Hello! Today's post will feature purchases from a sample sale that I went to and GUESS.
I follow Fighting Eel on Facebook and Instagram, which is how I found out that they were having a sample sale featuring their lines, Fighting Eel and Ava Sky, and a separate brand called Tiare Hawaii. I'm not sure if they carry that brand in their stores. It's a good possibility that they do! The sample sale took place on Saturday, the 10th of August, in Kaka'ako at a place called A Pinch of Salt. It was in a warehouse-like building.
For those of you who are not familiar with the concept of a sample sale, it's when a store has either too much inventory such as pieces that didn't sell well in-store, has pieces that were manufactured but was never put out on the floor, or has near perfect products that they want to sell. Basically, it's a great way for a store to get their name out to the public and showcase their items. Right now if you go to their offices in Downtown Honolulu, they still have sample sale items available until the end of this week! Check out their Facebook page or Instagram for more info.
The sample sale officially started at 11 a.m and I think I got there just a little past the hour and the warehouse was already bustling with customers going through the many boxes marked with signs such as $10, $20, etc. This was my first time going to a sample sale and I was a bit nervous because I do suffer from minor claustrophobia but I was gamed to do my best and find a deal! I paid my $5 fee at the entrance and made my way through the crowds. I saw some colorful basics, but I ended up with only one item from Tiare Hawaii.
Navy Blue Print Fringe Shift Top: I found this top in the $25 Top box for the Tiare Hawaii brand. I was immediately attracted to it because of the color and the fringe. Lately, I've been a sucker for tops that have a slight fringe detail. This top came in black and a green shade, but I ultimately stuck with this one. It's a one-size and it fit nicely on my frame. It has room for some movement, but doesn't have that ill-fitting-trying-to-be-oversized look lol.
Now the rest of this haul will be pieces that I got from GUESS. I've been a GUESS List Noir member for a couple months now and since it's my birthday month, I get double points and supposedly a $20 award for the month. I tried explaining that to the guy at the register, but I don't think he understood what I was talking about? I was a bit annoyed at that, but the manager, who is always super nice to me, gave me $20 off anyway! It wasn't in relation to the award, but to a pair of jeans that I will go into further detail when I get there. I also used an Ala Moana gift card that my Aunty gave to me for my birthday and I applied that to my total. And lastly, I had forgotten that they were having the promotion where you buy a certain amount, you get a money back total award for later on. Since I bought over $300 worth of clothes, I got a $100 cash back award to apply it to my next purchase starting on September 26th. Plus, add that to my huge point balance and I have a pretty nice award :)
Blue Denim Sunflower Jeans: I noticed that this jean had been on the sale rack for a while, but I had never bothered trying it on until Jason handed it over to me. So I decided to give it a chance and I'm glad that I did! I love the subtle sunflower pattern. It's a good memento to summer. Whenever I wear printed denim, I usually like to wear a basic top because I like to emphasize the print in my coordinate, but I actually wore the top from above with the pant and it created a really sweet boho-chic look! Also, all sale items were an extra 30% off!
True Black Distressed Denim: Another pick from Jason! At first I wasn't sure if I would get this pair just because I didn't know if I wanted another pair of distressed denim. But when I tried it on, the jeans fit so well and were really comfortable that I overlooked that hehe. Also, it really is a true black denim without any fades or bleaching. Jason had made a point that most distressed black denim show bits of white in the patchy areas, if that makes sense. But if you look at these, everything is black and it makes for a classy pair of distressed jeans; an oxymoron in itself!
Zipper White Pants:
Okay, so these were the jeans that the manager had given me an extra $20 off. GUESS was having another promotion where if you tried on a pair of jeans that were regularly priced, you got an automatic $20 off at the register. This pair and two other pairs of white denim were already marked down at 40% off, but one of the guys who I always see had thought the promo applied to these as well, despite being 40% off. So after the mix up of the $20 award that comes with being a Noir upgraded member, I asked the guy (not the same guy who I always see) about whether he applied the extra $20 off on the jeans. He said it didn't apply to these because they were on sale and I told him that the other guy told me they did. So he asked the manager, and being the sweet lady that she is, gave me the extra discount because I'm a regular :P.
Things that I like about this jean is obviously the zippers. What you can't see in the photo is that there are more zipper details on the cuff that run vertical up the ankle-calf area on both sides. It definitely had that moto feel. I was already in the market for a good pair of white denim since my only pair happened to be a basic denim from Wet Seal that I got 4-5 years ago? This pair is way more comfortable fabric-wise and fit-wise :)
Not Your Typical Black and White Striped Denim: I literally gasped when I saw these on the sale rack. I had first encountered them when I got my black and white paneled denim and this was when they were still quite regularly priced. I tried these on and I ended up not getting them, thinking that they would have my size when it went on extra sale. So when that time came, they didn't have my size! I was wholly regretting not getting this pair because I absolutely love how the stripes and spacing aren't uniformed. It stands out against all the other striped pairs of monochromatic pants that you see at other stores. There were many times where I just thought of purchasing something that was second-rate, but I could never do it lol. Then these appeared on the sale rack in my size and I was like "this is destiny." Someone must have bought them and returned them or they found it in the backroom or something, I don't know. All I know is that I'm superbly happy for waiting and now life is complete for now :P
Terribly sorry for the rambling and over-explanation in this post. I really like to tell the stories behind my purchases despite how boring or bland it may seem. Talking about my thought process and feelings show my love for fashion and design rather than the physical act of shopping. Yes, shopping is fun but for me, it has become an activity where I try to find something that is unique and stands out. I love trends and finding pieces that suit me and trying to make it me!
I have about 4 more pieces that I got from GUESS, but due to the over-emotional speak in this post, I decided to break it up into two parts. Be on the lookout for part two!
Thanks for reading!
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LAUREN
