Style & Angst

Private designer sale sites are my absolute favorite way to shop for designer goodies, they’re even better than outlets and you can shop in your jammies.  Membership to them is entirely FREE, you are always guaranteed a great, and often dramatic, discount off retail prices, and you can be assured that everything you buy is always authentic.  These sites offer everything from men’s and women’s designer clothes, to handbags, to shoes, to cosmetics, to linens, to kids’ stuff.  Each sale lasts only a day or two and items tend to be very limited so be sure to act fast when you see something you like, or I will beat you to it.  All is fair in love, war and shopping.  In that vein, it does help to sign up for several boutiques (or all of them) because if you miss something that is to-die-for at one boutique, another boutique may have the same item within a short period of time (this is how I scored my coveted first pair of Judith Leiber sunglasses after being heartbroken over missing them at a different boutique).

Most of these sites require an invitation from an existing member to gain access.  Fortunately for you, I’m addicted enough to be a member of  just about all of them and as a  reader of Style & Angst, you just scored a whole buncha invites. You could say I’m enabling you because, after all, addiction loves company.

Although membership to these private sales boutiques is free, a couple  do have “enhanced” memberships for which you may pay to have early access to sales. I don’t ever pay for the right to spend money unless I am guaranteed a return on my investment in the form of a discount that will more than recoup what I spent for the membership. I find the concept of having to pay to be rewarded instead of being rewarded for being a loyal customer distasteful, so sites that would have scored higher on my list have lost points if they make me wait to grab my stuff.  Also, be sure you make yourself familiar with each individual boutique’s return policies.  Most only allow you to return for credit, and sometimes returns aren’t allowed at all.

Almost all designer boutiques will only allow you to hold things in your cart for a limited amount of time, which can be a challenge if you want to shop and continue to add things to your cart, if you tend to be slow to make up your mind, or have a limited budget and want to be sure your budget is going toward the thing you want most and need time to peruse all the sales to make that decision.  This time limitation varies from boutique to boutique, and obviously the longer they allow the better.  That being said, I am now including in the reviews below how long any given boutique will allow you to hold items in your cart before automatically removing them

Another great option some boutiques offer is a “Wait List.”  If there is something you covet that has sold out, this is a great way to still have a chance to score the item of your desire.  I have managed to grab several items this way and I have grown to love the ability to join a wait list, so I am now also including wait list capabilities for each boutique below.

I have listed the private boutiques I frequent, from my favorite down, with details about each. Click the link where indicated and your invitation will register automatically, or follow the link to contact me if I have to submit the request for you.  I do not share or even keep email addresses associated with requests for invitations ever, for any reason.

Once you have become a member of the private sale boutiques you’re interested in, be sure to check out Private Sale Designer Boutique Schedules, which is updated often!

HauteLook: I have bought several things from HauteLook and it has quickly risen to the top of my favorites list, mainly because they have great diversity in the types of items they sell.

Among the things I have scored from HauteLook are several home decor items, a couple of handbags, and several cosmetics.  My best buy by far however (though I am assuming because I just placed the order and have not received it yet), are two diamond Accutron by Bulova watches.  The  retail price on them was $2,090 but I only paid$448 .  Deals like that I find very easy to live with.  Their shipping tends to be on the slow side sometimes (but not all the time), and this is the only fault I’ve found with them thus far.  HauteLook allows you to hold items in your cart for 15 minutes and unfortunately does not offer a wait list for recently sold out items.

Editors’ Closet:  I like Editor’s Closet very much, though their shipping can be a bit slow.  I have purchased several bags from Editor’s Closet including two Betsey Johnson, one hype, one Guess and one Rocco e Dante, all of which I technically loved but one of which that had to be returned (see Reviews of Stuff I Scored to read about the issues with my Rocco e Dante Katie Bag).

