Summer's end doesn't mean you need to rush out to buy a winter wardrobe, but it's a good time for chic bargains, writes Eoin Lyons.
The unexpectedly hot weather we've enjoyed this summer has turned chilly almost overnight, so now's the time to rush out to buy a wardrobe of clothes to match. Right? No, but that's what fashion magazines hawking the new-season collections would have you believe. How many women really buy a set of winter clothes in one go? And unless you have a big budget you are unlikely to buy only designer labels. Tomorrow, however, you can do just that without getting into serious debt.
A sale of discounted clothing from some of our best-known designers is taking place at the Vaults, at the IFSC in Dublin. It's the biggest such sale for some time and not much of an exaggeration to say it will be possible to kit yourself out for the winter.
Those taking part include Suki & Nic, Helen McAlinden, Mariad Whisker, Leigh Tucker, Mary Grant, Lyn Marr, Helen James, Deborah Veale, Mary Gregory and Antonia Campbell Hughes. Other designers at the sale will be Liz Barr, Gertrude Sampson, Deirdre Fitzgerald, Suzanne Butler, Marion Coady, Jane Rankin, Leonie Murphy, Marian Morris, Ruth Alison and Brigid Byrne, selling clothing, jewellery and accessories.
Anyone familiar with Irish fashion will know that most of the more familiar names, which span generations of female Irish designers, have very different styles, which means there is likely to be something to suit most tastes.
With reductions of up to 70 per cent there is value to be had: Helen McAlinden lambswool knitwear for €70, down from €280, Suki & Nic velvet slim-cut trousers for €70, down from €190, or a Leigh Tucker beaded black lace dress for €250, down from €595. Prices start at about €30.
But as with all sales there's a bit of luck involved. All the clothes will be samples, one-offs or from past seasons. None will be from the new winter collections, so in some cases it will be a case of whether your size is left in a particular style.
A sale like this means consumers get quality clothes cheaply; it also allows the designers to clear out old stock, getting rid of clothes that didn't sell or prototypes that never went into production.
Nicola McCutcheon, one half of the duo Suki & Nic, says there's another reason she will enjoy tomorrow's sale. "It's a chance to meet our customers, to find out directly what they like and don't like. When you sell though shops you don't often get the chance to meet the women who are buying your clothes." Her design partner Suki Stewart adds: "It gives people a chance to see the whole vibe of our clothes instead of just a small number of pieces."
Leigh Tucker says sales like this make the clothes more accessible, because they are cheaper than usual and you can buy things that weren't bought by Irish stores, which are sometimes the more riskier designs. "Also," she says, "there are clothes that were made in short fabric runs, so you're getting something very few people will have." Low prices aside, this alone might make a trip worthwhile.
Bargain town: What's on offer?
... Helen McAlinden dark brown wool trench coat, down to €400 from €890. Deborah Veale wool-cashmere grey pinstripe suits, €230 (€525). Antonia Campbell Hughes black cashmere coat, €150 (€600). Suki & Nic macaroon and black check wool fitted jacket, €150 (€395). Leigh Tucker wool trouser suit, €195 (€450).
On sale from 11 a.m. at the Vaults, Dublin (on Amiens Street, beneath Connolly Station)
