Shopping's latest trend is borrowing a page from the nightclub industry: call it red velvet robing, if you're not on the list, you just might miss the discount shopping party. The ultimate in shopping exclusivit-E, a flood of new sites have cropped up offering invite-only online sample sales - with invites coming from existing member, or occasionally through listserve sites like DailyCandy and Julie B.
Gilt, for example, recently offered members of RareDaily's listserve entre into its private online community, an invite that includes private sales by Alessandro Dell’Acqua, Kwiat and Marchesa (going on now and selling this hot frock below - for just $270 - that you may recognize from the red carpet - I'm pretty sure ALL of the Desperate Housewives - namely Felicity Huffman and Eva Longoria - wore it to at least one awards show.
Typically, these sites host sales for a maximum of 72 hours with discounts as steep as 70%. Quantities are oft limited, but if you can act fast, they certainly can be worth your while.
Ideeli, my favorite of the bunch, offers one designer bag (or other haute accessory) at a time from all the top names - including Gucci, Zac Posen, Valentino, Chloe, Prada, Botkier, Celine, etc. Members receive an email that an item has gone on sale, and then it's a hop, click and a jump to get it in your shopping cart.Editors' Closet, another invite-only site, is currently accepting DailyCandy readers with referral code: dailycandy@editorscloset.com. Upcoming sales include Lalique.
HauteLook is open to the public, but you do have to register. Currently they are having a LaRok sale (sequins, sequins everywhere sequins!) which ends tomorrow; and Rock & Republic and YaYa are in its queue.
And, in what seems like a perfect segue, Members Only, the omnipresent 80s jacket is back. Proof positive of a trend in the making.
