As if devotees of this fashion extravaganza needed another reason to get excited, this year marks the 60th anniversary of the annual Couturier sale at the Resale Shop, a key initiative of the National Council of Jewish Women St. Louis. In honor of this milestone anniversary sale, which takes place Sept. 25-28, we’re bringing out the “big guns,” or in this case some longtime, experienced Couturier shoppers to talk scope, strategy and sustenance. Honestly, you need to understand — and perfect — all three to accomplish a clothing and accessories haul that will likely prove amazing, or at the very least, really, really good.
But before we consult our experts, let’s thread the needle and stitch some facts together.
The annual Couturier sale showcases an impressive selection — as in more than 25,000 curated pieces this year — of gently used, high-quality designer clothing and accessories for women, men and children, as well as home décor items. Designers highlighted at the sale include Burberry, Kate Spade, St. John, Lululemon, Gucci, Ferragamo, Eileen Fisher and Michael Kors.
Shoppers can find these brands and many more at about a third, or even less, of their original retail prices. This event features the best of a year’s worth of donations, saved exclusively for this four-day occasion. All proceeds from the Couturier sale support NCJWSTL’s community service and advocacy projects aimed at enhancing the lives of women, children and families in the St. Louis area.
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The first day of the sale, Wednesday, Sept. 25, is basically for those who want first dibs and don’t mind paying to shop for bargains. This year, in honor of 60 years, NCJWSTL is starting the sale earlier than ever before, at 10:30 a.m., for 30 people who paid $100 in advance for this VIP Preview. At 1 p.m., another 40 shoppers who paid $60 will be let in. If this sounds cray cray, bear in mind that those 70 tickets sold out in under five minutes.
Another VIP preview on that Wednesday, from 4-8 p.m., costs $10 and is on a first-come, first-served basis.
To be clear, shoppers entering at 10:30, 1 or 4 can stay until close at 8 if they choose. And while Rasheedah Furqan Clay isn’t sure she’ll need all that time, she also isn’t sure she won’t.
“Oh, I’ve stayed until they’re asking us to leave,” says the effervescent Furqan Clay, who posts fashion finds on her Instagram account, PoshSheShe. “I upgraded this year and paid $100 because this is just the best sale. I geek out about it. My pile (of clothes and accessories she amasses) is so large at Couturier. There is just so much high-quality designer and vintage merchandise that really appeals to me.”
As a Couturier veteran, Furqan Clay has strategies. Regardless of her 10:30 a.m. early entry ticket, she plans to get to the Resale Shop, at 295 N. Lindbergh Blvd., at least 45 minutes beforehand to secure a prime spot in line. It’s not uncommon on any day of the Couturier sale to spot a sea of shoppers, often 50-to-75 deep, waiting to get in.
Some get there hours in advance to line up, and wind up striking up conversations, making new friends while they wait. Everyone’s in a good mood — they’ve come to shop for deals, for goodness sake — and the atmosphere feels festive.
Once she’s through the door, Furqan Clay plans to beeline it to the St. John rack.
“I just love those classic knits. I love them for work,” she says, explaining that she is director of an agency that contracts therapy services, like speech pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy. “My husband is in banking, and we’re invited to a lot of galas. So I also head to wherever the gowns are because I need gowns for all the different events we go to.”
Typically, on VIP day, shoppers must decide which to check out first, jewelry or handbags. Since those two “stations” can get super crowded, organizers limit the number of shoppers there at any one time by handing out numbered tickets.
This year, Furqan Clay will first be on Team Handbag, hoping to snag a Chanel purse. “That’s a dream, you know,” she says laughing. “My fingers are crossed.”
Michelle Hark, another Couturier enthusiast and insurance broker from Florissant, says she’s been going to the annual sale since the Resale Shop was located on Olive Boulevard in University City. Her aunt introduced Couturier to her and her mom, and now Hark likes to go by herself.
That’s another strategy, by the way: shopping the sale solo.
“I like to look at everything. Some people don’t,” says Hark, who counts a Gucci handbag and Chanel sandals as two of her best finds at Couturier. “This way, I don’t have to leave when they want to. I’ve been known to spend four or five hours there, maybe more. I look at everything. There is so much (merchandise) that you can walk the store and not see everything, so you have to go around a couple of times. And I’m like, how did I miss that?”
Which brings us to another strategy that both Hark and Furqan Clay, and other Couturier aficionados mentioned: return on Saturday. That’s the day all the merchandise left from Couturier is marked down 25%. You very well could find pieces you passed over initially that are discounted even more.
No question Couturier takes stamina, between perusing the racks, trying on and the hardest of all, decision-making.
“I pack a thing of nuts in my fanny pack in case I get hungry and bring a bottle of water,” says Furqan Clay, noting two other important strategies: go with your hands free and bring a snack. “I dress for it, too, with a tank top and biking pants so I can try on clothes over what I’m wearing. I don’t have time to go into a dressing room This is serious for me.”
Yes, Couturier is serious. And a whole lot of fun no matter when you go.
As longtime Couturier and Resale Shop shopper Gina Slingerland says, “Not only is the quality of the merchandise so good, but you feel good shopping because there’s a bunch of really wonderful women working there and (the proceeds) benefit so many good programs.”
2024 Couturier schedule
Sept. 25 | 10:30 a.m.–1 p.m. | $100 VIP Preview/Sold out
Sept. 25 | 1–4 p.m. | $60 VIP Preview/Sold out
Sept. 25 | 4-8 p.m. | $10 Preview Night
Sept. 26 | 10 a.m.-6 p.m. | No entry fee, open to the public
Sept. 27 | 10 a.m.- 6 p.m. | No entry fee, open to the public
Sept. 28 | 10a.m.-5 p.m. | 25% off storewide