Growing up in Ohio, I didn’t encounter many, er, any sample sales. In fact, I had no clue what one was until I went to college in the big city of Chicago, and all the girls who grew up in L.A., Connecticut, and New York would be all, “I’m going to Wicker Park for so-and-so-designer’s sample sale.” By then I had started subscribing to Daily Candy and had a little bit of a clue, but I didn’t go to one myself until I moved to New York after school. It was terrifying. All these normally expensive clothes and accessories for less! And you had to try everything on in front of other shoppers or on top of your clothes! And you couldn’t return or exchange anything! I didn’t buy anything at the first few I went to, but I kept tagging along with friends because I didn’t want to “miss out” on some amazing, one-of-a-kind steal. And then I broke my sample sale seal.
I know designers and showrooms hold sample sales because they need to get rid of inventory, and causing a frenzy can make people purchase things they wouldn’t under normal circumstances. I know that sometimes my adrenaline gets the best of me and I make a truly questionable spur-of-the-moment purchase. But, I’m OK with being tricked into pulling out my credit card, because if it weren’t for sample sales, I might never buy anything, ever. Keep reading »
