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.

What Not To Wear - Graduation Edition

I attended my Graduation Ceremony for University on Friday and thankfully it was way less boring than I thought it would be! 

However, I had one very big problem with the whole affair. 

 Graduating from University is a fairly big achievement and milestone, hence why I assumed most people would take the opportunity to scrub up and make themselves look professional to attend this significant occasion. 

Apparently not. 

Our gowns were the kind that were open at the front so that you could see most of what you were wearing underneath.

Uni Buddies

Female fashion faux pas included white sneakers (see back left in the photo above), jeans and thongs, sandals, mini skirts, dresses that were completely see through on stage, heels that were too high and skirts that were too tight and both of these that were impossible to walk in. 

But by far the worst outfit consisted of mini denim cutoff shorts, a pink singlet top and Nike kicks. 

Why girls, why?

The young men of my graduating class didn't make it through free from fashion fails either. 

There were board shorts, jeans and canvas shoes. Also guys, we're not 16 anymore, it's now cool to start brushing and cutting your hair. 

Now I'm not saying you have to put on a Nanna outfit and some pearls but what's the harm in bringing a bit of class to your graduation ceremony?

Honestly though, I think most people were just unsure of what to wear (like the poor girl in what can only be described as a ballgown). 

 I am by no means perfect and wasn't sure what was appropriate to wear to Graduation either. 

Therefore I've put together a bit of a guide based on what I thought looked fabulous (and appropriate) on the day. 

Girls 

1) Skirt 

FYI - everyone looks up at you on stage. A skirt that is 'just' suitable normally suddenly become super short. I saw way more female upper thigh at graduation than I've seen in my entire life. Talk about uncomfortable.   

2) Shoes 

Do not wear hooker heels. Especially if you can't walk in them. If you don't have a low sensible pair of heels, then just wear flats. Thongs are also not appropriate. 

3) Hair 

Straight hair definitely looked the best under the motarboard (yes I had to Google that). It's really hard to do anything with it other than wear it down. Think about what your going to do with your fringe if you have one. A lot of girl were seriously stressing about this and it was seriously annoying.

4) Bag

Don't take a huge handbag. However, you leave your bag on your seat and you come back to it, so you can take a clutch.

5) A Touch Of Class  

My advice would be to aim for class. You don't have to dress like a Grandma but you should wear something your Grandma would approve of. A nice (knee length) summer dress or a skirt and shirt are totally acceptable.
Basically, if you'd wear it clubbing, then it's not ok.
Most of all just wear something you feel comfortable in!

Guys 

1) Do not wear something you feel comfortable in. 

2) No jeans are not acceptable, neither are shorts of any kind, I dont care if it's 45 degrees. Put on a pair of dress pants. 

3) Yes you have to wear a shirt and tie. No they should not have cartoon characters on them. If you don't know what matches, ask your mum. Actually, ask your mum even if you think they do match. 

4) Brush your damn hair. It's one day, you can go back to being an unemployed University graduate who's had to resort to selling weed tomorrow.

Glass Half Full

I love a good Saturday morning Op-Shop.

However, it has become increasingly difficult since everyone caught onto the trend and started heading out to the local St. Vinnes, snapping up a bargain and selling it for triple the price at the local markets.

Hence why I've given up on clothes and am getting into more homewares and antiques like a really cool nanna.

On Saturday I actually overheard a lady trying to bargain with the elderly woman working in the Red Cross over a $6 piece of crap! 

I think people forget that the money from op-shops goes to charity so trying to bargain at an op-shop is like taking money from the collection trays at church. Or stealing someone's wheelchair. 

At the moment I'm a bit obsessed with throwing an awesome High Tea so that's probably why I'm into kitchenware and glasses etc.

I've started to collect teacups and I've got a High Tea Pinterest board which is where I'm keeping all my inspiration!

I'm trying to only collect Royal Albert or Doulton teacups but they're hard to find.

At the moment I live with a housemate in his flat and it's furnished with all his stuff, so I'm trying to collect stuff for when I move out on my own. Eventually.

Tips for Op-Shop Success

1. Do Your Research
If I'm looking at some china and I don't know if it's a good brand or what I should be paying I usually just Google it on my phone to see if it's worth the money. Ebay is also great for this which leads into...

2. Is It Worth It?
Try and buy good quality vinatge stuff not just cheap and nasty crap. Leave that stuff to the people who actually shop in op shops for real.

3. Think Before You Buy 
Don't buy something just beacuse it's cheap. Even $2 is $2 too much if you're never going to use/wear it. I am the worst impulse buyer ever. If you're no sure about it, leave it and come back.

3. Make Sure It Can Be Salvaged
While there's a lot of thing a little soap and water can fix, you don't want to catch hepatitis from eating out of dirty silverware or lice from some homeless person's coat. Not cool. 

A Day At The Races

There's nothing that makes you feel quite like a proper lady than getting dressed up and going to the races. 

Unfortunately after a couple of sparklings and a few cocktails at this year's Adelaide Casino Adelaide Cup, my ladylike behaviour went right out the window.

I woke up the next morning with permanent texta writing on me, so you know it was a 'good night'.

However, I did not commit the ultimate sin by taking my shoes off. They stayed right on my painfully sore feet all day. I'm very proud of myself about that.

But back to where it all began. Last Monday I put on my gorgeous Liza Emanuele dress and headed off to the Adelaide Cup at Morphettville Racecourse.

I was lucky enough to be invited to the Adelaide Casino Chandelier Bar, which had the best view of the track (and of the most smoking hot bartenders) in the whole vicinity.

I felt very 'Pretty Woman' in my giant hat, polkadots and red lipstick. Without the whole prostitute thing...

I got a lot of compliments on my outfit and being the bargain hunter that I am, every single item of clothing I wore was on sale. If I had bought everything full price I would have an $800 credit card bill on my hands. Luckily though my wicked shopping skills meant all together I only spent about $190 on this outfit! 

I don't believe you have to spend a lot of money in order to look expensive and I feel like this outfit is proof of this.

  

Photos by Alice Healy

Tips To Dressing For A Fancy Event On A Budget

1) Plan In Advance

I knew Adelaide Cup was coming up so when Liza Emanuele had a sale I bought my dress and saved it for the big day.

2) Outlet Shop Your Heart Out

Harbour Town in Adelaide is honestly the best place to find shoes and accessories. I know that outlet shopping is seriously uncool, but I never would have been able to afford a designer hat and shoes otherwise. I also love sales and op-shops. Seriously.

3) Borrow, Borrow, Borrow

I live next door to two girls and so I practically have three wardrobes. As long as you're happy to lend your stuff out in return and you know your mates will take care of it, why buy something when you can borrow it? 

4) Make Friends With Benefits

My friend who is a makeup artist did my makeup on the day for mates rates.