I have been asked so many times, how do you manage to find certain sizes or items that are sold out? Or how do I always get the items I want? And I get this question almost on a daily basis, how are you so successful? I don't have any magic tricks nor am I anything special but figured I would share with you what I do to find certain things. A lot of what I do in regards to my business/life, I apply to fashion. Here are the top 3 basic things:
Top: LOFT boyfriend blouse- size XXSP (similar here) Skirt: Theory gray pencil skirt- size 00 (similar here and here) Belt: Ann Taylor perfect patent skinny belt- size XS (similar here) Dream: Start a dream board or write everything you want down. Do you want a Chanel purse, a new car or perhaps a house? Write it down! Better yet is to start a dream board. If you don't know what a dream board is, it's just a visual board of items or things you want. It's worked for the car I wanted, the neighborhood I live in, the vacations I have taken, the Chanel purses and the list goes on and on. It's amazing what happens when you can visualize it or when you write things down!! Try it! I even go as far as if I want a fashion item super bad, I make it my screen saver on all my computers and change it once I get the item. I know as dorky as it is, but it works like a charm for me! Here is a sample of one of mine. I have several. All you do is cut out things from old magazines and put them up so you can visualize them everyday. Great project for kids and families to do together.
Believe: You have to BELIEVE. You have to believe in yourself. You have to believe that you can do whatever you want. If you don't believe in what you want or if you don't believe in yourself, then you are never going achieve our goals. My whole life, I have always believed in myself and the things I want to achieve. If there is a fashion item I am looking for, I have to believe that I will hunt it down. I have always believed I would be successful in life no matter what I chose to do. And I always believe that I can track down an item even long after it's been sold out. I will somehow find a way.
Achieve: You have to have determination and never giving up on your goals/dreams. If you want something, you should just go for it. A great example of this is my
oldie post on the famous Theory Gratian Tweed skirt suit. It was months and months after this suit was completely sold out everywhere but I still managed to track down a size 0 in both the jacket and skirt. I didn't get the 00 but it was miracle I even found either pieces. I was determined to get that suit regardless!
I think the most valuable lesson is to stay positive. The world is full of negative people, negative acts and I always make it a point to be a positive person. I make sure to be grateful for the air I breathe, my health, my family, my husband, friends, and the success that I have worked very hard for. If something gets me down, I give myself 15 seconds to be mad and then I get over it. My positivity and enthusiasm has gotten me to where I am today.
I don't want to sound too preachy since this is a fashion blog, so on a lighter note, here are some ways I hunt down items for some of my favorite stores:
Ann Taylor/LOFT: If an item is sold out online or sold out in your size, you can call Ann Taylor online or call one of their local stores and have them do a style finder for you. This applies to the factory stores as well. If you have an AT/LOFT card, shipping should be free. Although there have been some discrepancies when an item is on sale so make sure to ask. Here is a sample tag and I have circled the actual item # and where to locate it on the tag. If the item is no longer in their system means that it has gone on FINAL clearance and a style finder is no longer an option. If this is the case, and you still are determined to find the item, you can call each store individually and ask for them to look on the clearance racks for you. Daunting- yes? Time Consuming- yes? Worth it- definitely. I've done this countless times and have been successful.
Banana Republic Factory: If you have the style # or tag, you can call any of the BR factory stores in the United States and ask for the SA to physically check the racks for your item in your size. This can be a daunting task and sometimes I wonder if the SA really indeed checks. But if you call during the weekday, the stores will be less busy and the SA will be more inclined to help you. Here is sample tag with the style # circled. The last 4 digits refers to whether or not its a PETITE size. BR factory does have the capability of checking for items that are not from their store inventory but you cannot place an order like AT/LOFT. You have to call each store individually to place the order. They charge $5 for shipping w/in the United States. I have circled what numbers to tell the SA and the last 4 digits (1000) means it's a petite size.
Theory Outlet: Depending on the store and the SA you get, you may or may not have to give them the style #. Most Theory stores go by the name and fabric. Here is a sample tag as a reference:
The best times to call retail/factory stores is one hour after they open and one hour before the close. I have found that any other time, the stores are extremely busy and the SA will be less inclined to REALLY go check for your item or help you. Try to call on the weekdays verses the weekends. And do not attempt to call on any Holidays that they are open for business.
For any online purchases, the trick is to constantly check back for your item because most stores/sites update their inventory late in the evening/morning. One great trick is to save the page of the item you want and refresh as many times as you can. It's worked for me on numerous occasions and you can even do it on your iPhone. I was able to score my Theory tweed suit while brushing my teeth and checking my iPhone at the same time (yes I am quite determined).
Ebay and
AlterationsNeeded's forum are also great options for finding petite/non petite items. I have scored a BB Dakota blazer to match my skirt from a fellow petite from AN's marketplace.
Obviously if all else fails, you may have to just go to every location of that specific store but that can be very time consuming and gas is expensive.
Also, you have to be super nice and sweet to the SA you are dealing with otherwise they will not want to help you. Make sure to throw some compliments their way and tell them how much you appreciate their help. Everyone loves compliments and everyone needs to be acknowledged and praised:)
Hope you found this helpful!!!!
