Sale Alert: Get Alexander Wang, Proenza Schouler and Others At The Opening Ceremony Sample Sale

If ever there was a sample sale to attend, THIS is the one I would highly recommend. One of my favorite stores, Opening Ceremony, is having a fabulous sample sale from May 13th through May 16th at their Soho location (33 Howard between Lafayette and Broadway - I have it memorized), where you can get 60-90% off some amazing designer merchandise. We're talking Alexander Wang, Erin Wasson x RVCA, Jeremy Scott, Proenza Schouler, Rachel Comey, Vena Cava and many, many more. Details are in the invite. If you love amazing designer merchandise at a fabulous price, THIS is the sample sale to attend!

Sample Sale Alert: Botkier Handbags, Wallets and Shoes

It's sample sale time again! This time, it starts TOMORROW and run through this weekend (May 6th through May 9th) and it's none other than gorgeous, amazing accessories label Botkier! Expect 50-70% off handbags, shoes and wallets. You can also enter to win one of three $1000 gift cards to their NoLita boutique! Get on that, like, post-haste.

Details regarding times and location are contained in the invitation above. I'm traveling right now or I would SO BE THERE with you guys, so get your shop on and have fun for me! If you see the Brooklyn Snake Cross Body, send me a twitpic via @fashionstbeauty!

Sample Sale Alert: Tocca Spring Sample Sale

It's that time of year because sample sale invitations are coming left and right! Here's a sample sale invite for Tocca, one of my personal favorites. Mark your calendars for May 12th – 14th from 11:30 am - 7:00 pm, where you can expect 60-85% off their beauty, fashion (the dresses, people - the dresses), and Bambini collections. Details are in the invite above but if you need the address again, it's 542 W. 22nd Street b/t 10th and 11th Avenues. See you there!

Sample Sale Alert: Rebecca Minkoff NYC Sample Sale

If you recently read my interview with clothing and accessories designer Rebecca Minkoff, you've no doubt understood everyone's obsession with her fabulous handbags and gorgeous clothes. Well, if you're an NYC gal looking to score more Minkoff for your closet (or your first one, in which case, mazel), there's a sample sale coming from May 12th through May 16th that you simply cannot afford to miss. Details are above in the invitation. If you want to know where I'll be during that time, I might be the one fighting you off of a fabulous Cross Body bag. See you there!

Sample Sale Alert: Twinkle By Wenlan Spring 2010 Collection

Those of us who are addicted to the flirty fashions of Twinkle by Wenlan have reason to celebrate: a sample sale cometh! Mark your calendars for May 13th and 14th in Manhattan for spectacular deals on Spring 2010 merchandise! The actual showroom will be open with deals not to be believed: signature chunky knits, gorgeous dresses, whimsical accessories and so much more and prices up to 75% of retail. Location details are in the invitation above and if you need a quick refresher of the fabulous collection, here you go (I was there - totally fun items). Have fun! I'll see you there!

Earth Day Sample Sale Alert: Hautelook's Eco-Chic Fashion and Beauty Sales

We all know how much I love Hautelook, the online sample sale site that offer savvy shoppers the chance to purchase fabulous labels at 50-75% of retail (because Visa certainly does). In honor of Earth Day today, the sample sale site is featuring all eco-chic merchandise. Feast your eyes (and appetite for earth-friendly shopping) on today's sales:

• Organicare: USDA-certified organic skincare from a company that’s 100% carbon neutral
• Jonano: organic designer clothing for women
• EcoSkin: contemporary designs for women made from environmentally-sustainable luxury fabrics
• miYim: organic, inspired toys for kids
• Sustainable Kids: organic children’s apparel and a free, post-paid donation box for a school in Haiti
• SIGG and SIGG for Kids: the original reusable (and virtually-unbreakable) aluminum bottle

So, I mean, what are you waiting for? Membership is free so sign up now and commence to shopping for planet-friendly merchandise at a steal of a price! Reduce your carbon footprint AND your cost at the same time? Genius, people. Sale starts at 11 am EDT so get your fingers ready for some serious eco-chic shopping!

Sample Sale Alert: Swirl by Daily Candy

A little while ago, I told you that Daily Candy had decided to get into the sample sale game with their own site, Swirl. Well, the site has launched with designer merchandise hand-selected by their editors at prices up to 80% off retail! They've got three amazing sales coming up this week. Mark your calendars for the following shoportunities:

Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent - up to 65% off - Starts TODAY, Monday, April 19th
Realizing her passion for Parsons-educated Vincent started her California-cool line, Twelfth Street by Cynthia Vincent, after leaving her position as head designer of Vince. The designer is known for classic, feminine silhouettes that flatter just about any and all body types.

