Deals & Steals At The Spring 2011 District Sample Sale!

It was the sale heard around…well, the corner. The blocks between L and M on 20th Street, NW were packed with hundreds of fashion-driven and bargain-hungry women, as they celebrated the start of the most anticipated local clothing sale of the season: the District Sample Sale (DSS).

Founded in 2006 by Shannon Haley, Barbara Martin, Jayne Sandman, Liberty Jones, and Mary Amons, the DSS is a biannual sale that offers up the District's best designer clothing, shoes, and accessories from both past seasons and the upcoming one at rock-bottom prices.

VIP guests, who traded higher ticket prices in exchange for earlier access, began lining up at 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, with general admission guests lining the opposite direction patiently waiting their turn.

Once inside, guests were treated to a new and larger location than in years past – two full floors of empty commercial office space – as well as a personal welcome by 94.7 Fresh FM radio personality Tommy McFLY and a popchips!-sponsored, prop-filled photo booth.

On Floor One, shoppers in search of the perfect piece of jewelry could be found beelining it towards the Queen Bee Designs display, where turquoise Moroccan-inspired necklaces and large chandelier earrings lined the tables.

Competing for buyers’ attention was Mona Assemi, a Persian-inspired line with a bevy of coined necklaces. However, the long line for the Fornash accessories made it a clear standout favorite by offering saturated reds and greens in animal inspired bangles and necklaces.

Of course, for those with shoes on the brain, The Dandelion Patch’s bargain bins of shoes boasted $18 flats perfect for Spring. And in a valiant attempt to cater to the men in the crowd, Tucker Blair stood by with an array of belts in stripes, solids, and sailboats.

Before heading upstairs, guests grabbed delicious Lemongrass and Lime shooters from Ping Pong Dim Sum and samples of gelato from Dolci Gelati.

Floor One, with its overwhelming bargain buys, proved to be just a warm-up though, as shoppers caught elevators to the second floor. There, the Shoe Hive and Sassanova offered up a range of choices -- from Kate Spade sky high heels to practical, puddle stomping Hunter Wellies.

Continuing along the perimeter, ladies indulged themselves in endless racks of dresses from coveted stores, such as Lettie Gooch, Hysteria, and Wink, where I personally picked up a floral one strap dress begging for a garden party.

There was something for everyone as last winter’s long sleeve sparkly numbers flew off the racks just as quickly as strapless and short dresses did. Stores boasted sales of up to 70% off regularly reduced prices and ladies checked their insecurities at the door, as they crowded into shared, make-shift dressing rooms strategically placed throughout the venue.

Decisions had to be made quickly though as there was no “holding” and one took the risk that leaving a dress behind in search of another could be the next girl’s treasure!

Amidst all of the shopping action, one80 Salon could be found doling out free hair styling services, with ladies emerging from their blowout sessions looking curled and tussled to perfection -- a bounce in not only their hair, but also their step!

Laura Mercier represented in the make-up department and Kate Somerville, a personal skincare favorite of mine, gave away helpful tips and samples.

Also in the inner circle was an arrangement of delights from some of the District’s best restaurants: Kabaji Grill served grape leaves and hummus, while Café Bonaparte created the perfect crepes and the ever present Georgetown Cupcake offered a variety of their famous flavors.

No benefit would be complete without a silent auction and last night’s DSS didn’t disappoint. Indeed, a table full of generous donations offered bidders the chance to win custom jewelry, a Michael Kors black clutch, numerous restaurant discounts, and even a private consultation on skincare, to name but a few.

Raffle tickets were also available for a scant $10/each, with the lucky winner receiving a $1,500 shopping spree and DJ Neekola, always a crowd pleaser, spun the likes of “Girls Just Wanna Have Fun” -- a true nod to the feeling of the night.

While certainly the purpose of the night was to have fun and spend more than one should, the fundraising mission was to support E.L. Haynes, a public charter school in Washington that currently serves more than 600 children in pre-K through eighth grade.

With the goal of adding a new grade each year until they are able to serve students all the way through the twelfth grade, E.L. Hayes prides itself on its nationally recognized program for advancing student achievement. And each $500 raised from the DSS last night will provide a laptop for a current student. If that was not reason enough to purchase one additional raffle ticket, I don’t know what is!

With bargains on the brain, food in the fingers, and fundraising on the forefront, the District Sample Sale proved once again that it doesn’t take much money to look good or feel great!