First things first: Yes, I did just say Proenza Schouler. As in the brand you know you could never actually afford, even if you sold a kidney on the black market to cover your rent. The one whose wallets regularly boast price tags of $800 to $2,000+.
The one that occasionally drives me into existential crises because how does anyone justify spending that much on a handbag?? ? Right now, there’s a midnight blue Proenza Schouler slip dress hanging in my closet. Retail price: $1,800.
I paid: $220. Every time I wear it, I get at least one person asking me if it’s new.
Current season? “Ohhh, noooo,” I say casually as I sip my overpriced almond milk latte, wearing my infinite knowledge like a badge of honor. “I swear I feel like this is old news to you,” I’ve literally told one of my closest friends.
I love that dress so hard. But here’s the thing. I know how I got it.
Because contrary to popular belief, It is possible for broke-ass retail clerks and first year interns to build impressive closets full of high-quality designer brands without spending a thousand dollars per shirt. I’ve spent the last decade learning the secrets of incredible-looking wardrobes on makeup steal budgets (you can read about how I built my entire closet for under $1,000 here) and I’m ready to let you in on them. There are a few recurring myths when it comes to understanding how those with insider industry jobs (editors, stylists, publicists) build such great closets without spending upwards of thousands of dollars a month.
No, they aren’t buying everything at sample sales. No, they don’t have rich parents with trust funds. And no, they didn’t magically inherit some Industry fairy godmother who calls on their behalf when stores receive new designer shipments.
Truth is, they have all just figured out the best times and places to shop–and I have been meaning to share that knowledge with you forever. But my latest incredible find (thanks again, Proenza Schouler!) reminded me that it’s about time I divulge all. First of all, did you know that legit designer outlets exist?
I’m not talking about outlet malls that sell their version of FENDI that’s dubbed “factory” but is basically just a diffusion line with Kendall Jenner’s face plastered on everything. I’m talking about actual clearance warehouses where high-end department stores dump everything they didn’t sell during the season to make room for next season’s merchandise. I’m talking past-season Prada purses, last year’s forgotten Loewe bags, random Dries Van Noten coats that didn’t sell for whatever reason.
Name brand: still there. Discounted about 60-80% off retail: also there. Sounds too good to be true?
It gets worse. Okay, well, worse for you if you live in a city with a proper mall (ahem ahem NYC). These places are mostly found in what I call “strip mall desert,” or strip malls you drive past and assume house the local tax prep office and an angry acupuncture place because you’ve never actually bothered to look.
Floors upon floors of racks and racks of clothes and shoes and bags, tied together with what can only be described as the impeccable organization skills of my luggage drawer when I’ve had one too many red eye flights. “I actually drove 40 minutes outside the city to get here,” my dear friend Emma, queen of finding insane designer deals, said when we first visited our favorite local outpost together. “It’s literally in the middle of nowhere.” Emma goes to this treasure trove of designer fashion at least once a month and I swear she always comes back with something. On this day, she found a silk blouse by Chloé that was retailing at $1,200 (!!!) for $178. “I realize that means I’m gatekeeping,” she told me over coffee later that day, the Chloé blouse slowly rotating near her wrist in that way that all silk blouses spin when you twirl. “But come ON.” Lesson number two: The best deals will always have some sort of flaw. Think loose threads, broken zippers, missing buttons, tiny marks that will most likely come out in dry cleaning.
They’ll be called “damages” by retail professionals who love making each clothing flaw sound like some major wardrobe malfunction. Learning how to fix (or cheat) minor flaws became my superpower when I was working jobs that paid just enough to barely cover my semblance of living in LA but not enough to actually justify buying work-appropriate clothes. I’ve sewn on thrifted buttons that looked way better than the cheap factory originals my favorite jackets and coats usually came with (hey grandma, thanks for keeping your button collection intact for decades!).
I’ve had leather workers fix small scuffs on designer bags for $20. I dyed a water stained silk camisole a darker shade of purple so the stain wouldn’t be noticeable (it wasn’t—and now it’s one of my favorite camisoles to date). Ok, so now that we’ve covered finding insane deals and fixing minor flaws, there’s one more element to consider: timing.
