Feeling brave from my encounter with Lilly for Target, I embarked on the journey to my first Lilly Pulitzer warehouse sale. Follow my timeline below for a peek into the warehouse sale through the eyes of a first-timer.
WED
10:00 PM: Leave for the Expo Center. Go through a mental checklist of things I meant to bring (snacks, blankets, chargers, chairs….etc.). Eat half of the snacks before we get there.
11:20 PM: Arrive and find out the line is wrapped around the back of the building! Luckily our parking space was next to our spot in line so we can back up our car and sit inside of the car instead of outside.
12:00 AM: The anticipation is bubbling through everyone and I know sleep would be a smart decision but I couldn’t sleep. I open the car window and eavesdrop on everyone around me, trying to pick up tips or hints.
1:30 AM: Everyone is getting tired and less talkative. I try to sleep unsuccessfully. J is snoring next to me. He’s so lucky.
3:00 AM: I’m still awake but getting drowsy. People start frantically packing up stuff and a girl in line said that people are going to run soon. Run? We’re on the complete opposite side of the entrance! I should have taken my cardio more seriously. J throws our chairs in the car and I open the passenger door to get my wallet. I close the door with my phone locked inside and J is gone. So sleepy and confused, I just stand there and watch 30 people run ahead of our rightful place in line. I can’t leave the car without my phone because I’m scared of not being able to find J. J comes back and we make a run for it. I told him to outrun all the girls and I’ll meet him.
4:00 AM: We stood in line for almost three hours. It’s not so bad because they have an organized line system that keeps everyone semi moving. The line wraps around the building and it is hard to see how many people exactly are in front of you, which keeps morale up. The DJ starts playing and it feels like an alternative universe since I’m so deprived of sleep. Am I at a party? Some people are dancing, some people are trying to cut the line, and some people behind me can not stop bumping me and have no sense of personal space…
6:30 AM: The line starts really moving and I edge the rope barricade back so I can peek through the curtains in hopes of scoping out the set up of the room to make a game plan. I got about a three second glimpse at the room. It is way too big and busy to be able to tell what is where and the curtains are right next to the cashiers who all glare at me because I so obviously lifted the curtain. We finally enter! They give cute HUGE shopping bags you can use to shop.
6:45 AM: Okay this is much different than Lilly for Target. There is way too much merchandise for anyone to take it all. Relax. The prices are almost comparable to the sales Lilly has in store, the difference is that there is a much better selection, so I am much more likely to find something I like.
7:30 AM J and I meet up and he waits in line with me for the dressing room. We have two shopping bags filled to the brim and there is no way I could carry both by myself. The dressing room is a curtained area lined with cheap full length mirrors. The mirrors are narrow and it is hard to see yourself. The wait time for the dressing room is pretty long because everyone has 30+ things to try on. I share a mirror with a girl and her mom because there are just too many people. I watch people who are my size and when they put cute things back, I snatch them. Outside the fitting room, J is texting me since he has figured out that pink tags means the item is a sample (or a damage). He is collecting the “rare items” while I am trying on all my things. I realize samples are much cheaper which is why they are the treasure of this sale!
8:00 AM: We meet again and he has a bunch of samples to show me. I am so jealous he is so good at finding samples. I only found two. We go through our bags and figure out what we want to keep while people come up and think our table is a sale table. Sorry, these items are mine :)
9:00 AM: We check out and see the line is just as long as when we started. We feel accomplished and experienced.
Stay tuned for future posts on my findings including price points.
Love and Lilly,
&annabelle, xx
J. Crew Striped Tee (2013)
