How to Dress for a Sample Sale (and Theory Sample Sale Finds)

This past Saturday I sneaked out while my husband and daughter where playing together and went to the Theory sample sale. Theory used to be one of my favorite brands and I used to have quite a lot of Theory clothes in my closet. Their prices are quite prohibitive but I was lucky to work really close to the place where they hold their sample sales twice a year and I tried to never miss one. When I had my daughter and a consequent change of lifestyle I stopped going because what was really worth it was their workplace wear, in particular their pants, that are impeccably cut. Of course I could still buy a pair of pants to wear in the evening or somewhere where I need to dress up but my body also changed a little bit and I found that they didn't fit me as well as before, for the price (I am in between sizes now). So why did I go last Saturday? Well, it happens that they have just opened a Theory store around my block (like I hadn't enough tempations on my way to the grocery store) and you know how it is, when you walk by something everyday you start to notice and to take mental note and all of a sudden Theory was on my radar again. In particular I saw in the window some very nice linen dresses, so I wanted to see if I could find the same at the sample sale.

After years of going to sample sales in the city I can declare myself as an authority on how to dress for a sample sale to make the experience all the more enjoyable. There are some basic and important rules that can save you a lot of time and hassle and I am going to share them with you as some sample sales (like the Theory one) can be total crazyness to start with and you don't want your clothes to worsten the situation.
The first and more important rule would be to leave at home your handbag (and any other bag) and take with you only a small purse (preferably cross-body so you can have your hands free) with your money and keys. At almost all the sample sales you have to check-in your bag and having no bag to check-in can really make a difference in terms of waiting time (not to mention that sometimes you don't want to leave your valuables at the wardrobe as mistakes happen).
The second rule is to wear something that is easy to take off, so forget blouses with plenty of buttons or skin-tight jeans and pants, especially if they need a belt (layering is also a bad idea and a popover is much better than the combo cardigan plus shirt or tee).
A popover dress is a good solution but there is a downside: if you are going to try a top you want to have a bottom and sometimes if you are not looking for a bottom to buy you may forget to take one to the fitting room, just for try-ons purposes.
So the following is the ideal outfit, put together after years of attending sample sales in the city. A tunic-dress over a pair of leggings, that work as a bottom if you want to try a top (and also have the very practical function to cover you up if you don't want to show your underwear and your not-waxed bikini to everybody in the common fitting room):

This outfit was a little bit Flashdance (fault of the sweatshirt-dress paired with the leggings) but very comfortable. The last important piece of the outfit are the shoes. You have to be able to take off your shoes very easily, and especially if you see something on your way out you don't want the idea of taking your shoes off to prevent you from going back to the fitting room one last time (no buckles or laces and no boots!). Ballet flats are the best (these are the silver city flats by the Gap and they are like slippers).
The last rule has nothing to do with the outfit but is a rule that I imposed myself not to overspend. It is easy to be overwhelmed with the feeling that you have to buy as much as possible when you are at a sample sale, because of the good prices and the fact the stuff will be gone once you leave. So I give myself a budget before going and only bring cash: it forces me to make choices and not to regret too many impulsive purchases.

So what did I buy? I did pretty good, actually. I found THE perfect little black dress for the summer and one other item that I had tried to add to my closet for quite some time.
As I grow older I developped a love-hate relationship with black, especially black in the summer. I find more and more difficult to wear total black or black on top (close to my face) as I have the feeling that it makes me look old(er). As a matter of fact I own only one black summer dress but I reserve it for vacation as it is quite short. I was waiting for something like this to come along.
It's a woven cotton sleeveless dress, with a drawstring and a big tiered ruffled on the bottom. The cotton as always with Theory is luxurious and makes all the difference with another cheaper brand (which translates in higher prices, I guess). I really feel like I am wearing Prada:

I can go everywhere in this dress, from the playground to a restaurant to a party with a quick change of shoes (as you can see I can wear it with flats but I picture wearing it with a pair of black platform shoes in the evening or to stroll around without my daughter). It is really one of the best day black dresses that I have ever seen or tried on. I also love that the top is cut like a sheat dres, so I don't have to worry about the neckline being too low.

The other thing that I bought are a pair of navy pants. You know that I love navy, in fact I can easily say that I am obsessed with navy and I wanted a pair of navy pants for spring to pair with my (many) navy tops and jackets. Specifically, I wanted a pair of Minnies (I love the weight of the Minnies for spring) but the wild backberry color is long gone and never popped back in my size.
These Theory are in a similar material (that holds everything in) and have the advantage over the Minnies of having a zipper in the center and not a side zipper (that sometimes I find a little bit annoying in the Minnies, if you want to tuck your shirt in). Size-wise in this style the 0 was perfect (they are cropped with zippers at the ankle, but not exposed).
I wore them yesterday already, to a birthday party with an old TB shirt and a navy sweater:

If you live in the city, the sale has been extended until today EOB. The prices are now 25% off, so there are some great deals even if the selection was quite picked over on Saturday already, especially in small sizes (go to www.clothingline.com for more information).

Do you have a sample sale outfit?

Have a great week!