My only issue whatsoever with Editor’s Closet are the circumstances behind the problems with this bag, which  bug me just a bit.  That being said, I must stress that the following is entirely speculation on my part, and I am known to be the suspicious, untrusting sort.  What strikes me as odd is that this bag was a very current style.  Usually items sold at private sale boutiques are from a previous or ending season, but in this case the bag was still even being offered on Rocco e Dante’s site.  This makes me think that the bag may have been a “second.”  If it was, then the question of where the lapse in making this known occurred  is a concern.  Did Rocco e Dante misrepresent it to Editor’s Closet, or did Editor’s Closet possibly misrepresent it to me?  I’ll never know the answer to these questions, and as I said, even the question of any impropriety at all is purely speculation on my part.  And I certainly have NO complaints about anything else I’ve received from Editor’s Closet, everything is high quality and gorgeous.  And something else certainly worth mentioning is that once made aware of my problem, Editor’s Closet not only accepted return of a “nonreturnable” bag, they paid for the return shipping and gave me a full refund rather than a store credit (not that it would have made much difference, they’d certainly get the money back sooner or later anyway).  Also, my contact at Editor’s Closet, Olivier, is hilarious, a real sweetie, AND gave me a $25 credit for my troubles!  Needless to say, this one “issue” is not going to stop me from buying at Editor’s Closet by any stretch of the imagination.  And I have to admit that even with its  issues, I almost cried when I put that bag back in the box.  It was friggin’ gorgeous.  In the end I came away thinking that Editor’s Closet has exceptional customer service and the several items I have bought since the Rocco bag have been gorgeous and perfect.

Gilt: Part of the Gilt Groupe, Gilt is an absolutely GORGEOUS site, and they always seem to have a ton of boutiques open.  I have purchased several items from Gilt, among them a pair of Judith Lieber sunglasses, an Isabella Fiore bag and the most fabulous pair of Michael Kors Mongolian lamb mukluks, which have a story of their own. 

When I received my first pair of the boots, one had a more plush fur on it than the other, and the difference was obvious.  I contacted Gilt about the problem and they responded a day later.  They allowed me to purchase a second pair of boots even though the sale had already ended, gave me a free shipping label to return the first pair of boots, and credited my account in full upon receipt of the return, all within about five days.  It was phenomenal customer service and I came away extremely happy… and with a divine pair of Michael Kors mukluks!  Gilt holds items in your cart for 10 minutes and does have wait list capability for recently sold out items.  You can combine items from both Gilt and Gilt Fuse into a single cart, but with only a 10 minute hold time, you have to shop really fast.

Gilt Fuse: Gilt Fuse is the edgier side of the Gilt Groupe and runs fashion-forward  boutique sales from such houses as Juicy Couture, Design History and Guess, to name but a few. 

I’ve just made my first purchase from them, three BCBGMaxAzria bags and a pair of Bloch wedges.  My purchase arrived super fast only three days after I placed my order,  and everything was gorgeous.  That being said, I didn’t really expect my experience at Gilt Fuse to be any different than that which I experience with Gilt (see above), which has always been great.  They hold things in your cart for 10 minutes and do have a wait list for sold out items.

Rue La La: Rue La La used to be my favorite of the private sale boutiques, and is the first one I ever joined.  My scores here have included my coveted Marc Jacobs sunglasses, four complete settings of my Artesian Road dinnerware (for a steal, I might add), an Anabella Fiorento duvet set, a Nicole Miller bag, and a long list of other items.  Everything was gorgeous and first quality, no disappointments. I have never considered returning anything so I can’t speak for their customer service, though I can tell you they answer email quickly. 

Items are shipped quickly.  Standard shipping is always $9.95, and you can add to your order all day for no additional charge, which helps to negate the fact that they will allow people to buy items in your cart right out from under you.  This is, as far as I am concerned, Rue La La’s only major flaw, and it is major. In fact, this has happened to me so often lately, Rue La La is no longer #1 on my list.  I don’t want to feel pressured to buy something I am not able to return just because I feel other shoppers breathing down my neck. Another flaw is the lack of any kind of wait list capabilities for sold out items.  Their boutiques have included men’s and women’s designer clothes, cosmetics, jewelry and home fashions.

