hello readers.  if this blog were to have a regular (and i use that term loosely) feature, i think it would be something like this.  or at least under this heading.  this is my first real unsolicited exploration of irony, and just an observation from my daily life.  if it turns out to be uninteresting, i’ll blame you for not asking enough questions.  but anyway- andiamo.

sample sales.

you all know about sample sales, right?  like most amazing phenomena, they are all about being in the right place at the right time, and hearing about it from a friend who really keeps pace with this stuff.  so last week i had the very exciting pleasure of hearing about a WeSC sample sale through Gaby, which i have experienced and loved before.  this time though, the hipsters were out in full force.  man, can those kids smell a deal from a mile away.

the craziest thing about sample sales is how low the prices go.  it gets to the point where you can’t shop in the regular store anymore, because you now know how ridiculously inflated everything is.  the other half of the appeal, i would say, is that when you find something you really like, after weeding through all the crap, it feels so unique and special, such that i must have it.  it helps that there’s always a crazy limited supply, so when you DO see that something, or something close to it, you have to pick it up and think about it- otherwise, some cardigan wearing bastard will steal it when you turn your head.

but, here’s the but on this capitalistic paradise- this imperative consumption can sometimes reach fever pitch.  no matter what the conditions are, i will always find a jacket that i must have, even when i have 5 just like it at home.  and now i have so many of them that i can never decide which i like best, and just wear a sweater.  so is buying something on sale really worth it, if it never gets used?   like those two ties i bought for $20 at BR?  or that heavy turtleneck sweater that i bought at the JP sample sale in june.  june!  i live in LA for chrissakes.  that thing was sitting in a drawer until 2 weeks ago when i wore it for thanksgiving- in NYC, and now it’s back in the drawer.  was it worth it for one day of use?  actually, hell yes.  it’s a freaking amazing sweater.  and there’s no way i could have afforded it in the store.

i guess the best way to frame it is to say that the experience is like flying first class, and once you have a taste, you can never go back-  meanwhile, the process can be like searching for the holy grail itself.

sample sales (and sales in general): ironic?  NO, just choose wisely.

p.s. i noticed all the hipsters wearing TOMS shoes, which they must have all gotten at the last sample sale, and so they must be the new cool thing and so i must have them, even though i think they look a little ugly.

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