Style: A Report on the Tory Burch & Betsey Johnson Sample Sales

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The Tory Burch Sample Sale held by Clothing Line had a large variety of popular Tory staples. There were boucle jackets, leather handbags, shoes, and vibrant button-down shirts. Unfortunately there were hardly any tunic tops and only one pair of ballet flats (although not even her signature reva flats so don't expect any metal buckles on top!). Although items were severely discounted, don't expect any huge bargains. 

Dresses were about $130, boucle jackets were around $200, shirts were $100, most handbags were $300, and jeans were $75-85. 

The shoe selection wasn't great and there were a few pairs I'd actually seen for cheaper on major department store websites. Although there were several dresses I adored (see top left), I just came away with a pair of white jeans for $75 (orig. $185). They were "cropped" so that they were just long enough to reach my ankles (I'm 5'6") so it was nice to know that they wouldn't have to be tailored. Those were a pretty great find so I would definitely recommend looking at the pants section. Otherwise, the selection of blazers, silk shirts, and day dresses were all particularly great. I definitely recommend checking out this sale, as long as you don't mind spending $100-200 per item. I was also surprise to see that the sale also had a large selection of items in sizes 12-14, sizes that are not often kept in large amounts in Tory Burch's boutique store. So, if you are looking for these sizes, you'll actually find quite a bit.

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The Betsey Johnson Sample & Liquidation Sale was quite interesting for me to visit. I really like that it was held in her showroom, unlike most of her sample sales. As you probably know, I used to work in Social Media at Betsey Johnson and it was my first job in the fashion industry. If you want to read more about my experience, click HERE to read my previous blog post. It was really bittersweet to re-visit my old office/showroom after several years had passed. The decorations were still as bright and cheerful as ever but it was sad to see all of the computers and office supplies up for sale because of the company's recent bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation sale.

As for the clothes, the prices yesterday definitely didn't match up with the flyer I posted earlier in the week. Unfortunately, everything was a little bit more expensive than they had advertised. ALL day dresses were $50, sweaters were $60, coats were $100+, etc. Each of the dresses seemed to be one of a kind and in small sizes so it was definitely more like a traditional sample sale. They also tended to be her especially wild ones, making the room look like a child's dress-up closet which was actually kind of fun! A few of the day dresses were a little more conservative but I didn't find anything in a size larger than about a 4. There were few relics of the office left for sale. Her signature pink neon sign was going for $1000, her oil painted portrait for $300, a 50" LCD screen for $700, some posters advertising her perfume for $8, etc. There were no real bargains unless your office is in dire need of some old desktop PC's or you want to get an early start on next year's junior prom. The trip is definitely worth it though to get one last look at her wild showroom. If you're into fashion, you'll get a real kick out of it!