How to Buy Cheap Designer Clothing Through Online Sample Sales

What you wear can make or break your career or determine whether your business makes money or not. People tend to form first impressions based on what you put on. And it probably explains why Americans spend an average of ​$161 ​per month per person on clothing. In a year, that adds up to ​$1,932​. So, a household of four adults may be spending as much as $9,660!

Luckily, you can now get cheap designer outfits for a fraction of the price. And you have several options in this regard.

One way to get affordable designer clothing is by buying sample clothes. Usually, designers create sample clothes to guide manufacturers who will then produce similar items on a mass scale. They also send out others to the members of the press who need outfits for their editorial shoots.

There are also samples that models wear on the runway. In addition, designers often create samples that they end up not manufacturing on a larger scale because they changed their minds halfway. In the latter case, such clothes end up being one-off pieces that no one has.

However, these days, samples also include overstock clothing that designers did not sell through regular channels.

In the end, these clothes have to go somewhere. The same applies to shoe samples. And often, these end up in a sample clothes sale online, where they are heavily discounted by as much as ​80 percent ​or more. Imagine getting a Gucci or Chanel outfit for a mere fraction of its original price!

You could also get these outfits offline by attending sample sales events at a retail space or warehouse. In this case, the designer, affiliated retailer or manufacturer may be responsible for organizing the event.

Sometimes, the designer clothing is sold via the official designer’s website. But often, they are sold via third-party luxury resale sites, which curate multiple designer samples for your choosing.

If you are interested in buying cheap designer clothes, you could look through the numerous designer discount sites available online. Examples include:

• 260SampleSale.com
• Chicmi.com
• Gilt.com
• RueLaLa.com
• Bluefly.com
• Nordstrom Rack

It would be best if you knew what to do when shopping online for sample sales. Below are some tips that could help you out.

Each outlet, online or offline, has its own rules on how people can access their sample sales. Some require you to subscribe and wait for a heads-up on the next event, while others may request that people queue in front of their stores on a given date.

Also, some use social media pages to provide updates on the next sale event. There are also designer websites that choose to sell their outfits on a first-come, first-served basis. If it’s available and you buy it first, it’s yours.

Determine which clothes you need and the designer you are interested in. You could also search for discount codes for the outfits you desire in advance. If you have no idea of what you are doing, you will struggle to buy the stuff you need due to an overabundance of choice.

Also, ensure you wear weather-appropriate clothes and eat before you go shopping. In addition, it pays to get up and find the right address early. And if you don’t like anything, there is no shame in walking away.

Designer outfits are generally expensive. So, even when they are heavily discounted, they may still be costlier than regular clothes. Therefore, it helps to set a reasonable budget.

It is also critical that you learn which modes of payment are acceptable for sales. Can you pay using a credit card? Do the organizers accept PayPal?

Since there is usually competition for these outfits, you should ensure you can quickly pay with minimal delays. Otherwise, you may be forced to watch as your outfit goes to someone else.

Another thing to consider is whether you are truly getting a good deal. Do your research and find out from the designer’s website what the original price of the outfit is in the market. If you are not getting at least 50 percent off the sample, it may not be worth buying.

In addition, if there is credit on offer for referrals, you could extend your budget by encouraging your family and friends to buy from the outlets in question.

Remember that samples are not meant for the mass market. So, the specified sizes may be slightly smaller or bigger because they are adjusted to fit a particular model. Therefore, factor in the potential alteration costs in case the outfit does not fit you.

Also, when shopping in a physical store, watch out for the imperfections. If you still like the designer outfit, you could use those imperfections to negotiate a larger discount than what was stated.

Most flash sales last for limited periods. So, slow down to avoid making the wrong choice. Take the time to sit down, write a list of what you are looking for, compare prices with the retail ones and then buy from the designer discount websites at the last minute.

You may end up buying the clothing for much less due to last-minute offers. However, if you have no issues with pricing, you can buy early to avoid missing out on what you desire.

If you are going to spend a significant chunk of your income on clothes, you may as well make it count. And getting high-quality but cheap designer outfits that hold their value well is the best way to do just that. So, take advantage of sample clothes sale online events to build your wardrobe slowly but surely.