Sample sale brings affordable fashion

For female Penn students, the hotter temperatures have officially welcomed in new outfits - without riding boots and North Face fleeces. In this economic crunch, however, the ideal complete summer wardrobe may not be feasible.

College Sample Sale presents a more affordable option: On Wednesday and Thursday, this company will offer Penn students high-end living brands with discounted prices in the Bistro Room of Houston Hall.

Designer brands such as Joie, Inca, La Rok, T-bags and AKA will showcase an array of clothes - with price tags all under $100.

"We are selling clothes that you actually see in department stores with prices you could never imagine," said Andrew Glaser, marketing director of College Sample Sale.

College Freshman Aliana Greenberg said she is excited for the sale.

The event will occur at the perfect time, she said, as her "friends are trying to save money while scrambling to find summer outfits."

Because Bloomingdale's and Saks Fifth Avenue did not purchase as much inventory this season, Designer Brands sold their fare at a below-wholesale price to College Sample Sale, Glaser said.

As a result, prices at the sale could be up to 80 percent off retail prices.

College Sample Sale has travelled across the country with its discounted merchandise, stopping at Syracuse University and the University of Central Florida.

According to Glaser, the event is designed in a "cool atmosphere" that mirrors that of a department store, with racks arranged by brand and portable dressing rooms.

Glaser added that at each sale, he likes "to give back to the campus."

Thus, a portion of the revenue goes to sororities' philanthropic causes.

College sophomore Samantha Bloom, philanthropy chair of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, has advertised the event.

"So please, be kind to your wallet and stop by Houston Hall during reading days," she wrote in a Facebook advertisement. "After all, why go to Bloomingdales, Saks, Barneys, Intermix, Boyds or Knit Wit when they can come to you?"

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.