Olsenhaus - up to 40% off - Starts Tuesday, April 20th
Olsenhaus's highly wearable, eco-friendly (read: vegan) shoes are fabulous for any eco-chic fashionista. From two-toned heels to paint-splattered wedges, they combine a passion for fashion and a love of the planet. Wear them on Earth Day and beyond.

Dogeared - up to 55% off - Starts Thursday,  April 22^nd

Dogeared’s delicate jewelry, featuring tiny charms strung on gossamer thread and chains, is perfect for your own signature jewelry needs and/or for a certain lovely lady who gave birth to you a long time ago..the one whose calls you've been dodging. Yes, you know who. Shop this sale for keepsakes at fab prices for yourself and someone who loved you enough to let you stay out late that one night and not tell your father.

So, if you haven't signed up already, head over to the Swirl site now and get on the list! Hello? Fabulous merchandise to be had!

Sample Sale Tale: The Epic Story of The Christian Dior Shoes from Decadestwo

Contrary to popular belief, I am not someone who spends a tremendous amount of money on my clothes and accessories with reckless abandon. I believe in smart investment pieces that will last a lifetime. I’m especially a fan of vintage, especially when the item is in beautiful condition and will hold or increase its value. This is why despite sheer exhaustion I hauled it out of bed for the Decadestwo sample sale last Sunday. What three words got me to crawl out of my warm bed on a Sunday? Easy: “shoe” “sale” and “Louboutin.”

For those who aren’t aware, Decadestwo is the little consignment sister of Los Angeles’ world-renowned vintage couture store, Decades. The brainchild of fashion expert and celebrity stylist favorite Cameron Silver, both stores a little slice of heaven for those who are looking for high-end vintage pieces. We’re talking labels that have museum collection quality: Correges, Balmain, Valentino, Chanel.  If you watch The Rachel Zoe Project, Cameron is a personal friend of Rachel’s and she pulls from him A LOT.

Decadestwo created a pop-up shop upstairs at lingerie purveyor Kiki de Montparnasse for four lovely days and on Sunday morning, they had a shoe sale to end all shoe sales. Four hundred pairs of designer shoes arrived along with handbags, accessories and racks of labels that would send any group of Sex and the City fans writing on the floor in ecstasy. I stood in line for two hours (I got there early – I don’t mess around with sample sales) and when I entered, proceeded to get down to work, grabbing six pairs in the span of about 60 seconds. The labels were drool-worthy: Chloe, Prada, Sergio Rossi, Brian Atwood, etc. I sorted through the lot and when the fog cleared from my sale-induced haze, I happened to be holding what has now become The Best Shoes I Have Ever Put On My Feet. Yep.  Meet my worn-only-once-on-the-red-carpet, pink suede with Swarovski crystal-embellishment Christian Dior 61 shoes.

The floor manager and the salesperson on the floor commended my choice. “We were wondering who was going to walk out with these spectacular shoes.” Um, have you met me? Let me give you a card. Never wonder again. If shoes like this ever show up, you call me. I mean it. Day or night. As a matter of fact, if shoes of this quality are to show up on a regular basis at this price, I’ll buy an extra phone and create a hotline. 917-SHOE-HABIT. Not a problem.

So people will show you photos of their kids, their dogs and their cats. I would like to introduce you to my babies, the limited edition Dior 61 Suede Shoe.  Let’s break it down, shall we?

Subway trip to Decadestwo Sample Sale: $2.25
Coffee while standing in line: $2.27
Pair of fabulous Christian Dior suede and crystal shoes: $150
The experience and thrill of finding such a shoe? Priceless

Stylish Shopping: Consolidate All Your Online Sample Sales with MyNines

Those of us who are too busy to live are finding the thrill of the sample sale delivered to our desks every day without fail. I have known women to fire off angry missives to coworkers who DARE schedule a meeting during this time of day. I have SHOPPING to do, thank you. The TPS reports can wait until these jeans are safely in my online cart.

The problem is now that we're also too busy to get sixteen thousand emails a day telling us what's on sale where. Wouldn't it be cool to consolidate everything so that you know what's going on sale at the various online sample sale sites based on your preferences? One-stop sample sale shopping, so to speak?

Yes, it would. Which is why I'm sharing a little slice of awesome with you that you need to go ahead and sign up for right now. Launching Monday: MyNines.