One King’s Lane:  One King’s Lane specializes in home fashions and always has beautiful things.  This is one you have to contact me to join, make sure you include the email address you want me to submit to have your invitation sent to you. 

I have bought several things from their private sales including Lazy Susan vases, several items by Artecnica, and two pair of divine Lady Ballpoint pens.  Everything is beautiful and first quality, though shipping from One King’s Lane is very slow.  They allow you to hold items in your cart for 15 minutes and unfortunately do not provide the ability to join a wait list for recently sold out items.

ideeli: In addition to daily designer boutique sales, ideeli also regularly holds contests and the prizes are sometimes pretty phenomenal (like a custom designed Dior dress, for instance).  I, of course, never win.  You can pay to upgrade to the “1st Row” and shop an hour earlier than the rest of us lowly loyal customers who resist doing that on principle (it’s $6.99 a month if you pay annually).  As far as I’m concerned, ideeli shoots itself in the foot with this business model, as I do all my shopping at the other private sale boutiques first and if my allotted budget is gone after shopping at those, I don’t bother going to ideeli at all.

My scores at ideeli include my to-die-for Lamarthe bag, a Cuisinart countertop brick oven (okay, that was actually hubby’s score), and a Kate Spade bag, among many other items (mostly handbags, of course).  You know how I feel about my Lamarthe, I’d return that over my dead body, so again I have no experience with their customer service.  I am finding lately that their shipping can be very slow.  Other than that and the “1st Row” crap, I have no complaints about ideeli and love their boutiques.  Standard shipping is $10 for any size order. Ideeli holds items in your cart for fifteen minutes and does provide the ability to join a wait list for recently sold out items. Recent boutiques have included men’s and women’s designer clothes, watches, jewelry, handbags and small kitchen appliances.

Enviius: Enviius is showing new promise and the frequency of their sales has improved quite a bit lately.  I hope it’s not a fluke and that they continue to have daily sales and significantly increase the number of sales they run at the same time.  I just made my first purchase from them, a The Sak handbag which I have not yet received (I only ordered it two days ago, on Christmas Eve).  Enviius is located in Canada, so there is also the bonus of a built-in mini discount for U.S. customers, as their items are listed in Canadian dollars.  They give you a glorious 30 minutes before items are automatically removed from your cart, which will really prove useful if they do ever increase the number of sales they run at one time.  Unfortunately, they do not have any sort of wait list, and you can’t even read the descriptions of recently sold out items. They also do not offer flat rate shipping, but their shipping charges are reasonable.  I’ll definitely be keeping my eye on this one!

Mr. Rebates: The only reason this is at the bottom of the list of places I’ve shopped is because it isn’t really a boutique in itself, it’s a portal to hundreds of online shops and all you have to do is sign up to get a rebate from every one of them.  I am including it here because it is my absolute favorite site on the web (excluding LongLocks, of course) and it has saved me literally thousands of dollars over the years, and every penny was saved on stuff I would have bought anyway.  Love that.  All you have to do is sign up (it is entirely free and you will not get spammed, either) and then go to Mr. Rebates, find your store (use the search, makes it easy) and click through to get to your destination shopping website.  Buy your stuff and you automatically get whatever percentage rebate Mr. Rebates offers for that site.  You won’t believe the sites that offer rebates, last time I looked they included Betsey Johnson, Bloomies, Anne Klein, Calvin Klein, Bluefly and The Gap. You can even shop at places like Target and one of my personal favs, half.com. Here are some tips for enhancing your Mr. Rebates shopping experience:

1. When you click through to the site Mr. Rebates also opens up a page to show you any current promotional codes listed for the site. Make sure you check these, bonus if you find a coupon you can use on top of your rebate!
2. Don’t trust the coupon codes Mr. Rebates displays to be all that are available, I always do a Google search to make sure they have the best ones listed.
3. If you make a big enough purchase, it wouldn’t hurt to make sure you receive your notice that your rebate has been recorded.  If you don’t receive the email within a week or so, make sure you look into it.  I’ve only had an issue with this once, and it was resolved in less than 24 hours.
4. The hardest part is trying to remember to go to Mr. Rebates before you shop until you get used to doing it.  If you go shopping and realize just as you are about to check out that you forgot to click through from Mr. Rebates, keep your first tab open, go to Mr. Rebates in a separate tab (or window  if you don’t use tabbed browsing), click through to your shopping site, verify your goodies are still in the shopping cart in the new tab, and then close the original tab (or window).  I have never had this method fail me, not once.

