Gilt-y As Charged

Do you have one of those friends who makes sure you go out for all of the fun shopping events in your area? I do - her name is Sarah, and she's always on top of making sure we go to Shecky's, StyleFixx and most recently, the Gilt City Boston warehouse sale on Friday, August 9th. We first went back in March, and had some insider experience which helped us navigate the event this time around. Here are some essential tips:

Go Friday night: We haven't been on Saturday or Sunday, but I've noticed that product moves quickly on Friday night, so I can't help but wonder what is left by Saturday, let alone Sunday. Besides, it's a fun Girls' Night Out after a long week at work.

Show up early: An hour early. Why? Because the line can be ridiculous to get in, and all of the good stuff goes fast, so the sooner you get there, the sooner you get in.

Wear layers: I'm talking a tank top and leggings with ONE cardigan. You will have to check your coat (and handbag) anyway, so just make it easy and don't bother with that stuff. It gets HOT running from the shoe tables to the racks, and back to the accessories. Plus, the line for the fitting room can get long, and it gets really packed in there, so why not just whip off the outer-most layers and try stuff on in the aisles? Works like a charm, and everyone was doing it!

Browse the tables more than once: As the options get depleted by the crazy shoppers, Gilt staff replenish the table tops and racks. Be sure to take a second trip (or third, or fourth) past the stuff you're interested in, and even the stuff you're not. The first time around, I picked up a couple of tops and a handbag, but decided I didn't want any of them. The second time around, I found a cute necklace, a fun cocktail ring and a set of 6 beautiful wine glasses. They all went home with me for the cool price of $60.

It's a lot of fun to enable your friends to make bad money decisions under the influence of free cocktails, so I highly recommend checking out one of these shopping events. Here's what's up next in the Boston area for this fall:

Shecky's Girls Night Out Boston - Thursday & Friday, October 10th & 11th. Buy your tickets here.

StyleFixx - Wednesday & Thursday, November 6th & 7th. Buy your tickets here.