Created by some fabulously sharp folks who were also overwhelmed by the onslaught of sample emailsthey received, it's a service that consolidates multiple sample sale memberships into one place. You can select  fashion, men, travel, beauty and wines as categories and they will consolidate the sales into one location so you can plan accordingly. Even better, there's a forthcoming search feature that will allow you to search by your favorite designers, highest discount and most viewed. You can even do a description search (i.e. "cateye sunglasses"). Coming soon will be an alert system, where they'll email you when your favorite designer or your sought-after Holy Grail of a product is available. Mine will be set to "Young Fabulous and Broke". Expect a post about not screaming in the office once I receive this alert.

The site is launching any day so I highly recommend getting in on the ground floor now. With sites like TheOutnet, Editor's Closet, Billion Dollar Babes, The Fairest and WiredforWines already participating and new sites being added every day, this promises to be a fabulous service. Head to the homepage and sign up now. It launches MONDAY.

Sale Alert: Get The Gifts You SHOULD Have Received from Rue La La

Did you get a sucky gift this year? We've all been there, having to fake a "giftgasm", trying to muster up enough energy and happiness to make it look like we're really into what we received while we're thinking, "Do you KNOW me?" It's not their fault. Some people are just really bad at giving gifts/listening/paying attention to what you want.  There's one retailer that wants you to get what you really wanted this holiday season and that's members-only shopping site Rue La La.

The online high fashion and chic home goods retailer would like your mailbox to deliver where your gift givers might not have been able to bring the magic with their "The Gifts You Didn't Get" Boutique. For 48 hours, gain valuable access to amazing items for Women, Men and Home, including women's designer clothing, cozy cashmere, must-have bags, and chic accessories. Dudes have access to men's watches, suits, jackets, cashmere, boots, leather and denim. Is your casa less than cozy? Peruse home goods, including those for the bed, bath and kitchen. Here are some examples of the fab sales to be had:

• Keep that New Year's Eve resolution with Zobha,  fashionable, must-have yoga and pilates gear, you'll look forward to hitting up the gym.
• But in the meantime, get streamlined and sexy with Spanx
• Need some designer goods? Get flirty fun items from the whimsical Betsey Johnson or go All-America high fashion with classics from Calvin Klein.

So, forget about fighting the crowds. Stay home, pour yourself a glass of something fizzy (or warm - baby, it's cold outside!) and commence to shopping Rue La La's online boutique. This way you can get what you REALLY wanted this Christmas. Because, as we say back home, if mama ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. :)

Sale Alert: Inhabit Fall Sample Sale

I'm in the process of working on the editorial calendar and a whole BUNCH of holiday guides for the site but wanted to all of you in NYC know about a fab little fall sample sale from the fabulous clothing label, Inhabit. Set your calendars for November 18th and 19th from 10 am - 6 pm, and bring cash and/or credit. Details are above so print it and get ready to shop!

Shopping Alert: Daily Candy Gets Into the Sample Sale Game With A New E-Commerce Site

Illustration courtesy of Daily Candy

Anyone else around here a fan of Daily Candy, the lifestyle trend e-mail newsletter and website? Well, if you like to combine your style news and shopping in one place, they're about to make your day. Starting on November 16th with a hard launch coming in January 2010, Daily Candy is launching its own sample sale e-commerce site, Swirl, Sample Sales by DailyCandy.

Featuring apparel and accessories handpicked by the DC editors, this promises to be a fun shopping experience. The release I received on the site explains it this way:

Swirl, Sample Sales by DailyCandy will be a well-edited sample sale experience, offering remarkable discounts on the stuff DailyCandy loves — from favorite up-and-coming designers to the must-have established brands, it’s everything DailyCandy editors can’t live without.

"DailyCandy has always been the go-to source for sample sales, but we recognize that only our NYC and L.A. readers can participate in those events,” says Eve Epstein, Swirl creative director and former DailyCandy editor in chief. “With Swirl, Sample Sales by DailyCandy, we offer a unique DailyCandy sample sale experience, featuring our favorite established designers as well as the Parsons grads fresh off their first Fashion Week showings to all.”

Sounds pretty fun, doesn't it? Well, if you're not a Daily Candy subscriber, check out any and all of their editions, then feel free to stay tuned to all the delicious information for the launch of this fabulous new shopping site. After all, with DC editors running the show, there are bound to be some pretty sweet picks, which sounds just like candy to me.

Sale Alert: Tocca Sample Sale

We're huge fans of Tocca so we had to share this invitation. We'll see you there!