You know how summer clothes go on sale during the winter and winter clothes go on sale midsummer? The fashion industry has zero concept of “seasons”, which works to your shopping advantage if you play your calendar right. I always mark my calendar for those days.
But where you’ll find the absolute worst deals (aka., something that retails for thousands of dollars and you’re buying it for hundreds)? That’s during a process all big department stores refer to as “end-of-season consolidation.” Pretty much every store will haul all of their remaining sale merchandise into one of these off-site warehouses before shipping everything off to outlet malls or local clearance stores. If you happen to know which department stores offer this membership and where these magical consolidation warehouses are located, you can literally score CURRENT SEASON DESIGNERS at 70-80% off. “I still can’t believe I got this,” I texted my mom last January, holding up the insanely warm (and crazy pricey!) Dries Van Noten coat I scored from our local store’s consolidation warehouse.
It was originally upwards of $3,200 but I walked out of there with my new coat 75% off. Like,right out of store. Past my Lyft driver who asked where the heck I’d found such an “investment piece.” Past my panel for the sustainable fashion event I was speaking at later that day.
Sample sales. We all know they exist. Some of y’all rock up to sample sales like it’s Black Friday at your favorite store.
But did you know that there are SAMPLE sales, too? The ones that aren’t blasted all over your Instagram explore page or Send It newsletter? These ones happen monthly for “industry friends” and loyal brand ambassadors.
Studio clear- outs, archive sales, “help us get rid of this inventory quick!” sales. Basically, if there’s a “members-only” sample sale happening, I will find out about it. The catch?
You have to know someone in the industry, which if you’re reading this and work retail, you kinda do. Ask sales associates at your favorite boutiques where they get insider info, follow up-and-coming designers on Instagram (brands tend to give loyal followers a heads up about special sales), Befriend PR assistants at brand presentations. They’re usually really sweet and want to help you score items while supporting their brand.
A few months ago, my now-pr-sample-sale-BFF texted me about an upcoming sale for one of my favorite brands. “Nothing crazy, we’re just clearing inventory,” she said. Dresses from this brand range from $1,200 to $3,000, depending on the style. I figured I’d find maybe one or two great deals but was instantly overwhelmed when I got there.
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Full aisle upon aisle of cocktail dresses for $200. Evening gowns for $300. Sample-sized dresses that made it past testing but didn’t go into production for $100.
The designer herself was at the sale, hovering over her creations and telling customers the stories behind specific pieces. I left with three dresses that would’ve retailed for well over $5,000 for less than $500. The point is, go into these knowing you may find anything.
My boyfriend laughs at me because every single sample sale I go to, I tell him I’m only looking for one specific item. That I refuse to buy anything else. To which he replies, “You do that and then leave with nothing because you’re too damn picky.” Truth.
If I showed up looking for that one pair of Bottega boots I saw on the runway, I’ll leave without them because someone else got there first and paid full price. But if I let myself browse, actually enjoy the treasure hunt, I always leave with crazy deals I’d totally overlook when I’m zoomed in on one specific thing. One time I went to a Marni sample sale hunting high for this expensive printed dress I’d been obsessing over online for months.
Didn’t find it, but did find a funky quilted jacket from two seasons prior that I fell in love with. It was still $400 with a hefty discount, but I dealt because A) Marni will never go on sale under regular retail and B) It’s now six years later and that jacket is still one of my most complimented pieces. I STILL wear it religiously and it’s definitely outlasted more trendy pieces I’ve bought in my wardrobe.
There’s a hierarchy to it all, really. Department store clearances will always beat traditional sales. Boutique markdowns at the end of each season usually dip lower than department stores (though I still find the best deals at Neiman and Saks).
Sample sales beat outlet sales, but you can’t always predict them. Then comes employee sales. If you happen to know someone who works at your favorite boutique or department store, shopping their Associates sales is basically like insider knowledge meets Treasure Island.
But you have to be okay with picking through whatever’s leftover because, well, employees have first dibs. Buying abroad is a game-changer. We all know about The Outnet, and most big retail sites offer a sales section these days.
