This weekend, the shopping spotlight (and award for coolest combination of fun and school), goes to FDIM (Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) and their “scholarship store”! It’s part of the school itself and comprised of work made from students. Located in Downtown L.A. (and also Orange County, San Diego, and San Francisco), it’s also away from the typical, high-end, trendy Robertson, Montana, or Melrose Avenues.
While I generally announce sales, this isn’t technically one. But at the same time, apparently you can get shirts that cost one dollar. Cool, despite the not-so-cool-sounding name of scholarship store. But it’s actually fitting. These guys study fashion, so their finished assignments are, I guess, clothing.
You can support the designers and buy everything from a tank top under $5 to funky dresses under $50. What a cool trade-off: supporting young designers, and you’re benefiting by getting totally one-of-a-king pieces at less than sample-sale prices! This might verrry well occupy my Saturday tomorrow…after all, since I could never afford to go to FIDM, might as well buy stuff there. (It’s really expensive, so I hear. I guess that means you’re not really supporting starving college students, but hey, some of these students might be paying for it all on their own. So I say support them and support your wardrobe!)
It’s not very often you can buy pieces from up-and-coming designers like this, so take advantage of this cool gimmick.
To facilitate your shopping ventures, whether it be a store or a warehouse sale, I’ve enclosed some shopping words of advice from a sample-sale-rummaging, outlet, and general shopping pro (me).
For those not familiar with sample sales: the events involve discounted prices for nice things, so sales often get competitive, and sometimes slightly violent. Elbowing, snatching, evil glares and thoughts (”Get your hands off that white size Small tank top!”) can certainly occur. This is especially true specially among a group of busy women, finished with their long week of work and ready to release their pocketbooks and stress. Sorry to generalize, fellow females, but seriously: women seem, somehow to be a different breed of shoppers. But fear not, males, I haven’t neglected you. When I come across unisex or men’s sample sales, they’ll be going up in a post, too!
Back to my point: watch out and be careful, because at some of these events, you have to be tough. And aggressive. If you see a shirt you like, there’s no waiting: grab it now! Similarly, if a sale looks really appealing and popular, get there early, before things get picked over. That is, unless the store puts out more clothing each day, which some do. You can generally call to find out.
Despite the slight insanity of some sale events, it’s definitely possible to find ones that won’t actually cause unnecessary stress but might actually be fun. Bring a friend for decision-making advice and to make it social. Or, do the Nicola-approach which is: in and out, you either love it or you put it back, grab what you love, sprint to the cashier before anything else catches your eye, and dash out of there. This, I do in an effort to control the spending and to avoid lingering in the sale all day.
Speaking of all day, if it’s a big sale, bring water or a snack. While I partly kid, I’m actually serious. Nothing worse than being grouchy and tired and trying to look for that one pair of jeans that fits perfectly. You’ll never find them, I guarantee. So you might try going into the sale without any expectations for what you want to buy. That way, you won’t get worked up if you don’t find what you were set out to find. Especially in a sale where it’s slim pickings- I’m not going lie, there will be some where you wonder why on earth anyone would by anything there. Don’t worry, they’ll always be another. Don’t just buy something just because it’s marked off 70%. The point of sales is to get what you like but normally couldn’t afford, not to buy a bunch of ugly items that were good deals.
So enough preaching (look who’s talking, Nicola, you’re the one who just spent $347 at a so-called “sale” two weeks ago). I won’t deny that the free champagne they were offering could have skewed my decision on the purse. This leads to one more word of advice: often the real nice sales will offer free cocktails- how nice, right? Well, nice for their sales! Because shopping isn’t exempt from altered judgment due to alcohol. So watch the drinks if you want to watch your pocket book.
The weekends tend to bring the best sales. And it’s often hard to find the real good ones, because they won’t be advertised like a sale at Neiman Marcus or Macy’s. Often I have to do a bit of delving through random web sites, kind of like delving through a pile of shirts. (Metaphor for the week.) So if the whole crazy, jam-packed, competitive sale deal does not appeal one bit to you, maybe checking out the Scholarship Store would be a good alternative. Smaller, more manageable, and from how it sounds, very unique.
The store is located at:
919 S. Grand Avenue (at 9th Street)
Los Angeles, CA 90015
213.624.1200
Hours are:
Monday – Friday: 9:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Saturday: 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Visit www.FDIM.com if you’re curious about the store or the school itself.
So go get scholastic!
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