Other Private Sale Designer Boutiques

I have no experience with buying anything from these yet, but all show promise.

The Fairest: You need to Contact me so I can send you an invitation to join.  This is a relatively new private sale boutique to me, and they specialize in skin care and cosmetics so it’s a pretty sure thing that it won’t be long before I can update this with a review of my shopping experience.  The Fairest retains items in your cart for ten minutes and I am not sure at this point if they have any kind of wait list capability for recently sold out items.  I’m definitely looking forward to trying out this one!

row|nine:  RowNine is another private sale designer boutique that is very new to me.  They specialize in luxury jewelry, watches, leather goods and accessories, all at 30 – 80% off retail prices.  RowNine also includes concierge services including certified gemologists and factory-trained timepiece experts; personal shopping assistants with detailed brand knowledge; and detailed information on your preferences and shopping history to provide the most customized service.  Very promising indeed.  As far as I can tell, items in the cart do not expire, which is a wonderful thing but probably won’t last.  They also offer a wait list on recently sold out items.  Recent sales have included Coach and Jimmy Choo eyewear, H. Stern jewelry, and Eterna timepieces.  I will of course update this with my experiences once I have made my first purchase.

reverse: I haven’t scored anything from here yet, but this one is fabulous and is a bit different from other private sale designer boutiques.  They arrange everything by category and list all the items from the many designers they offer within each category.  So, if you look at “Shoes” you’ll see all the shoes they offer, with Moschino, Dolce & Gabbanna and Juicy Couture all on the same page.  Love that!  The problem is that since they *always* have shoes and handbags, I am *always* in serious financial peril.  Flat rate shipping at reverse is always $5 and they promise fast shipping.  From what I can tell, items in your cart do not expire.  I am also under the impression that they remove sold out items from the site immediately and do not offer any kind of wait list capability.

billion dollar babes: This private sale boutique also holds “shopping events” you can attend in major cities across the country.  This is another boutique where you can choose to upgrade to a paid “VIP” membership, but if you plan to go to a live shopping event or make many purchases (the VIP membership gets you free shipping), this one might actually be worth it. The online boutique holds three sales a week that feature a couple designer labels. The only fault I can see with this site thus far is that they don’t have sales running every day.

TheTopSecret.com: This site specializes in designer sample sales and overstocks, including designer clothing for men and women as well as sunglasses, handbags, jewelry and other accessories.  I’m not very impressed with this site thus far.  They tend to only have two or three sales at a time; like Rue La La they allow others to purchase items that are still in your cart instead of reserving them for you for a given amount of time; they don’t appear to offer a wait list for recently sold out items; and frankly, they just don’t offer very exciting stuff in my opinion.  We’ll see if they improve any as time goes by.

Beyond The Rack

IMPORTANT NOTE: Because of the *many* issues I have had with Beyond the Rack overpricing identical items when compared directly to their competitors, canceling orders they were unable to fill, delaying refunds for weeks, and a customer service department that is unresponsive at best, I am no longer listing their sale schedule nor recommending that any of my readers participate in their sales.  There are so many other private sale boutiques that  go out of their way to prove how much they value their members and deserve your business that there is just no need to support one that is as unprofessional and poorly managed as Beyond the Rack; therefore, I just cannot in good conscience continue to recommend them nor accept any form of compensation for doing so.

The Mini Social: This site sells stuff for kids and the chances of my buying anything here is only slightly less than the chance of my spending any time in the presence of a small child.  I won’t be able to review it for you, but if you are interested, I’ll be happy to get you in.  Contact me, and don’t even think of attaching pics of your kids or I will send you pics of my dogs. And my husband.  You soooooo don’t want that.  No you do not.