Sample Sales in New York are one of the main things I miss about living in the city. The savvy shopper knew that there were listings of the latest and greatest sample sales in New York Magazine. Sales such as Alexander McQueen, Christian Louboutin, Theory, Tory Burch etc... would have lines out the door. Some sales had a great selection. Others, not so much. In addition to the individual designer sample sales, there were some sample sale businesses that would rotate sales (such as Clothingline) of various brands.
Unfortunately, Houston is not the designer hotbed that New York is, and I found myself going through withdrawals. Fortunately, there are a number of online sample sale sites that help slake the withdrawal.
Ideeli was one of the first sites I found after leaving New York. Ideeli has a two tier membership structure. Everyone that signs up is automatically a second row member. Sales for second row members start at 11 a.m. CT. Ideeli also has a paid premium membershp (First Row) for roughly $85 a year that entitles members to enter sales an hour early as well as entry to any First Row only sales.
Initially, Ideeli was my go to site for sunglasses, however, they changed their business model, and purchases now take a long time to arrive. They occasionally have great sales, but in general, they are not the same quality that they used to be.
Gilt was probably the second site I found. Gilt has a special place in my heart as it is where I bought my first real Alexander McQueen dress (a black, three quarter sleeve knit dress). Gilt occasionally has Alexander McQueen and McQ sales and even more often have Alexander McQueen and McQ items in some of their more general sales (like One of a Kind Designer pieces or Designer Dresses, etc...).
Gilt usually has a very good variety of sales and has new flash sales 7 days a week which start at 11 a.m. CT. Like all flash sale sites, the good stuff goes early. Many times I have been interested in a sale, and got caught in a meeting or on a conference call and have missed out. In addition, Gilt lists its upcoming sample sales up to 4 days in advance. They used to have it so you could add it to your Outlook or Google Calendar, but they removed that feature. I would love to see them bring it back.
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| This is the Alexander McQueen Dress I bought from Gilt. (Photo of same style dress from eBay). |
In addition to women's fashion, Gilt also has men's and children's fashion as well as items for the home. In addition, Jetsetter is their travel site and they also have a gourmet food site as well.
I cannot recall how I found Rue La La, but it was the third of these sites I ever ordered from. Rue La La, like Gilt and Ideeli, has flash sales that last a day or two. The flash sales range from clothing, shoes, and accessories for women, men and children to cookware and furniture to food and wine. Rue La La regularly has Le Creuset and Picnic at Ascot sales.
Both of these sites are recent additions to my sample sale repertoire. My Habit has tons of women's sales the first half of the week. For instance, this week, Monday through Friday, they have 34 women's flash sales including Chris Benz, Peter Som, Christian Siriano, Natori, and Derek Lam.
Belle & Clive tends to have more haute couture than any other website I have found. Belle & Clive usually only lists their sales a few days in advance. Last week, they had an Alexander McQueen bangles sale, and this week they have an upcoming Prada sale.
The flash sales at both My Habit and Belle & Clive tend to last a bit longer than the flash sales at the other three sites above, however, like all sample sales, the most popular items will sell out quickly.
No matter the site, with flash sales, there are a number of things in common. Check the start time. While each site has a usual start time, occasionally, some of the sales have unusual start times. The popular items will go quickly, so even if the flash sale lasts a while, it is smart to check it out early so if there is something you cannot live without, you have a chance to purchase it before they are sold out. And finally, each sale will last a different amount of time so like the start time, make sure to check that info. Happy Shopping!
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