Sample sales are popularly portrayed as secret, magical places where you can score designer duds for a fraction of the price. Contrary to popular belief, however, you don’t have to be Mia Mason on Cashmere Mafia to shop at them. In fact, you don’t even need to live in a major city. All you need is Internet access because thanks to a number of fabulous sites, you don’t need to be a fashion insider to shop like one.
These sites will give you the in to incredible sample sales, both in physical and online form:
Gilt has online sample sales of designers such as Zac Posen, Alessandro Dell’Acqua, and Vivienne Tam. The sample sales are each one day long, and merchandise -- which is priced 50 to 75% off -- goes quickly, so be sure to get there right at the start. Sales are limited to Gilt members. Membership is free but limited to referrals from existing users. Email membership@gilt.com for information. gilt.comThis list is by no means exhaustive. Fashion blogs, such as myfashionlife.com and thebudgetfashionista.com, often list sample sales, sometimes even providing invites to exclusive ones! And of course the world wide web spans the world so be sure to Google “your location + sample sale” to see what pops up!
Another online members-only joint, Planet Lulu also offers apparel and accessories at 50 to 75% under retail prices. Membership here is also free, and requires only filling out a form. Lulu is only open a few days each month, so stay on the ball so you don’t miss out on the savings! planetlulu.com
HauteLook is relatively new but already making quite the splash! Membership is free and open at this site which has 12-48 hour online sales with offerings discounted up to 75%. Their recent Tracy Reese sale had dresses starting at $112 and shirts priced as low as $86. Upcoming sales include Kale and Alice + Olivia. hautelook.com
The Art of Shopping’s website includes both information on their upcoming physical sample sales, which take place in New York City, as well as a periodically open online shop. Their multi-brand sample sales feature goods at a 40-90% discount and have included brands such as True Religion, Ella Moss and Juicy Couture in the past. theartofshop.com
TopButton.com, a massive fashion and shopping site, has a database of sample sales including sales in New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as sales and promotions on the web. topbutton.com
The popular DailyCandy.com e-newsletter and site has editions customized for twelve cities (Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, London, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Seattle and Washington D.C.!) as well as a general national version. Topics range from food to technology to shopping and sample sales are sometimes nestled in. While you currently cannot sign up to receive only sample sale notices, you can sign up for DailyCandy Deals, which places promotions for DailyCandy subscribers in your inbox every Tuesday. dailycandy.com
Points and Prizes Keyword: APPAREL worth 50 points good through 02/10/08.
