How To - Survive A Sample Sale

How do you know if you're whipped? 

Probably if your girlfriend makes you and your (also male) friend come to a sample sale and search through the clothes for size 8s which you then have to hold up for her one at a time so she can critique your choices and decide what she likes and what she doesn't with comments like 'ew that's hideous' and 'what were you thinking'.

And I'm the one who's single...

On Sunday my friend Caity (caityj-says.blogspot.com.au) and I headed off to the Finders Keepers, Keepsake and Cameo sample sale and we were completely unprepared for what we were about to encounter.

First of all there was a line. In the rain. Full of teenage girls.

As soon as we were let in to the hall SHIT GOT CRAY. The girls were absolutely out of control grabbing clothing left right and centre and stuffing them into bags that they had brought along.

The phrase that comes to mind is 'bitches be crazy'.

Once they had a bag stuffed full to the seams, they headed to a room off the hall to strip off and try everything on.

Caity and I were clearly amateurs to the whole sample sale situation but managed to escape with what we wanted and no visible injuries besides some emotional scarring. 

Don't get me wrong, it was awesome and kind of exhilarating. I will definitely be going back considering some of the bargains I picked up. 

I will however be following these simple rules.

How To Survive A Sample Sale

Arrive Early

Yep there was a line. I'm sure the bigger the sale is, the bigger the line will probably be. 

Know What You Want

Avoid walking out with three pairs of almost identical black shorts and six dresses you will never wear because you got excited and grabbed everything in your size.

Know Your Size

Knowing what size you are in the brand will save you a lot of time and energy.

Be Prepared/Accessorise

FYI - Not with a boyfriend.

Take a 'green bag' to put your finds in and an umbrella for standing in the rain/bashing other girls over the head with. 

Dress For Success

Wear clothes that are easy to take off/try things over. I suggest a dress or tights and a loose top and shoes that are easy to slip off.

The Etsy Edit

How did I not know about Etsy?

As a shopping addict, I pride myself on knowing these things and I can't believe I only just found out about this online store.

Etsy is a shopping website focusing on handmade and vintage items as well as art and craft supplies.

It's a closet hippies dream.

Etsy is kind of like an online Gillies street markets.

The one problem is that it's so huge it's hard to find anything on there unless you know what you're looking for so I've done the 'Etsy Edit' and picked some of my fave items below.

 

Etsy blurrs that line between need and want. Do I need a huge feathered $200 Sass & Bide style headdress? Probably not. Does that matter? Definetly not.

Etsy's missions statement says they want to empower people to change the way the global economy works by giving small businesses much more power to create a more fair, more sustainable, and more fun world.

I can't argue with that.

Out With The Old, In With The Oroton

Did you know a woman spends 27 years of her life on average carrying a handbag?

This information makes handbag choice seem much more important (as if it wasn't already).

Thanks to the recent Oroton 50% off sale (love a bargain), I am now the proud owner of the above items.

I'm loving the current Oroton AW12 campaign featuring Aussie models Samantha Harris and Elyse Taylor.

The look is clean, simple, classic elegance and I feel like that's what Oroton should be all about. 

Creative Director Ana Maria Escobar wanted to capture the modern Australian woman's style.

She brought together an all Australian crew for this campaign including renowned photographer David Mandleberg.

As Oroton's last four season were shot abroad, Ana Maria wanted to come home to truly capture the essence of Australian style.

I collect vintage glomesh bags and below is one of my Oroton ones.

While I love vintage, it's great to have something new in my collection. After all, my new bag will be vintage one day!