spanxx or other spandex material (underneath whatever you are wearing of course).
Don’t wear: your matching Victoria Secret (or Wal-mart) push up bra and thong. Keep the thongs on your feet and away from your bottom.
Do wear: comfortable flats, fips or sneakers. Sample sale gurus wear comfy shoes that won’t chafe or pinch while standing in line, circling endless bins of treasure, and pacing in front of the mirror. For those germaphobes who cringe at the thought of walking on a dirty floor, wear sneakers. If you do need to slip off your shoes to try on that hot new pair of Sevens, you will still have your sock as a barrier between your pristine foot and a midtown basement.
Don’t wear: heels. Not only are they wicked uncomfortable to wear for endless hours of standing, no one likes to get speared by the heel of an overzealous shopper who doesn’t look where she’s stepping.
Bring: The wristlet. Small purses economize space and time, allowing you to track down your money, cell phone or keys instantly. Bonus: if you find a big squishy boho purse on sale that matches your outfit, just throw the wristlet in and travel onto the next sample sale.
Leave at Home: Oversized bags. Honestly ask yourself: do I really need lip gloss, an eyelash curler, mascara, sunglasses, magazines and all my other superfluous accessories? Exactly.
Remember: Cash! Many venues do not accept credit, debit or check. It would really suck to find the perfect outfit to wear this weekend when you find out you are $12 dollars short (damn salads). Also bring the address. If all you know about the sale is that the address is"somewhere on Madison between 34-36" you can kiss your afternoon goodbye Make sure you know: the exact address, the cross street, and what floor in the building.
The next order of business on your trip to self-preparation is knowing what to expect at said sample sales. Sample sales are typically filled with hawk-like women trying to get a good deal on the hottest fad or score cute clothes for cheap. Smaller outlets have untagged merchandise (no sizes!) or only one size offered. Be aggressive and decide what you want to try on and where. If the lines for the fitting room are too long, rethink the situation: if you have (ahem) appropriate undergarments on and other customers are doing it, it is fine to just strip down right there and try on the clothes. Remember, most sales have a no-returns policy, so be sure you want it.
The Walk-In Sample Sale
Most local magazines and newspapers will advertise current weekly sample sales. If you’re in New York, a Saturday stroll in the Garment District (34th – 42nd Streets, in between 5th and 9th avenues) will usually take you straight to several sales. Timing matters as well: go in the early morning to get the best selection, or in the evening for the cheapest prices.
The Online Sample Sale
The online sample sale is for those who don’t live in the sample sale area or balk at the thought of joining a zoo of half-naked women picking through bins. Topbutton.com features sales from Kate Spade, Pink Mascara and Barney’s, and has an invitation-only mailing list called Top Secret. Top Secret will send e-mails out for online sample sales that last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, and spotlight great finds like discount Ferre handbags and Alexandar McQueen stock.
The Not-Really Sample Sale
Many stores, such as TJMaxx, Century 21, and Filene's Basement sell designer items for inexpensive prices. Even though these are not really true sample sales, they receive regular shipments of bargain goods throughout the week ranging from BCBG, Gucci, Coach, Seven, Express, American Eagle to Prada, though you may need to do a bit of digging.