A Fashion Editor's Guide To Sample Sales

We all love designer clothing and accessories, but most of us wish that the steep designer prices were lower. So what is a fashionista to do? Shop sample sales of course! Sample sales typically is a means for retail businesses to discard extra merchandise from their showrooms. The clothing was usually worn on the catwalk and on photo shoots. Sample sales are a great way to get near to perfect clothing and accessories at a fraction of the retail price.

How To Find Sample Sales

In Print
Many local newspapers and magazines list sample sales. New York Magazine and Time Out NY are two titles that are known for their heavy coverage of sample sales. Fashion trade publications also list upcoming and current sample sales.

Email
Sign up for designers' newsletters on their websites and rest assured when they have a sample sale they will send you an email dishing out all the details of the sale.

Online
Sample sales are difficult to come by, but with the power of the Internet finding sample sales is a cinch. My favorite website for sample sale hunting is http://www.samplesaleforum.com/ a cool new site that lets members list up-to-the-minute sample sales and connect with fashionistas nationwide. The site lists physical sample sales happening right now in New York City and Los Angeles and also online sample sales from top online sample sale sites including Gilt and Editor's Closet.

What To Look For At Sample Sales
It's easy to get excited at a sample sale and purchase everything you see. Keep these tips in mind:

• Make sure it fits your body now.
• Check that all seams, hems, buttons and zippers are in tact.
• Only buy an item if you are absolutely in love with it, if you only wear the item once then it's not really a deal.

How To Survive At A Sample Sale

Sample sales somehow bring out the bad in some, remember the sample sale scene from Confessions of A Shopaholic? They can be packed with fashionistas all vying for the Gucci Jackie O bag on sale at 60% off. Some things to keep in mind when shopping sample sales:

• Arrive early. At least a half hour before the sale starts.
• Bring cash. This way you won't over spend and regret it, seeing as most sample sales are final sale.
• Dress lightly. There are rarely dressing rooms at sample sales so be smart and wear minimal clothing and easy to take off shoes to try on things easily.

Sample sales are a great way to cultivate a closet full of designer clothing for a steal. Happy shopping and good luck fashionistas!

Copyright ©2009 Haute Mimi International LLC. All rights reserved.

TOP 10 TIPS FOR INTERNET SHOPPING

The internet is massive now. It is so easy to get carried away, just remember we only wear 20% of what we buy.

1. Only buy things you love.

2. Check out different sites often so that you don’t miss sale items when they come up. Very popular sites such as Cocosa sell out quickly make it a favourite and you won’t miss out.

3. Buy quality rather than "fashion" if you are on a budget clothes will last you longer and you will get more wear out of them.

4. Buy things that fit you. Seriously, about 40% of my clients wear clothes too big for them.

5. Buy colours that suit your skin rather than what is in fashion- orange is in right now but only 3% of population can wear it so tread carefully.

6. Spend money on items that are staples i.e. jackets, bags, coats, dresses and buy cheaper fashion items so you are on trend but uber stylish.

7. Fastest way to update your look is a new pair of shoes. Equally wearing shoes when the fashion has changed will date your whole outfit.

8. Use block colours to add drama i.e. black and white, black and red, brown and raspberry, yellow gold jackets or Mac.

9. If you are classic style keep colours to bags and shoes to stop your outfit looking boring lime green bags, red shoes etc. This is an easy way to make things fun and stylish.

10. Accessorise. The right necklace is literally worth its weight in gold don’t buy too cheaply aim to keep key pieces.

Best Online Boutiques

Intermix

Net-A-Porter

Forever21

Vivre

How to Be Glamorous On A Budget

Congratulations! You're out shopping for the best of reasons. The whole world is on sale. But what are you shopping for? Another cheap t-shirt? Forget it. Choose glamour. Give your shopping brain cells a reason to live... Who cares if you're broke when you make it look so good? Glamour is affordable, anyway. It's a state of mind.

Be Glamorous.

Think, does this look glamourous? This is the standard by which all must be measured. Let's say you're in the store, holding up another future trash tee shirt. How can you break free? Ask yourself this brutal question every time. Is this glamorous? By the virtue of having to ask, it's probably not. Glamour is elusive and you must move on.

Wear A Dress.

Put on a dress. Try wandering into a far off land: the dress department. Yes, it feels like Mars, but glamour is best found in a dress. Ignore the sizes; they're meaningless. Your glamour-ness is more important. Try a dress on to fit the largest, most glorious part of your body. Then get the thing altered. No woman of daring would consider otherwise.

Be Au Courant.

Step into this century. Some readers can bypass this step, but note that this isn't about age. Just look in a full-length mirror. You know who you are. Your clothing silhouette is most important. It needs to be current. Don't go down the weight sadness path now. You'll defeat glamour every time. When a woman of girth or bones announces she looks magnificent, the world is at her feet, ignoring her size. Another attribute of glamour.