But did you know that many international retailers offer CRAZY discounts during their “off-season?” I’ve had the best luck shopping Italian sites during August (when stores close for the month of vacaciones!) and UK retailers during their January liquidation. When it comes to online sales, every brand pretty much marches to the same drummer. First discounts are typically around 30-40% off.
Then 50-60%. Then the gold: 70% off and up. My boyfriend still harasses me about the hysteria I caused when a Stella McCartney blazer I bought during a 50% sale popped up on my retweakt app three days later at 75% off. “IT WAS $300!!!!!!!!!!! !” I cried, dramatically.
LIKE I was going to miss that $300. Like that $300 wasn’t going to be spent on organic produce and overpriced LACROSSE gear anyway. My favorite retailers let me know when stuff I’ve bought is about to drop even more in price.
Moral of the story: Develop actual relationships with your sales associates if you want the real insider scoop. no do not be that person who only shows up during sales asking about every single item like every single item is 70% off. Bring them coffee during insane Holiday seasons, ask them about their day once in a while, SHOW UP when you actually need to buy something so they remember who you are! I actually gave birth to one of my closets over my favorite retail associate at Saks because she would text me when items I loved were about to be marked down AND hold pieces for me until they hit her magical 70% off number.
She called me the day a shipment of Manolo Blahniks landed at Saks with the slightest scuffs on the toes from being tried on too many times. She saved me the best pair. Sticking to underrated categories is another tactic I swear by.
I can’t tell you how many Designer Dresses and It Bags everyone else is scrambling over because while they’re fighting over those options, the perfectly tailored jackets and timeless trousers are sitting there collecting dust. One of my favorite splurges to this day is a Loro Piana cashmere sweater I foundfor, wait for it, 85% off. It was the last one in mustard, a color I would’ve NEVER purchased at full price but fell head over heels for when I tried it on.
Mustard was clearly “too trendy” for everyone else but not for me! I wore it throughout fall, into winter, and am STILL wearing it three years later. But seriously.
If you live in or around a fancy suburb with crazy expensive real estate, chances are there’s a designer consignment sale or two popping up twice a year that you can score unimaginable deals at. All but TWO of my favorite designer bags are from Westside consignment sales in LA (where parking is literally $25 at PAY PALM if you don’t live nearby). One where my mom and I stumbled upon an OFF-WHITE bucket bag with the original tags for $200 and one I frequented throughout college and scored current-season Chanel at 70% off.
Merona dresses for 90% off? You betcha. I found a barely worn off-the-shoulder Carolina Herrera gown with the original tags still attached for less than $200.
If you look on Eventbrite for “private school fundraisers” or “hospital auxiliary sales” or “XXX Junior League event” in affluent areas surrounding your city, you’re bound to find something. And please trust me when I say these sales are NOT advertised outside of residents who shop there religiously.
But if you find one?
BOOM. I will never forget walking into a tiny classroom filled with every luxury brand you could imagine and realizing that every single piece hanging there was GUARANTEED to be at least 50% off retail because these people can’t bear to sell their things for anything lower. Friends, there’s irony in knowing the “secret” to finding insane designer deals is knowing someone who works at Neiman Marcus or having a closet guru for a best friend.
The best discounts at best retailers are definitely privileges you have to know to seek out if you work in the industry or already have disposable income to spend on luxury items. But that doesn’t mean the information can’t be shared. Honestly learning how to shop for high-quality pieces at major discounts was one of the best money lessons I’ve ever learned.
I still pay attention to retail prices and do the math before buying something just to justify in my head that, yes, I WILL wear this enough to make these $350 shoes worth the price per wear. But I also recognize how much prices inflate due to branding and hysteria and how ridiculous it is to think someone needs to spend their life savings on a leather jacket. So next time you find yourself eyeing that Hermes scarf or LV Speedy you’ve had your eye on for MONTHS, don’t sell yourself short by assuming you “need” to wait until it goes on sale.
Take notes, do your research, and purchase that beauty when it RETAILS at 40% off. You deserve to feel like a million bucks, too.
