Where to Find Scary Deals on Cocktail Dresses
Cocktail dresses and other fancy dresses can easily cost you many thousands of dollars, which just doesn’t leave much left over for anything else. Luckily, you don’t have to be afraid of paying full retail. There are a number of ways you can get great cocktail and party dresses for a steal:
1) Retail sales. Sales at your favorite stores are a great way to get good gowns and dresses at a reduced rate. The advantage of buying retail at a sale is that you still get great sales help.
2) Outlet stores. Many cities now have factory outlet stores where you can buy items that retail stores have not been able to sell. Here you’ll find dress styles from a season or two back but you will enjoy some sales help and great prices.
3) Used clothing stores. These do require some extra work, since you will find terrible bridesmaid dresses and some damaged dresses as well as some possible gems. For women who know what they are looking for and who have some shopping savvy, though, these stores can be a treasure trove.
4) Consignment shops. These stores buy back designer fashions from clients. Unlike used clothing stores, consignment stores are picky – sometimes very picky – about the merchandise they acquire, so that you don’t have to wade through racks of orange party dresses or torn cocktail dresses to find what you want. Since everything is previously worn, though, you will often pay less than you would if you paid full retail.
5) Sample sales or trunk sales. High-end stores and some designers have special trunk sales where they sell excess clothes and “sample” clothes that were used to sell an item to businesses. The discounts are considerable, so this is a great way to get new-ish cocktail dresses brand-new at a fraction of the price. Most trunk sales are not widely advertised, so you will need to do some digging to find sales in your area. Also keep in mind that sample sales and trunk sales are hard work. Expect a huge lineup, no organization, not too many sizes, almost no sales help and tons of people fighting for the same great dresses you want. Just come prepared and you could walk away with a great find.