Your Hairstyle Counts.

Do a hair check. What is glamour without the hair? A sad pile of protein. Well, smooth it out and brush it into glory. Smile into the mirror and think about all the money you're saving.

Accessories Count Big Time.

Ah, the biggest glamour killer. Mostly found in the concept of too much. Too much jewelry. Too much purse. We're not layer cakes. Let accessories adorn you. They're lucky to see the light of day.

Add Some Sparkle.

We may have lost all the value in our 401K's but why look like it? Not into the bling? Use sparkle, sheen or glisten. Buy a cheap pair of wild (for you) sunglasses. Step it up a bit. Be daring. Just don't go tacky on me. The best glamour is based on mystery and intrigue.

This article originally posted on Ehow.com click here to see the entire version.

-Katina Le Kerr

La Vie En NOIR

Black is my favorite color. It's chic, its sophisticated and it will never go out of style. Here are my picks from Forever21. Recessionistas rejoice, everything here is under $50.00.

Required Reading: The One Hundred by Nina Garcia

The One Hundred : A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own by Nina Garcia is not a read you put away and forget about after the last page. It's an essential guide you keep and refer back to as you build and enhance your wardrobe. The alphabetically ordered contents make it easy to actually remember all the fashion essentials. As a Haute Mimi fan I'm pretty sure you readers own if not all at least 3/4 of the essentials from Ray Ban Aviators to the famed Tiffany wave cuff. Even then Garcia expands on the must haves to kick your wardrobe up a notch. One will really enjoy the small tidbits on fashion history. Who knew the eternal Chanel 2.55 quilted bag was named so because of its debut on February 1955. Readers will appreciate how Garcia is very specific about her picks down to the colors of the accessories. The illustrations by one of my favorite artists, Ruben Toledo are also fantastic. This book is great for those who are new to the fashion world and would like a crash course on the industry. It's also great for us who need a refresher. Get it here.

Ooh La La The Secrets Of French Chic By Gabrielle Teare

With Carla Bruni set to become the new Jackie O, it is time to get some of that seemingly effortless chic, poise and polish into your wardrobe. Not for years has the political landscape had someone as stylish and elegant. How do you achieve this look? One way to do this is visit a Fashion Stylist. The other is to follow my secret tips....

Fashion in Milan, Paris and London remains very different to the US. Europeans love America for casual clothes and will stock up on all the basics, jeans etc. Particularly with the current dollar rate.Visit Paris, and arriving on Eurostar what you notice is Quality. So how do Parisians do it? Here's How:

Invest in good jewellery. From waitresses to shop assistants, French women will wear beautiful pieces clearly saved for. Costume jewellery is often large scale and chosen to match colours. Parisians will buy the dress and at the same time the matching must-have necklace. Galerie Lafayette and other department stores carry vast choice.

Shoes must be leather, high quality, as opposed to high fashion and are chosen every season.

Bags are another investment piece, whatever the budget quality is paramount.

Each season Parisians flock to the stores and buy just one or two key items. This is not random shopping, it is carefully considered choices. Colours and styles are chosen to complement existing items.

Scarves are everywhere, worn in every permutation by young and old alike.

Cosmetics, hair and skin care are highly valued, with regular facials, tints etc. to present a groomed look. Many shops carry large ranges of small diffusion beauty brands at every price level.

High fashion trends are cheaper and mixed in with the investment buys and designed to last one season.

Lingerie is a whole universe. Big department stores will have a whole floor given over to lingerie. French women know they look good from the inside out. This is true grooming.

Perfume. It is the nation of Perfumers -look good smell good.

Knowing what truly suits them and buying it. This is probably the key secret. If you don’t know this, use a Personal Shopper or Image Consultant and learn. What you learn will pay dividends for the rest of your life.

How To Shop At Forever21

I can't stand shopping in store at Forever21. too many clothes, too many colors, and way too many shoppers. There is no room to breathe nor think. But, I love the clothes none the less and adore the online store. Always up to the minute, Forever21 is where I go to stock up on things I know won't last but just have to have. There are several things to keep in mind while shopping at Forever21 or any high street store.

Things To Keep In Mind:

• When in doubt, buy black. Any other color will look cheap, believe me.


• Don't buy a garment that already has any lose threads or any type of damage. If it can't hold up on the rack it definitely will not hold up after a wild night out.


• With that in mind remember that these garments won't last for more than two seasons.


• Look for the right fabrics, try to find cottons, silks and merino wools. They're the most comfortable fabrics and look much better than their artificial counterparts.


• Stock up on costume jewelry. They have a great selection.