If you haven’t been to any designer sample sales and you’re wondering what the big fuss is all about, let me tell you everything you could want to know about them.

First of all, there are a few different kinds of London sample sales. Sometimes individual designers will hold their own London sample sale. They may want to sell their samples and past seasons’ clothing, and you’ll usually find them at much reduced prices. These may be held at their headquarters, their offices, a rented room or one of their retail shops. Examples of these London sample sales taking place this month are Fred Perry, La Perla and Georgina Goodman.

Then you have London sample sales put on by retailers that sell various designer brands. At these events, you’ll be able to find designer brands at much cheaper prices than in the stores. If you are familiar with what the retailer stocks, then you can have a good idea of what to expect. Examples include the Flannels designer sample sale and the Doors Jas MB sale.

Finally, you have large shopping events organised by companies and organisations such as the Designer Warehouse Sale and Designer Sales UK. They are typically held in warehouses and rented venues around London. The amount of clothing and accessories at these London sample sales may bowl you over at first and you’ll have to be prepared to really go through the racks to find top bargains.

Can you try on clothes at these London sample sales? The answer is yes, but do not expect individual change rooms. Most of the time at a London sample sale, there will just be a separate change room that is blocked off by curtains with standing mirrors arranged around the perimeter. But don’t worry, if the London sample sale carries both menswear and womenswear, there will be separate changing areas for men and women. And don’t be shy about stripping down to your knickers, everyone else is also stripping down and too busy trying on their stack of clothes to notice you. Here is a tip: sometimes people leave behind clothes they’re not buying in the change rooms. These are fair game to the rest of the people in the room!

Queues, queues and more queues! Popular London sample sales will require you to queue to get into the sale; you will also need to queue for the change room and probably queue to pay for your items. I have had to queue for half an hour just to get into a sale. I then had to queue for 20 minutes to get into the changing area, and then queue another 15 minutes to pay. So depending on which London sample sales you go to, you may not be able to make it there and back during your lunch break.

Enjoy yourself and don’t buy something you don’t even like that much just because you feel like you have to get something at a London sample sale. Because you don’t, and there will always be more London sample sales.

Find out the latest upcoming designer sample sale.


Filed under: Product Reviews

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